Attempts to revive Crusader Assn

Press, 13 April 1988, Page 42

Attempts to revive Crusader Assn

By

JOHN LESLIE

Efforts are being made to revive the former Clipper Ship Crusrider Association in Canterbury, according to Mr Geoffrey Huffadine, of Christchurch, who is also; the local representative of the New Zealand Ship and Marine Society. [ The Crusader (1058 tons), built, on the Clyde in 1865, was one of the notable sailing ships of the!Albion Line before its amalgamation with | the Shaw Savill Line in 1882. She was | an attractive vessel with a glorious figurehead of a crusader. I The Crusader j first called at Lyttelton as an emigrant ship on March 13, 1871, and made 12 'visits to Lyttelton | subsequently and 15 to pother New Zealand ports, bringing emigrants most times. A first reunion meeting of Crusader passengers and their descendants was held in Christchurch in 1925 from which! the Clipper Ship Crusader Association was born. An emblem was designed in the form 1 of a lifebuoy with the logo, Clipper Ship Crusader !, Association, Chch, N.Z., superimposed. In 1928 an excellent illustrated! book, ! “The

! j • ■ I j ! Clipper ’ Ship Crusader,” [ was published in Christ- ’ church..) It is long out of [print) but a copy can be viewed at the New Zealand Room of the Canterbury Public Library. On one emigrant voyage the Crusader arrived at Lyttelton on; New . Year's I Eve, 1874. This was )a [voyage of) many happy [ memories' and prompted a meeting [in Christchurch of Crusader -'passenger descendants on the hundredth anniversary, /New Year’S Eve, 1974 Names of people at the meeting were Singleton, 'Dailey, • Timms, Honeybone, Prettyjohn, Heaijn,[ Quartermain, and many more. Mr Huffadine is al descendant, [on his ; motheri’s side, of emi- | grants named Singleton., Gradually, however, the Crusader group fell into [ abeyance but now there is hope of revival. In recent ; years there has been in New Zealand a 'tiiemend- .) ous upsurge of interest in I genealogy — the tracing of family ancestry — of which’ immigration re- [ cords are often an integral part. I J Crusader [“family tree” is a rich one, ready i ; for [the picking. .Mr Huf-’

1 . T ' fadine believes there must be thousands of descendants of Crusader passengers jin Canterbury alone. Trie Crusader story has a mild sequel. In 1957 a Crusader) Line was formed by trie New Zealand Shipping; Company, Blue Star Line 1 , Sriaw Savill and Albion Line, and the Port Line: to boost the Japanese and [North American Pacific [Coast export trade, principally for New Zealand’s benefit. Although normally stern competitors, the “Big Four” formed, a nucleus “paper company” with two most attractive, moderate-sized, pale green-hulled motor vessels ■ (cargo only) named Crusader and Saracen, (3461 tons each). Other )i vessels were chartered to supplement the) trade from time to time. l[\' i The Crusader and Saracen, both i Swedish-built, were actually manned by Shaw Savill | officers and Chinese crey. These sister ships were considered in their day to be [among the most attractive cargo vessels seen at Lyttelton, worthy successors to the neat, trim, canvas-driven Crusader of last century!