90TH ANNIVERSARY

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1932, Page 9

90TH ANNIVERSARY

ARRIVAL OF SHIP BLENHEIM

PIONEERS AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

ONE SURVIVOR AT WELLINGTON. On November 19, 1842, 90 years ago on Saturday, the ship Blenheim arrived at New Plymouth. It was 140 days previously that she had left Plymouth, England, with another batch of pioneer settlers for the new colony. Only one of the Blenheim’s passengers is Surviving to-day.' She is Mrs. Mary Hamerton (widow of Mr, R. Chisnell Hamerton), now living at Central Terrace, Kelburn, Wellington. The Mayor of New, Plymouth (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) sent Mrs. Hamerton a message of congratulation on behalf of the citizens of New Plymouth, in addition to which she has received many telegrams of good wishes from friends in the district. This was not the first voyage of the Blenheim to New Zealand, stated Mr. W. H. Skinner. She was the 15th ship to sail under charter to the New Zealand Company for Port Nicholson (Wellington). She left Greenock on her first voyage on August 24, 1840, in command of Captain Grey, with Dr. Campbell as surgeon in charge, with a total of 197 souls, arriving at Wellington on' December 27; 1840. The Blenheim left Plymouth, England, on her second voyage to Wellington and New Plymouth on July 2, 1842, the last pilot greeting the ship off Rome Head at. 8 p.m. of that day. Captain John Grey was still in command, Samuel Norway being the surgeon superintendent. Touching at Wellington, where a number of her passengers remained, she continued her voyage and arrived at New Plymouth on Saturday, November 19, 1842. ! Most of the passengers landed \ the following day. The Blenheim brought a mail direct from England, to the joy of the earlier arrivals. There are no details as to the voyage to New Zealand. There were several births, and apparently only one death, a delicate infant, the .12 days’ old.daughter of John and Jane Lee. TROUBLE WITH CREW. Trouble was experienced with the crew while the ship was lying at anchor in the roadstead, insubordination and desertion resulting. For the former three, including the ship’s carpenter, were arrested, brought ashore and locked in the primitive building that did duty for a prison near the landing place. With regard to the desertion or the attempt to desert the following account appeared in a journal of that time: December 1: “This night at half past 12 o’clock repaired to Moturoq and took two of the hands belonging to the Blenheim, having left the ship in the long boat. Conveyed them in custody to the Caledonian Tavern, where they were guarded till morning. One man was an apprentice. They were examined by Captain King, R.N., and ordered to be taken on board the ship, which was done, and I remained on board until the ship set sail for Sydney.” The passengers to New Plymouth by the Blenheim were Miss M. Chilman (Mrs. Thomas King), Robert and Mary Parris, with children, Mary (widow of Mr. R. Chisnell Hamerton and the last survivor of the Blenheim’s passengers)'and. Sarah; James and Mary Smart and family, Sarah, Elizabeth, Hannah, Jane and William; Palmer and Ann Murch and child Mary; George Dimcap, Michael Holroyd, William Turner, Amelia Leafman (Mrs. Ibbotson), John Hicks, Thos. Radford, Charles Hales, John and Sydney Wright, Edwin St. George, John Vernon, James and Mary Williams, and Elizabeth Mary,Ann, Grace and infant girl born on voyage; William and Maria Collins and Henry, John, Hannah, Thomas, Mary and Richard; Mr. and Mrs. John Lee; Robert and Emma Baker, and Eliza, John, Elizabeth and Robert; William and Mary Aigle and Richard, Grace, Elizabeth and William; John, Thomas, Eliza, Francis, Henry and Edward Rogers; James and Agnes Dust, and Emma and Elizabeth (Dust was appointed one of the ship’s constables, pay 2s 6d per week); Elizabeth Payne; Richard and Elizabeth Julian, and Mary Jane, Sophia, John, Eleanor, Caroline, Richard, Samu.el and Nicholas; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Parker and Amelia; Ann Sketch; Thomas and Elizabeth Rusden and Thomas, Richard and Elizabeth; Edmund and Elizabeth George, and Cecilia, William Henry, Elizabeth and Edmund, Richard and Letitia Goninan, and Eliza and John W. Thomas and Eliza. Tiffin i and Emtoa • and George; Thomas ■ and i Alice Wilkinson and son John; Charlotte 'i Wilkinson; Josiah and Susannah Millsi teed; Philip and Sarah Moon, and ■ John, George Henry,- Thirza, Charlotte I and infant daughter bom on voyage; I William and Ann Coleman; John and Ann ! Hurford and infant daughter, born on I voyage; William and Francis Holloway and infant Rosanna;-John-and Ann Gibbons and Walter; William and Jane Shell. Mr. Shell was appointed schoolmaster and assistant to the surgeon, and Mrs. Shell appointed a? matron and also to assist the surgeon. during voyage; Richard and Mary Langman and Richard, Thomas and John; William and Mary Richards and John and Mary Ann; William and Elizabeth Williams and Elizabeth and William James. Other passengers who landed at Wellington were Richard and Louis Walsh; Mrs. Euphemia Johnstone and children Mary and Robert; Francis and Renina Knight and Francis and Mary; Joseph and Jane Hall and Joseph, Elizabeth and Mary; Edward Bullock; Edward Prentice; William Brooke; Thomas Hughes; David Williamson; Nicholas Fiord; Marion Baird; James Ramsden and Thomas Mcßean. * The following telegram of congratulation was sent to Mrs. Hamerton by the Mayor of New Plymouth on Saturday;—“The citizens of New Plymouth extend to you their congratulations, and good wishes on this the 90th anniversary of your arrival in New Zealand in the ship Blenheim.”