Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Birkenhead emigration sheds query

Does anyone know where these where? Some mention hereclicky

Cholera spreads easily in overcrowded places, such as on board ship. It was one of the diseases historically controlled by Customs.

The emigrants ship 'Helvetia' had left Liverpool, tightly packed with passengers. She was forced to return following a severe outbreak of cholera. The passengers were delivered to the emigration depot in Birkenhead. Their bedding and clothes were burnt and destroyed, and the ship placed in quarantine.
Some of the people who died there are buried in Flaybrick Cemetery.
Could these have been the sheds on this map

the sheds where folks were segregated - the Irish from the Germans.
I think I've seen a map with a customs office marked by the sheds on the map above

The Government Emigration Depot was in Warehouse A1 of the Dock Company Warehouses - that's the one with "Block A" written on it on your map and with the flag flying above it in the ILN engraving. At the time the Depot opened in 1852 only the first three warehouses in each range had been been built, the other three were added later making blocks of six.

The following might be of interest. It's a copy & paste of a contribution to the The ShipsList web-site concerning the Birkenhead Emigration Depot and an indication of dietary requirements on emigrant ships. I'm guessing it's part of the text from the newspaper report which accompanied Derek's pictures:


.............................

BIRKENHEAD EMIGRATION DEPOT

From 'The Illustrated London News', July 10th, 1852

The full tide of emigration, which has of late been diverted by the gold
discoveries from the United States, and even California, has, by setting in
for own far distant settlements in the Pacific, given a wonderful impetus to
the Australian trade, which has become of a profitable character to the
shipowner, and by which so much employment is now given to shipbuilders,
ship-carpenters, ship-smiths, block and rope-makers, sail-makers, ship
store-dealers, coopers, and the various other trades employed in promoting
the vast human traffic now carried on to Australia.

Our present business is to illustrate an outline of the system adopted at
Birkenhead for the comfort of the emigrants who may be cooped up in a ship
for perhaps a three or four months' voyage. The plan may be divided into two
branches- "Free Emigration," and "Government Emigration."

The former is altogether of a private character, but is under the
surveillance of the Government officials; the latter we are now about to
explain.

The Government in Australia has secured large funds arising from the sale of
Crown lands, &c., a portion of which have been remitted to this country to
persons appointed by the Crown, who are called "Her Majesty's Colonial Land
and Emigration Commissioners," who have an office in Park Street,
Westminster, where the whole business of emigration is carried on, and who
have the management of the funds in this country to a which we have referred.

The business of the Commissioners is to receive the applications of such
parties as are desirous of going out under the protection of the Government,
and chiefly at the expense of the colonies. They examine, also, into the
character of the applicants, and decide upon the amount each shall
contribute, which varies from £1 to £5, according to the occupation, age, and
character of the applicant.

The Commissioners also advertise for tenders for ships to take out the
emigrants, and it is a matter of great responsibility to decide upon the most
suitable. There are proper officers for examination, who survey the ships,
and, upon their report, the vessels are accepted or rejected by the
Commissioners as the officer recommends. Contracts or charters are then
signed, and the ship proceeds with her outfits, shipping stores and every
necessity as provided for in the charter party. We annex the dietary scale:

The following is the scale for one adult. Women to receive the same as the
men; children between one and 14 to receive one-half. Infants under one year
to be allowed one quart of water, daily, but no rations.

Sunday to Monday, inclusive, 8 ounces of biscuit, (the biscuit not to be
below second quality), 6 ounces of flour, 3 ounces of oatmeal.

On Saturday, 6 ounces of beef. (Prime new Irish or American East India beef).

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6 ounces of prime Irish East India pork.

On Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, 6 ounces of preserved meat, not more than
one-third of the supply to consist of soup and bouillon; the rest to be
exclusively preserved meat.

On Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 2 ounces of raisins.

On Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 1½ ounces of suet.

On Tuesday and Saturday, 4 ounces of rice.

On Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, ¼ ounce of tea.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, ½ ounce of coffee. (Weight when roasted).

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 4 ounces of sugar.

On Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 2 ounces of treacle.

On Monday and Friday, 2 ounces of butter.

On Sunday and Thursday, 4 ounces of preserved potatoes. (From September to
March, inclusive, parties will have the option of taking a supply of fresh
potatoes for the first month, or six weeks, substituting 1 pound for the 4
ounces of preserved potatoes).

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1 pint of dried peas.

Daily, 3 quarts of water.

Weekly, one gill of mixed pickles, ½ ounce of mustard, 2 ounces of salt and ½
ounce of pepper.

While in port, and for one or two days afterwards, if practicable, two-thirds
of a pound of fresh meat, 1½ pounds of soft bread and 1 pound of potatoes,
per adult, are issued, with a suitable supply of vegetables, in lieu of salt
and preserved meat, and of flour, suet, raisins, rice and peas.

It is in the discretion of the surgeon-superintendent to issue three times a
week, to children under seven, four ounces of rice or three ounces of sago,
in lieu of salt meat.

The surgeon is also at liberty to draw an additional quart of water, daily,
for the use of each person sick in the hospital.

The Commissioners formerly despatched their emigrant ships from Deptford and
Plymouth but, latterly, private enterprise pointed out Birkenhead as a
suitable place, and the Commissioners now despatch three of four ships a
month from that depot. The large and well-ventilated dining hall of the depot
comfortably accommodates six-hundred people, divide into classes, or schools,
of English, Irish and Scottish, each table being so marked.
.........................

(What was 'East India beef' ? Pickled beef, perhaps, originally for the
British garrisons in those parts?)

Regards,
Tony, West Wales.


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One of the worse cases of sickness on a Birkenhead emigrant ship may have been the Ticonderoga. It certainly puts any ideas of "comforts" for the passengers into context:


The London Times, 16 April, 1853

The Ticonderoga, Emigrant Vessel

To the Editor of the Times

Sir, - I beg to call your attention to the case of the Ticonderoga, the unfortunate
emigrant vessel which sailed from Birkenhead last year with from 800 to 900
Government emigrants to Australia, and of whom no fewer than about 180 died on
the passage and in quarantine. Nearly three months have now elapsed since advice
was received in this country of the arrival of the vessel, and of the state of the
passengers, and of course great anxiety must have been felt to learn the particulars;
but your readers will scarcely credit the statement, that till the arrival of the Great
Britain, a few days ago, no official advices had been received by the Board of
Emigrant Commissioners of the arrival of the vessel, and that up to this hour no list of
the passengers who died has yet been received. Thus, though about a fourth part of
the number of passengers have been cut off by death, the thousands of anxious
relatives are still kept in suspense as to the fate of their friends. I am at all times
desirous to exercise leniency in judging of the operations of Government
establishments and officials, but I can scarcely conceive a more harrowing case of
painful solicitude than must be felt by the sorrowing relatives of this large body of
emigrants; neither can we suppose other than great remissness of duty somewhere
in connexion (sic) with this lamentable case.
I may add that the agents of the vessel having had no charge of the shipment of the
passengers, and the owners being resident in America, there is no other source open
for the desired information than the Board of Emigrant Commissioners.

I am, Sir, &c.,
April 14.

http://www.ticonderoga.com.au/index.html

Better scans of the ILN engravings, so you can see them in more detail.

You need to read the book " Good Food, Bright Fires and Civility" by Dr Keith
Pescod . This tells the story of all the emigration depots around the country
with a chapter on the Birkenhead Depot. Most interesting when he talks about
the reasons for the depot being established at Birkenhead rather than on the
Liverpool side of the Mersey. The exact location of the depot was established
by 2 elderly members of Birkenhead History Society . They helped Keith Pescod
greatly with the book and are acknowledged by him. The Mangerton was the very
first ship to leave for Australia in 1852 and by the time the depot closed in 1868
some 180,000 people had been taken from Birkenhead to the Antipodes.