by B. Kennicott, Vicar
Educated for Master Mariner's Certificate following recommendation from Mrs Elizabeth Cook (Wife Capt James. Cook)
Extracted from Royal Hospital School Admission Papers for Cropton Cook Fleck aged 11 - held by the Public Records Office, London, Eng.
Registered as a Seaman aged 29 aboard the Packet 'Victoria' (170 Ton) with a Crew of 9 under Master J.B. Ganon
John Henry born 3rd June, 1860
Caroline born 15th September, 1862
Built Pugwash 1845 - Owner Hy Trelevan
Sailing to New Zealand
Clara Jane born 12 September, 1869
Sailed for New Caledonia with a cargo of 320 tons Coal and 100 Sheep.
Struck a sunken reef going through the Belari Pass while in charge of a Pilot, and a good lookout being kept.
Sailed to New Zealand
Built 1866 Pugwash - Sailed for New Caledonia Owners Jas Cole Ellis & Hy Moss.
Arrived from Auckland
Built Eagleton N.S.W. 1881 - Sailed to Dungeness Owner Jas Rodrick
Sunk during a Cyclone after leaving Townsville, sailing for Newcastle, with a Crew of eight - all saved.
Departed for Melbourne
aged 68, Certified by James Fleck, son of deceased, 154 Devonshire St., Surry Hills.
Buried Section A, Lot 710 by George Preston, Congregational Minister, Undertaker Henry Hart; Witnessed by Alfred H. Hall & Alfred Fathers
RESIDENCES.
Cropton the fourth child of John Fleck, Master Mariner Sunderland and Isabella Cropton was born at Sunderland, Durham Monday the 4th of December 1825.
He was educated at the Naval College, Greenwich, at the instigation of Mrs. Elizabeth Cook the wife of Captain James Cook - his date of Entry is shown as 9th of June 1837, where he qualified as a Master Mariner.(School Admission Papers, Public Records Office, London, Eng).
The last recording I have confirmed showing Cropton's last known movements in England, was the signing a 'Proxy of Renunciation' in London on the 16th of July 1850 regarding the Death of his Father, John, who died Intestate - lost at Sea, presumed drowned - on or about the 19th day of October 1836.
According to Cropton's Death Certificate (dated the 5th of September 1895) from information supplied by his son James shows that he had lived in N.S.W. for 40 years - making his date of arrival Circa 1855 -
The first recording I have found of his arrival in Sydney Harbour was 31st January 1856 as a Seaman aboard the Packet, VICTORIA (170 Ton) from Melbourne with a crew of 9 under Master J. B. Ganon.
His marriage to Caroline Sunderland, a colleen from the Parish of Monasteraven, County of Kildare, Ireland, was Solemnised by George Gurney (Officiating Minister) according to the Rites of the Church of England at St. James' Church, Sydney, on Tuesday the 24th of November 1857, Witnessed by William Kelly and Benjamin Gane.
Their Marriage Certificate shows his usual place of Residence as Pitt Street, and Caroline's as Balmain.
Caroline had arrived in Sydney, two years prior, on the 16th June 1855, aboard the Sailing Vessel the 'GOLDEN ERA' at the age of 20 with out her parents together with another 436 Government Immigrants - the journey took 88 days, having left Liverpool, England, on the 21st of March 1855, under the Command of Captain Brown.
Their first Child, James William, was born at their Residence at 154 Devonshire Street, Wooloomooloo, on Friday the 16th July 1858.
During the 1860's they moved to 106 Duke Street, Balmain, on the corner of Quarry Street, where both their second and third children were born; John Henry on Sunday the 3rd of June 1860, and Caroline on Monday the 15th of September 1862.
The life of these two children was but short; Caroline died on a Sunday the 5th of June 1864, and John Henry a few months later, also on a Sunday the 16th of October.
Following the death of two of their three children the Family moved next door to 108 Duke Street, Balmain; this may have been a Boarding House as both a Thomas Mason Watts and a Ellen Maguire were both registered as living at this Residence.
The first recording of Cropton in Sydney Harbour as a Master of a Sailing Vessel was aboard the Brig 'AMHURST' in 1866, the Owner being Hy Trelevan.
Early in 1867 the family moved again, this time to 123 Duke Street, Balmain, where their fourth child, Robert, was born on Friday the 19th of January 1867.
On the 14th May 1867, Cropton is shown within the "Register of Seamen's Engagement before the Shipping Master", at Newcastle (Book 5/511 N.S.W. Archives) as the Captain of the Barque 'LEONIDAS', employing six Seamen, prior to the Ship sailing to New Zealand.
In 1868 the family moved a little further up the road to 129 Duke Street, Balmain, and then again to Pit Street, Newcastle.
During the year of 1869 - Clara Jane their fifth child, was born Sunday 12th of September they remained at this address till the end of 1872 before moving once more to Council Street, Cooks Hill Newcastle, where Edwin Sidney their sixth child was born on Monday the 20th of January, 1873.
Cropton remained the Master of the Barque 'LEONIDAS' for just over six years sailing to various destinations up and down the eastern seaboard of Australia also to both Nelson and Wellington in New Zealand and to New Caledonia.
His last voyage aboard the 'LEONIDAS' was out of Newcastle bound for Noumea, New Caledonia with a cargo of Coal and a 100 head of Sheep when it struck a reef attempting to sail through the Belari Pass, in charge of a Pilot, on the 2nd of June 1873.
An Article appeared in the Shipping Column of the Sydney Morning Herald dated Friday, June 13 1873, regarding the sinking of the Leonidas - as under:-
WRECK OF THE LEONIDAS
"By the arrival of the Schooner CEARA, from New Caledonia, we have received intelligence of the total loss of the Barque, LEONIDAS at the Belari Pass, New Caledonia; Mr. Henderson, late Chief Officer of the Barque is a passenger by the Ceara, and he furnishes the following particulars--
The Leonidas, Captain Fleck, was from Newcastle with a cargo of Coal and 100 Sheep bound for Noumea. On the 2nd instant while going through the Belari Pass in charge of a Pilot and a good lookout being kept, she struck on a sunken reef about 9 a.m., but was backed off again, when it was found that the vessel was leaking very badly, every endeavour was at once made to keep her free and at the same time work her into the harbour by means of the sails, as the rudder had been knocked away.
Shortly after, Mr. Henderson states, that the French war schooner GAZELLE came within hail, but having communicated with the pilot, kept away to sea without offering any assistance.
Owing to the loss of the rudder and having no means to tow the barque, she was quiet unmanageable, and a second time got on the reef.
At 4 p.m., she had 12 feet of water in the hold, the sea washing across the main deck; under these circumstances, and with no power to save the vessel, Captain Fleck determined to abandon her, and in a few minutes she settled down head first,leaving the masts above water, but the next day she had entirely disappeared.
Mr. Henderson is of the opinion that had the Gazelle sent her boats to tow, the barque might have been beached in such shallow water that the live stock and a large portion of the gear would have been saved.
The Leonidas is insured in the Australasian for 1200 Pounds, of which 400 Pounds is reinsured in the Pacific and New Zealand Offices.
She was owned by Messrs. Broomfield and Whitaker, of this city. The cargo was insured in the Australasian for 290 Pounds."
* * * *
Cropton was later exonerated of all blame, and he next appears aboard the Schooner 'AMHURST', as its Captain, on the 17th of October, 1873, sailing out of Newcastle bound for New Zealand.
Emily Caroline, their seventh child was born on Tuesday, 11th August 1874, at Council Street, Cooks Hill, Newcastle, just prior to their move back to Sydney.
On the 13th of October, 1874, Cropton is registered as the Captain of the Brig 'RESTLESS' sailing out of Newcastle to New Caledonia, he remained on this run for the next 4 Years.
Their eighth and last child, Oswald Randall, was born Sunday 10th of December, 1876, at 45 Gipps Street, Pyrmont, on the south side between Mary and Macquarie Streets.
On Wednesday 1st June 1881 he arrived in Sydney Harbour as Master of the Brig SYREN from Melbourne.
His next trading vessel where he is again registered as Captain, was the Ketch 'DUKE OF CORNWALL', sailing out of Newcastle for Dungeness on the 2nd of October, 1885.
The Family had moved again during 1885, this time, it was back to Surry Hills - 642 Crown Street - they remained there until 1890.
On the 15th February, 1887, the Ketch under the Command of Captain Fleck with a Crew of eight and his eldest son, James, on board left Townsville to return to Newcastle; the next day, 16th February as they were rounding Cumberland Island about twenty miles north of Mackay, Queensland, they were struck by a Cyclone, the Ketch was pounded onto a reef within the Great Barrier Reef and sunk - all were rescued without loss of life three days later by a passing Ship, (Australian Shipping News, 12 March, 1887).
They moved again in 1890, this time to 123 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills.
His last Ship was a Hulk, called the 'GUN', sailing out of Newcastle bound for Melbourne on the 19th June, 1891.
Their final move was to their eldest Son, James' home at 154 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, during the year of 1894; this strangely enough was the same house where James was born back in 1858.
Cropton died of Chronic Bronchitis after an illness of six months in Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, possibly the result of the many years that he had spent at sea, on Thursday the 5th of September, 1895.
He was buried in the Independent Cemetery, Rookwood, (Section A, Lot 710) after a Service conducted by George Preston, Congregational Minister on Friday the 6th of September, 1895.
"N.S.W. ARCHIVES"
Ships Captained by Cropton Cook Fleck
Extracts from "Register of Seamen's Engagement on board the Ship which they are employed", Newcastle.
Book 5/503 5 Aug. 1864 to 20 Nov. 1888
DATE EMPLOYED SHIP TYPE DESTINATION•
21 Apr 1881 5 Syren Brig Auckland
28 Feb 1885 4 Duke of Cornwall Schooner Dungeness
20 Jun 1885 6 Duke of Cornwall Ketch Sydney
4 Aug 1885 6 Duke of Cornwall Ketch Dungeness
23 Apr 1886 3 Duke of Cornwall Ketch Sydney
11 Jun 1886 10 Duke of Cornwall Schooner Newcastle
Book 5/504 20 Nov. 1888 to 18 Mar. 1899
19 Jun 1891 2 Gun Hulk Melbourne
Extracts from "Register of Seamen's Engagement before the
Shipping Master", Newcastle.
