William Begg


William Begg was a ship's captain who made many voyages between England and Adelaide, South Australia, and where he settled and had some success as a businessman in Port Adelaide.

History

Begg was born in Montrose, Scotland, was apprenticed as ship's carpenter and served as a seaman for several years before around 1840 being put in charge of a cargo boat shipping timber from the Baltic.
In 1855 he was appointed captain of the Sebastian on the India route, calling in at Adelaide and Mauritius on the return voyage.
His next appointment was as captain of the Orient Line clipper Coonatto trading between England and Adelaide from 1863 to 1866, when he was put in charge of The Murray, on which he served until 1872, making very good voyages, and impressing his passengers with his urbanity and sailor-like qualities, an asset to the reputation and no doubt profitability of the Orient Line.
He settled in Adelaide and was made manager of the Tug Company, then was appointed ship's surveyor for Lloyd's of London. In 1877 he and John Legoe had a part in formation of the Port Stevedoring Company, and he served with that company until a few weeks before his death.

Recognition

Begg was awarded a silver medal by the Italian government for his part in rescuing sailors from a burning vessel. This was the Mannin Barabino, which caught fire while sailing from Genoa to Puerto Rico in May 1870. Begg and the crew of The Murray went to her aid and did what they could to rescue survivors, but 120 perished either in the inferno, the barque's cargo being largely spirits, or in the sea after her overloaded boat capsized.

Family

Begg was married twice; by his first wife he had three children:
He married again, to Eleanor Allsop, daughter of Captain Allsop. They had seven children, including:
They had a home at The Semaphore, where he died after a short illness.