The Ship Clontarf 1858 - 1859 - 1860

Just informing everyone about a wonderful book written by Marolyn Diver in 2011, called "The Voyages of the Clontarf."  Her book is available on Trade Me or from Dornie Publishing.

The blurb on the back is as follows:

"The story of the clipper ship Clontarf:
In her short career the Clontarf made only two journeys to New Zealand between 1858-1860; introducing just under 800 emigrants to Canterbury. But before she slipped beneath the North Atlantic ocean she carried with her the unfortunate infamy of accumulating the worst human fatality from illness alone in a single voyage.

Using shipboard diaries, official documentation, shipping lists and the combined information from the descendants of Clontarf passengers themselves, this is an informative and in-depth record of the ship and her journeys."

I love this book and I would recommend buying it.  It gave me such an insight into what my ancestors went through and even has maps of the journey.  

It is only with Marolyn's help that I have been able to start writing my own immigrant ship books.  She is the founder of the "Ancestral Journeys of New Zealand Series" and I have meekly followed behind her.  She has given many hours of her time to help me and I can't thank her enough.

Clontarf, ship, 1120 tons, (built in 1850 in Quebec, Canada, made from oak, haekatack and elm)

The passengers on the 1858/1859 journey were as follows:

Chief Cabin
Acland  John Barton 
Bennett  Joseph Henry 
Blakely  Jane and George 
Burnell  Edward 
Cooper  Georgina, Charlotte Sarah and Arthur Robert 
Jollie  Francis 
Lock  James Carnegy 
Riddell  Walter

Second Cabin
Badely   Edw 
Brake  John  wife and 4 children
Kinnibrook David wife and 4 children
Raddon  Lewis wife and 2 children (from Somerset)

Steerage 
Murray  Sarah, Mary Ann and Elizabeth (Note: daughters of Mrs Raddon) (from Somerset)
Batt  Wm 
Granger  Thomas B. and George W. 
Grigg  Edward F
Hartnell George W.
Phillips  William Henry 
Voisin  John Phillip 

Government Immigrants: (head of family - full list of family is in the book)
Ashton  Sampson   
Atkinson John  
Beal  Henry  
Billens  Robert   
Blythe   William  
Bryan   Isaac   
Broome   Thomas   
Brown  Frederick  
Brown  John E.  
Buckley  Henry   
Cain   John   
Chapman  Wm  
Clark  Christopher   
Clark  Richard  
Cole  John    
Dudson  William  
Dulien   Richard  
Elliott  Henry   
Ellis   Joseph   
Evans  Edward   
Fabian   William  
Gapes  William  
Gibson  Benjamin   
Gordon   Henry   
Gracey   William
Greig   Alexander  
Harkess  Thomas  
Healy  John   
Hampton  James   
Horner   Wm   
Howard  George   
Jennings  Charles  
Johnston  Samuel   
Jones  Robert   
Joyce  Thomas  
Keetley  Henry   
Lambert  Isaac  
Lee  Samuel   
Lewis  Charles  
Lilly  Jonathan  
Lowe  Levi  
Martin  Henry  
Martin  Philip  
Milligan  Hugh   
Newsomes Jeremiah 
Nock  Richard  
Painter  Joseph  
Pawsey  John R.  
Piper  Wm   
Pratt  James   
Power   William  
Reeves   Thomas   
Robbins  George  
Rogers   Wm   
Saunders  Charles  
Slater   Henry   
Stephenson William  
Stewart  Edward   
Tompkins  John   
Toppin  Thomas   
Triggs  James  
Watt   Alexander  
Weastell Anthony  
Weeber   Joseph   
Wilson   Mary   
Woodhead Geo. 

Single men
Aldrich  Edward
Atkinson  John
Atkinson  Henry
Atkinson  Richard
Ballantyne  James
Bell   Jas
Billens  Frederick
Buillens  Henry
Cain   Hanse
Cain   David
Chapman  James
Chapman  William
Clark   Wm
Collett  William
Elmes   William
Evans   Richard
Griffiths  John
Horrell  George
Johnston  John
Jaggar   A. Hughes
Kibblewhite  Edward
Kibblewhite  Henry
Jones   Robert
Lee   Thomas
Lewin   John J.
Lewis   William
Lister   John
Lowe   Eli
Mather   George
Milligan  Hugh
Milligan  James
Milligan  Thomas
Mallinder  James
Munro   Robert
Nurse   Martin
Pawsey   John R
Piper   Edward
Piper   Henry
Reetz   Hubertus
Reeves   Thos
Rowell   James
Rowle   James
Skilling  John
Stringer  Richard
Swallow  Joshua
Watt   John
Weastell  Marmaduke
Weastell  George
Weeber   Joseph
Wilder   Edward 
Woodhead  John
Woodhead  George

Single Women
Atkinson Margaret 
Bell  Elizabeth 
Callett  Sarah
Cain  Mary 
Gapes  Esther 
Halstead  Louisa
Jaggar  Susannah 
Lowe   Mary Ann
Martin   Sarah
Martin   Emma
Martin   Mary Ann
Martin   Martha
Mulligan Sarah, Elizabeth and Elizabeth 
Nurse   Catherine
Parrott  Catherine
Piper  Jane, Ellen and Mary 
Slater  Mary Ann 
Watt  Agnes, Sophia, Margaret and Isabella 
Woodhead  Mary
Woodhead  Ellen

Passengers on the 1860 journey

Chief Cabin Passengers
Bethell	Mr
Duncan	Mr
Erskine	Mr
Fowler	Mr
Howes	Mr
Mellesh	Mr
Povey	Miss
Povey	Mr
Rose	Mr
Silk	Mr
Simpson	Mr
Soulsey	Mr
	Mrs
	Child
Sproull	Mr
Vachell	Mr
Woodley	Miss
Wright	Mr
	Mrs
Second Cabin Passengers
Ashton	Mr
Brown	Mr
Elderton	Mr
	Mrs
	Child
Hodge	Mr
Perkins	Mr
Plunket	Mr W
Thompson	Mr
Wilson	Miss
Paying Steerage Passengers
Bunting	William
	Mrs
Driver	William
	Andrew
Fraser	Robert
Foggarty	Julia
Haig	Sidney
	James
Harbison	John
Kirk	William
Rayner	Mrs T
	9 children
Standon	Mr G
	Mrs
Assisted Passengers
Families
Aldridge	Thomas
	Ann
Allen	John
	Emma
	Thomas
	Anne
	Samuel
Armitage	Richard
	Mary
	William Henry
	James
	Herbert
	Samuel
Ashman	George
	Jane
	Mary Ann
	Robert
	Ellen
Baldwin	Fielding
	Martha
	George sharp
Barker	James Smith
	Sarah
	John
	James
	Mary Ann
	Elizabeth
Begg	William
	Helen
	Ann
	Margaret
Berry	James
	Susan
	Jane
	Emma
	Susannah
	Caroline
	George
	Marianne
	Ellen
	Daughter
Bevoy	James
	Wife and 6 children
Blomfield	Henry
	Elizabeth
	Henry
	Ann
	William
	Ellen
Burrows	William
	Susan
	Ellen
Burrows	George
	Caroline
	Martha
	Mary
	Hannah
	Thomas
	Son
Bush	James
	Sarah
Butterfeild	John
	Sarah
Byron	Ralph
	Rhoda
Carey	George
	Crichton
Carr	Henry
	Jane
	Martha Ann
	Catherine
	Elizabeth
	George Henry
Carnock	Sophia
Coatman	Joseph
	Mary
	Joseph
	Betsey
	Eliza
Day	William
	Grace
Dearnaley	Edwin
	Sarah
Double	Robert
	Harriet
	Ann
Early	Samuel
	Elizabeth
	Eliza
	Stephen
	Elizabeth
	Samuel
	George
	Ellen sarah
	William
	Charles
	Frederic
	Mary Louise
Faires	Thomas Jackson
	Janet
	James
	Robert
	Thomas
	Marion
	Janet
	George
	Lucy Emma
Frame	James
	Janet
	James
	Robert
	Thomas
	Marion
	Janet
	George
Greengoe	William
	Elizabeth
	Mary Ann
Galletly	Alexander
	Alexander
	John
	James
	Andrew
	Barbara
	Margaret
Hargood	James
	Sarah
	William
	James
	Sarah
	Robert
	Charlotte
	Francis
Glover	Helena
Hawthorne	Joseph
	Alice
	Maria
	Emma
	Louisa Alice
	Maria
	Son
Jones	Thomas
	Hannah
	William
	Thomas
Jones	Abraham
	Rebekah
	Walter
	Marianne
	Susan
	Emma
	Arthur
	Charles
	Charlotte
Judson	William
	Sarah
	James
	Elizabeth
	Tybell ?
	Sarah Ann
	Martha
Kane	Patrick
	Bridget
	Rosamund
Knapp	George
	Mary
	Elizabeth
Lord	Jabez
	Mary
McCarthy	Michael
	Julia
	Maria
McGosker	John
	Mabella
McLaughlan	James
	Ann
	James
Milton	Walter
	Mary Ann
	Mary Ann
	Sarah
	William
	Emily
Patterson	Thomas
	Elizabeth
Preston	Henry
	Ann
	Thomas William
	James
	Sarah Jane
Ritchie	Andrew
	Susan
	David
	George
	Alexander
	Andrew
	James
Rouse	James
	Maria
	James
	Maria
	Charles
	Walter
	Arthur
	Thomas
	Mary
	Benjamin
Ryan	Patrick
	Anna
Sadler	Thomas
	Sarah
	Harry
	Betsey
	Thomas
Seager	Henry Fowle
	Charlotte
	Henry Fowle
	Charlotte Elizabeth
	Amy Eliza
	Annie
Seaward	Emmanual
	Ann
Sheeham	Martin
	Bridget
	John
	Kate
	Mary
Smart	Thomas
	Sarah
Smart	Archibald
	Anne
	John
	Anne
	Martha
	Ralpth
Turner	Joseph
	Ann
	John
	Sarah ann
Waller	William
	Jean
	Robert Charles
	Edward C.
	Benjamin David
Walters	Rees William
	Sarah
	Rees Jones
	John George
Wilkinson	Robinson
	Harriet
	Elizabeth
	Hannah
Williams	Richard
	Barbara
	Edgar George
	Barbara
	Edward Richard
Wright	Robert
	Harriet
	Edward
	Pamela
	Arthur
	Anna
	Amelia
	Son
Single Men
Armitage	William Henry
	James
Ashman	Robert
Beardsmore	William
Blomfield	Mark
Briggs	Thomas
Canneen	Patrick
Cook	Archibald
Coatman	Joseph
Dallas	George
Early	Stephen
Early	Samuel
	George
Frame	James
Frame	Robert
Galletly	Alexander
Galletly	Alexander
	John
	James
	Andrew
Gibbs	James
Glover	Hawley
Hargood	William
	James
Hargood	Alfred John
Jones	Walter
Judson	James
McConnachie	James
McGuire	Norman
Pey	Patrick
Pope	John
Proctor	John
Ritchie	David
Robertson	John
Rouse	James
	Charles
	Walter
Smart	John
	David
	John Jnr
Swannick	Samuel
Turner	John
Waites	Henry
Watson	John
Wright	Edward
Single Women
Ashman	Mary Ann
Barton	Eliza
Beardsmore	Jane
Berry	Jane
Canneen	Anne
Carr	Elizabeth
Curd	Curtis Sarah
Denley	Jane
Early	Eliza Jane
	Elizabeth
Galletly	Barbara
	Margaret
Glover	Helena
Grimes	Sarah Ann
Hawthorne	Mira
Jones	Marianne
McLeod	Jane
	Donald
Melville	Mary Ann
Poore	Elizabeth
Plant	Mary
Pope	Jemima
Proctor	Jane Ann
Reynolds	Eliza
Rouse	Maria
Smart	Mary Ann
Turner	Sarah Ann
Westwood	Emma
Wilson	Elizabeth

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.

The Brother's Pride and Bahia.

My next book is now available on the ship Brother's Pride and the barque Bahia which both shipped immigrants to New Zealand. It is available on Amazon UK and USA, but the cheapest way for New Zealanders to by it is on Trade Me but I am selling out of my last couple of copies so please be quick!  Please just go to Trade Me and type in "Brother's Pride" and it should come up!  The Brother's Pride voyage has to be one of the most interesting journey's I've written about so far.  Please buy my book so I can continue writing and producing more books!  A great Christmas present for the Dad or Grandad who has everything!  :-)

In Sickness and In Health: Brother's Pride and Bahia. 

Two Ships.  Two Fates.  One Arrival Date.  Lyttelton Heads, 1863.

"On 7 December 1863, two ships arrived at the Lyttelton Heads with very different stories of their journey from England.  The Bahia quickly sailed into port, while the Brother’s Pride was ordered to raise the yellow flag and go into quarantine.  One ship had healthy passengers while the other had endured 46 deaths due to illness, setting an unenviable record at the port of Lyttelton.         

Using historic archives, passenger lists, passenger biographies and the official enquiry into the Brother’s Pride tragedy, this book is a great read for those with ancestors on the ship and those interested in early New Zealand history."