George Travels the World

A Brief Sketch of the Life of George Jarvis until married 1846

I was born in Harlow, Essex, England, March 25th, 1823. My parents had eight children — five boys and three girls. I am the fourth son. At the age of nine, I commenced work.

My time was occupied in herding and farming until I was fifteen, when I went to work at a flour mill. I always had a great desire to follow the sea, and at the age of seventeen [1840], succeeded in being apprenticed to the sea and served my time in the barque “Diadem.” [1] My first voyage was to South Australia, my second to West Australia [2] and from there to Java and Canton [Guangzhou], China, and returned to London. During my third voyage I sailed to the Cape of Good Hope, with troops for the Kaffir war, where my apprenticeship expired.

I continued my voyage to Ceylon [now Sri Lanka] and from thence to Calcutta [Kolkata]. I left the ship “Diadem” and shipped on board the “John” [3] bound for China, thence to Lon[don] calling at St. Helena on the way.

On the way home, had the misfortune of losing my big toe. On my arrival home became acquainted with Ann Prior, who subsequently became my wife. Next voyage was in the “Katherine Stuart Forbes”, sailed to North America, up the St Lawrence river to river De Loupe [Rivière du Loup], from thence to London. 

I joined Her Majesty’s service, sailed in the ship to the West Indies, where I lost the sight of my right eye, and was left in Jamaica for two months, when I was sent to Hasler Hospital, and discharged from the service with a small pension for life. [4]

Notes
Paragraphs added to allow for extra pictures.
[1] The barque Diadem sailed from London on June 31, 1840 and arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia, on November 16, 1840. Diane Cummings, “The barque Diadem 1840,” Government of South Australia State Library, accessed October 29, 2013, [source].
[2] Diadem sailed from London (Gravesend) on December 18, 1841 and arrived in Port Leschenault [Australind], Western Australia on April 10, 1842. “First Immigrants,” Australind Family History Society, accessed October 29, 2013, [source].
[3] The “John” was built in 1845. “Register of British Ships,” National Archives of Australia, accessed October 29, 2013, [source].
[4] George Jarvis, "A Brief Sketch of the Life of George Jarvis until married 1846," Holograph, n.d., 2 pp., [source].
Picture of the Essex countryside from Pat Scullion at Flickr, under a Creative Commons license. 
Picture of the three-masted barque from Wikipedia.
Map of Ceylon from David Rumsey Map Collection. R.M. Martin, J. Tallis, and J. Rapkin, "Ceylon," in The Illustrated Atlas (London: Martin & Tallis, 1851).
Picture of Rivière-du-Loup from Gilles Douaire at Flickr, under a Creative Commons license.
Sunset in Puerto Rico from Trish Hartman at Flickr, under a Creative Commons license.
Picture of Haslar Naval Hospital from Wikipedia.