Win some, lose some!

My second post today, but I may need to correct some things I have said following my work today!

First the win! I think I can now confirm that the ketch Magnet, that was listed under Ephraim Ward in the vessel register was almost certainly owned by William Ward. You may remember that I was skeptical that Ephraim would own the vessel aged one year or less! Searching the newspaper archives for references to the 'ketch Magnet, I found the following advertisement:

27 May 1857 

LOST between Market Wharf and Post Office, a fifty (£50) pound cheque on Commercial Bank, drawn by John Booth in favour of William Ward, dated May 26. Any one returning the same to GEORGE RICKETS master of the ketch Magnet; or to JOHN BOOTH, foot of Erskine Street, will be rewarded. Payment being stopped at the Bank.  

Then in 1861, John Booth advertises the Magnet for sale.

I don't suggest that this is proof, but it certainly fits the theory that William owned the Magnet. This lost cheque would probably be one of a series of payments made for Booth to buy the Magnet from William (it would have been worth several hundred pounds I think - Midshipman sold for £367 in 1853).

I also discovered that the Magnet was lost on a voyage from Ulladulla in August 1875, at which time she was owned by Mr Brooks of Hawkesbury River.

But with the win, comes a loss. I had previously found an 18-ton cutter named Matilda registered to W. Ward on a list of vessels belonging to the Port of Sydney in 1847. 'Ward' was also listed as the master on 21 voyages between 1843 and 1847. But my interpretation is contradicted by by the newspaper archives:

• 28 January 1847: On Tuesday evening two men named respectively, William Stevens and Adam Mossman, who had been left in charge of the cutter Matilda, lying at the Market Wharf were given into the custody of the police by John Ward, master of that vessel, charged with stealing £7 out of his box in the cabin. 
• 29 December 1849: Loss of the Cutter Matilda. — The Matilda, belonging to the master, Mr. Ward, was totally wrecked at Camden Haven on the 18th instant. [Camden Haven is Port Macquarie today.]

The first item suggests that the master I thought was William was probably John and the second item clearly suggests that the master was also the owner. There are other advertisements and news items that make it clear that there was another cutter named Matilda but William was not the owner of that one either.

Above is an extract of that 1847 list, and you can see that it is confusing. There is a 20-ton schooner named Matilda, built at Brisbane Water in 1843 and owned by Eason and Ballantyne. The next line is a 16-ton schooner named Matilda, built at Pitt Town in 1842 and owned by W. Ward. Then 11 lines below is a third Matilda, this time an 18-ton cutter, also built at Pitt Town in 1842 and also owned by W. Ward. 

I don't know what to make of it all. I even did some extra searching for the schooner Matilda, and ran into more confusion with schooners called Matilda Jane and Jessie Matilda. And John Ward's name comes up in association with the schooners as well.

I already knew that John Ward owned vessels that operated in Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury and as far as I can determine, he was not a relation. William and Catherine's son John was not born until 1857 - well after these events.

The upshot of it all is that I will regretfully exclude the Matilda from the list of William Ward's vessels, but I will continue to search for the other vessels mentioned in Joan Taylor's history of the family.