Thomas Wellbank

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1790, Whitby, Yorkshire, England; 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; 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; 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.

Thomas married Dinah Marshall on 22 Jun 1800 in Whitby, Yorkshire, England. Dinah was born in 1770 in South Shields, Durham; died on 18 Apr 1859 in Mile End Road, Mile End Old Town; was buried on 25 Apr 1859 in City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Thomas Wellbank was christened on 12 Apr 1802 in Whitby, Yorkshire, England; died on 26 Jan 1866 in London; was buried on 2 Feb 1866 in City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery.
2. Isaac Wellbank was born on 15 Sep 1806; was christened on 16 Nov 1806 in Providence Chapel, Dagger Lane, Kingston-on-Hull, Yorks; died on 10 Dec 1867 in Glebe, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
3. Dinah Eliza Wellbank was born about 1808; died on 20 Mar 1891 in 13 Blackheath Rise, Lewisham; was buried in 1891 in City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery.
4. William Wellbank was born in 1811 in Sculcoates, Yorks; was christened on 28 Dec 1811; died before 1851.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1782, Whitby, Yorkshire, England; Sea Captain

Notes:

Occupation:
1782 Captain of Good Design, sailing from Whitby
1786 Captain of Oak, taking a cargo of wood from Hull to Sunderland.
1787 Captain of ship taking coals from Sunderland.
1800 Captain of Oak, arrived at Whitby from Hull with goods.

Thomas married Mary Harrison on 3 Oct 1775 in Whitby, Yorkshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1747; ship's mate.

Notes:

Occupation:
on Happy Return, sailing from Whitby to Sunderland

Thomas married Jane. Jane was born in 1711; died in 1779 in Whitby, Yorkshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Note: The record of Jane's death gives her age and says she is the wife of Thomas Wellbank, a sailor.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Whitby, Yorkshire, England