John Martin the Celebrity Delinquent: Part 5: Cardigan Castle

 

John Martin the Celebrity Delinquent: 

Part 5: Cardigan Castle

The vessel Cardigan Castle was an iron ship (later barque) owned by Liverpool shipping company, Lewis, Davies, and Co. The vessel was built during 1870 by R.J. Evans.  Between 1879 and 1897 the ship transported people and cargo between England, Australia and New Zealand. It stopped in South Australia at Port Adelaide, Port Pirie, and Port Victoria (Yorke Peninsula). In 1893 the ship was sold to L. Davies and Co. and converted to an iron barque.
 In 1909, the Cardigan Castle was lost off the West Australian coast.[1]

 You may remember in a previous blog regarding John Martin, Mr Burton discussed his desire to go to sea. Mr Burton had asked a judge if this were possible for the young man, and the judge had given his blessing.
 Burton and the Judge were true to their word. They arranged through Mr Philipps of Wills and Co., for Martin to board the vessel Cardigan Castle, under the instruction of Captain Golding. Martin left Port Adelaide on Wednesday, December 4, 1894, bound for England.[2]

 

1890: The 'Cardigan Castle' docked in an unidentified port SLSA: [PRG 1373/16/9]

The South Australian Register published a short letter from Mr Burton in May 1895 regarding a letter sent by Captain Golding. In the statement, Captain Golding stated that Martin had conducted himself so well on the voyage that the Captain has re-engaged him for a trip from London to Calcutta, India. Captain Golding stated, “The improvement in the boy's conduct goes far to justify the generous estimate formed of his character by his erstwhile guarding, Mr Burton.”[3]

 

Next Week: John Martin the Celebrity Delinquent: Part 6: Francis Robert Burton

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2020

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[1] Passengers in History, ‘Cardigan Castle’, South Australian Maritime Museum, https://passengers.history.sa.gov.au/node/922322.

[2] 'GENERAL NEWS.', The Advertiser, (5 December 1894), p. 4., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25743660.

[3] 'No title', South Australian Register, (27 May 1895), p. 5., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54462842.