Updates on my Sebastopol book

The following blog entry is going to be full of updates on the Sebastopol book I wrote several years ago.  Once you write a book like this, it is inevitable that more information comes out of the woodwork.  Biographies of passengers are the most likely thing to receive.  So here are some extras that are not in my original book "The Clipper Ship Sebastopol" available on Amazon for anyone who wants a copy.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Clipper-Ship-Sebastopol-Immigration/dp/0473218909

ASHWIN

Martin and Emma Ashwin came out on the Sebastopol. Emma appears to have been a remarkable woman having five children with her on the voyage out and she gave birth to a further nine children in NZ. (courtesy Murray Ross)

CRAWLEY

Martha Crawley was in the 1863 voyage. 

We dont know a great deal about her early years other than she ended up in a Workhouse/Registry School after both parents died - and was always grateful for the assistance [the detail of which we dont know] of Lady Mary Vyner who was a significant benefactor of the day and presumably assisted with funding, pulled strings, counselled or whatever.

Martha was born 6 April 1839 to James and Rebecca Crawley and was christened at Holy Trinity Marylebone 28 April. We think that  James and Rebecca had married at St Martin in the Fields and she was a Geeves.  On leaving "school" Martha held various domestic positions which we tracked through the Census. 1841 with parents, 1851 "Martha H" in the School, 1851 and 1861 in service

The only sibling we have traced Rebecca married a reasonably well-to-do chap by the name of Dent [related to the glovemakers] who had a farm in Herefordshire

Anyway Martha made a good life in NZ, produced a baby 1864 and married, at the "house of Mrs Dawes in Chch]  in 1865 William Tucker a telegraphist in NZ. - primarily Nelson. - Haven't yet traced his time in Australia or immigration to NZ 

They subsequently had a large family [including 3 first class cricketers, one Kinder Houghton Tucker making a name for himself in Wellington]. 

My Grandfather Allen Clarke Tucker, a solicitor, was the last of the line, married fairly late and my Mother was the youngest of his so lines get a bit blurred. However this is the NZ tree from Martha down

 5.William TUCKER (11 May 1836 Sheerness-10 Nov 1910 Wellington) Went to Tasmania then to NZ


   m.1864 NZ Martha Hannah Jane CRAWLEY (6 Apr 1839 Marylebone, London-3 Dec 1921 Wellington)

   Martha Crawley arrived NZ aboard 'Sebastopol" May 1863, 

   also aboard in the Enclosed Steerage were the BUXTON family and Sarah & Willie TUCKER

      1.William Crawley (Mick) TUCKER (1864 Christchurch-23 Oct 1939 Wanganui)

      m.1898 NZ Kate Frances O'DONNELL (1875-24 Feb 1936 Wanganui)

         1.Kate Heazlewood TUCKER (6 Jun 1898 Wanganui-c.1983 NZ)

         m.1918 Leslie Ernest BIRCH (8 Aug 1896 NZ-1977 Auckland) clerk

                   son of Richard BIRCH & Sarah Riddock (or Riddict) ALLAN

         2..William George TUCKER (1899 Wanganui)

         3.Kenneth TUCKER (c.1903 Wanganui-c.1938)

      2.Percy George TUCKER (8 Jan 1868 Nelson-1868 Nelson)

      3.Fowler Buxton TUCKER (9 Jan 1868 Nelson-1868 Nelson)

      4.Spencer Jacob TUCKER (1869 Christchurch-1948 Wellington) Civil servant

      m.1893 NZ Elizabeth Campbell McPHEE

         1.Elizabeth Crawley TUCKER (1895 Wellington-1981 NZ)

         m.1916 Charles Grant WATT (3 Jan 1889 NZ-1961 NZ)

                  son of William WATT & Esther Grant

         2.Jacob Neil TUCKER (1896 Wellington-c.1918)

         3.Myra Ernestine TUCKER (1897-1898)

         4.Marion Katherine TUCKER (18 Aug 1900 Wellington-c.1981 NZ) 

         5.Samuel William TUCKER (14 Jan 1903 Wellington-c.1980 NZ)

         6.Gwendoline Vina Mary TUCKER (1905 Wellington-)

         m.1929 David Wilson VIRTUE (c.1903 NZ-)

                  son of Robert Macintyre VIRTUE & Jean

         7.Stella Emily TUCKER (1908 Wellington-c.1970 NZ)

         m.1940 Joseph Alphonsus FORTUNE (c.1907 NZ-c.1961 NZ)

                  son of Joseph Patrick FORTUNE & Emily Millicent WADDELL

      5.Stella Heazlewood TUCKER (23 July 1871 Nelson)

      m.1897 NZ Ernest Edward TUCKER (Camberwell, Vic-1929 Christchurch)

      6.Wesley Nichol TUCKER (4 Sept 1873 Nelson-c.1968 NZ)

      m.1901 Isabella May WEBB (c.1878 NZ-c.1963 NZ)

         1.Claude Nichol TUCKER (1902 Wellington-2002 NZ)

         m.1929 Beatrice Eileen WADDELL (19 Aug 1905 NZ-1987 Auckland)

                    daughter of William WADDELL & Hannah Emily

            1.William (Bill) TUCKER (10 July 1930)

            m.Anna BAVIN

               1.Nicholas TUCKER

               2.Matthew TUCKER

               3.Elizabeth TUCKER

         2.Eva Ngarita TUCKER (21 Nov 1905 Wellington-15 July 1994 Auckland) Cremated 20 Jul at Purewa, ashes buried with grandparents Karori, Wellington

      7.Kinder Houghton "Ken" TUCKER (1875 Nelson-24 Nov 1939 Wellington) engraver

      m.1900 NZ Mary Maud Marian LUSCOMBE (1875-22 Aug 1956 Wellington bur. Karori)

         1.Mordena Homesdale TUCKER (30 Jul 1901 Wellington-c.1976 NZ)

         m.1926 Reginald Tasman Furlong MARSDEN (c.1896-c.1965 NZ)

      8.Vina Homesdale TUCKER (1876 Nelson-1893 Wellington)

      9.Ivy Elton TUCKER (1878 Nelson-1959)

      m.1906 Lionel Brough STANSELL (c.1880 NZ-c.1918 Timaru) civil servant

                 son of John Rainbow STANSELL & Cecilia Maria POPPLEWELL

      10.Myra Clarke TUCKER (1880 Nelson-1960 NZ)

      m.1904 John Lodewyk CROWTHER (c.1879 NZ)

                 son of Herbert John CROWTHER & Ella

      11.Allen Clarke TUCKER (1882 Wairau distrist)

      m.1912 Annie Beatrice VOGEL (c.1888 NZ)

                 daughter of Henry Charles VOGEL & Sarah Ann MELLOR

         1.Vina Homesdale TUCKER (29 May 1913 Gore-2006 NZ)

         m.1950 Victor Valentine DAYSH (23 Nov 1903-c.1983 NZ)

               son of Alfred DAYSH & Elizabeth Ann SAGE

            no issue

         2.Charles Allen TUCKER Allen Charles b.1915 (d.10 April 1916 Wellington)

         3.Lillian May TUCKER (27 Feb 1918)

         m.15 Nov 1940 Eric Reginald JONES (15 May 1920 NZ-2001 NZ)

            1.Valerie Lilian JONES (2 Dec 1941)

            m.BATCHELOR

            2.Barbara Anne JONES (28 Sept 1944)

 (Courtesy of Barbara Durbin) 

GEOIKE

Adeilheirh GEOIKE (sic) aged 28 from Hanover occupation cook.  She moved to London in October 1852 and recorded in Alien Entry register as Margaret Gerker then aged 18. Her actual signature appears to be different - possibly Margarethe Gericke but clearly the port official anglicised or wrote the phonetics of her name. She worked in London as a cook and in 1861 was recorded as:

'Margt A Goecke age 30 born Hannover servant in household of Fredk Fords Wolfhagen, wholesale wine merchant, 47 Pembroke Square, Kensington, London'( Ref 1861 Census Kensington, London)

After her arrival in Canterbury she married on 14th Feb 1862 to John Foreman, a farmer from Kent, England. Her surname was transcribed as GECKE on the marriage entry.  They settled in Templeton near Christchurch. They had two daughters - Margaret Ann and Elizabeth Adelaide Foreman, the latter being my great grandmother.  She is buried as Margaret Foreman in the churchyard at St Saviour's Church in Templeton - died 18th Feb 1906.  The only memento I believe remaining from her arrival is a large Bible written in German now held by a relative from the daughter Margaret Ann (who had married twice). Having once sighted it, there are no inscriptions or writings added to the inside front cover.  To date there are no photos available of Margaret.

(Courtesy Wendy Shaw,  NZGS member)

RUSSELL

Archibald Henry Russell (born 1839, died 1916) came out on the Sebastopol on the first voyage - 1861.  He is mentioned in the list page 96.  The family know about this bloke quite a lot as he wrote a diary, which skips over the bit of the journey out and concentrates on his time in NZ.  It is very compelling reading.  He wrote it on Sept 15 1903.   He had an amazing life as an engineer, road builder and railway worker then store keeper in Temuka, where he died in 1916, aged 77.  The family probably know as much about him as he did himself !! 

He was a pit sawer at Pigeon Bay and Alford Forest.  From there he walked to the Lindis Diggings where he found gold but not of payable value.  

Back in Christchurch he helped to install the first gas light at the Theatre Royal, and the next into the Wesleyan Church in Durham Street.  

He sailed around to Hokitika on the "Dancing Wave" early in 1865.  At this time there were 2000 to 3000 diggers living there, and it was a town of tents.  Wanting to get back to Christchurch, he arrived in Nelson, hoping to bring some horses through to Christchurch.  Unfortunately they were all sold so he had to walk with a single blanket, crimean shirt and boots.

He stopped the first night at Tophouse and then walked up through the Wairau Valley, Tarndale and on to the foot of Jollies Pass.  He stayed the night at the Hanmer Hotel on the other side of the Pass.

On to "Barnetts" or "Hasties" catching the coach at Weka Pass to Christchurch.

He had a foreman's job on forming the West Coast road, especially around Otira.  He was then a railway foreman at Temuka, a school committee chairman, and a store keeper at Temuka - this store was called "Breadalbane."

He became a Justice of the Peace and died aged 77 years old.  He is buried at Temuka.  He married and had three sons and two daughters.

As far as his descendants know he never saw any of his family again, youngest child from the Scottish isle of Rhum in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, 15 miles from the mainland. Records have been looked up but nothing found.  (Courtesy Peter Russell)

TODD

From Bruce Menzies:  The Sebastopol, page 104: you will see a reference to James and Elizabeth Todd and their two children, William (4) and Alexander (2). What is not registered is that the Todds also had young Margaret, then aged four months. She does not appear in the ship's manifest. Unfortunately, Margaret died on 25 May 1864, barely 18 months old. She was buried in the Addington Cemetery. 

James Todd, born in the Lanarkshire village of Carmichael in 1836, was my great-great- grandfather. On January 1, 1858, he married Elizabeth Wylie in Dunlop, Ayrshire, where she had been born in 1835. Until their emigration, the couple lived in Glasgow where James worked as a journey man/carpenter.  After the family settled in Christchurch, Elisabeth gave birth to 7 more children. One of them was my great grandfather, also James Todd, who was born in 1864. Around 1885 the family moved from Christchurch to Auckland and a few years later James Jr and his brother Alex came to Australia. They ended up in Perth where they formed a successful building company – Todd Bros.  

Another brother, Thomas Marr Todd, joined them around 1904. Prior to that he had fought for a New Zealand contingent in the Boer War and became a Lt Col in the World War ll where he ended up commanding the 10th Light Horse. Sadly, after surviving both Gallipoli and a long stint in the Middle East, he succumbed to wounds and illness in January 1919 while still in Egypt.

WOODWARD

Esther Ann Woodward was born in Homerton, Middlesex, England in 1834, the daughter of Joseph Woodward and Alice Rayner.  

Her father, Joseph, was born 22 May 1781 in Hackney, London and worked as a plumber.  He married Alice Rayner in 1816 at St Luke Old St, London, and they had a family of seven girls.  Elizabeth (1818-1878) worked as a housekeeper and companion.  Alice (1820- ) worked as a governess.  Mary (1822- ) and Sarah (1826- ) were living together in Wandsworth in 1881 and were listed as daily governesses.  Jane (1828-1856) and Maria (1829- ) have no other details at this stage.

Alice died in Hackney in 1838 and Joseph died in the June quarter of 1861.  Given that the advertisement for the Sebastopol was printed in June, it is likely that Esther chose to leave London just after her father died.  She sailed on the Sebastopol in 1861 to Christchurch, New Zealand.

Esther married Henry Smith (1829-1890) on 15 January 1864 in Picton.  Henry was a seaman – and it would be interesting to know if he was a part of the crew of the Sebastopol.  They had five children, only four of them have been traced so far; Henry Charles Smith (1866-1935), Adelaide Maria [Haines] (1868-1902), Percy Edward Smith (1871-1948) and Agnes Jane [Anderson] (1874-1946).

After her husband’s death, Esther moved to Wellington and then to Palmerston North.  She died in August 1919 in Palmerston North, aged 85, and is buried in the Terrace End Cemetery.  

(Courtesy of Peter MacKenzie)