British King

Took 326 emigrants from Tobermory in 1838, chartered by the Emigration Department as part of the John Dunmore Lang Bounty Scheme. This was an extreme case of a close-knit community emigrating together: 146 of the passengers were called MacDonald. Seven died on the voyage and six babies were born.

The Sydney Gazette reported the arrival of the party,

'The principal part of the emigrants on the British King are farm laborers and shepherds. They are a healthy and respectable sort of people. Great credit is due to the officers and surgeons on board for the cleanly state of the vessel. There were seven deaths on board, one adult of consumption and six small children.'

Some of the emigrants found work in Sydney; 38 families (200 people) were sent at Government expense on the old convict ship John Barry to the Port Phillip district of New South Wales which was still relatively unpopulated and in need of labour.

Passengers

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