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From: "David Asprey" <>
Subject: Re: more Brits in Brazil (2)
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 2004 12:46:33 +0100


Some more from 1852 correspondence in FO 13/296-298.

[a] Deaths of sailors from HMS CENTAUR at Rio de Janeiro in August 1852
from yellow fever:
12 Aug - Alexander McNAIR 22 seaman & petty officer
12 Aug - Edward HOOKER 21¼ seaman
13 Aug - John COOKE 29¼ seaman & petty officer
13 Aug - Henry COTTON 21 seaman
14 Aug - William ROBERTS 26¼ seaman & petty officer
19 Aug - James LONDON 21 seaman
21 Aug - James HOCKING 22½ seaman [not clear if he died or was
convalescing]

[b] Nov 1852. British barque LADY FLORA, Australia for London with 30
passengers and over £400 of gold, arrived Rio de Janeiro. There had been
robberies on board and 2nd mate John GORE accused and sent to England. Also
suspected passenger Evan CRAWCOUR - however he absconded form the vessel
before sailing - no trace after police search but he left 50 sovereigns in a
hotel he had used and also jewellery in a shop (they were handed to the
Consul who sent them to London). No subsequent trace of Crawcour, though
presumably left Rio incognito.

[c] Deaths of British seamen [probably all merchant service] from yellow
fever in the Livramento Infirmary Aug-Oct 1852:
28 Aug William ROSS
29 Aug Thomas HOLDING
8 Sep Owen JONES, Gimes CAPILE
9 Sep Thomas BURK
13 Sep Daniel CURREY
14 Sep Thomas KYNNERSBY, Samuel SMITH
16 Sep James BARR
20 Sep Edward W. ARTH
21 Sep James McVARKELTY
23 Sep Robert BAINES
28 Sep John [CREWT?]
29 Sep Henry JONES
30 Sep Alexander SELLETH
1 Oct John SIMPSON
5 Oct Michael RYAN
7 Oct William BERA
20 Oct John NELSON
30 Oct John KELLEY
31 Oct John BEAGLE

[d] Assistance given by Rio de Janeiro consul with onward passages to
destitute British in 1852:
- Mary HARRIS to England 4 Apr - in ill health - husband, a mechanic, had
died of yellow fever
- Sarah RUSSELL + 2 children to England 27 Sep - very young children -
husband, a mechanic, had died of yellow fever
- Richard HALL, William FRANCIS & William NICHOLLS all destitute following
abandonment of voyage of American steamer FANNY, New York for California
(could not sail due to debts and a financial scam involving skimming of
up-front passage payments). Of 200 passengers, many were British. British
community in Rio raised £150 for their relief, and some stayed on in Brazil
as they could find work. These three were labourers and found no work so
were sent on to California lest they succumb to yellow fever.

[e] Consul at Pernambuco was H Augustus COWPER; Vice-Consul at Maceio was
James BURNELL (since Oct 1839); Cowper's brother-in-law Nelson VREDENBURG
was appointed to the vacant Vice-Consul post at Pernambuco. Passing
reference to a John CARROLL living in Pernambuco

[f] At Pernambuco change of hospital for yellow fever sufferers- in future
all would be sent to Ilha da Pina where resident doctor was Mr MAULEY and Dr
Arbuckle MALCH would visit daily.

[g] Pernambuco British Cemetery. Amongst proposals for the improvement and
extension of the cemetary (which also received Protestants of other
nationalities) is a plan which shows existing graves, a number of which are
named:
Francisco Xavier STROBEL, George ANGLIN, Otto VORSTER, Caroline H CLAUSEN, T
TESCH, M LÜTTKINS, Thomas RICHARDSON, H T Sophia KALKMANN, John STEWART, J W
BROCKLEHURST, Mary SPEARS, Mary RAY, Frances, Mary & Joseph GUNSTON, --
LESTER, W PELLY, Joseph SINGLEHURST, Charlotte MIDDLETON, Jane HOLLAND, W P
WATTS, Dr John LONDON, Jane JOHNSTONE, C S [MUCLENBRUGH?], Capn WATSON, J
KELSALL, S SWIFT, -- LEWIS, J A HIBBE, COMBER children, P OLDHAM, -- ELSTER,
Dr COATES, W C COX, -- AUGUSTIN, J B FOX, Mrs S B GATIS, -- AUSTIN, --
GIBSON, -- HEATH, -- BISSET, Henry KOSTER, Helena TIGETMEER, -- PORTA, A
MANGÉ, -- KALKMANN. [or were these the only ones with headstones?]

A meeting held to discuss the improvements on 12 Jul 1852 comprised N
VREDENBURG (ViceConsul), C STARR, E FENTON, T YOULE, C C JOHNSTON, J
MATHEWS, Dr W MAY MD.


David Asprey

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