New lead in Edwin Fox mystery
The Edwin Fox is one of the oldest surviving ships in the world - the ninth oldest to be exact. She’s been sitting in dry dock in Picton since 1999, ravaged by time.
But who was Edwin Fox? That has remained a mystery for centuries.
It is thought the old immigrant ship was named after a prominent English figure, but that has never been proven. But a descendant of Fox has finally come forward in a bid to help solve the puzzle once and for all.
For the team at the Edwin Fox Museum, in Picton, the claim is ‘‘exciting’’.
‘‘She is a lady from Australia with a very plausible version, so we will continue to research this one and hopefully confirm who the actual ‘Edwin Fox’ was.’’
A Descendants Reunion planned for October next year.
It was while appealing for information about the former convict ship that the Australian lady, claiming to be a relation, came forward. is ‘‘The story is that Edwin Fox’s father was a sea captain who married an Indian lady and had children, Edwin Fox being one of them who became a ship wright in the yard where Edwin Fox was built, Mcleod said.
‘‘We do know, whoever Edwin Fox was, he was friends with the ship yard owner Thomas Reeves to the extent Mr Reeves left in his will, if he was ever to pass away and his wife remarry, Edwin was to have his children in his care,’’ Mcleod said.
The Edwin Fox was built in India in 1853. Similar to those built for the East India Company, she was constructed exclusively of teak and saul timber in just nine months. She was sold to Sir George Edmund Hodgkinson, of London, prior to her launching, and he named her Edwin Fox. The connection had never been substantiated.
Mcleod said the response to the reunion had been ‘‘great’’.
For further information visit the Edwin Fox Facebook page and search under events.