The Promise of a Promissory Note

Correspondence 83/872 - dated 27.12.83

(Includes 83/498)

As to certain Promissory Notes taken from immigrants by the “Caroline”.

Promissory notes are a legally enforceable form of IOU.  Occasionally promissory notes were taken from emigrants, but this practice was discouraged, largely due to the problem of recovering the amounts promised to the Government once they reached NZ.  In many cases the defaulters could not be found, and “even if they could nothing can be got except judgement for the amount”.

Included in this file was a copy of a memo from 1 December 1879 relating to promissory notes, written by the then Agent General, Julius Vogel.  Vogel had been instructed not to take any promissory notes whatever from emigrants, however he argued that sometime the circumstances warranted it.

Vogel related the following example:

A nominated family by the name of Lenehan (being H Lenehan and six children) arrived at Plymouth for embarkation with barely more than the clothes they were wearing.  Mr Lenehan at first stated he had no money to purchase the items each immigrant was required to have on board, however when called upon to sign a promissory note for the cost of the clothing supplied, Mr Lenehan paid a large portion in cash. 

Another case of promissory notes being issued came up after the arrival of the ship Caroline at Dunedin in May 1883.  Three of the immigrants owed the following amounts for expenses incurred at Glasgow:

Agnes G. Leslie 10/-

Robert C. Kirkwood £2

Ellen Skerritt 15/-

(A total of £3.5/- )

Agnes Leslie was a nurse who was employed as the Matron on board the Wild Deer.  However, after the Wild Deer was wrecked and she returned to Glasgow with the immigrants, Agnes was retained as Matron on the Caroline.  The amount of 10 shillings that she owed was reportedly paid by the Agent in Glasgow, Mr Ottywell, to a washerwoman for washing Miss Leslie’s clothes.  A memo dated July 1883 comments that Agnes Leslie “is now pennyless[sic] & being given to drink is not likely to succeed in the Colony”. 

A note dated 7 January 1884 states that of the £3.5/- shillings that was owed from the three promissory notes, £2.5/- has since been recovered.

It appears that the memo was sadly accurate – Agnes Leslie died in 1888 and was buried in a pauper’s grave at Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=OW18880323.2.24.3&srpos=2&e=--1883---1890--100--1-byDA-on--2agnes+leslie--

Ellen Skerritt (spelt Skerret on in the marriage register) married John Callahan in 1884. They settled in Owaka.

I can’t find any further information on Robert Kirkwood.

Hieatt and Herringshaw

Correspondence 83/831 – dated 12.12.83

(Includes 82/445 and 82/235)

Mr S Herringshaw complains of delay in sending out Hieatt family nominated by him in 1880 & of the extra payments of £12 demanded.

In March of 1880, William Shillingford Tillotson, a farmer from the Waikato region, nominated a family back in Yorkshire, England, and paid the £30.2.6 that was required for the passages of his friends.  The family consisted of:

William Hooper Hieatt – 33

Martha Hieatt – 32

William – 10

Lizzie – 9

Ellen – 8

Martha – 6

Fanny – 4

Herbert (also known as John) – 2

At the time of nomination, the family lived in Kirby Street, The Common, Mexborough, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England.

However, due to economic conditions in New Zealand, the Government suspended nominated immigration in early 1880.  As the economy slowly improved, limited nominated immigration was reintroduced in 1881 and picked up further in spring of 1883.  For more information on the patterns of immigration to New Zealand, you may like to read the following article:

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/files/documents/peopling4.pdf

By July 1882, the Hieatt family had still not arrived in New Zealand, and it had increased by two – Samuel and Charles.

William Tillotson approached his local MP, Major Benjamin Harris about the issue.  Major Harris wrote to the Minister of Immigration on behalf of William Tillotson to enquire as to the status of the Hieatt nomination.  The Immigration department noted that the nomination had been put on hold due to the suspension of immigration.

A replacement nomination, with a new number, was issued by the Immigration department and forwarded to the Agent General in London.  In October 1882, it was realised that the nomination had not been entered in the schedule as there was still £5 more to be paid. 

The further £5 payment was received into the Public Account on 2 February 1883.

Among the memos and notes back and forth between the various Immigration officers, is also mentioned another nominee:

No. 122 – Jane Murdock, age 26, a single servant living at 315 Argyle Street, Glasgow.

Jane was nominated by her father, Robert Murdock, a boarding house keeper from Albert Street, Auckland.

Once the additional payment had been received the nomination was processed and on the 28^th July 1883, the Hieatt family sailed for New Zealand on the Doric.  The ship arrived in New Zealand on the 15^th September 1883.  FamilySearch has the passenger list for this voyage:

http://tinyurl.com/ksmxg5f

In December 1883, once the family had safely arrived, one Samuel Herringshaw contacted Major Benjamin Harris asking for him to contact the Minister of Immigration on his behalf. Samuel wished to complain about 1) the length of time it took from when the family was nominated until they eventually arrived, and 2) the additional payment that was demanded due to the delay and the children getting older, and two other children being born.  Samuel requested a refund of the additional £12 over the initial £30.

A reply was written to Major Harris advising that the amount charged to Samuel Herringshaw for the passages was that stipulated under the Immigration Regulations and that there were no grounds for a refund.  No mention was made of the delay in despatching the family from England.

I was very puzzled as to why this Samuel Herringshaw was complaining about this nomination, when the original nomination was may by William S. Tillotson.  Further digging showed that Samuel was actually Martha's father, and that Samuel himself only arrived in New Zealand about 1880.  It appears that Samuel may have had William make the initial nomination, but that Samuel paid the costs of the passages.

The Hieatt family settled in Swanson, Auckland where they lived for about 17 years before William and Martha moved to Thames.  William and Martha celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1918.

http://tinyurl.com/ou9gddy

Martha died the following year, William stayed living in Thames and in 1926 an article was written about William and two other “old men”.  The article, in the New Zealand Herald, even included a photo:

http://tinyurl.com/py48r9x

William died in 1934.  Both William and Martha are buried at Shortland Cemetery in Thames.

http://tinyurl.com/ly4ukcz

The Unnamed Darbys

Correspondence 84/135 - dated 14.2.84

From Jas. Darby, Kaitangata, Asks if Govt will make any concession on the nomination of his mother, 4 sisters & a brother

In 1883 James Darby was a miner working at Kaitangata when he purchased 3 sections from George Dunn and began building a house.  In early 1884 James decided it was time to apply for his mother, four sisters (aged 16, 14, 12, and 10) and one brother (age 23) to come out to New Zealand.  However when James enquired about bringing his family out, he was told the cost would be £24.17.6.  His mother, a widow was aged 52, and so James was required to pay full passage for her but due to the recent outlay for the land and house he was unable to afford this amount at this time. 

James wrote to the Hon. Mr Rolleston, Minister for Immigration asking if he could please receive special grant for his mother to travel free.

James’ request for free passage for his mother was declined and he was advised to apply for nomination as per the standard process. 

No names were given for James’ mother, sisters or brother.

Send Keatings

Correspondence 83/756 – dated 19^th April 1884

(includes 83/164 and 83/118)

Reporting arrival of Keating family – Mr Clifford who nominated them declines to receive them.  Ask for authority to be allowed to send them to friends in Blenheim.

In early 1883, George H. Clifford, Barrister-at-law from Flaxbourne, Marlborough nominated a family by the name of Keating to come to NZ.

The nominated family was from Tipperary, Ireland and consisted as follows:

Jeremiah Keating (head) – age 40

Bridget – age 35 (wife)

Jeremiah (Jerry) – age 15

Mary – age 14

Honora – age 13

Thomas – age 12

John – age 11

James – age 9

Patrick – age 7

Bridget – age 5

Catherine – age 2

Winifred – 1

James Keating – age 39 (brother to Jeremiah)

The contact details given on the nomination form are c/o Arthur Moore Esq. MP, Mooresfort, Tipperary.  There is no indication of how George Clifford knew the family, however in January 1883 Mr Clifford wrote to Sir Francis Bell, the Agent General in London, while “on board the Melbourne, in the Red Sea”.  George Clifford asked Sir Francis to recall his mentioning the Keating family previously, and proposed that if he (George) can procure nominations for him, he will get the words “send Keatings” inserted into a telegram dispatched to Sir Francis, indicating that the family advised of their acceptance and given the required information for their embarkation to NZ.  Mr Clifford also commented that the food on board was excellent, “having none of the usual characteristics of ship’s food & occasionally displaying real talent on the part of the chef.”

Special exemption was granted by the Minister of Immigration for the payment of passage money to be made in London.  Once back in New Zealand, Mr George Clifford sent a cheque for £64.10 for the Keatings’ passage, to be held by the Immigration Office at Wellington as security until Mr Keating paid the Agent General in London for the passage of his family in June of 1883. 

The nomination for the Keating family was entered on the Wellington schedule No. 326, and they sailed to Wellington on the Westland arriving on 1 November 1883.

The arrival of the Westland, as published in the Evening Post:

http://tinyurl.com/oe6mbr2

Upon the arrival of the Keating family, Mr James Redward of the Immigration Department reported that Mr Clifford, as nominator, had made no arrangements to receive them.  Mr Redward took the family to the Depot and attempted to contact Mr Clifford.  Mr Clifford responded by declining to take any responsibility for the Keatings, that he did not have any work for them, and that they must look after themselves.  This was contrary to the Regulations under which nominations were received.  However Mr Clifford advised that Mr Keating had stated that he had the required capital.  Jeremiah stated that he did not have the funds to support his family without employment.

The family had been in the Depot about six days when they received a letter from a friend in Blenheim, Timothy Ryan, who had organised a cottage for the family.  A telegram from Timothy on the 12^th November confirmed that work was available if the family could get to Blenheim. 

There was passage available for the family on the steamer Waihi, however Jeremiah didn’t have the money, about £10, to pay for the tickets.  Mr Clifford had nominated the family for Wellington, and the Immigration Department’s responsibility ended when the persons were landed at the port for which they were nominated.

After quite a bit of back and forth Levin & Co, Mr George Clifford’s solicitors, paid for the passage on the Waihi which left Wellington on 16^th November 1883. 

In due course, Mr George Clifford applied for, and obtained, the return of the security cheque which he had sent to the Immigration Department.

Jeremiah & family settled in Blenheim most happily.  It appears that Jeremiah and his family got to know James Redward and his wife fairly well during their stay at the Depot – in December of 1883, Jeremiah wrote to Mr Redward stating that he, his brother James, and three of the children had obtained work in Blenheim and that his wife, Bridget, asked to be remembered to both James and Mrs Redward. 

Jeremiah and Bridget had at least one more child here in New Zealand, William who was born in 1884.  Jeremiah died in 1889 at his residence in Redwoodtown.  According to the report on his funeral, the cause of death was consumption (tuberculosis).

http://tinyurl.com/ovvxa64

Bridget died in 1907.

http://tinyurl.com/p3yo579

Jeremiah, Bridget and many of the family are buried in the Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.  

There and Back Again - The Tale of Emma Wilcher

Correspondence 84/350 - dated 27/5/84

As to Emma Wilcher.

For this particular tale, we return to the Oxford.  You may recall that this particular ship suffered an outbreak of typhoid fever which resulted in the passengers being quarantined on Somes Island in Wellington harbour.  For more on the thypoid fever outbreak, see my previous post:  http://treasuresfromthebox.blogspot.co.nz/2013/11/typhoid-fever-on-oxford.html

One of the passengers on the Oxford was single woman by the name of Emma Wilcher.  Emma came out to NZ as a Government Immigrant to work as a domestic servant.  She was not nominated, but received her passage by applying at the Agent General’s Office in London.

Emma’s health was not good and while she had not suffered from typhoid fever as many of her shipmates had, Emma had been ill both during the voyage and while in quarantine.  The doctor who had examined Emma on Somes Island stated that her ailment was one which was likely to recur (the exact ailment is not specified).  The doctor also noted that her manner was peculiar but stated that it was severe enough for her to be judged an “imbecile”.

Emma was discharged from quarantine on late August and obtained her first job on 1^st September 1883.  However, Emma did not last long at the job as her ailment resulted in going back into hospital. 

In November 1883 Emma’s sister, Elizabeth Wilcher of Greenwich, England, wrote a letter to the Immigration Office in Wellington asking for word of her sister as Emma had not written to any of her friends since her arrival and they were becoming concerned for her wellbeing.

On January 9^th 1884, Rev. Rainsford Bavin, the Wesleyan Minister in Wellington wrote to the Colonial Secretary at the behest of the Wellington Benevolent Society imploring that the Government consider sending Emma back to her family in England. 

Emma, aged 31 (though according to Rev. Bavin she looked much older) was “obviously unfit, both bodily, and mentally to take care of herself, much less to be of any use to others”.  He expressed his surprise that Emma was even accepted as a Government Immigrant.

The Rev. advises that over the intervening months Emma had been placed with four families within 3 months but that all had found her incapable of the simplest duties, and “though they agree she is a respectable and well-meaning girl as to her character, they all testify as to her incompetency amounting almost to imbecility.”

The decision was made to return Emma to her family in England.  Emma was put aboard the S.S. Doric for the voyage and her sister Elizabeth was contacted to advise her that Emma was on her way back.  On instructions from the Agent General, a Mr Bennett met the Doric, picked up Emma and her luggage and took her to her family’s address at No. 6 Conduit Vale, Hyde Vale, Greenwich.  Mr Bennett reported that he gave Emma to her father, a working gardener, but that “neither the father or brother appeared to care very much to welcome her return.”

Emma appears to have died in early 1898 with her death being registered in the Maidstone district of Kent.

The Short Tale of Minnie Hills

Correspondence 83/854 - dated 20-12-83

Auckland nom 389 Minnie Hills cancelled.  Nominee paid her own passage to the Colony. 

Minnie Hills was a 30 year old widow nominated in February 1883 to come to NZ by Hubert William Tarplee (Nom 389).  Minnie’s occupation was given as housekeeper.

In July 1883 Minnie was living in Auckland.  She applied to the Agent General in London for a refund of the £1 paid for her passage.  Minnie stated that she had paid her own passage on the Ionic.  The Agent General contacted the New Zealand Shipping Company, and found “that a young woman named Mary Hills of Norwich went in the Ionic, as a paying passenger, in that steamer’s first voyage to the Colony; this person is probably identical with Minnie Hills, as the address given in the nomination is Norwich.”

The Agent General cancelled the nomination which had not been used, and recommended the Minister of Immigration approve the refund.

I haven’t been able to establish what happened to Minnie after her arrival in NZ or what her connection to Hubert Tarplee might have been.  

A Scottish Rose

Correspondence 84/632 – dated 24/10/84 

As to passage being provided for John Rose & family nominated by John Nicholl of Waikanae.

Due to an approaching economic recession in the late 1870s, the number of assisted immigrants was reduced and in 1880 was completely suspended.  Assisted immigration was restarted in 1882 but then stopped again in 1884.

The book, “The Origins of New Zealand Diplomacy: The Agent-General in London, 1870-1905” by R. M. Dalziel has a lot of very interesting information on NZ immigration over this period.

http://tinyurl.com/og5nl6t

In October 1883 John Nicoll of Waikanae nominated his nephew, John Rose, and his family to come to NZ from Scotland, and their passages were duly paid (Nom. 586).

When immigration largely stopped in 1884, the Agent-General sent John Rose a letter advising that he could not send the Rose family out.  However, the policy was actually that where the money for passage had already been paid, the migrants would be sent to NZ.

In October 1884, James Wilson wrote to the Minister, querying the situation of the Rose family given the money for their passage had already been paid.  The Minister of Immigration, John Ballance, confirmed that on 1^st October a telegram had been sent to the Agent-General instructing him to provide passage to NZ for all nominees for whom money had been paid in NZ, including the Rose family. 

The Rose family consisted of John Rose, a printer, aged 31 from Forfarshire, his wife Elizabeth and their children John (4), George (2) and Alice (7 mths).   They sailed from England on the Ionic in December 1884 and arrived in Wellington in 1885.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FSTR-G29

After settling in NZ, John & Elizabeth had four more children – Bessie, Florence, Charles and Douglas.  John & Elizabeth lived in Washington Ave, Brooklyn until their deaths – John died in 1929 and Elizabeth in 1945.  They are buried together at Karori Cemetery, along with daughter Alice and son John.