Robert Clark Morgan
| Robert Clark Morgan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
13 March 1798 Deptford, London |
| Died | 1864 South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia |
Robert Clark Morgan (13 March 1798 – 23 September 1864) was an English sea captain and diarist. He was captain of the ship that brought the first settlers to South Australia in the Duke of York in 1836. The diaries that he kept are held in the collection of the State Library of New South Wales. His life as a whaling captain has been recorded in the book The Man Who Hunted Whales (2011) by Dorothy M. Heinrich.
Morgan was born on 13 March 1798 at Deptford, Kent in England. This is recorded in his diary. His parentage is not known. No conclusive record of his birth has been found.
In his diary he does not mention his parentage apart from a few cryptic remarks. On Sunday 5 February 1837 he states, “I could not say that I had a praying Father or a praying mother or a Brother or Sister for I lost them young and knew little of them. I was cast on the world at the age of 11 years to walk the journey of life”.
In one of his diaries he speaks of his Father’s sister dying and being buried on 2 April 1844. However, he does not give her name. There was a Harriet Morgan, a single woman aged 68, who was buried in St Dunstan's, Stepney on 2 April 1844. She died on 29 March 1844 at 5 Arbor Street West, St Thomas, Mile End Old Town in Stepney, where the death was registered. The informant was a Charlotte Willoughby of Charles Street, St. George East, Stepney.
In Harriet’s Will, dated 25 February 1843, she states that her address (at that date) was 3 Leg Alley, Long Acre (now known as Langley Court off Long Acre), and that her “wearing apparel” is to be divided between her two sisters Louisa Johnson and Jane Brooks and that both sisters resided at 3 Leg Alley, Long Acre. She also left to her brother (this could have been Robert Clark Morgan’s father or his father's brother) Thomas Morgan living at 5 Ward Street Lambeth her writing equipment.
When a young man, and just appointed to his first command, he, about ten days before sailing on his cruise, happened to enter a chapel in Greenwich where a revival service was being held, and the result to him was eventful. This would have been in 1828.
That revival service in Greenwich was led by Isaac English (baker and lay preacher). English is listed in Pigot's Commercial Directory of Kent of 1827/8 and in 1839 and Robson's Directory of 1838 at 12 Blissett Street in Greenwich. In Bagshaw's 1847 directory he is recorded as Isaac English, Gentleman at 34 Prior Street, Greenwich. In the 1841 census for Greenwich he is shown at Blissett Street with the following entry. Isaac English, age 45, baker. Not born in the county [Kent]. Maria or Miriam English, age 40 [his wife] born in the county. Also in the house are: James Earl, age 25, baker, John Mulin, age 15, baker and Ann Cracknell, age 9. English could not be found on the 1851 census for Greenwich.
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