SILISTRIA

The SILISTRIA departed Glasgow on 30 December 1862 and arrived at Port Chalmers on 19 April, 1863. Captain Alex D Fernie was in command.

Transcribed from the Otago Daily Times, 20 April 1863, Page 4

The gale of the two days having abated, the ships Silistria, Husar, and Planet were towed up this (Sunday) morning. They bring an aggregate, of 622, passengers. About half the number on board the Husar proceeded at once to town. The ship Silistria, as already reported, left the Clyde on the 30th of December, and from Cape Clear has bad a passage of 96 days. At the commencement she experienced strong winds from W.S.W., but subsequently had very light weather all the way to the Cape. Thence she had a great deal of easterly weather, and one heavy gale from the S.E., her furthest southing during the prevalence of this weather being 52 deg. 4sec S., but, though thus far south, no ice was seen. When off the Cape one of the ship's hands, named John Rattray, a native of Aberdeen, was lost overboard, this being the only death among the number of persons on board. Several vessels were spoken by the Silistria, but the Huntress, for Canterbury, was the only one connected with the colony. The Huntress was then — on the 6th of January in 2 deg 1 sec S and 23 deg 47 sec W., and 42 days out. The barque Fairlie, spoken on the same day, was 30 days out from Plymouth, bound to Melbourne. The list of passengers includes about a hundred single females of a class very suitable for the colony. One of the oldest passengers on the list is Mr. Samuel Young, aged 75, one of the few remaining heroes of Waterloo and the Peninsular war; a Presbyterian clergyman, the Rev Mr. Meiklejohn, were passengers in the cabin, and during the passage conducted religious services, assisted in the issue of a weekly magazine published on board, and otherwise interested himself in the welfare of his fellow passengers. Their treatment from Capt. Fernie and his officers, all the passengers speak very highly in addresses presented, and to the ship's papers of clearance Mr. Monson, Immigration Officer, has appended the following note:- "Passengers mustered this. 19th April, all well; the ship in a very cleanly condition, and passengers highly pleased with the treatment on board."

Names of some of the passengers on this voyage of the TILISTRIA gathered from various sources. As there does not appear to be a passenger manifest for this voyage of the SILISTRIA, I am happy to add further names and a source to the list below. Please contact Gavin W Petrie.

SMITH        John - born Scotland – Cyclopedia of NZ (Otago & Southland Provincial District) on NZETC website

PIRIE         George – born Scotland - Cyclopedia of NZ (Wellington Provincial District) on NZETC website

MEIKLEJOHN       Rev. Mr. – see above

YOUNG       Samuel - see above

RATTRAY   John – from Aberdeen – see above

MCLAREN   Daniel – Family History NZ website

PATON       John - Cyclopedia of NZ (Otago & Southland Provincial District) on NZETC website

WADDELL   Alexander – born Scotland - Cyclopedia of NZ (Otago & Southland Provincial District) on NZETC website

MCMINN     Ann – born Scotland and others - Family History NZ website

HUME         Mr. Henry – born Scotland - Cyclopedia of NZ (Wellington Provincial District) on NZETC website

GRANT       Archie – New Zealand List at Rootsweb.com

MOIR        Alexander - NZ Archives Ref Misc 43, Repro 1715, page 15

MOIR        Maggie                               "

MOIR        Jessie                                "

MOIR        Jane                                  "

THORBURN William - Papers Past - https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19150324.2.28

It is believed that the following members of the THORBURN family were also on the Silistria:-

THORBURN Mary (nee WITHER) (1811-1884) (William's mother)

THORBURN Thomas Hunter Blair (1846-1927) (William's brother)

THORBURN John (1838-1879) (William's brother)

THORBURN Helen (Ellen) (1844-1909) (William's sister)

THORBURN Margaret (1836-1922) (William's sister)

Go to TOP