Borrowdale (ship)

The Borrowdale was a store ship in the First Fleet which carried the convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. This was the start of European settlement of Australia. The "Borrowdale" was a ship of 275 tons which had been built at Sunderland in about 1785. It was under the command of Master R. Hobson. The ship had a contract with the British Government to transport food and equipment. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month until the ship returned to Deptford. 
The "Borrowdale" left Sydney in July, 1788. The crew became very sick with scurvy. When the ship got to Rio de Janeiro several sailors were taken to hospital. Five sailors died on the way back to England.