Pages 759-783 of James McRae's journal and papers: Documents relating to a mutiny on board the Sarah, an East India Company ship sailing to Bombay
Information
Title - Pages 759-783 of James McRae's journal and papers: Documents relating to a mutiny on board the Sarah, an East India Company ship sailing to Bombay
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/6/1/9
Date - 28 Oct-8 Dec 1826
Scope & content - Pages 759-783: Copies of three documents relating to a mutiny on board the Sarah, an East India Company ship sailing to Bombay [Mumbai, India], on which James McRae was travelling to Sri Lanka, where he was to take up the post of superintendent at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, following his return from the journey to Hawaii
These items are bound in the volume comprising journal and papers of James McRae
The deposition, dated 8 Dec 1826, and signed by James McRae, is written on sheets of paper pasted in to the volume. Written on rectos and versos, in McRae's hand, and annotated in pencil: 'This was on his voyage out to Ceylon [Sri Lanka]'
Overview of contents:
Pages 759-762: 'Duplicate of my deposition sworn to before Mr Heatherly, vice consul at Rio de Janeiro, on the 8th December 1826'
Pages 763-766: 'The mutinous conduct of the boatswain, George Gifford. Copied from the log book of the Sarah, Oct 28 1826'
Pages 767-783: 'A copy from the log book of the proceedings which took place by the crew on board the Sarah bound to Bombay'
Summary of contents:
Pages 759-762: 'Duplicate of my deposition sworn to before Mr Heatherly, vice consul at Rio de Janeiro, on the 8th December 1826'
McRae's testimony of the events in Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], given to Mr Heatherly [Alexander Heatherly, British vice-consul in Rio de Janeiro]. McRae describes the events surrounding the punishment of 'the man Overton [William Overton, seaman on the Sarah]': Captain Tucker [William Tucker, captain of the Sarah] requested the passengers of the ship to arm themselves to protect themselves from the crew; the crew charged with knives towards the captain and the officers who were meting out the punishment, despite the captain's warnings and several warning shots; two of the men were wounded by the shots and carried below deck to be treated by the surgeon. Signed by James McRae
Pages 763-766, 'The mutinous conduct of the boatswain, George Gifford. Copied from the log book of the Sarah, Oct 28 1826'
A complaint was made to Captain Tucker regarding the boatswain being 'very drunk, and making use of very mutinous language'; the boatswain was ordered to be sent on the poop [poop deck] until sober; the carpenter and the sailmaker were also found to be drunk and neglecting their duties; their rum was confiscated and they were confined 'in irons in the steerage, where they continued to use the most abusive and mutinous language'; the boatswain escaped his confinement, abusing the captain and the officers; he was confined in the steerage along with the carpenter and the sailmaker, and was later moved to the 'starboard aft cabin, from his endeavour to excite the crew to mutiny'; he was freed at Rio by the recommendation of Admiral Otway [Robert Otway, British Royal Navy officer]; 'the daring manner, in which the man conducted himself […] occasioned beyond any doubt the insolent behaviour of the ship's company towards their officers afterward, and led them at last to commit the rash act they did on the 13th November, which ended with the loss of one of their lives'. Signed by James McRae
Pages 767-783, 'A copy from the log book of the proceedings which took place by the crew on board the Sarah bound to Bombay', 13 Nov 1826
William Overton, seaman was confined in the poop and put in irons, 'for behaving in a most insolent, disrespectful and mutinous manner' towards the second officer, Mr Campbell [John Campbell]; the crew, led by a seaman called Beard, threatened to go on strike if Overton was flogged; Captain Tucker promised to listen to their grievances, but said that the crew would be expected to perform their duties; 'the above is nearly verbatim what pass'd between Captain Tucker and the crew on the quarter deck, which we the undersigned were witnesses', signed by Henry Briggs [lieutenant on the Sarah], Robert Turton ('ensign 3rd regt [regiment]'), W.H. Rainey ('ensign 3rd regt [regiment]') [William Henry Rainey], H.D. Haskins [surgeon on the Sarah], C.R. Rowan ('artillery cadet'), James Ash ('artillery cadet'), Colonel Chambers ('Honbl E.I. Co [Honourable East India Company] civil service'), Robert Sheriden ('chief officer'), John Campbell ('2nd officer'), R. Morgan ('Senior capt. H.E.I. Co [Honourable East India Company] marine') and D. Jones [David Jones] ('Capt. H.E.I. Co marine')
The log continues with a description of Overton's behaviour, including calling Campbell a 'damn'd spooney', and threatening to throw him overboard, the threats heard by several of the witnesses; the initial disagreement had been occasioned by Brompton ('a boy') refusing to fetch water for cleaning the steerage; to avoid more widespread mutiny, the passengers and the officers agreed the 'prisoner' [Overton] ought to be punished by flogging for mutinous behaviour and language
Overton was brought on to the deck the following morning to be flogged, with the officers and the passengers armed, 'ready to support Captain Tucker if resistance to his orders should be offered by the crew'; the crew 'rushed aft in a body, some with drawn knives, led on by Beard, Butler [Benjamin Butler, seaman on the Sarah] and the butcher'; shots were fired, and three or four of the crew members were wounded and carried down to the steerage to be treated by the surgeon
The passengers wrote a letter to the captain, demanding the ship sail to the nearest port immediately, 'for the preservation of the lives of the common deck officers and passengers of the ship, including two married ladies and a child', dated 14 Nov 1826 and signed by R. Morgan, David Jones, Henry Briggs, Robert Turton, William Henry Rainey, C.R. Rowan, James Ash, W.[?] Cunningham ('cadet'), H.S.[?] Watkins, Chambers and J. McRae [James McRae, 'on HM civil service']; the captain promised to sail for Rio de Janeiro as the 'nearest eligible port', where the passengers would be able to find other ships to continue their journey onwards
Benjamin Butler, seaman, died on 16 Nov of the wounds he had received
Extent - 24 pages
Repository - Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library
Copyright - Orphan work
Credit Line - RHS Lindley Collections
Usage terms - Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)