General Wellesley
General Wellesley called at the Bay of Islands in 1807 while Captain Dalrymple was on the lookout for a good source of timber for spars. Here, he enlisted the help of the Bay’s resident European George Bruce who had arrived the previous year on Lady Nelson, and who agreed to help the captain obtain his cargo. Bruce boarded the ship with his Maori wife and their newborn baby daughter, with the intention of disembarking with his family when the ship was at North Cape. The captain at least kept to his word at first, attempting but failing to land the small party. Cruelly, he then put his back to the wind and turned his ship towards India, where she finally arrived nine months later.
Once in India, George Bruce made his way ashore to complain of his family’s treatment to the Governor. While doing so, Captain Dalrymple again showed his true colours and sailed out of the harbour with Bruce’s wife and child still aboard. George Bruce determined to find his family, followed the General Wellesley to Prince of Wales Island (Penang) in Malaysia. Arriving three months later he was reunited with his family before returning to India where he was given passage onboard a vessel to Australia. Finally reaching Sydney in 1809, what should have been a happy ending for the family turned to tragedy when George Bruce’s wife died and their daughter was placed in an orphanage. George then joined HMS Porpoise on which he sailed back to England where he joined the Royal Navy for four years. George Bruce died in Greenwich Hospital for retired, wounded, and disabled sailors in 1819.
Once in India, George Bruce made his way ashore to complain of his family’s treatment to the Governor. While doing so, Captain Dalrymple again showed his true colours and sailed out of the harbour with Bruce’s wife and child still aboard. George Bruce determined to find his family, followed the General Wellesley to Prince of Wales Island (Penang) in Malaysia. Arriving three months later he was reunited with his family before returning to India where he was given passage onboard a vessel to Australia. Finally reaching Sydney in 1809, what should have been a happy ending for the family turned to tragedy when George Bruce’s wife died and their daughter was placed in an orphanage. George then joined HMS Porpoise on which he sailed back to England where he joined the Royal Navy for four years. George Bruce died in Greenwich Hospital for retired, wounded, and disabled sailors in 1819.