T is for Travelling Together on the Forest Rights

 This post is part of the A to Z Challenge, a blogging initiative where participants publish daily posts in April (except Sundays), each one themed around a letter of the alphabet. My theme this year is "Migration Stories"—tracing the journeys, ships, and personal histories behind my ancestors’ moves across continents. Through passenger records, newspaper clippings, and genealogical detective work, I’m piecing together the routes they took and the vessels that carried them. Today's post is brought to you by the letter T.

In October 1864, Margaret Thomas, a mother determined to reunite her family, embarked on a momentous voyage. Leaving from London aboard the Forest Rights, a full-rigged ship of 1154 tons under Captain Duke, they were among 143 steerage passengers bound for Melbourne. Travelling together were:ⁱ

1. Margaret Thomas, aged 57, married – mother

2. Eliza A. Kemp, aged 25, married – daughter-in-law [wife of Margaret’s son, Robert Thomas]

3. Margaret Thomas, aged 17, unmarried – daughter

4. Sarah Thomas, aged 20, unmarried – daughter

Margaret’s husband, John Thomas (aged 56, a labourer), and their son James Thomas (aged 17, also a labourer), had made the journey earlier. They were passengers on the ship Red Jacket, which arrived in Melbourne on 24 April 1861.ⁱⁱ

The journey was anything but smooth. After weathering a storm in the notoriously volatile Bay of Biscay, the Forest Rights fell into the equatorial doldrums, drifting with little wind for weeks. On 21 November, she finally crossed the Equator, pushing south toward the powerful westerlies of the Roaring Forties.

By 17 December, the ship had passed the Cape of Good Hope, only to meet a brutal gale near 45° south — conditions that tested both crew and passengers. But Margaret and her daughter endured it all, likely clutching to the hope of a fresh start and a reunion on the other side of the world.

On 9 January 1865, the ship rounded Cape Leeuwin, and the final stretch along Australia's southern coast brought more hardship — persistent easterly gales slowed their approach. Yet at last, in late January, they reached Melbourne in good health aboard a vessel that had proved strong and seaworthy despite the elements.

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🗓️ Timeline: Voyage of the Forest Rights, 1864–65

Details of the voyage are drawn from shipping reports published in The Argus, Ballarat Star, and The Advertiser between January 23–28, 1865.

• 10 Oct 1864¹ – Passed Plymouth, early waypoint

• 12 Oct 1864² – Departed London with 143 steerage passengers

• Mid–Late Oct¹ – Severe weather in the Bay of Biscay

• Oct–Nov¹ – Light airs and calms before the Equator

• 21 Nov 1864¹ – Crossed Equator at 27°30′ W

• 17 Dec 1864¹ – Passed Cape of Good Hope at 41° S

• ~Late Dec¹ – Heavy gale near 45° S / 40° E

• 9 Jan 1865¹ – Passed Cape Leeuwin meridian

• 9–25 Jan 1865¹ – Easterly and south-easterly gales approaching Melbourne

• 23 Jan 1865³ – 67 days out at 48° S, 24° W in Southern Ocean

• Late Jan 1865¹ – Arrived Melbourne, all in good health

🗄️ Time Line References

1. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. (1865, January 25). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 4. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5745004 [Explanation: Detailed account of Forest Right voyage 1864/5]

2. MELBOURNE. (1865, January 28). The Advertiser (Hobart, Tas. : 1861 - 1865), p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264731223 [Explanation: announcement of the Forest Right’s arrival in Melbourne]

3. NEW SOUTH WALES. (1865, January 23). The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66059594 [Explanation: sighting of Forest Rights on its way to Australia]

📘 Glossary of Colonial Terms and Phrases

• Steerage – The lowest and most affordable class of passenger accommodation on a ship, often crowded and with limited privacy. Many emigrants traveled steerage during colonial voyages.

• Full-rigged ship – A sailing vessel with three or more masts, all of them square-rigged. These were common for long-distance voyages in the 19th century.

• Doldrums – A region near the equator known for calm winds and occasional storms, which could leave sailing ships becalmed for days or weeks.

• Roaring Forties – A belt of strong westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere, between 40° and 50° south latitude, notorious for rough seas but prized for their speed by sailing ships.

• Cape of Good Hope – A key navigational landmark on the southern tip of Africa. Ships often rounded this cape on the way from Europe to Australia.

• Cape Leeuwin – The south-westernmost point of mainland Australia. Ships from Europe commonly rounded it before heading east toward Melbourne or Sydney.

• PROV – Public Record Office Victoria, an archive that holds government and historical records for the state of Victoria, Australia.

Useful Links for Background

This April, as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (#AtoZChallenge), where I’m sharing my ancestors travel stories—one letter at a time. From long voyages by sea to overland treks, each post will focus on the journeys themselves—the routes they took, the challenges they faced, and the experiences along the way.  

Blog Post Meta Data: 

The URL for this post is https://ancestralresearchjournal.blogspot.com/2025/04/t-is-for-travelling-together-on-forest.html, originally published on 23 April 2025.

Footnotes: 

i  Passengers Listed on the Forest Rights, arriving January 1865 under # 364, Margt Thomas(57), Eliza A Kemp(25), Margt Thomas(17) & Sarah(20); VPRS 947/P0000, Jan - Apr 1865, (accessed https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/3B2BA1B4-F96C-11E9-AE98-EF0B184FC7D3?image=102 : 20 April 2025 [image 102/228])

ii Public Records Office Victoria (PROV), John Thomas (aged 56) & James Thomas (aged 17), Red Jacket Passenger List, arrived Victoria, Australia 1 April 1861 page 3; Inward Overseas Passenger Lists VPRS 947/P0000, Jan - Apr 1861 (https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/3B19C758-F96C-11E9-AE98-83A363F01077?image=190 : accessed 17 November 2021)