A Family History of James John Maxwell and Margaret Frances Daly

Ancestors
Alexander McLennan and Mary Matheson

Their Voyage to Australia

Ship William Nicol
Isle of Skye to Sydney, Australia
July 6, 1837 October 27, 1837

Alexander McLennan, his wife Mary and their two year old son Farquhar along with Alexander's sister, Catherine, sailed from Isle of Skye to Sydney, Australia aboard the  “William Nicol”.

The Passenger List for the William Nicol for this voyage included:

Like many of the early immigrant ships conditions on the "William Nicol" were crowded and unhygienic. There was no official regulation on the amount of passengers that could be carried on the ships  and, as a result, many were packed as tight as possible. The "William Nicol", at 408 tons,  was about the same length as one and a half train cars of modern design. When the “William Nicol” left port it was carrying 148 adult immigrants and 180 children, plus officers and crew including Dr. George Roberts and a chaplain. Space of 18” feet only was allowed each person.  Another problem on these early immigrant ships was language. Among the passengers on the "William Nicol" only the midwife spoke English and the ship’s master, crew, and doctor did not speak the Gaelic, so communication was very difficult.

Food on the "William Nicol" was described as ample but unfortunately consisted mainly of salt pork and beef.  Oatmeal, the mainstay of the passenger's diet, was not included in the stores. Many of the passengers, especially the young children, suffered from gastrointestinal problems during the voyage including the McLennan's son who was listed in the Sick Book from the "William Nicol" (the child's name is given as Alexr, not Farquhar, but as there were no other McLennans aboard the vessel and the age is correct we can assume that the father's name rather than the son's was listed).

PASSENGER	AGE	DISEASE OR WOUND	WHEN PUT ON SICK LIST	WHEN PUT OFF SICK LIST	HOW DISPOSED OF
Alexr McLennan	2	Diarrhea	August 19	August 21	Discharged, cured

An excerpt from Wooden Hookers by C Bede Maxwell (pen name of Violet Thomas Maxell, wife of Clarence Bede Maxwell) describes the complaint filed by Sir Benjamin D’Urban, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, on the conditions he found aboard the vessel when it docked there during the voyage.

Unlike several other of the early immigrant ships the "William Nicol" did not have an outbreak of fever. Dr Robert’s knowledge and skillful attention given to the highland folk during this voyage and the provisions provided at the Cape of Good Hope probably helped prevent further illnesses from spreading throughout the ship. 

There were only 10 child deaths and one female death recorded when the “William Nicol” arrived in Port Jackson on October 17, 1837.