Thomas Wellbank

Male 1778 - 1851  (~ 73 years)


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  • Name Thomas Wellbank 
    Birth 1778  Whitby, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christening 19 Nov 1778  Whitby, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Occupation 1790  Whitby, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Seaman on the Rodney 
    Note 1822 
    The Regret (from wikipedia entry)

    Captain Thomas Wellbank, captained Potton on a voyage for the EIC in 1815 to 1816, and took command of Regret c. 1817.

    Fate

    BATAVIA, Sept 25 - The Regret, Welbank, from London, took fire about seven o'clock on the evening of the 23d instant, while at anchor in these roads, and by daylight this morning was burnt to the water's edge. The accident was occasioned by the exposure of a lighted candle to a cask of spirits below, which caught and exploded; and the rapidity of the flames was such, that the officers and crew could save nothing but the clothes they had on. The principal part of the cargo had been landed; about 30 or 40 tons of iron, and a quantity of coals remained on board; the iron has been nearly all saved, but so much damaged that it is partly unfit for use. The remains of the hull have been towed onto the Mud Bank, and every exertion is using for the preservation of the materials, which will be sold by public auction.
    (Morning Chronicle, London, 1 Feb 1823)

    Wellbank returned to England and was master of Potton again, including sailing her on another voyage for the EIC between 1823 and 1824. 
    Occupation 1815 -1824 
    Master Mariner, Captain for East India Company 
    Note 1827 
    Reference: ADM 101/58/7/2
    Description:
    Folio 22: Mary Wilby, aged 50, Free Woman; disease or hurt, general debility and a fixed acute pain on the right side about the 6th rib. Put on sick list, 12 July 1827, at sea. Remained on sick list until 5 August 1827, when she went on shore to her husband in a weak and debilitated state.
    Folio 23: Elizabeth Byatt, aged about 12, Child of one of the prisoners; disease or hurt, vermes intestorum [worms]. Put on sick list, 13 July 1827. Last date of treatment, 14 July 1827, after which she is stated to have improved.
    Folio 23: Abstract of the preceding journal, being a summary of all the cases contained therein, nosologically arranged.
    Folios 24-27: Surgeon's general remarks. The prisoners have all arrived in good health, in spite of the constant gale of wind since the Cape of Good Hope. There was not one case of scurvy, this may partly be because of the careful way the provisions were cooked, the cleanliness and dryness of the prison and the exercise allowed the prisoners; it may also be in part due to the daily allowance of wine, lemon juice and sugar. The women also make better use of their oatmeal and use less of the salted meat than male prisoners. The Surgeon paid great attention to Article 24 of his instructions, respecting the prevention of prostitution between the prisoners and the ship's crew. The ship's officers, particularly the Master Mr Plunkett and the Chief Officer, Mr Wellbank, were very helpful in enforcing this. He recommends that female convict ships should be fitted with a solitary confinement cell and equipped with handcuffs as deterrents and punishments. There was a rule that all women should go below before dusk to help prevent criminal intercourse between the women and the seamen. Mary Page was handcuffed during the voyage for refusing to go below at dusk but this was only possible through borrowing the handcuffs of a passenger who happened to be a policeman. There had been a plan for a number of women to resist going below but she was the only one who acted. A petty officer refused to assist in taking her below and it is suspected that it was part of the plan that no seamen would help in removing the women from the deck. The Surgeon congratulates himself on delivering all the convicts and guards in good health, without any deaths and on effectively eliminating opportunities for prostitution. Signed, James Patton MD RN late Surgeon Superintendent of the Persian. Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land, 22 August 1827.

    National Archives 
    Note 1839 
    In 1839 Whitby transported 133 female convicts to Sydney. Under the command of Captain Thomas Wellbank, she left Dublin on 18 February and arrived at Sydney on 23 June. 
    Note 1840 
    WELLBANK, Thomas, petition for almshouse 1840 as of Old Suffolk Street, Cannon Street Road, East London, with wife 70 and son commanding ship in India trade (he was present at Mutiny of the Nore; took machinery for a Mint to Cacutta 1823, etc.)

    [a record of "Miscellaneous papers" found online which I unfortunately neglected to record what archive they come from]. 
    Note 1841 
    The sword, or "tebute" shown here was given to the museum in 1841 by Captain Thomas Wellbank, returning from a voyage transporting convicts to Australia. (Whitby Museum) 
    Residence 1841  Park Street, Greenwich Find all individuals with events at this location 
    from census. Elizabeth Morgan, daughter 30 married to James Terry Morgan, mariner, is living at the same address, presumably her husband is off voyaging. 
    Note 19 Mar 1841  Evening Mail, London Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Piracy and Murder

    An account of an incident dated December 29th, 1839, at Lombok, where Captain Wellbank of the Whitby contributed to the rescue of whaling boats captured by piirates. Colourful details such as an escaped boat with a sail made of trousers and shirts, delivering a note written with a piece of burnt wood.

    The report is forwarded from St Helena and the paper is sceptical of its truth. 
    Death 1851 (died in his 72nd year)  Mile End Road, Mile End Old Town Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial 1851  City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I625  Welbank1
    Last Modified 4 Jun 2022 

    Father Thomas Wellbank,   b. 1751, Whitby, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother Mary Harrison 
    Marriage 3 Oct 1775  Whitby, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F213  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Dinah Marshall,   b. 1770, South Shields, Durham Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 18 Apr 1859, Mile End Road, Mile End Old Town Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 89 years) 
    Marriage 22 Jun 1800  Whitby, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Thomas Wellbank,   c. 12 Apr 1802, Whitby, Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Jan 1866, London Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 63 years)
     2. Isaac Wellbank,   b. 15 Sep 1806   d. 10 Dec 1867, Glebe, Sydney, NSW, Australia Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 61 years)
    +3. Dinah Eliza Wellbank,   b. Abt 1808   d. 20 Mar 1891, 13 Blackheath Rise, Lewisham Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 83 years)
     4. William Wellbank,   b. 1811, Sculcoates, Yorks Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Before 1851 (Age 40 years)
    Family ID F58  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 8 Jul 2020