Mr Shepherd (ex London) and Mrs Laughlin and family came from Port Nicholson.

John COOK:
John Cook was born Johan Koch in February 1807at Deissel, Hesse Cassel (in modern-day Germany). Johan was from a military village in the forest that supplied soldiers to the 'Hessian' troops (thus, members of his family fought in the 'American war'; and his sisters all married and allegedly emigrated to America). Johan was too weakly to be a soldier and became a tailor. He followed an older brother to London (the brother sub- sequently returned to Deissel). In London in 1831Johan married Elizabeth Cording (London, 1814-December 1882, Wellington). [Her parents appear to have been the Edmund Cordings, also migrated aboard the Clifford, but she had been adopted by her mother's sister, Jane Hemmings. Her mother's maiden name was Mitford, from Newcastle on Tyne.] Johan became known in London as John Cook, owing to a mistake in his marriage banns, which had been posted by an English friend on his behalf. The family emigrated to New Zealand in 1841 aboard the Clifford, having been persuaded to this by his his 'parents-in-law' the Edmund Cordings, who already had a son and a daughter in the colony. The Cooks embarked with three children and another, Robert Clifford, was born off Van Diemen's Land. According to a family letter, of which I have a copy:
"The Clifford got on the shoal off Ward Island (Wellington Harbour) and from thence went to Nelson, her final port. The Cook family left the Clifford in Wellington in boats on the 5th May 1842 and landed on the beach under Akawie Pa (Cotterville Tce). Their first home was part of a large Maori built hut in which the Buckridges [another Cording daughter and her family] and a family named Bignals were residing. In three months they all left the pa in some groundless fear of the Maoris, the Cooks going into part of a mud hut built on a parcel of land reached by a fenced of (sic) foot-way blocked by foot styles off the lane now called Frasers (Aitken Street). This lane should be called Hornibrooks. There great trouble met the family during the twelve months of their residence. The settlement was practically burnt down and the people deprived of  their belongings in consequence."
Some of John's sons followed him into business as tailors and he later ran J Cook and Son with his son John Herman (John Cook Jr) for many years. Others of the family became farmers, farming at Makara. John Cook died in Wellington, NZ, on 29 May 1892. If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact Christine O'Brien.

CORDING Family:
I have no official papers for them but this information appears in a family letter written by John Cook Jr: The Cordings were from Wales [amended by hand on the copy to 'Wells'].  In 1841 they persuaded their 'daughter' Elizabeth and her husband John Cook / Johan Koch to migrate with them and their two youngest daughters Sarah and Susan to New Zealand....
"...whither Edmund their son and Ann Buckridge their daughter had preceded them - two daughter (sic) Jane and Mary staying behind in  prospect of marriage. Jane married a Mr Blaker and proceeded to New Zealand. Mary followed long after. Sarah married Thomas Hoggard and Susan married his brother John. The Cooks and the Cordings left England in the barque Clifford in December (1841) Christmas seeing them in the Bay of Biscay. . . their [Cooks and, I believe Cordings] first home was part of a large Maori-built hut in which the Buckridges [married daughter of the Cording family] and a family named Bignals were residing. In three months they all left the pa in some groundless fear of the Maoris . . . And later: The [Cook] family moved on to Lambton Quay, opposite the Central Club, at the corner of Gray Street, living in part of a house with the Cordings who had built it. Cordings had also built a double house in front which was let as a shoe store. There the families had better times which gave more hope to the parents and less sorrow to the children."
If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact Christine O'Brien.