The Epic Voyages of Maud Berridge: The seafaring diaries of a Victorian ladyMaud Berridge (1845–1907) was the wife of a Master Mariner, and she travelled with him on at least five occasions (1869, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1886), sailing to Melbourne with emigrants and cargo. The first occasion was 1869 just after they were married, when Henry was Captain of the Walmer Castle, and they returned via New Zealand instead of travelling east and around Cape Horn. However, most of Henry and Maud's voyages were undertaken in the three-masted clipper Superb, sailing from Gravesend at the start of summer and leaving Melbourne for home at the end of the year (the southern summer, best for heading east with the trade winds and rounding Cape Horn). Record times taken from London to Melbourne under Captain Henry were 79 days (1878), 76 days (1881) and a final time of 74 days (1886). In 1880, Maud and Henry took their two sons (aged six and eight) with them. In 1883, they sailed on from Melbourne to Newcastle in New South Wales to take on a load of coal, then on through the Windward Isles to San Francisco (51 days). Here they stayed for two months exploring SF and surrounds, unloaded the coal and took on a load of wheat (in large bags) at Port Costa. They then sailed down the west coast of the Americas, around Cape Horn and on to Queenstown in County Cork (134 days). The whole voyage took 14 months. There are also some photographs of Henry, Maud and the crew taken in San Francisco, and a photo from the State Library of Victoria showing the Superb at dock in Melbourne. Maud wrote diaries of these voyages of which one in particular, that of the 1883 voyage, comprise some 50 000 words. The book will tell Maud's story through her own words and through a number of relevant contemporary documents and will paint a picture of the life of a captain's wife in the Victorian era as well as aspects of society in Britain, the US and Australia at the time. Her enthusiasm for new experiences shines through her writing. |
Contents
Part 2 Maud Berridges travels in her own words | 59 |
Part 3 After Notes | 207 |
Appendix 1 Henrys Merchant Navy Service | 229 |
Appendix 2 Timperleys in Australia in the 1800s and early 1900s | 232 |
Appendix 3 Passenger list for the Superb 1883 London to Melbourne | 235 |
Appendix 4 Maud and Henrys families | 236 |
Notes | 237 |
246 | |
248 | |
Other editions - View all
The Epic Voyages of Maud Berridge: The Seafaring Diaries of a Victorian Lady Sally Berridge No preview available - 2016 |
The Epic Voyages of Maud Berridge: The Seafaring Diaries of a Victorian Lady Sally Berridge No preview available - 2018 |
Common terms and phrases
afternoon arrived Australia Berridge Blackwall Blackwall frigates boat boys breakfast breeze cabin Cape Horn Cape Otway Captain Berridge cars concert crew crossed dancing delicious dinner Dist dress engineer England fair wind gentlemen Greens harbour Harold Harry Henry’s Highflyer hill horses hour Jesse July ladies letters Little Baddow London looked lovely Lubbock lunch March master mariner Maud Maud and Henry Maud’s diaries Melbourne middies midshipmen miles Miss Bullions morning National Maritime Museum Newcastle night o’clock officer passed passengers piano Pilot played poop Port Port Costa pretty quoits rain round sailing ships sailors saloon San Francisco sat on deck seemed ship’s sight songs soon St Kilda steamer street strong Sunday Superb Gazette Thomas Timperley took our places town Victorian Volo Volo and Volo voyage walked Walmer Castle watch weather wharf wonderful