Lalla RookShip

Lalla Rookh
Ship: 500 Tons
Captain: Haines
Surgeon Superintendent:
Sailed London, November 8th 1848 - arrived Wellington March 15th 1849

Arrival of the Lalla Rookh

Name Age County Occupation
Bain Mr J W
Dunlop James 29 Glasgow Merchant
Sarah 20
Sarah Margaret 3
Gilfillan Mr J A
Hansard Mr
child
Hildebrand Mr
Johnson Mrs H W
McMiller Mr W
Parker Captain
Passmore Mrs
2 children
Shoveller Mr J E
Stephen Mr G M E
                                                          

DUNLOP family:
James Dunlop (born 1820) and Sarah Dunlop (born 1829) and their daughter, Sarah Margaret who would have been aged about 3, arrived in Wellington on board the Lalla Rookh. They were from Glasgow and James occupation is a bit of a puzzler. He was the son of a wealthy cotton mill owner. However on his arrival in New Zealand he farmed in a small way but sometimes listed himself as merchant and sometimes as a gentleman. The Dunlops bought land in Gisborne and moved there about November 1849. They came through the Poverty Bay Massacre and the events surrounding Te Kootis war of 1868 by escaping to Napier but their house at Te Arai was burnt down and they moved to Makaraka on their return. James and Sarah actually knew Te Kooti quite well (he used to take the Dunlop children to Pai Marire meetings!) and they never believed that he was as black as he was painted by other settlers. They had 12 children, many of whom settled around Gisborne or up the coast. James himself was a bit of a maverick. He was reasonably well educated, a great horseman, as were many of his descendants, and apparently fell out a bit with his family in Scotland because he preferred to travel around the country "breaking colts" rather than work in the family cotton business. He eventually eloped with the 16 year old daughter of an agricultural labourer, and what with one thing and another, I think the family agreed to pay him an allowance if he came and lived in New Zealand. His wife, Sarah was my great grandmother. One of her granddaughters used to refer to her as "that common old woman" but I think she was a hard worker and had more idea of how to run a farm - although their property seems to have been more of a smallholding than a farm - than her husband did. Sarah was born in Co.Donegal, Ireland, but grew up in Kirkcudbright. If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact Jeanette de Montalk.

Copyright Denise & Peter 2001 - 2008

Reference:
Wellington Independent March 17th 1849