Dear David Goodwin, I have been researching the voyage to Australia of the ship Harpley departing England in September 1850 and arriving Australia January 1851. I thought you may be interested to know that there was a hoax "message in a bottle" claiming this ship was wrecked, signed by a Courtenay Fowell, later identified as Courtenay Fowell Spry, one of the passengers.. My g.g. grandfather, T.B. Mallet, was one of the charterers of that ship and conducted investigations in England into the claim made in the message in the bottle. My g.g. grandmother, Emma Davis, was was on board the Harpley. She and T.B. Mallet married in 1853 in England, although I doubt Mallet and Davis knew each other before the Harpley hoax except for his being the charterer of the ship she travelled on. Here are some links supporting the story:

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4775840?
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4775849?
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/12924527?

I would love to know if you can definitely identify this Courtenay Fowell as your ancestor.
Kind regards
Trish