Beautiful Bodies: The Doomed Voyage of the Convict Ship Amphitrite and Her Cargo of Infamous Damned Whores

BOATS Australian Convicts

Shipwreck.

• 327 p. ; 24 cm.
• Amphitrite (Ship)
• Shipwrecks — France — Boulogne
• Penal transportation — New South Wales — History
• Transportation of convicts — Australia
• Women prisoners — Transportation — England
• Australia — History — 1788-1851
• #221123
• Amphitrite was built at Appledore, Torridge, (equally Bideford), and launched in 1802. Under various owners and masters she traded across the North Atlantic and to the Baltic. She wrecked in 1833 with heavy loss of life while transporting female convicts to New South Wales.
• Captain John Hunter sailed Amphitrite from Woolwich, Kent, England on 25 August 1833, bound for New South Wales. She had embarked 108 female convicts and 12 children.^[7]While sailing off Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais, France she encountered a gale that blew her ashore on 31 August. Hunter refused offers of aid from the shore, due to his concern that if the prisoners got on shore some might escape, and his belief that a rising tide would free her.^[8] The ship subsequently broke up with the loss of 133 lives; only three crewmen survived.^[7][9]
• The loss of the AMPHITRITE was the first major convict transportation shipwreck, with the loss of 136 people. It was transporting 108 female convicts, including 12 of their children, to New South Wales. A gale drove it ashore near Boulogne, France. The female convicts managed to get on deck and begged to be allowed to leave the ship but Captain Hunter remained obstinate, as he felt unable to ensure their continued imprisonment. After several hours, AMPHITRITE broke in two and only three of the crew survived.