The vessel
A Lloyd's survey of James Matthews survives and this records it
as having one deck, two masts, a square stern, male bust figure-head and
no galleries. The snow brig may be distinguished from other brigs by a small
trymast, located just abaft of the mainsail, used to support a gaff-sail
(Henderson, 1978:73). The vessel was listed as being a 'prize', and it is
known that it was formerly a slaving vessel captured during the suppression
of slavery.
An illustration showing how slaves were possibly stowed aboard James Matthews when it operated as a slave trader.
In 1836 the vessel was sold to a Portuguese owner and became known as
Don Francisco, after the well-known slave dealer of Whydah. In 1836
it left Whydah on a voyage to Havana with 433 slaves aboard. After a chase
lasting seven hours Don Francisco was captured by H M brigantine
Griffon. The vessel was found to be in near sinking state, was condemned
but later re-registered as James Matthews.
James Matthews left London for Fremantle on 28 March 1841 with
a cargo of 7 000 stone roofing slates, farm implements, general goods, three
passengers, and fifteen crew. It arrived safely on 21 July 1841 and was
moored at Owen Anchorage.
The wreck event
The following day a series of heavy squalls caused James Matthews
to part its cables and to be blown southwards onto Woodman Point. The hatches
were opened in preparation to land the cargo. The spare anchor was let go,
but the vessel began to drag. It grounded on some rocks and cargo including
ploughs, guns and rifles, and a box containing two hundred gold sovereigns
was jettisoned.
At daybreak on 23 July the scene was described as follows:
Land was visible through the dim light at a distance of less
than a mile, with breakers in every direction around us. Spars, casks, planks
etc. were floating away with the wind...We perceived we were on a narrow ledge
of rock with deep water on either side (on MA File No. 434/71-1).
The masts were cut down but one pierced the bottom of the brig and the
hull soon filled with water. A whale-boat from Fremantle rescued all hands.
A fisherman who was sheltering aboard the vessel was the only casualty (Henderson,
1978:74).
Salvage
The vessel was sold to Anthony Curtis, a local shipowner, who was unable
to make a profit out of the salvaged items. The wreck completely broke up
during a storm in June 1846.
One passenger, Henry de Burgh, part-owner of the vessel, suffered heavy
personal loss including a case of guns and rifles, and the chest containing
sovereigns. His diary of the voyage out to Australia survives today.
Site location
The site lies on the north side of Woodman Point in Cockburn Sound, adjacent
to the Cockburn Cement Jetty, about 100 metres from shore.
Site description
The wreck lies buried in sand in 2 to 3 metres of water. Prior to excavation
in the 1970s the highest section of the wreck consisted of a mound of slates
and bundles of long iron lengths that were part of the paying ballast. Underneath
the ballast stones were the ceiling timbers. Sea grass covered the site,
and visibility was poor due to a fine suspended sediment produced by the
cement works development. The site is protected from swell and winds except
the north-westerlies. |
Excavation and artefacts
Four seasons of excavation were carried out on the site between 1973
and 1977. Full plans and a photomosaic of the site were made. The roofing
slates formed the bulk of the material that was raised numbering over 3
500 intact and a quantity of broken ones. Some of the slates were used to
restore the roof of the Strawberry Hill Farm at Albany. Other construction
items to be recovered included several cases of glass window panes, a large
number of heavy door hinges, and the iron ballast. Artefacts such as carpenter's
tools, domestic items (including the chess set shown) and ship's fitting
including iron grids, pulley blocks, sheaves, deadeyes, glass skylights,
100 metres of rope and deck structures etc. were also recovered (Henderson,
1978:79).
Chess pieces recovered from the wreck site of the James Matthews.
Statement of significance
Historical
Following the stipulation of the 1831 Bill presented to the British Parliament,
all slaving vessels were broken up following their capture. The site of
the James Matthews is of historical significance as the unique remains
of a vessel involved in the slave trade. It is the only known slaver to
have survived. It was carrying a cargo of goods for the development of the
De Burgh property near Moore River. The vessel's contents are of significance
in as much as they reflect the types of goods imported by the early colonists.
Also, the wreck site represents the hazards associated with the approaches
to the Port of Fremantle and the use of Owen Anchorage, especially during
adverse weather conditions.
Archaeological
The hull timbers of James Matthews are in a good state of preservation.
Vessels built for the slave trade needed to meet special constructional
requirements, such as shallow draft, fine lines for speed, and various internal
fittings for containment of the slaves. Existing plans of slave ships are
extremely scarce and the James Matthews' hull offers the only detailed source
of information on this type of vessel.
The comparative analysis of artefacts from the site with other colonial
collections of cargo goods, ship's fittings and personal items could provide
a reinterpretation of early settlement through examination of the origin,
nature, value, quantity and quality of material.
References
Henderson, G., 1975a, 'James Matthews excavation summer
19741975', Australian Archaeology, 3:40-5.
1975b, 'Post settlement sites: James Matthews excavation', International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 4.2:371.
1976, 'James Matthews excavation, summer 1974, interim
report', International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 5.3:245-51.
1978, Four seasons of excavation on the James Matthews
wreck, in J. N. Green (ed.), Papers from the First Southern Hemisphere Conference
on Maritime Archaeology, Oceans Society, Melbourne, pp. 73-9.
Henderson, G. & Baker, P., 1979, 'James Matthews excavation,
a second interim report', International Journal of Nautical Archaeology,
8.3:225-44.
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