July 2nd 1865

July 2nd: Porpoises seen today passed several vessels; wind light and variable but against us; under steam; hauling more to the south and set more fore and aft canvas. Average barometer 30 inches, average thermometer 96 degs, distance run 190 miles. Latitude 48 degs 3 mins N. Longitude 6 degs 57 mins W.

________________________________________________________________

A True copy of the Golden Fleece Gazette, printed on board July 15th 1865 (there are no dates on these Gazette entries so I will post them "now and again" !)

Daughters of imitation art
On you with confidence I call
To trace with singleness of heart
Your talents’ fond memorial.

Sons of the grafuc tribe to you
A vain appeal it cannot make
Cast in your offering with the few
and kindly act for kindness sake.

Ye critics who will no gold miss
Ye connoisseurs who need agree
The sweet revenge I ask is this
that if improve on all ye see.

In commencing a public journal like the Golden Fleece Gazette it is necessary to announce our policy seal creed to put before our readers the programme by which we hope to gain their confidences and ensure our success, we beg distinctly to state that we shall not pledge ourselves to either partys conservative or liberal; neither will we support any other cabinet, part or Harboard, we hold ourselves radically free to think and act for the good of our subscribers, be they patrician, plebeian, in catering from every sound, fore and aft, from the depths of the orlop, cockpits main and saloon decks, even to the main truck. We certainly have not so extensive a field as the other great leading journals of the day to glean matters from, we have not the knotty feuds in the court of St Benedict heard before. Tis not well to comment upon, nor Reuters Justice nor Police inteligence. Our Political horizon is summed up in the mornings and evenings. Hows her head, those few words do not probably at present engage so much attention as they will do when sailing through the Bays of Bengal. Besides the want of subject matter we have had many difficulties to contend against with our printing machinery having had no place to set it up, consequently our working director was under the necessity of discharging his large staff of composition and w now find great difficulty in supplying their places.

We hope having engaged the fertile brains of most, and shurely the good wishes of all, with Gods blessing and a little management to rise superier to every obsticle and yet electrify the world with the wit and talent of the Golden Fleece.

The programme we propose to submit, is to set before our readers, a resume of the weeks transactions under the head of our log. The space for foreign intelude will be devoted to passing ships. There will be a column for original communication and in writing then we would strongly urge upon our contributers to look always on the sunny side!!.. Ample space will be provided for births and marriages. In our answer to correspondents, we beg distinctly to state that we will not adjudicate between man and wife as to who is to wear the breeches nor shall we give any reasons why Crinalines have been discarded on board, we leave all such frivolities to the Family Herald and Saturday Review.

On another page we have recorded the particulars of the Death of Priest John Reynolds of the 16th Lancers. A sudden death is at all times unspeakable awful and startaling and the prescence of death on board ship is more peculiarly so from the close proximity to each other in which sea life places us. Moreover the fearfull rapidity with which the funeral succeeds a Death on Board ship cannot fail to awaken in us some serious reflections upon the uncertainty of human life. Within 24 hours and sometimes a far shorter time, before we have thoroughly realized the fact that a brother’s spirit has been removed from among us, his mortal remains are consigned to the deep. During the last week we have had all these most striking features in the workings of the King, of terrors exemplified to us in the Death of Private Reynolds of our Regiment. Poor fellow, at noon he was among us, appearantly in the full enjoyment of health and strength and in a few short hours he was a corpse stricken down in the prime of life, in the zenith of his manhood by that most subtle and insidious of all diseases, Heart Complaint. In his case there was no gradual sickness, nor weary tossing about on fevered pillows, without any warning of his near approach the dreadful enemy attacked him and in a few moments it was beyond human aide. At eight o clock on the following morning his comarades on the Quarter deck, to hear our solemn and impressive funeral read over him. There was scarce a breath of wind to raise a ripple, not a sound to disturbe the stillness of that calm July morning. until a dull heavy splash told us that the waters of the broad atlantic cloased over the remains of a kind husband, an affectionate father, and a good Soldier. And so our ship goes on in her course numbering one life on board less that when we sailed one more soul to its last reackoning, one more unit added to make up the long sum of eternity.

(Note from Noo: This journal is really hard to read as the handwriting is very old-fashioned, as is the language. If you notice any obvious mistakes please let me know. I have tried to replicate the spelling as it is written to reproduce the Gazette in truth.)

July 1st 1865

July 1st - Heavy squalls during the night with wind more favourable; sighted the Isle of Wight, with St Catherine’s light, about 3a.m. and set more fore and aft canvass. Stood in towards Sterint Point about 4 miles out of our course to catch a fishing boat to enable our Pilot to get ashore; as fine a specimen of a sort as ever walked a Quarter deck; with his square figure, white hair and weather beaten face, stamped with the marks of many a dark howling December night in the English channel, true type of such grand old Sea Dogs, as Blake, Don Troup, Benbour and Ramsey. Put him on board a fishing smack about half past 11 a.m. and gave him three party cheers as he disappeared over the side, The last actor in that touching drama “Leaving England”.

Shaped our course more to the South, we had magnificient view of the Devonshire and Cornwall coast, with their bold and rocky red sandstone headlands and fertile fields; such a contrast to the chalky cliffs of Kent, Sussex and Hampshire coasts. Winds strong and variable with rising barometer. About half past 5 p.m. as the English coast was just distinguishable; many a hopeful eye looked their last upon that happy sea girl, home; many a heart beat responsive to a bright and brilliant future. Steered a north westerly course average barometer 29.2 average thermometer 61 degs. Still in English channel

Introduction from Thomas Parnham

Expectancy became certainty when about the 17th June, an official notification that the 16th Lancers were to hold themselves in readiness to embark for Madras per S.S. Golden Fleece about the 27th inst. Preparing and packing of kits, writing farewells, and parting with friends, was the order of the day. Parting, in that small words are embraced many heart rending scenes, it would require the pen of Macaulay to describe the agonized feelings of a mother as she clings to the neck of her one son, and perhaps only support; or a father’s love, bursting through the iron bars of a strong will, striving to keep up appearances as he wrings the hand of his soldier son, or a lover’s last embrace, (Ye Gods have pity).

Doubtless the regiment saw and felt the full force of parting from England’s home and beauty. We remained in discomfort and uncertainty til four p. m. on the 27th when a telegram arrived to say that we were to start from Colchester at 9 a.m. next morning. With soldierly precision, the train with its precious burden moved out of the station at the appointed time, the band of the 17th Lancers, playing the farewell Auld Lang Syne. We reached Tilbury at about 2p.m. and were immediately conveyed on board the Golden Fleece, laying on the Gravesend side of the river. June 29th official delays caused us to lose the afternoon tide. June 30th at 4a.m. in tow of a tug, we slipped our moorings and proceeded down the river, Passed the Nare and Great Eastern laying at Anchor; having on board the Atlantic Cable. May their mission of science succeed. We soon cast off the tug and steamed steadily through the intricacies of the mouth of the Thames. We passed Ramsgate, Margate, and sighted the white cliffs of Dover. About noon we rounded the South Foreland and were fairly in the English Channel. Fleets of Merchant men boats and steam vessels passed us on their way to that leviathan entroport of the world, London. Steaming at the rate of 7 knots we got a good view of the Kentish coast with Folkstone sacred to the memory of many a honeymoon and Thorncliffe with its English Ensign flying, and hut encampment; the latest idea of our administration heads; the fit receptacle of bugs and other vermin. We steamed passed Hastings, Beachy Head, Eastbourne and Brighton. We are unfortunate with Head winds and low barometer. Showers of rain with smut and smoke driven aft from the funnel.

Introduction from me!

When Uncle Jon passed away and his "bits and bobs" were gone through - a notebook was found. It was old and worn and the handwriting was difficult to decipher. The notebook was covered in brown wrapping paper, and on the inside it said:

Log kept on the Voyage to India
by the 16th Lancers
1865

Our dear AuntieM passed the notebook to my dad..... and so a trail began. We soon found that the writer had been one Thomas Parnham my grandmother's grandfather! and somehow by some strange quirk of fate it had remained safe and intact (if a little worn and grubby)

I am a huge believer in the history of the written word. This notebook started me on my quest to compile our family tree, and to find out a little about Thomas Parnham. This quest started some ten years ago, and really came to a bit of a dead end, apart from finding his pay records for the 16th Lancers in the Public records office in Kew, which was very exciting. But now with the improvement in internet facilities the search is once again pulling at my heart.

The family mostly have a photocopy of the notebook, but if theirs is anything like mine it is dog-eared and hard to read by now (it wasn't easy to read to begin with!). I did start typing it up in Word, but have now decided that I will try to put it on a blog to make it even more accesible. My aim is to publish one or two entries a week through the winter.

When I write my other blog, I often wonder if, in years to come it will be happened upon by a relative who never really knew me, but can find out who I am and where I came from, and that the blog will give an insight into how life in the "noughties" is for us, and for me in particular. So, it is with this log. it is mostly a transcript of a journal that was published on board the SS Golden Fleece, but was re-written by my great-great grandfather as there was not enough paper on board to publish enough copies.

I hope you enjoy it!