Early Wellington
Arrival of the “Slains Castle.”
Arrival of the “Slains Castle.”
The “Slains Castle,” commanded by Captain James Petre, left Deal on the 18th September, 1840, and arrived on the 29th January, 1841, with 41 married couples, 24 single men, 21 single women, 42 children under fourteen, 34 under seven and 15 under one. 5 births and 4 deaths occurred on board.
The passenger list is as follows:—
Name Age Wife's Age No. of Children Allen, John (widower) 35 — 1 *Ashworth, Thos. and Mary 20 28 1 Baron, Geo. and Helen 40 41 3 Baron, Geo., Junior 19 — — Barrow, Louiza 20 — — *Binns, Chas. and Sarah 35 35 — Blake, Geo. and Sarah 38 35 6 Boysen, Peter and Jane 29 37 2 Brungar, Geo. 24 — 1 Brungar, Mary — 22 — Burkett, Benjamen 38 — 3 Burkett, Mary — 35 —page 77 * Did not embark.
Butler, Jas. Henry 24 — 1 Butler, Martha — 25 — Carley, Ann Maria 29 — — Chisholm, Adam 30 — — *Clarke, Stephen and wife 33 28 3 * Cochran, Thomas 26 — — * Cochran, Maria — 26 — Collins, Jas. and Ann 30 30 4 Cormack, John 21 — — Crouther, Thos. 31 — 4 Crouther, Judith — 30 — *Cruikshank, Marg. 30 — 1 Cutting, H. House 25 — 1 Cutting, Hannah — 23 — Day, William 20 — — Dingle, James 22 — — Downie, Jane 19 — — *Dyer, Rob and Eliza — 32 — Eglington, Benza 32 — 4 Eglington, Eliza — 32 — Fairbrass, Thos. 21 — 1 Fairbrass, Ann — 21 — Fairbrass, Mary 20 — — Fellingham, Geo. 23 — 1 Fellingham, Rebecca — 25 — *Fisher, Jas. and Harriet 39 38 4 Floyd, Thos. and Caroline 23 20 1 Forbes, Rob and Mary 35 30 6 Goodwin, Hen. and Eliz. 49 43 4 Goodwin, Elizabeth 18, Jas. 21 — — *Grant, Jas. and Janet 28 26 1 Greenwood, William 33 — 3 Greenwood, Martha — 32 — Hair, Wm. and Margt. 40 28 3 Hammersdorff 26 — — Harris, Eleanor 21 — — Harris, Samuel 24 — — Heese, A. A. (Albert) 27 — — Heese, Pauline — 23 — Hickman, J. and Eliza 25 27 1 Hodge, John 26 — — Hood, Augustus 20 — — Jackson, J. and Martha 22 24 — Jones, Thos. and Mary 38 37 2 Keiller, Jas. and Mary 31 21 2 Kerney, John and Ellen 30 28 2 Kilgour, Alexander 45 — 4 Kilgour, Margaret — 35 — Kilgour, Infant, died 1/10/'40 — — — Kilgour, John 18 — — Lakeman, William 29 — — Lakeman, Martha — 29 — Leathart, Chas. 34 — — Leathart, Claudia — 33 — Lockett, Jonas and wife 23 23 1 Lockett, Infant, died off Gravesend, 12/9/'40 — — — Lockett, Eliza 17 — — Marshall, Henry 25 — — McIntosh, Isabella 20 — — Medwin, William 37 — — *Menzies, John and Grace 28 26 — Merrix, H. and Martha 26 29 — Miller, Jas. and Ann 43 44 5 Minzies, Alex. 41 — — Mortimer, Jas. Andrew 20 — — Mortimer, Caroline 18 — — Nathan, Heny. and Jane 26 25 1 Neil, Caroline 19 — — Norton, Chas. James 27 — 3 Norton, Ann — 24 — Osborne, Mary 21 — — Palmer, Richd. and Eliza 27 27 — Parker, Thomas 21 — — Pote, Wm. and Betsy 27 27 — *Ramsbottom, Thos 31 — 1 * Ramsbottom, Ann — 32 — Richards, Jos. Manuel 27 — 2 Richards, Ann — 27 — *Riley, John and Cath 29 37 3 *Roche, Thos. and Eliza 27 27 1 Roots, John and Mary 40 36 1 Schmidt, J. (widower) 58 — — Schmidt, Sarah, 24; Mary 22 — — Schmidt, Martha 20 — — *Seear, Wm. J. and Mary 25 25 1 Sharpe, Mary 21 — — Sharpe, Harriet 16 — — Squib, Chas. Henry 39 — 3 Squib, Elizabeth — 37 — Squib, Elizabeth Harriet 19 — — Squib, Ann Sophia 15 — — Squib, Margaret 14 — — Stevens, Jas. and Mary 25 26 — Stewart, John 25 — — Susans, Thomas 48 — 5 Susans, Elizabeth — 40 — *Sutton, Wm. and Ann 37 30 — Teague, Samuel 25 — — Turner, Robert 21 — 1 Turner, Agnes — 24 — Vincent, Wm. Ed. 17 — — Walker, George 23 — — Walters, John 29 — 3 Walters, Marion — 24 2 Warburton, Thomas 21 — — “Not here,” recorded against name. Westwood, James 20 — Wheeler, Robert 34 — 1 Wheeler, Sarah — 23 — Wight, David and Mary 24 27 3 *Willmore, Thos. 39 — 4 * Willmore, Susannah — 26 — *Willmore, Thos. (Junr.) 16 — — Adolph Hammersdorf was put ashore at Deal, off Beachy Head, on the 17th September, as his thigh bone was fractured on the 16th.
James Cooper and James Weanell were taken on board at Blackwell at Mr. Alton's request.
Letter to J. Pirie and Co.:—
“I am happy to inform you of the safe arrival here on the 25th inst., of the “Slains Castle”—all well—having only lost four infants under twelve months old and having five births.”
(Signed)Capt. Petrie
,
“Slains Castle,”
Port Nicholson, 29/1/'41.
* Did not embark.
An estimate of the native character is given by Mr. William Hay, who writes thus from Port Nicholson, February 11th, 1841:—
…“I have got one quarter of an acre of ground, for which I pay £7.… The natives throw European people into the shade, both for honour, honesty and religion. Every morning, as duly as the sun rises, they assemble at their chapel, and we are generally awakened with the sound of hymn singing, and on Sabbath they attend the Missionary chapel from morning till night.…”