Old Ship’s Ticket Found Among Sefton Papers

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30938, 20 December 1965, Page 11

Old Ship’s Ticket Found Among Sefton Papers

A report recently that Miss Janet Grigg, of Longbeach, had given to the Canterbury Museum a ship's passenger ticket issued in 1874, prompted Mr J. S. T. McGiffert, of Sefton, to look through some old family papers in his possession. This brought to light a ticket issued on March 23, 1858, for passages on the Maori, a vessel of 799 tons. The ticket was for passages from London to New Zealand for five persons, four adults and an infant. The fare was £l9 for an adult. Those named on the ticket were John Moss, Emma Moss, Jessie Moss (infant), Henry Cousins, and Jane Cousins. The Moss family one time lived on the Mount Grey Downs a few miles from Rangiora and it Is likely that Henry and Jane Cousins came to the district also, as persons of this surname have lived in the area. The ticket allocated not less than 10 cubic feet of luggage space and berths were steerage or “second with alternative provisions listed for the two classes. In most cases the passenger booked in the “second

cabin” class received a greater allocation of any particular food or were entitled to an allocation not available to those in steerage. One item dished out to the steerage passengers in greater quantities than to "second cabin” passengers was oatmeal, of which the steerage lation at one pint was double the second-class allocation. Mr McGiffert said he did not know if the ticket had any historical interest. If it had any value to the museum he would give the ticket to it.