MEROPE
The MEROPE departed London on 29 July, 1870, and arrived in Lyttleton on 27 October,
1870, with Captain Rose in command.
Transcribed from the Press, 29 October, 1870, Page 2
ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP MEROPE FROM LONDON.
This fine new composite clipper ship, commanded by Captain Rose, arrived off heads from London at midnight
on the 26th October, after a run of 89 days, having left, Deal on the 31st July. She was signalled in Lyttelton as
being outside the heads early on the 27th instant, aid preparations were made for the Moa to take the Health
and Immigration Officers and ship's agent, down to her; but as the flag was hauled down the steamer did not
start as intended, it turning out that owing to the strong SW wind blowing she was compelled to run from the
and was thus thought to be a ship bound North. She was again signalled about 2 o'clock, and the Moa
proceeded at 3.30 pm with the officers on board to visit her, and found her anchored about two miles outside
the Heads. Upon going alongside, the usual questions being answered in a satisfactory manner, the ship was
boarded, and all were welcomed on stepping over the gangway by her respected commander, Captain Rose,
who is so well and favorably known in the trade to the port, and who last year had command of the Zealandia
to this port. Mr MacQuade again accompanies Captain Rose as purser.
The Merope is a splendid new composite ship, built by Oswald and Co, of Sunderland, in 1870, for Shaw, Saville
and Co, and intended for the New Zealand trade. She is a perfect model of a ship, and we are informed is a very
fast vessel, as much as fifteen knots an hour being got out of her.
The cabin is lofty, beautifully fitted, and well lighted. The second cabin is a deck house, also very roomy. The
tween decks, occupied by the immigrants, are nearly 7 ft in height, and a perfect picture of cleanliness, reflecting
great credit on Dr Husband, surgeon superintendent, and the officers of the ship. The Commissioners speak in
high terms of the completeness of the arrangements in all the departments visited by them. We have no
hesitation in saying that the Merope is one of the, if not the finest ship that has visited this harbor, and we are
sure will become a favorite one for passengers.
The following is the report of the voyage: — On 27th July embarked emigrants, and left the Docks at 1.30 am,
on Thursday, proceeded to Gravesend; the following day mustered and inspected the ship's crew and
passengers before the Emigration Commissioners, and proceeded to sea; anchored at 7.45 near the Mouse
light waiting for the tide; again got under weigh in tow of the tug steamer, which was cast off near the North
Foreland; passed Dungeness at 11.30 p.m., with a fresh N.E. breeze, and made a fine run down the Channel.
On Sunday, 31st July, the pilot left the ship off Exmouth; at noon the ship was becalmed off Brixham. On the
1st August, passed Start Point; from thence to the 4th, had light airs with thick fog, and again light variable
winds from the south and westward until the 14th, on which day Maderia was passed, distant about forty miles,
a fair wind blowing at the time, the ship going with all sails sets; again experienced variable winds until the 18th,
when the trade winds were caught in lat 27 30 N, long 22 W. The trades were lost on the 24th, in latitude
14 10 N, longitude 27 W. Again experienced light variable winds until the 3rd September, from south-west,
when we had the S. E. trades very light until the 10th September, in lat 18 20 S, long 35 30 W. From the 10th
to the 16th had moderate breezes from the eastward. Passed the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope on the
18th. From thence to the 24th experienced strong westerly winds, and again for two days light easterly winds,
followed by westerly winds for some days. On the 21st October, bad heavy gale from the
NE, with nasty cross seas, sighted the Snares on the 24th at 8 pm, distant about eight miles NE by E. Thence
Thence had variable weather up the coast. Made Banks Peninsula on the 26th at 4 am, and was off Akaroa at
8 am, making Godley head light at 9 pm same day. The next morning had heavy gale from SW, and ran off
shore; reached in again, and anchored about 2 pm on the 27th two miles off the heads. The Merope was towed
up to her anchorage opposite the town yesterday morning, and the emigrants were landed by steamer, and
sent through to Christchurch by the 3.30 train.
Passenger list transcribed from Family Search website.
Family Name		Age	Occupation	County
Families & Children
ATTWOOD	Thomas	34	Farm Labourer	Kent
ATTWOOD	Charlotte	33
ATTWOOD	Sarah A	14
ATTWOOD	Edward	13
ATTWOOD	Emily	10
ATTWOOD	Frederick	3
BADHAM	Samuel	36	Farm Labourer	Herefordshire
BADHAM	Ann	43
BADHAM	Alfred	9
BADHAM	Thomas	7
BAILLIE	Crawford	39	Millwright	Lanarkshire
BAILLIE	Ann	36
BAILLIE	John B	9
BAILLIE	Robert	4mo
BAKER	Richard	24	Plumber	Devonshaire
BAKER	Mary E	21
BARRATT	James	36	Farm Labourer	Cornwall
BARRATT	Mary Ann	40
BARRATT	Ellen	16	Genl. Servant	Cornwall
BARRATT	William	12		Cornwall
BARRATT	Mary H	9
BARRATT	James	2
BUCHANAN	Robert	23	Moulder	Lanarkshire
BUCHANAN	--	20
DENHAM	Allen H	34	Coachmaker	Herts
DENHAM	Caroline	30
DENHAM	Kate	6
DENHAM	Frederic	5
FISHER	Henry	35	Carpenter & Pattern Maker	Somersetshire
FISHER	Prudence L	32
FISHER	John Hy.	11
GLANVILLE	Jno. R	32	Coach Smith	Cornwall
GLANVILLE	Sarah	31
GLANVILLE	Wm. E	4
GLANVILLE	Gertrude M	5mo
HANCOCK	Robert	31	Engineer Fitter	Hants
HANCOCK	Catherine	29
HITCHINS	Martin	31	Farm Labourer	Cornwall
HITCHINS	Dorcas	39
KENT	Nicholas	50	Millwright	Cornwall
KENT	Caroline	50
KENT	Elizabeth	21	Genl. Servant	Middx
KENT	Marian	17	Genl. Servant	Middx
KENT	Ellen G	11
CARPENTER	Fanny	29	Needlewoman	Cornwall
CARPENTER	Caroline	6
CARPENTER	Joseph	4
KNIGHT	Thomas	49	Farm Labourer	Monmouthshire
KNIGHT	Ruth	47
KNIGHT	Thomas B	19	Farm Labourer	Monmouthshire
KNIGHT	Sarah A	17	Genl. Servant	Monmouthshire
KNIGHT	William	15	Gardener	Monmouthshire
KNIGHT	Orpheus	11
KNIGHT	Eber	8
KNIGHT	Harry	7
KNIGHT	Bedlington	4
LENNIE	John	36	Blacksmith	Orkney
LENNIE	Betsy	32
LENNIE	David	5
LENNIE	John G	3
LENNIE	Catherine	1
MAJOR	Henry	34	Farm Labourer	Somerset
MAJOR	Elizabeth	26
MAJOR	George	6
MAJOR	Mary	2
MAJOR	Oliver	8mo
MOIR	James	36	Tailor	Stirlingshire
MOIR	Ellen K	28
MOIR	Cathe. J	2
MULLAN	John P	45	Farm Labourer	Armagh
MULLAN	Mary	44
MULLAN	John P	17
MULLAN	Matilda	9
MULLAN	Richd.	5
NEWMAN	James	40	Labourer	Perthshire
NEWMAN	Charlotte	32
NEWMAN	Mary	15	Genl. Servant	Somersetshire
NEWMAN	Walter	11
NEWMAN	Emily	9
NEWMAN	Herry	7
NEWMAN	Henry	7
PEARCE	Henry	38	Farm Labourer	Berkshire
PEARCE	Elizabeth	37
PHIPP	William	25	Farm Labourer	Wiltshire
PHIPP	Mary C	23
PHIPP	Rachel	1
RICHARDS	William	30	Farm Labourer	Devonshire
RICHARDS	Mary R	27
ROBINSON	William	34	Coach Smith	Lancashire
ROBINSON	Jane	29
ROBINSON	Rooper	6
ROBINSON	Elizabeth	4
ROBINSON	Ann	2
ROBINSON	Lily	6mo
ROUNDING	Edward	28	Farrier	Essex
ROUNDING	Jane	23
RUMP	Alfd. V	26	Labourer & Ploughman	Norfolk
RUMP	Eliza	26
SAVAGE	George	28	Farm Labourer	Kent
SAVAGE	Sarah	26
SAVAGE	Fanny	4
SAVAGE	Edith S	1mo
SELBIE	John	25	Ploughman	Berwickshire
SELBIE	Ellen	22
SELBIE	James	54	Ploughman	Berwickshire
SELBIE	James (Jnr)	23	Ploughman	Berwickshire
ROBERT	Allan	22
SIMONS	Charles	26	Farm Labourer	Bucks
SIMONS	Ann M	26
SIMONS	Charles	5
SIMONS	Agnes	3
SIMONS	Vincent T	9mo
SMITH	William	27	Shepherd	Norfolk
SMITH	Ellen	27
SMITH	Mary E	4
SMITH	James W	2
STEVENS	Richard	27	Cooper	Devonshire
STEVENS	Mary	26
STEVENS	Janet	2
STEVENS	Francis	5mo
WATSON	William	38	Labourer	Berkshire
WATSON	Louisa	35
WATSON	William	13		Berkshire
WATSON	Thomas	8
WATSON	Fanny	6
WATSON	Bessie	3
WATSON	Edward	7mo
WHEELER	Matthew	29	Mason	Somersetshire
WHEELER	Ellen	28
WHEELER	Thomas C	7
WHEELER	Emily J	5
WHEELER	Henry A	3
Single Men
ADE	George	25	Tailor	Germany
BARNETT	James	19	Farm Labourer	Monmouthshire
BAYLEY	Robert	23	Blacksmith	Middlesex
BRITTON	Alfred	16	Farm Labourer	Somersetshire
BRITTON	Edwin	22	Farm Labourer	Somersetshire
BROSNAHAN	Hugh	18	Ploughman	Kerry
CAMERON	William	22	Farm Labourer	Banffshire
CHRISTY	David	22	- -	Down
CLARK	Rob. A	24	Coach Maker	Lincolnshire
CONCANNON	Edward	30	Farm Labourer	Mayo
CONNOR	John	20	Ploughman	Kerry
DASH	Charles	23	Farm Labourer	Hampshire
EVANS	Edward	26	Ploughman	Montgomeryshire
GALLAGHER	William	32	Ploughman	Donegal
HARRAP	Henry E	17	Farm Labourer	Leicestershire
HENRY	David	22	Blacksmith	Forfarshire
HENZLER	Johannes	23	Mason	Germany
HERRIOT	John	26	Baker	Edinburgh
HERTNAN	William	19	Farm Labourer	King’s
JOHNSTON	Robert	20	Farm Labourer	Down
LITTLE	James	35	Labourer	Lanarkshire
LOWRY	Benjamin	24	Farm Labourer	Surrey
LUSH	Edwin J	24	Coach Smith	Lincolnshire
MAXWELL	Robert	20	Farm Labourer	Orkney
McREDMOND	Patk.	28	Ploughman	Tipperary
MOGFORD	William	30	Labourer	Devonshire
MOORE	John	21	Farm Labourer	Monaghan
MULCASTER	Thomas G	29	Farm Labourer	Cumberland
PETRIE	James	22	Farm Labourer	Orkney
POND	William J	20	Blacksmith	Norfolk
RICHARDS	John	35	Ploughman	Montgomeryshire
ROSS	John	30	Shepherd	Sutherland
SCOTT	Samuel	21	Ploughman	Tyrone
SHAYLOR	William	30	Baker	Middx.
SHEARER	John	20	Farm Labourer	Orkney
SHEARER	Peter	22	Farm Labourer	Orkney
SINCLAIR	Peter McG.	23	Blacksmith	Forfarshire
SMITH	Robert	23	Ploughman	Aberdeenshire
SWANEY	John	24	Farm Labourer	Orkney
VAUGHAN	Augustus	18	Labourer	Gloucesershire
WALLACE	John	22	Ploughman	Fermanagh
WILLIAMS	Edmund	27	Farm Labourer - first man	Montgomeryshire
Single Women
ABBOTT	Anne E	18	Cook	Yorkshire
BAINES	Clara L	23	Genl. Servant	Kent
BATTLEY	Elizabeth	27	Genl. Servant	Norfolk
BECKINGHAM	Harriet	32	Genl. Servant	Herts
BECKINGHAM	Harriet	8	- -
BENGIE	Rachel	21	Cook	Wiltshire
BOLITHO	Mary	17	Genl. Servant	Cornwall
BORRETT	Mary A	35	Lace Maker	Middlesex
BORRETT	Sarah Ann	15	Genl. Servant	Middlesex
BRENNING	Charlotte	35	Matron to Ship	Middlesex
BRITTON	Fanny	18	Genl. Servant	Somersetshire
BRODIE	Jessie	19	Dairy Maid	Orkney
BROSNAHAN	Honora	17	Dairy Maid	Kerry
BUSHNELL	Emily	22	Housemaid	Middlesex
CONNOR	Mary	18	Dairy Maid	Kerry
CRACKLES	Eliza	20	Genl. Servant	Essex
DASH	Elizabeth	44	Nurse	Hampshire
DASH	Louisa	21	Genl. Servant	Hampshire
DASH	Agnes	19	Genl. Servant	Hampshire
DAVIDSON	Mary	23	Genl. Servant	Donegal
DONNELLY	Mary A	20	Genl. Servant	Tyrone
DOUGLAS	Ellen	15	Genl. Servant	Middlesex
DOUGLAS	Josephine	17	Genl. Servant	Middlesex
DUNN	Ann	25	Laundress	Sussex
ELDER	Margaret	32	Housemaid	Scotland
ELLIS	Esther	25	Cook	Middlesex
FERGUSON	Kate	20	Genl. Servant	Ayrshire
GANNON	Anne	26	Genl. Servant	Middlesex
GRANT	Eliza	20	Genl. Servant	Norfolk
GREY	Eliza	30	Genl. Servant	Clare
HIGGINS	Charlotte	28	Nurse	Middx
HILLON	Rose Ann	40	Housekeeper	Fermanagh
JOHNSON	Amelia	27	Housemaid	Middlesex
JONES	Mary	25	Housemaid	Montgomeryshire
JONES	Jane	20	Genl. Servant	Montgomeryshire
JONES	Martha	26	Cook	Montgomeryshire
LARGE	Elizth. A	66	Upholstress	Somersetshire
MALLY	Honora	16	Dairy Maid	Galway
MALLY	Catherine	14	- -	Galway
McMAHON	Ann	28	Genl. Servant	Tyrone
McMAHON	Margt.	26	Genl. Servant	Tyrone
McSURGAN	Alice	17	Dairy Maid	Tyrone
McSURGAN	Margaret	19	Dairy Maid	Tyrone
MOORE	Sarah	23	Genl. Servant	Armagh
MORGAN	Amelia	19	Housemaid	Gloucestershire
MOSS	Eliza	43	Housekeeper	Middlesex
PENLINGTON	Ann	25	Cook	Middlesex
REED	Charlotte	28	Housemaid	- -
REEDER	Mary A	21	Genl. Servant	Suffolk
RICH	Hannah	21	Cook	Kent
RICKARD	Mary J	17	Genl. Servant	Cornwall
RINGHAM	Eliza	27	Genl. Servant	Rutlandshire
SHARROCK	Mary J	17	Genl. Servant	Cornwall
SMITH	Elizabeth	15	Genl. Servant	France
STIRLING	Selina E	19	Genl. Servant	Essex
TESTER	Emma A	23	Genl. Servant	Kent
WAIN	Elizabeth	19	Genl. Servant	Kent
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Copyright - Gavin W Petrie - 2013