AUS-NSW-NORCO-L Archives

Archiver > AUS-NSW-NORCO > 2007-05 > 1178320628


From: "Ian Symonds" <>
Subject: Re: [NORCO] Port Macquarie register
Date: Sat, 5 May 2007 09:17:08 +1000
References: <463AE05B.2050009@austarnet.com.au><014501c78e3b$bd44b600$0101a8c0@ian09uay5j2em1><50015.64.222.101.206.1178286624.squirrel@webmail.gmavt.net>


Kim,

I do not seem to have anything further on your Alex Raine-there is a
mention of an Alex Raine being the builder of the schooner "Betsy"
(Spence/Fattorini enquiry) and a Captain Thomas Raine(nothing else).

Sequestration of Fattorini ( Feb 1843?) :-

"Major Innes as Mortagee is finishing the schooner "Betsy" . I have a bond
for $250 from the Shipwright Alexander Raine . Raine is the real owner of
the Schooner ; the Bond is either in my possession or in the possession of
Mr Salway."

I think I may have given you the item below but will include it again.

Have you been in contact with the Maritime Museum here- I know they are
compiling files on the early shipping years here. Ian


RAINS, Alex. From Shipping Gzette 22 Mar 184

Ar 8 am on 11 july 1844, the three men left Pt M in a 14 ton hatch boat
bound fro Camden Haven, a few miles away, to colect a load of green wattle
bark for tanner Daniel McGiness of Pt M. They reached the mouth of the
Camden Haven River in the evening, when a squall rose and blew them out to
sea. None of them knew much about boats aand the closest thing to a sail was
was an old tarpaulin . By the next morning, they were around 10 miles off
the coast and had drifted 100 miles to the south, Port Stephens being
clearly visible. Again a strong wind picked up, and within two hours they
were out of sight of land. Since they knew they needed to head west, they
decideed that they should head fro the noon day sun (definitely not
sailors) They were now heading north. Since they had originally planned a
short expedition, they had little in the way of provisions on board. For the
first three days tyhey did not eat, but subsisted in 1/2 pint of brandy. On
the nest two days, they had 1/2 pint of tea each and a small amount of
bread. Another hardship was the tinder they had to start a fire had become
damp, preventing them from boiling any water. When the bread ran out, they
had to subsist on uncooked flour and water. By the tenth day, their supplies
ha dbecome dangerously low. By this time they ha di bottle of water and
reduced to 2 ounces of flour per day. They were now making the dough with
salt water and some addeed sugar. Their water was used to moisten their lips
once per day. During this time the weather was not kind. It was mainly
stromy and frequent rain squalls. Unfortunately, , none of the rain fell on
the boat. They kept working the oar and jury rigged sails, with their
blankets, which were continully being blown away. During this period Rains
fell,.overboard twice, on one occasion during a storm, a wave struck the
boat and threw him overboard. He survived only because the other two grabbed
him when he surfaced near the boat. Salvation arrive dat 10 am on the 21st
day, when they were picke dup by the :Governor" of London. She was carrying
cedar from Sydney for the Cape. They were dropped off at Raines Island on
12 Aug and assisted the working party of prisoners and crew from HMS Fly and
Bramble to buid a beacon. Davidson and Rains worked as carpenters and
Doherty as a labourer. They were taken by HMS Fly , leaving the island on 10
Sep-several days later fell in with two boats who had the crew of the
shipwrecked Lady Gray on board. They transfered to the Fly, which now had 19
shipwrecked survivors, including Doherty, Davidson and Rains. The Fly
continued to Sourabaya. Arriving at the end of October sailing again on 3rd
November, six of the crew of from Lady Grey transferred to another ship at
Sourabaya. The remainder transfered to HMS Prince George, sailing first to
Batavia and then Singapore on 3rd December. In Singapore they boarded the
Britomart, bound for Sydney via Adelaide.

· Alex Rains became a father of a boy several days after the start of
trip!

· 7 Jun 1841- permission for shipwright Alex Rains and James Forsyth
to build a vessel at Rawdon Island.



This thread: