'Cresswell'
Departed London 27 May, 1859
Arrived Lyttelton 12 September 1859
The Lyttelton Times 17 September 1859The immigrants who have arrived by the Cresswell are, taken altogether, a very promising accession to our population. Notwithstanding the mischievous attempts of some fellows who go on board the newly arrived emigrant ships to discourage newcomers by fabulous accounts of the sorrows to come, the majority of the Cresswell people set their faces against these prophets of evil and have already found work and some of them permanent work at good wages. One young woman who landed on Tuesday was met on landing by a well-to-do swain who offered her a home, wooed her on the spot and married her the next morning. There are none of them who will not reap the benefit of the character they maintained on board ship. And it is only fair to bear testimony to the good sense of the majority of the Cresswell immigrants, as there are a few of them who have behaved in a manner which has in many instances prejudiced their fellow passengers in the eyes of the public. For instance, when the immigrants were landed an employer went to the barracks and offered to engage six unmarried men on the spot for a pound a week each and their rations. A schooner was ready to take them and their luggage round to his station at Timaru without any expense to them. This might have been thought a good offer at any time, and especially to untried men. These fellows, however, declared that they would rather starve than take the wages, and abused the gentleman who made the offer in such a manner that he was obliged to leave the yard. We hear that he immediately went off and engaged some men who had lately arrived from Van Dieman's Land, whose colonial experience will make their services twice as valuable. The spokesman of these men was afterwards turned out of the barracks for disorderly conduct, and will probably be prepared to join any party of men whom he may find fonder of talking than working.
The Lyttelton Times 14 September1859
Arrived. - September 12, barque, Cresswell, 574 tons, Barnett,
from London.
Cabin passengers. - Mr and Miss COTTERELL,
Messrs WILSON, TUDOR, COTTERELL and SPENCER, Surgeon Superintendant James PARKER.
Government Immigrants
ATACK Wm wife and two children painter Southampton BODE John and wife farm labourer Middlesex BOORMAN Henry wife and child farm labourer Middlesex BROKER Edward and wife plaster Middlesex DUNCAN Alexander and wife farm labourer Aberdeen ELVINES John wife and three children groom Middlesex FERGUSON Daniel wife and seven children farm labourer Perth FERGUSON Robert and wife farm labourer Down FULLER James and wife gardener Sussex HARRISON Thos wife and seven children shepherd Lincoln HOVVILL Wm wife and two children farm labourer Worksop HUFFEY J. wife and child bricklayer Suffolk LUCAS John wife and two children carpenter Middlesex MCALPINE Archibald wife and four children ploughman Lincoln MCKAY Donald wife and five children agricultural labourer Sutherland MCLEOD John 24 and Cathe, wife 23 shepherd Caithness MITCHELL Isaac wife and two children blacksmith Yorkshire NEILL Wm and wife farm labourer Down O'BRIEN Michael and wife labourer Wicklow OCTGEN Frederick and wife farm labourer Hanover OSBORNE Geo wife and child farm labourer Somerset PLUNKETT John wife and child brassfounder Dublin REILLY John wife and seven children schoolmaster Hants RUXGE George and wife farm labourer Germany SCHMIDT William wife and four children farm labourer Germany SHAILER Thos wife and child farm labourer Staffordshire STEWART John wife and five children ploughman Perth TULLEY John wife and three children porter London VESEY Frederick wife and child farm labourer Suffolk WAINWRIGHT Charles wife and child labourer Notts Single men -
BROKER Edward farm labourer Caithness CHILES Edward farm labourer Surrey EVANS John farm labourer Shropshire FERGUSON Alex farm labourer Caithness FERGUSON James farm labourer Caithness GAFFENEY Michael farm labourer HOBBS Wm carpenter Middlesex McKAY George labourer Caithness McKAY James farm labourer Caithness McWILLIAM Alexander farm labourer OSBORN Jobb labourer Caithness PONNEY(POUNEY?) Wm Middlesex SMITH Arthur labourer Hants STEWART John farm labouer Derbyshire SUTHERLAND Alex labourer Caithness WEBBER Preston farm labourer
Single Women - BROKER Sarah domestic servant COHN Sarah Ann domestic servant FERGUSON Jessie domestic servant FERGUSON Mary domestic servant FERGUSON Catherine domestic servant HOVVILL Jane domestic servant KUNKELL Louise cook MCKAY Betsy domestic servant PLUNKETT Elizabeth dressmaker PLUNKETT Margaret milliner PLUNKETT Mary Ann milliner PONNEY Mrs Hannah laundress and two children Middlesex SMITH Charlotte domestic servant SMITH Rose domestic servant STEWART Alice dairymaid STEWART Margaret domestic servant STEWART Susan milliner TULLEY Emma housemaid WHEELER Clara housemaid WHEELER Rosetta housemaid
Analysis of Trades
Farm labourers 21, general labourers 9, ploughmen 2, gardener 1, shepherds 2, groom 1, blacksmith 1, brassfounder 1, bricklayer 1, carpenters 3, painter 1, plasterer 1, schoolmaster 1
Single women - Cook 1, dairymaid 1, domestic servants 13, milliners 3, dressmaker 1, laundress 1
Total, 65. Total number of souls, 161
Birth on Board - August 14 - Mrs William MILLS, of a daughter
Deaths during voyage - five
The above information courtesy of Peter Dillon. Peter has information re the Duncan family. Alexander DUNCAN 22, farm labourer, wife Catherine 21, Aberdeenshire. Other members of Catherine's family arrived in NZ on the 'Matoaka' in 1860. Lyttelton Shipping - Passenger Index [ Canterbury Museum Library, Christchurch ]The 'Cresswell' , a Willis, Gann Co., wooden barque, made four trips out to New Zealand with this 1859 voyage being her last out to the colony. After she left Lyttelton she headed for Nelson with 42 passengers and arrived there on 24th September then on to New Plymouth with 24 passengers and arrived there on 1at November 1859. There was another 'Cresswell' built later in 1863 of 464 tons. Posted 31 July 2000.
References:
"Lyttelton Times", 14 September, 1859 - from W.H.R. Dale Album, p.46, Canterbury Museum, New Zealand. Passenger list and account of voyage are from the newspaper "Lyttelton Times".
White Wings Vol. II by Brett.
Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 10 February 1858, Page 2
The barque Cresswell, from London,
occupied a period of 111 days from thence to this port. Only one death occurred
on the passage, namely, Mr. Edwards, a brother of Mr. N. Edwards, merchant, of
Nelson, who came on board in a very weak state of health, and died from
rupturing a blood vessel. Entered Inwards February 8, barque Cresswell,
575, Barnett, from London.
Passengers — first-class —
Mr. and Mrs. George Hooper and daughter
Miss Dodson
Mr. and Miss Wright
Mr. Arthur Bamford
Messrs. Charles and Thomas Cottrell
Henry Albes
Mr Williams
Mr Willis
Mr Monro
Miss Glen
Master Wright, Misses Wright (2)second and steerage—
Katherine Jay, Ellen Jay
Thomas Ayers
Thomas Adey
John M'Lachlan wife and 2 children
William M'Call and wife
George Talbot and wife
Edwin Steed
Henry Blackett, wife and 4 children
George Lane and wife
Charles Hoffman and wife
Edward Gear and wife
G. Browning, wife and daughter
Ann Smith
Hannah Hornibrook
Edward Jones
William Hayward
Edward Dee
John Jackson
William and David Hodson
Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 13 February 1858
Cleared Outwards. February 11, barque Cresswell, 575, Barnett, for Wellington.
Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 7 April 1858, Page 2
Cleared Outwards. April 6, Cresswell, 370, Barnett, in ballast. Passenger — Mrs. Barnett.
THE MASTER OF THE STORM
Out on the ocean of life we sail
Battered by many a ragging gale
Yet we are sure that we shall prevail
No storm can His ship o'ver whelm
Billows may threaten and winds may blow
Courage and faith we shall always show.He is the Master of the wind and tide
He rules tempest and tide. His vessel will ride
Safely the billows his ship will ride safely
Into the harbour at last it will glide
Where we shall be wondrously blest
And so with our Pilot we sail along
Safe from the storm and all things wrong
Singing enter the harbor of son
The haven of endless rest, joy and rest
Wrecks we are seeing from day to day
Poor broken vessels, along the way
No one to pilot their ships have they
And so they are sinking fastTrue to our Pilots we all shall be
Whether a stormy or peaceful sea
Always so helpful and sweet is he, and
Blessing us evermore
Soon we shall meet Him up on the strand.a hymn by James Rowe / J. Porter Thomasan
James D. Vaughan owner, 1927
