THE HISTORY

OF SHOPPOLIS ISLANDS

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The Deal

     Prize Mary and her complement were in Portsmouth, England, in March of 1783, when an unusual invitation was proposed to Captain Shopp.  He accepted the invitation, and he and Mister Cryde carriaged luxuriously to a nearby townhouse in Blackheath.  There were a number of notables present, including an officer of the Royal Navy, Captain Phillip.  No first name was given.  Once they were all comfortably arranged, a tall man with a beard, whose name was not provided, was introduced as an alderman in an unnamed law firm.  He went on to spell out an offer. 

   The offer on the table called for a first-rate crew with a first-rate ship to transport a number of politically sensitive individuals, couples and families, formerly of the colonies, specifically from the New York area, to the land of Des Terres Australes, also known as New Holland, as a means of "relocating" them of their own free will and intent. It was explained that these people had chosen to invest their means in an attempted return to England after the collapse of the Royal efforts in America.  The Peace of Paris, signed on September 3, 1780, caused these people to be forever banned from their homes, businesses and trades.  It had been the hope of the crown that individuals who remained loyal regardless of why, personal or political, be integrated back into their societies after the war, but in most cases, this did not happen. 

     All these people were resourceful tradesmen, farmers, administrators, manufacturers and more.  There were quite a few heads of families and even a few indigenous Indians.  After some time in Canada, these migrant people had managed to secure a ship to Portsmouth, but because of circumstances, the arrangement was quite costly and took some lives as well as fortunes.  Captain Shopp, if amenable to the idea, would take this group and continue their journey to the new continent to a place visited by Captain Cook in 1770.  The place would be Botany Bay, a location specified by Captain Cook and referred to, loosely, as New South Wales. 

     Captain Phillip, who had remained detached and quiet, came forward and briefed Shopp and Cryde on proposed routes and possibilities and mentioned that if they were successful, perhaps there would be following ships and personnel depending on how many more loyalists, as he called them, accumulated in Portsmouth.  He knew many were still in Canada and were negotiating for land and accommodation, and that there was an issue of repayment of debts from the Colonies.  Shopp noted the use of the word "colonies."  Phillip requested that when the Prize Mary returned from her voyage, that he be informed of the fact and be invited to "delight in the expression of their experience."  He seemed to imply, through his mien, that the results would remain within certain approved circles of people.  Little did any know that the Prize Mary would never return to England again.

     When Shopp inquired as to the specific status of these people, he was informed that they were in the gray area between being sympathizers to whichever side was pressing them and the groups they were supposed to show loyalty. These poor people, who were simply in the business of living and performing their trades to high standards, were actually used by any side that happened by, which did not endear them to more radical neighbors or to those who had strong political or loyalist feelings. These were not important and influential people; they were merchants and experts in their trades who chose to remain in the middle, or slightly right of center.

     For this viewpoint, they were "encouraged" by those around them to leave, which they did. Unfortunately, there was no place to go, and through word of mouth, they ended up in Canada, where the new America, the old English and the transforming Canadians "encouraged" them to go even farther from their familiar lands to new ones, in particular, the West Indies.  These people were also content with the government as it was and were not very pleased with the new Americans and their violent and independent ways.  They saw their situation as hopeless.  These were very professional but moderate people.

   Phillip went on to say that there were plans, much like those developed as far back as 1717, to transport "individuals and groups" away from England and that the firm represented in this room, currently working in the service of the Crown, had plans to launch a fleet in the not-to-distant future, most likely as early as 1789, and that Shopp and his crew could become the "spearhead or vanguard, so to speak" of this effort.  Shopp continued to listen and absorb the information presented and tried not to link his potential voyage with the transport of convicts, a continuing and growing, problem.  He did note that the representative of the firm had an Isle of Wight accent, and the name Gregory was heard.  The captain was not sure if this was a first or family name.  He was quite familiar with those from this island.

     Shopp considered the offer, which was financially appealing, but why the Prize Mary?  Why had her existence become so prominent?  There was a connection somewhere. These homeless people were willing to pay a considerable price for their freedom, it appeared the Crown was involved in some way, and someone had determined that Shopp and his ship were more than capable for the venture.  From the looks of opulence and gild around him, he knew great wealth was involved.  When subjects, such as, convicts and slaves were concerned, he thought of the idea that his own father, currently advanced in age and influence, a friend of the noted Duncan Campbell, Overseer of the prison hulks (1776).  Could these long-term "friendships" have guided these enterprising men to him, the Prize Mary, and her crew?  He would never be certain, but he would always have his suspicions.  

   When Shopp and his second in command eventually met with the group of displaced people, he was quite taken with their intelligence, marked professionality, blatant simplicity, their genuineness, their poor position, and their current condition, namely, nowhere to go but to a new land. What fortunes and savings they had managed to secure, were invested in this venture and some were almost gone.  He wondered how his new-found investors really viewed these "interesting people."  Shopp was not particularly prone to become a political issue in some area of society that could embarrass his family.         

   The group's only means to recover from their situation would be to practice their trades in an accommodating society, even if that environment were of their own creation. If they remained in England, they would have to re-establish themselves in an already competitive market.  Perhaps a new start, with all the participants in the same situation, there would be more of a probability of success even though the risks on life and limb would be greater.  The entire group in the compound, at that time, comprised 20 single men; 19 women with 43 children among them; 8 couples with 21 children among them; 25 couples without children; and 53 single women for a total of 222 individuals. 

     Shopp and Cryde met with the rest of the crew and decided to calculate their best accommodation based on the number of individuals and the list of settlement provisions provided to them.  The two men reviewed as much material as they could gather from the Captain Cook ventures.  When the numbers were all in, it was decided to drop the roster of flex-crew to reduce crew figures to the original 102. They agreed that there were enough able-bodied males to muster additional help, if they needed it, and there were strong females who could take up some of the more menial tasks.  With these done, they could sail the Prize Mary effectively even if met with a gale or two.  They also contemplated the probability of sailing back and forth from what would, most probably, be a new English colony, not completely unlike that in the Americas, with more "controversial" people.  This arrangement could be quite profitable.  The issue of convicts continued to concern both men, and Shopp wondered why he was asked by a gentleman in the townhouse if he played golf; he replied, no.

     The decision was made.  The Prize Mary would take all passengers at the stated fee per person with some additional considerations.  These would include:

• provisioning the ship according to the Captain's specifications

• provisioning the settlement according to the experts' specifications (in this case, Captain Phillip, et al)

• building in berths and other facilities for the passengers and

• providing Prize Mary with a new copper bottom for the tropics. 

Table 1.  Settlement Provisioning

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     After a bit of private negotiations, the deal was made.  As for Captain Phillip, Shopp and his crew had no idea that another plan was in the making, one that they were not made privy.  Because of the growing convict problem, namely, the inability to ship convicts to the former colonies in America, the sites discovered by Captain Cook and his crew in 1770 were being considered as new penal colonies.  In 1788, this same Captain Phillip, commanding 11 ships would comprise Fleet 1 to Botany Bay, and in turn, to Port Jackson.  He would become New South Wale's first Governor.  Out of the all those who disembarked, over 700 would be convicts, many of them women.  The settlement would eventually become Sydney, Australia.  The company of the Prize Mary would not find out about this for some time.

     Ship representatives arranged for the accommodation of the new passengers and accepted a request in the drawing room of the estate to add two full-paying passengers and three men in steerage.  Shopp agreed, and the men were added to the list.  Captain Shopp never asked why these individuals were added to the list.  Shortly thereafter, Captains Shopp and Cryde were halted at their carriage by a young man, Mister Michael Blaine, who, in the company of his sister, Margaret, pleaded with the captains to add him and his sister to the passenger list.  He handed the officer a bag of money that had been left him.  He said that one of the women in the building was his fiancé.  Her name was Miss Carla Bowen from a fine family in New York.  He and his sister had just arrived from the colonies via ship and were desperate to find a solution to their dilemma. 

     After returning to the building and uniting the parties to prove the validity of their claims, Shopp shrugged and handed the money to Cryde who penciled in the new additions.  The estate's host, made arrangements for the two newcomers.  Unknown to Captain Shopp, the attractive young girl with the big eyes, Margaret Blaine, would eventually become his wife for life. 

     In order to assist the crew with their duties, all able men, numbering 58, in the political group were assessed for their abilities, and many were recruited willingly to participate.  Most were assigned to the breeching ropes used to compensate for the recoil of cannon if ever fired.  In the event of a conflict, the cannon of the ship would have to be brought to bear, and practice would have to be performed under the command of the Gunner. 

     All cannon, except for four per side and both stern chasers, were to be tampioned for the journey.  This was somewhat of a risk, but Shopp and his crew knew how to avoid other ships on their way back and forth from Indonesia.  Other men would be placed on-deck as able-bodied seaman (ABs) so other, more experienced men could go aloft and assume more responsible duties.  Some, in the various trades, especially carpentry, were set to the current evolution of the ship, and women assisted the Sailmaker and the Tailor in their duties.  The galley got assistance from many, and the Cook was elated.

 

The passenger list included the following:

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TABLE 3.  THE ORIGINAL CREW OF THE PRIZE MARY (102) BY NAME

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To access the Encyclopedia of Shoppolis Islands for more detailed information, click HERE

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© 2003, Gregory St. John Taylor, All Rights Reserved