Dalton Family on the Lancashire Witch

Quite often when I am writing about ships I suddenly find I have a link (sometimes distant) to the ship. I was researching the ship Lancashire Witch and found a Mr and Mrs Dalton on board. Thomas Dalton and wife Charlotte Allman were the passengers and they had a son Thomas Henry Dalton who married my 3 x great aunt Emma Magdalena Meng, a much loved aunt of my great grandma. Here is the short biography I did for this family in my new book due out in a few months.

Dalton

Thomas Dalton was born in Keek, Yorkshire. He spent four years in Canada when he was a young man. He married Charlotte Allman, also born in Yorkshire England and they came to New Zealand on the Lancashire Witch in 1863. They first settled in Kaiapoi and Rangiora and lived there for many years and experienced a great many difficulties as did many pioneers. In 1876 after suffering some great losses in the Waimakariri flood they moved to Wakanui and bought land in its native form (covered in tussock) which they worked successfully. In old age they moved to Ashburton. Charlotte nursed many people through illness. Thomas was seen as having a “quiet unassuming, sterling and thoroughly practical life” which “gained for him the highest esteem of all with whom he came in contact." They left six sons and four daughters and 24 grandchildren.

Thomas Henry Dalton and his wife Emma Magdalena nee Meng

The clipper ship Lancashire Witch: New Zealand Immigration Ship 1856-1867

The clipper Ship Lancashire Witch is the subject of my book entitled "The Lancashre Witch: New Zealand Immigration Ship 1856-1867".   See the blurb below for more information:

"The clipper ship Lancashire Witch was a very large, fine vessel which ferried four loads of immigrants to New Zealand.  The "Witch" made two journeys to the Port of Lyttelton and two to the North Island, leaving many amazing stories in its wake.  Waves like mountains, frightening snow and hail, and 28 tragic deaths.  "Truly this is an ill-fated ship," wrote diarist David Carr.

Using ship diaries, and official documentation, the fascinating story of the Lancashire Witch has been retold.  It includes passenger biographies and the fate of the ship's own "Lancashire Witch," possibly the most hopeless female immigrant to ever land in New Zealand."

I have covered the Lancashire Witch journeys from 1856, 1863, 1865 and 1867.  There is a lot of information already on the Internet, but this is a well formatted and coherant story of the ship that takes all records available, plus extra research on my part, to make a complete and, what I think is a fascinating story.  A great thing to have in your bookshelf to show friends and relations, and well priced.

It is now available on Amazon and other sources.  Just type in "Lancashire Witch" and it will come up!  I am also nearly sold out of cheaper copies of Trade Me.  Please be quick.

Here is my new book cover.  The image of the Lancashire Witch is by Thomas Dutton. The Lancashire Witch image is available as a print from NZ Fine Prints | Prints.co.nz.   Click here to go straight to the image.





























The Lancashire Witch, ship, 1574 tons or 1383 tons to 1386 tons, depending which record you look at. 

Arthur James and Eliza Pearce nee Luff's children

The children of Eliza and Arthur were Ethel, Willy, Cyril, Lily, Alby and Wally!


Ethel Elisabeth Pearce (19-03-1894  -  27-09-1961)

Ethel Pearce was the oldest child of Arthur and Eliza Pearce.  She had quite bad epilepsy and lived with her parents until they died.  Because of her epilepsy she used to eat her meals in the pantry while the rest of family ate in the dining room.  Doreen Rodmell (née Pearce) remembers her dunking her toast in her boiled egg in the pantry.  She used to spy through keyholes and listen at doors.  Her father Arthur would say, "I know you're there".  Ethel was remembered as a lovely lady. She never married.  Her epilepsy was not understood in those days.

Ethel lived at Sunnyside when her mother died in 1949 .  She died herself at the age of 67 and is buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.

William Henry Pearce (25-10-1895  -  05-04-1973)
William served in the first world war and came back with shell shock.  He worked as a postal worker.  William Henry Pearce married Gladys Maud Coombs on 16-10-1926.  Willy and Gladys had two children.

William died in 1973 and Gladys in 1994.  They are buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.


Arthur Cyril Pearce (26-10-1899  -  16-05-1981)

Arthur Cyril Pearce was known as Cyril, as his father was also named Arthur.  He married Dorothy Wingfield Pearce and had two children.

Lily Pearce (15-09-1905  -  19-05-1983)

Lily Pearce married Archibald Allan Tweedie and they had nine children.

Lily and Archibald are buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.

Albert James Pearce (13-12-1908  -  25-06-1977)

Albert Pearce never married.  His occupation was railway checker.  He had mild epilepsy and lived with his mother Eliza and Ethel until Eliza died.  He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.

Walter Pearce (09-10-1911  -  29-04-1997)

Walter Pearce (Wally) married Effie Evelyn Coombes and they had three children.

Wally worked for the Post Office as did his older brothers Willy and Cyril.

Wally was the youngest and also the last surviving Pearce from Arthur and Eliza Pearce's family of six children.  Effie took up painting in her 70's and did some really beautiful paintings.  She gave up in her very old age though due to her poor eyesight.  Effie passed away in 2001 in Christchurch.

Most of the Pearce family died of heart related illnesses.