Mermaid

Mermaid
Ship: 1326 tons
Captain: Rose
Surgeon Superintendent:
Sailed London 5th October 1867 - arrived Lyttelton 3rd January 1868

Built in Nova Scotia in 1853, Mermaid was originally chartered by the White Star Line to run to Australian ports as a mail packet. During this trade she had a remarkable race with Red Jacket which eventually managed to beat her by 5 days. In 1859 she was applied to the New Zealand trade, making 10 voyages. Three of these were to Auckland and the balance to Lyttelton. She never managed to make any "cracking" voyages. On this voyage in 1868, apart from having some hair-raising experiences avoiding thirty icebergs off Cape Leeuwin and weathering gales in the Southern Ocean, she brought out Blackbirds, Goldfinches, Starlings and Larks for the Acclimatisation Society.
White Wings - Sir Henry Brett

Commissioners Report

Name Age County Occupation
Families & Children
Forbes Samuel 25 Antrim Farm Labourer
Maggie 26
Grieve Robert 31 Rosshire Shepherd
Euphemia 33
Christopher 24 Rosshire Shepherd
Agnes 24
Kessen Clements 62 Germany
Lucy M 63
Pearl Walter J 30 Cambridgeshire Coachmaker
Ellen 29
Walter 4
Frederick 3
Blanche 10 months
Phillips William 54 Glostershire Wheelwright
Sophia 47
Sommer John Henry 26 Germany
Mina 22
Joseph 3
Single Men
Barnes Henry 22 Westmorland Ploughman
Forbes Charles 20 Aberdeen Ploughman
Kammann Henry 25 Hanover Farmer Labourer
Matheson Duncan 23 Rosshire Labourer
McCloy Patrick 21 Antrim Labourer
McLeod Robert M 22 Sutherland Farmer
Mehrtens Borchert 25 Germany Labourer
Ross Malcolm 35 Rosshire Shepherd
Schuppmann Diedrich 25 Prussia Bricklayer
Shepherd John 28 Westmorland Ploughman
Smith Thomas 25 Ayrshire Farm Labourer
James 22 Ayrshire Farm Labourer
Single Women
Armstrong Martha 24 Down Domestic Servant
Aschen Mitta Germany Domestic Servant
Bennett Frances 48 Lancashire
Hannah 19 Derbyshire (Winding)
Henry 11 Derbyshire
Blackmore Mary A 22 Middlesex Domestic Servant
Bowers Fanny 47 Glostershire
Eliza 14 Glostershire
Louisa 11 Glostershire
Clara 9 Glostershire
Albert 5 Glostershire
Bradshaw Mary A 22 Middlesex Domestic Servant
Brady Sarah 19 Roscommon Domestic Servant
Brocklebank Julia 10 Middlesex Domestic Servant
Capstock Ellen 24 America Domestic Servant
Carroll Ann 24 Wexford Domestic Servant
Catrill Mary 22 Tipperary Domestic Servant
Chapman Jane 20 Cornwall Domestic Servant
Connell Delia 27 Galway Domestic Servant
Sarah 25 Galway Domestic Servant
Margaret 23 Galway Domestic Servant
Cowles E 31 Dressmaker - Matron of the Ship
Creery Eliza 24 Down Domestic Servant
Cunning Margaret 25 Londonderry Domestic Servant
Davidson Agnes 60 Renfrewshire
Dorrell Elizabeth 31 Worcestershire Cook
Fitzgerald Bridget 19 Tipperary Domestic Servant
Hann Maria 18 Devonshire Domestic Servant
Keefe Mary 21 Kildare Domestic Servant
Kennelly Catherine 30 Galway Dressmaker
Kennett Sarah 25 Kent Cook
Kessen Gertrude 26 Germany Domestic Servant
Catherine 28 Germany Domestic Servant
Logan Agnes 26 Donegal Domestic Servant
Sarah 22 Donegal Domestic Servant
Mackay Wilhelmina 26 Caithness Domestic Servant
Marchell Ellen 23 Kent Domestic Servant
Martel Margaret 23 Limerick Domestic Servant
Matheson Ann 52 Rosshire
Mary 30 Rosshire Domestic Servant
Catherine 20 Rosshire Domestic Servant
Mehrtens Anna Germany Domestic Servant
McCann Ellen 22 Londonderry Domestic Servant
McCloy Mary Ann 24 Antrim Domestic Servant
Catherine 19 Antrim Domestic Servant
Neawell Eliza 21 Londonderry Domestic Servant
Margaret Ann 18 Londonderry Domestic Servant
Nickolls Eliza 26 Wiltshire Domestic Servant
  Mary A 17 Wiltshire Domestic Servant
Noble Elizabeth 37 Middlesex Cook
Oaks Catherine 28 Warwickshire Domestic Servant
O'Mara Mary 25 Tipperary Domestic Servant
Sarah 21 Tipperary Domestic Servant
Anastatia 18 Tipperary Domestic Servant
Palmer Bridget 21 Sligo Domestic Servant
Palmer Henrietta 21 Somerset Domestic Servant
Phillips Hannah 22 Glostershire Domestic Servant
Proctor Margaret 23 Armagh Domestic Servant
Rachel J 21 Armagh Domestic Servant
Russell Louisa 28 Middlesex Domestic Servant or Needlewoman
Sadd Naomi 29 Kent Domestic Servant
Smith Hannah 30 Essex Cook
Snook Ellen M 29 Hants Nurse
Stavely Ann 28 Cork Cook
Thompson Amelia 30 Kent Dressmaker
Waterfield Sarah A 30 Staffordshire Domestic Servant
Watkins Emma 18 Monmouthshire Domestic Servant
                  

Copyright Denise & Peter 1999, 2000, 2001

Reference
National Archives IMCH4/81

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