John Shortland
Background
Lieutenant John Shortland was naval agent on the First Fleet and played a significant part in overseeing the management of the merchant ships. He had charge of the Alexander, the Friendship, the Borrowdale and the Prince of Wales, which sailed from Port Jackson in July 1788, although the latter two ships were separated in a storm shortly after sailing.
- Gary L. Sturgess, 18 March 2016
The Man
The author of a note in 1810 Naval Chronicle (on the death of John Shortland Jr.) said that John Shortland Sr. was ‘an officer who, by his professional merit, was entitled to an earlier and a higher promotion in the service than he obtained’. (Naval Chronicle, 1810, Volume 24, p.2)
The 3rd edition of the 'Voyage of Governor Phillip' said of him:
"This summary recapitulation of Mr Shortland’s services, sufficiently points out his merit and ability as an experienced seaman, without any further elogium, which, if it were wanted, might be abundantly supplied from the subsequent account of his passage from Port Jackson to Batavia." (The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay, 3rd Edition, London: John Stockdale, 1790, p.255)
The ADB calls him ‘a fine seaman, a capable and experienced officer and an affectionate father’.
Daniel Southwell, who was a midshipman on the Sirius, wrote to his mother that he was ‘rather modest (or shy) which is an amiable fault’. Southwell referred to Shortland as ’my worthy and intelligent friend’. (Daniel to his mother, Jane Southwell, 19 January 1789, BL Add Mss 16381, Letters from D. Southwell Concerning New South Wales, 1783-1793, pp.35, 34a)
On the First Fleet, his importance was subsumed by the presence of Arthur Phillip, although we see frequent evidence of him actively pursuing his various responsibilities, including petitioning on behalf of the convicts.
On his return in the Alexander, we see evidence of his self-confidence in his forceful direction that the Friendship be scuttled in order to save one of the ships and the remaining crews.
Chronology
4 November 1733 – John Shortland, son of Thomas Shortland, mariner, and Mary Hermitage, was baptised at St John of Wapping, aged 27 days old. (London Metropolitan Archives, Saint John of Wapping, Composite register: baptisms Dec 1707 - Aug 1734, marriages Dec 1707 - Jun 1733, P93/JN2, Item 005) [The entry for Shortland’s Lieutenant’s examination had him born in 1733 or before.]
7 December 1734 – The Regard, Shortland, arrived at Deal from Jamaica. (Daily Journal, 13 December 1734) [This is possibly his father.]
1739 – The ADB has John Shortland born near Plymouth, the son of John Shortland. (ADB) [The needs to be confirmed.]
23 November 1739 – The Patuxen, Shortland, remained at Deal from Barbados, for London. (Daily Gazetteer, 26 November 1739) [This is possibly his father.]
c.1749 – Shortland entered the merchant service, where he appears to have remained until around 1754.
The ‘Voyage of Governor Phillip’ states Lieutenant John Shortland very early in life had a strong predilection for the Navy. . .’ (The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay, 3rd Edition, London: John Stockdale, 1790, p.253)
1754 or 1755 – Shortland entered the Navy as a Master’s Servant in the Vigilant, remaining only four months. (TNA ADM107/5)
1755 – Phillip’s ‘Voyage’ reported that he entered the Navy aged 16 as a midshipman on board the Anson, 60 guns, which went out in Admiral Boscawen’s fleet. (‘Voyage, ‘p.183) The Lieutenant’s examination papers having him entering the Anson as an able-bodied seaman around this time.
The Anson, Captain Robert Man, sailed on the 22nd of April for North America. (Winfield, 129)
On the Banks of Newfoundland this fleet fell in with and took the Alcide and the Lys, two French ships of seventy-four guns. (‘Voyage’, pp.183-184)
April 1756 – Shortland returned on board the Culloden, a 74-gun prototype, as a midshipman, and was in the fleet under Admiral Byng off Minorca. The Battle of Minorca was fought on 20 May 1756. (‘Voyage’, p.184 and Rif Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1714-1792, Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing, 2007, 56)
May 1757 – Shortland served in the Hampton Court under Captain Augustus Hervey as an ABS and was quickly promoted to midshipman, and according to Phillip’s account was present at the taking of the Foudroyant and the Arpé. (’Voyage’, p.184 and Winfield, p.91)
17 November 1758 – Shortland was examined for promotion to Lieutenant. He appeared to be more than 25 years of age and had been at sea more than six years, part thereof in the merchant service, as appears by certificate from the Master of the ship he served in. (From the times below, he must have served two years in the merchant service.) The rest of his time in His Majesty’s Service:
Vigilant Master’s Servant 0.4.0.1 Anson Able 0.12.2.6 Culloden Midshipman 0.10.0.4 Hampton Court Able 0.1.3.4 Midshipman 1.9.3.6 3.12.3.0
He produced journals for the Culloden and the Hampton Court and certificates from Captains Hervey, Taylor, Ward, Man, Webb and Swanton. Certificate granted 6 December 1758. (TNA ADM107/5)
1761? – On his return to England, he transferred to the Vanguard, Captain Robert Swanton, and sailed for the West Indies under Rodney. The Vanguard sailed for America in April 1758 and returned to Europe in 1761, sailing for the Leeward Islands in October 1761. It seems likely that he did not join the ship until 1761. He was present at the reduction of Martinique, the Grenades and other islands in 1762. (‘Voyage’, p.184 and Winfield, p.54)
1763 – Shortland was promoted to Lieutenant by Admiral Swanton. (‘Voyage’, p.184)
The ADB assumes he was employed in the Transport Service from that time. But this is based on Phillip’s ‘Voyage’, which only says that from this year he was employed in ‘active and important services’.
5 July 1764 – John Shortland of the parish of St Dunstan’s Stepney and married Margaret Rutherford at St Mary’s Whitechapel. (London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Mary, Whitechapel, Register of Marriages, P93/MRY1, Item 028)
She had been baptised at 13 days old at 8 October 1745, the daughter of William and Mary Rutherford, at St Katherine by the Tower. So she was 19 years of age. (London Metropolitan Archives, St Katherine by the Tower, Register of Baptisms 1727 - 1769 and Burials 1678 - 1794, SKT/C/01/Ms 9660)
13 February 1766 – John Shortland, 3rd Lieutenant on the Launceston, prepared a will leaving his property to his wife Margaret of the parish of Whitechapel. (TNA PROB11/1393)
30 May 1769 – Baptism of Thomas George Shortland at St Mary Portsea? (Hampshire Baptisms, provided by Hampshire Genealogical Society, Findmypast.co.uk)
5 September 1769 – John Shortland Jr. was born? (1810 Naval Chronicle)
10 May 1771 – Thomas George Shortland was born at Portsea, Hampshire. (DNB)
1774 – Peggy Jenny Katty Shortland was baptised, the daughter of John and Margaret Shortland of the High Street, Whitechapel, at St Mary’s. (London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Mary, Whitechapel, Register of Baptisms, Feb 1758 - Oct 1774, P93/MRY1, Item 010)
1775-1783 – During the American War, he was chiefly employed in going to and from America. (‘Voyage’, p.184)
23 April 1779 – Lieutenant John Shortland, RN, was listed as a subscriber to the Maritime School at Chelsea. (Morning Chronicle and London Advertiser, 27 April 1779)
1781 – At the age of twelve, John Shortland Jr accompanied his father on a voyage to Quebec, on which his father was Agent. (1810 Naval Chronicle, p.5)
1782 – John Shortland had charge of a convoy of transports from Gibraltar.
". . . except in 1782 when he was appointed to command the transports with the 97th Regiment on board, destined for the relief of Gibraltar, under convoy of his Majesty’s ships Cerberus and Apollo: he was not only successful in getting all the transports in safe, but he also landed the men without any loss.
"On Lieutenant Shortland’s return home from this service, in endeavouring to get through the Gut of Gibraltar in the night, he was chased by a squadron of Spanish frigates, who took three of the transports in company, but he was so fortunate as to escape in the Betsey transport, and arrived safe in England, without either loss or damage." (‘Voyage’, pp.184-185)
May 1782 -
"On 22 May 1782, Lieutenant John Shortland informed the Board that he had arrived at Spithead from Gibraltar with the transports Vernon, St Ann, Antigallican, and Mercury and that the transports Royal Britain, Thompson and Valiant were captured off Gibraltar. In reply to the Board’s question of whether or not the loss of the three transports had resulted from the neglect of their masters, Shortland on 28 May replied: ‘In respect to the masters behaviour of the three transports captured, no blame can be charged to them, as they sustained the fire from the Enemy for 3 glasses and I was informed by one of the armed ships that when they passed them the Royal Britain mainmasts went over the side.’ The Board, however, was not satisfied with this report, and it ordered Shortland to ‘send us an extract of his Journal from his sailing to these ships being captured’, which he did on 1 June 1782. . ." (David Syrett, Shipping and the American War, 1775-83, London: The Athlone Press, 1970, pp.51-52)
December 1783 to February 1784 – Lieutenant Shortland had arrived in the Thames transport at Falmouth with about 200 of the 60th Regiment on board. He seems to have been caught up with this ship for several months. (TNA HO28/4/55-59)
2 August 1784 – Lieutenant John Shortland, Agent for Transports, wrote to the Victualling Board. (TNA ADM111/99, 27 August 1784)
27 August 1784 – The Victualling Board considered Shortland’s letter and a report by Mr Henshaw. The want of the usual certificates from the sundry Masters of Transports mentioned in the report be dispensed with and a certificate be issued to enable Shortland to receive his half pay and a bill made out to him for the balance which appeared due for victualling himself and servant on board – for £4.13.2½. (TNA ADM111/99)
19 September 1786 – John Shortland was directed to Deptford with the Three Brothers. (TNA ADM106/2347) (It is probable that this was the ship that Duncan Sinclar had commanded in the Navy Board’s service, which means that Shortland knew Sinclair before he sailed with him on the Alexander.)
20 September 1786 – Navy Board: Let a warrant be made out appointing Lieutenant John Shortland the Agent for Transports for Botany Bay. (TNA ADM106/2622) His instructions were: ‘to take charge of and superintend the fitting of the transports ordered for Botany Bay and when fitted you are to take them under your direction and proceed with them agreeable to the instructions you will be furnished with. . ‘(Case Relating to the Friendship Transport, TNA T1/695/240-1)
1787 – Shortland obtained a position for his son as Master’s Mate on the Sirius. (ADB for John Shortland Jr)
2 June 1789 – Shortland was discharged as Agent for Transports. (NMM ADM/A/2826, 3 December 1789)
3 June 1789 – The Alexander moored at Deptford.
Shortland had undertaken surveys whilst in NSW, and some of the charts in Phillip’s ‘Voyage’ were from his surveys. On his return, he strongly urged the Admiralty to have the eastern coast of Australia properly charted. (ADB and 1810 Naval Chronicle, p.3)
9 July 1789 – Letter from the Secretary of the Admiralty to Lieut. John Shortland on the Alexander at Deptford, acknowledging the receipt of his letter of 8 July, transmitting his journal and remarks from England to New South Wales and back to England, with a chart of the track of the Alexander transport under his command from Port Jackson to Batavia, and a partial chart of a track of land in the Southern Pacific Ocean discovered by him. The same had been laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty who were ‘well satisfied therewith’. (TNA ADM2/761/70)
13 July 1789 – Letter from Secretary of the Admiralty to Lieut. John Shortland ‘in town’, advising receipt of his Memorial dated 3 July. He had received and communicated to the Lords Commissioners his Memorial setting forth his service in the Navy and requesting to be promoted to the rank of Master and Commander. (TNA ADM2/761/82)
3 December 1789 – Admiralty to Navy Board directing that half pay be paid to Shortland from 2 June when he was discharged as Agent for Transports, until 30 June. (NMM ADM/A/2826)
1790 – Promoted to Commander and was employed in further active service. (ADB)
Late 1790 or early 1791 – Captain Shortland had charge of a 44-gun ship the Severn, which along with four other similar ships was fitted out to carry troops. (Madras Courier, 6 April 1791)
15 February 1792 – Phillip Stephens (Admiralty) to Captain Shortland. He had received his letter of the 14th, expressing his desire to again be employed when an opportunity offered. He had communicated the same to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. (TNA ADM2/767/27)
26 January 1793 – Captain John Shortland, who had been appointed to regulate the raising of men at Whitby, to Stephens. Around a thousand seamen of that port – sailors, carpenters etc – surrounded the house yesterday and threatened to pull it down unless he dismissed the men who were with him. He had thought it prudent to give way for the present. He also found it agreeable to the wishes of the local magistrates and others of that place to disperse the gang for the present, until order be re-established. But as he believed that this tumultuous assembly was collected by misrepresentation and he had the full support of the magistrates and assurances of their cooperation, and since they had that morning published a suitable and proper proclamation, he thought he would be able to proceed without any further trouble. (TNA HO28/9/68 & 70-71a)
2 February 1793 – Stephens to Nepean, in relation to the above. (TNA HO28/9/66)
1799 – Captain J. Shortland (father of Captain T.G. Shortland) was in command of the Sea Fencibles at Hull. (Naval Chronicle II, July to Dec 1799, p.644)
3 June 1801 – Nepean wrote to the Transport Board asking that Captain Shortland might be employed in their service. He was appointed from that date. (TNA ADM108/70/7)
May 1803 – He died at Lille in France, where he had retired. He was survived by his widow, two sons and two daughters. (1810 Naval Chronicle, p.4)
31 August 1814 – John Thomas Shortland, son of John Shortland Jr. made a will while residing at 16 Great College Street, Westminster. (John Thomas Shortland Will, TNA PROB11/1600)
15 October 1815 – Margaret Shortland was living in the parish of St John’s Westminster when she prepared her will, leaving her property to her surviving children, Peggy Peace and Thomas George Shortland, and to Jane Williams, the wife of James Williamson. (TNA PROB11/1576 and Bank of England Wills Extracts 1717-1845, Book: 5 K-Z, Reg: 1067)
25 December 1815 – Margaret died.
16 January 1816 – Margaret was buried in Westminster Abbey, apparently on the North Cloister (the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster). (LMA, Collegiate Church of Saint Peter, Westminster, Transcript of Baptisms, 1816 Jan-1816 Dec, DL/t Item, 099/004; Call Number: DL/T/099/004)
9 April 1816 – A classified giving notice to those having claims on the estate of Margaret Shortland, widow of Captain John Shortland, and administratix of the estate of Captain John Shortland of the Junon, were asked to send their claim to William Peace, acting executor at 16 Great College Street, Westminster. (Morning Chronicle, 9 April 1816)
Margaret had been living in 16 Great College Street, Westminster.
