It is impossible to be sure of who was on board the Cygnet. Being a privately-owned vessel, there is no record of the crew beyond the name of the master and the engagement of Hugh Quin as second mate at Rio de Janeiro, where all but one of the original crew left the ship after argument with the captain. The ship was chartered by the Colonization Commissioners to take out many of the survey staff and their labourers as well as general emigrants. While the cabin passengers were all named in the Commissioners’ annual report, the identity of the others must be found from the ‘Register of Emigrant Labourers Applying for a Free Passage to South Australia’, which lists those people considering life in the new colony and generally indicates on which ship those deciding to proceed were embarked. However uncertainty can arise from clerical errors and last minute changes, and mistakes have crept into lists of passengers compiled over the years as a result of faulty memory or confusion. A number of passengers and emigrants are mentioned in the diary of B.T. Finniss, which also records the presence of Mrs Paris on board.
Officers:
Master: John Rolls
Hugh Quin (2nd mate from Rio)
Passengers:
John Cannan
Boyle Travers Finniss
Mrs Finniss
Thomas Gilbert
Alfred Hardy
George Strickland Kingston
Thomas Lipson
Mrs Lipson & child
Thomas Lipson
Eliza Lipson
Mary Lipson
John Morphett
William Henry Neale
Mrs Neale
Thomas Powys
Richard Gilbert Symonds
Dr Edward Wright
Mrs Wright
Emigrants:
James Adams
Mrs Adams & child
William Adams
John Afford
John Avery
Thomas Bell
Mrs Bell & 2 children
James Brennan
Robert Bristow
Mrs Bristow & 2 children
James Brown
Mrs Brown & 2 children
Samuel Chapman
Mrs Chapman & child
John Corney
William Covey
Joseph Finch
George Friend
John Goodman
John Grant
William Green
Mrs Green & child
George Heath
James Hoare
Mrs Hoare & 2 children
Berry Lipson
Emma Lipson
John Lockett
James Marshall
Mrs Marshall & 1 child
Henry Osborn
Stephen Paris
Mrs Paris
Charles Parrington
Edmund Parsons
Thomas Rogers
Sarah Sanders
Basil Sladden
Isaac Sladden
Smythley Sladden
James Stone
James Stubbington
Robert George Thomas
George Trollop
William Williams
Solomon Willman
Charles Wright
Robert Wright
Thomas Wright
Information compiled by Mr Bob Sexton
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons 
Good morning, I’m a descendent of Hugh Quin. I am a sailmaker and rigger but now reside in queensland.
I was wondering if I travelled to south australia that there would be the possibility of meeting some one there that could show me how to go about the process of researching and following the path of Hugh Quin and the circumstances that led to him being in Rio and susequently his service on the “Cygnet”.
Best Regards,
Colin Quin.
James HOARE (1809-1893) with wife Sarah HOARE nee ANGEL, arrived in South Australia (on the Cygnet) with Mary Ann May HOARE and Bessie HOARE, their daughters. This couple had the FIRST WHITE MALE born in the colony. John Rapid HOARE b. 7.11.1836.
John HOARE wrote:
My wife was confined of a son [at Rapid Bay on 7 November 1836] in a small bell tent; the thermometer stood at 127 degrees in the tent although it had a double blanket over it and two buckets of water were thrown over it every half-hour.
James HOARE came to South Australia as a personal assistant to Boyle Travers Finniss (18 August 1807 – 24 December 1893) who was the first Premier of the Colony of South Australia.
James HOARE stated “I made a wheelbarrow and took Mr Finniss’ goods in it to Adelaide [from Holdfast Bay] at the latter end of January… I wheeled them over the plains – about 2 cwt. a day.”
I have been researching James HOARE, wives Sarah nee ANGEL and Martha nee WEBB for a while now as they are my husbands great great great grandparents. They are interesting people, brave and committed to the colony. James Hoare had grown a crop of vegetables in the fertile soil, which were very welcome by the settlers as their provisions had come by ship from England with them.
James Hoare was my great grandfather. I have been researching him as well and would be interested in discussing further with you. thanks.
I am also a great grandchild of John Rapid Hoare. My father was Peter Kenneth Hoare and his father was Allan Leith Hoare(my grandfather). As far as I know he was John Rapid Hoare’s son. John Rapid Hoare is buried in Adelaide cemetary, as far as I know. Allan Hoare is buried in Broken Hill, my father, Peter Hoare passed away in 2000. Any information we can share would be appreciated, we are obviously related and would like to see the connection. Regards..Ken Hoare
Ken, I have just poublished a 160 page book on the life and times of James Hoare, the father of john Rapid and my grandfather James Edward Hoare. It is available for $20 plus $10 postage if you are interested. Just email me . regards jeff hoare.
Jeff, we may be first cousins if you are the son of Laurie and Hazel.
I’m the daughter of Allan (Digger and Muriel)
I’d love a copy of your book if you give details of how to order it.
I’m on Kangaroo Island today and went to Reeves Point where
Great grandpa first set foot on Aust. soil. Kathy
Dear Jeff
James Hoare was my great grandfather. Want to buy your book
I need the details of how to obtain your book please. James and James Edward were my great and grandfather. Muriel Lillian May my mother.
Do you have any info on Martha Webb? She’s my great-grandmother but we know nothing about her although I think she’s buried in the Penwortham cemetary Sth Aust.
John Morphett is the founder of my home town mt barker the journey of exploration to mt barker was made by Mr Morphett Mr Hack as the leaders of the expedition Morphett and Hack also established the first commercial venture in mt barker the cattle coy which grazed cattle between mt barker and hahndorf in 1838.
his companion John Barton Hack the main street is named after mr Morphett
sorry I had meant to say that Morphetts companion owned the first farm in mt barker
The name ‘Solomon Willman’ is quite clearly written in the ‘Register of Emigrant Labourers’, but evidently the clerks made a spelling error somewhere along the line. Subsequent birth, death, and marriage records in South Australia have the name as Wellman, although with William Solomon as his given names.
I believe that the spelling of one of the passengers names ( Soloman Willman) on the the Cygnet is incorrect and should read Soloman Wellman, my great grandfather.