Genealogy Chat

I am trying to find out when someone went out to New Zealand c. 1859.

I have Charles SKERRETT , b. Ullingswick, Herefordshire living in Aston as a servant in 1851 then nothing until he married in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1862.
On a recent trip to N.Z.I tried to find him on ships entering Dunedin in or before 1861 but he was not listed.
His burial record there (1877) notes that he had been in N.Z. for 18 years.
I was told that he could perhaps have entered via Australia.
Can anyone suggest the best way of searching for his entry, please?

Anyone?

Hi Gwyn

Presumably you have googled the name and places etc?

Duncan - also in Kent.

Hi Duncan
I went to his grave a couple of weeks ago in Dunedin, N.Z. and also paid to research records in that town. A day or so later I tried researching in the town where I knew many of his descendants had lived ( near the birthplace of Charles' wife ) incase he had entered in that area..... but although the staff were incredibly helpful, we couldn't find out when he entered the country.
I'm not sure what would be the next move.

...... there could be alot of ship's lists to search after the 1851 census until Charles marriage in 1862,,,,, and from which port? Born in Herefordshire, where there are still family links, ... but living near Birmingham in 1851, no particular port is obvious.......

Gwyn

Unfortunately, Gwyn, there are not always lists for passengers coming in. I cannot find my gt grandparents who arrived in Wellington in 1878 in the Maraval, or other gt grandparents who came in to Auckland in 1862 despite the fact that we know the ship (a relative has their actual ticket). I cant remember if the 2 other sets of gt grandparents are listed, but I do know when they arrived, and on which ships.
Huia.

Huia
Thanks for that information.

Is there an archive in New Zealand which might hold a central list, rather than trying individual towns?

Have you tried finding your folk from this end?
I would have thought that ships sailed with a known list of passengers.
Knowing now just how far away you are, I think our people were amazingly brave to set out on those long voyages.
The Otago Settlers Museum had a reconstructed ship's cabin, which showed about 14 bunks in a small area, - so dark too.It really brought it home to us what conditions then must have been like.

Gwyn

Hi Gywn,

Passenger lists are held at the National Archives here in Wellington.

This is the link to the Archives:

http://www.archives.govt.nz/

Also you might like to try here:

http://www.cyndislist.com/newzealand.htm

You might find some passenger lists on this excellent site.

Hope you find what you looking for.

Good Luck
Karley from Wellington NZ

The Auckland Maritime Museum also has a cabin, whats more, its rolls as if you are at sea - or at least it did when I visited it quite a few years ago now.
My Davey gt grandparents, plus their daughter (my grandmother) and her brother were on the Bebington on a voyage from hell. First they were in collision in the channel and had to call in at (Portsmouth?) for repairs. Then as they were near South Africa they were getting low on fuel, using bits of the ship! The captain didnt want to call in to S.A. but the passengers mutinied and insisted he call in for fuel. Then they had typhoid and measles and who-knows-what. The voyage took much longer than normal, and when they arrived in Auckland they were quarantined out in the harbour for 6? weeks. Gt granddad would have liked to revisit the old country in his later years but gt grandma refused point blank to ever again set foot on a ship. She did give birth on the voyage, and the baby died, so you cant blame her for hating it.
Huia.

Huia
What a nightmare journey!
That's enough to deter anyone.

Many thanks to you both for these links and information.

I will be busy checking now !



Gwyn

Hi Gwyn.

Here's a few passenger links to Australia you could try, and one link for passengers leaving Australia heading for New Zealand and foreign ports.

UNASSISTED IMIGRATION TO VICTORIA... 1852 to 1923
http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search.asp?searchid=23


Assisted British Immigration VICTORIA
http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search.asp?searchid=24


Outward Passengers to Interstate, UK, NZ and Foreign Ports 1852-1861
http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search.asp?searchid=42

N.S.W
SYDNEY NEWCASTLE
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/indexes/searchform.aspx?id=4

STATE RECORDS N.S.W
Click on 'STATE ARCHIVES'......click on 'INDEXES ONLINE'
Scroll down to SHIPPING.
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/

PASSENGER LISTS TO NEW ZEALAND
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sooty/Passenger%20Lists%20to%20NZFrame1Source1.htm


New Zealand Genealogy - Passenger Lists
http://www.genealogylinks.net/newzealand/nzships.htm

Passenger Lists to NZ & New Zealand Directory rolls.
http://www.angelfire.com/az/nzgenweb/

Tony ( Victoria Aus )

Wow....more links..... Thank you Tony !
That gives me more options.

I'm putting housework far down the list of priorities for today !

Gwyn