Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild

Gala

Departed 19 November 1859, Captain - T Fisher

The Gala, 851 tons register, Captain Fisher, 94 days from the Clyde, arrived this port, with immigrants, on Wednesday evening.

    

(Here follows a detailed account of numbers, ages and occupations of
the passengers)
          
Passenger list 
          
Chief Cabin:
  1 Mr Dowbiggan
  2 Mr Junor
  3 Mr and Mrs McKay
  4 Mr McMaster
  5 Mr Trevor
          
Steerage:

  6 John Adamson, 3 sons and 2 daughters - Edinburgh
  7 Elizabeth Aitcheson
  8 Ann Aitken
  9 Thomas Aitken - Kinross
 10 John Bambery, wife, 3 sons and 3 daughters - North Berwick
 11 Mr and Mrs Borland
 12 John Borland
 13 Robert Boyd, wife and daughter - Galashiels
 14 Hugh, Catherine, Jas, John, Isabella and Eward Cameron - Oban
 15 Peter Cameron - Blairgowrie
 16 Mr and Mrs Campbell
 17 Miss Campbell
 18 Duncan Campbell - Glasgow
 19 Mr W Campbell
 20 Wm Campbell, wife and 4 daughters - Glasgow
 21 James Caydzien
 22 Jessie Caydzien
 23 Wm Christie, wife, 4 sons and 6 daughters - Edinburgh
 24 William Colville, wife, 4 sons and 2 daughters - Arbroath
 25 John Crawford - Greenock
 26 Patrick Crowe
 27 John Cruickshanks - Turiff
 28 John Cunnigham - Armagh
 29 John Currie
 30 Robert Currie - Alexandria
 31 James Cushnie - Aberdeen
 32 James Dallas - Insch
 33 William and Ann Dawson - Woodside
 34 James Diack
 35 William Drysdale, wife, 4 sons and 2 daughters - Glenluce
 36 Mr and Mrs Dunlop
 37 James Dunnett
 38 Ezra Eldred - Essex
 39 Catherine and Margaret Falconer - Caithness
 40 Mary Falconer - Leith
 41 Mr and Mrs Ferguson
 42 Donald Ferguson, wife, 3 sons and daughter - Thornhill
 43 Patrick and Honor Ford - Armaghdown
 44 Robert Frame, wife and son - Kippin
 45 William Frame - Kippin
 46 Roderick Fraser, wife, son and 5 daughters - Strathcannard
 47 Alexander Frood - Whitburn
 48 William Galloway, wife, son, and 5 daughters - Dunoon
 49 John Geddes - Aberdeen
 50 Margaret Greigor
 51 Janet Gilchrist
 52 Mary Glen - Edinburgh
 53 Robert Glen, wife, son and 2 daughters - Currie
 54 W Goodlet - Edinburgh
 55 William Graham
 56 John Gunn - Lairg
 57 Agnes Hamilton
 58 Robert Hendry, wife, 2 sons and 6 daughters - Nairn
 59 John Hislop, wife, son, and 4 daughters
 60 Patrick Hogan
 61 Isabella Hunter or Fyfe, 4 sons and daughter - Alloa
 62 Robert Jenkinson - Edinburgh
 63 Thomas Johnston, wife, son and 2 daughters - Stirling
 64 John Jones,wife and 3 sons - Preston
 65 George Keith - Wick
 66 Duncan Kennedy - Lochcarron
 67 John Lawrence - Cortes
 68 Alex Ledingham - Insch
 69 Mr David Lees
 70 Andrew Liddle, wife, 3 sons and 2 daughters - Pollokshaws
 71 John Lindsay, wife, 4 sons and 3 daughters - Cowdenbeath
 72 Mary McEwan - Thornhill
 73 Charles McGregor (2)
 74 Elizabeth McIntyre - Whitburn
 75 James Mackeddy - Macduff
 76 Wm McKenzie
 77 Mrs McNaughton and 2 daughters
 78 Miss McNichol
 79 John McPherson, wife, 2 sons and daughter - Dunkeld
 80 John McPherson
 81 Robert and Elizabeth McPherson - Blairgowrie
 82 Eliza Machan - Glasgow
 83 Margaret Maltby and child
 84 Donald Manson
 85 Archibald Martin, wife, 3 sons and daughter - Elgin
 86 Henry, Charles and Janet Mason
 87 Margaret and Elizabeth Miller
 88 James Milne - Linhead
 89 Jane Moffat, 2 sons and daughter - Patrick
 90 William Morton, wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters - Edinburgh
 91 Alex Muir
 92 James Muir and wife - Edinburgh
 93 Robert Murray - Glasgow
 94 William Nicol - Ballater
 95 Francis Nicol - Lybster
 96 Roderick Noble, wife and daughter - Strathcannard
 97 John Orr - Whitburn
 98 William Orr, wife and 2 sons - Dalry
 99 James Paterson
100 Wm Patterson - Perth
101 William Petrie - Blairgowrie
102 James Porteous
103 Janet Pozzie
104 James Rattray
105 Geo Reeves, wife, son and 2 daughters - Dawley
106 Wm Reid - Blairgowrie
107 Daniel Robertson, wife and son - Thornhill
108 James Robertson - Edinburgh
109 Jos Robertson - Blairgowrie
110 Meldred Robinson and 2 daughters - London
111 Archibald H Ross, wife, 4  sons and 2 daughters - Sunderland
112 Margaret Shaw , Hay or Young, son (William Hay died on voyage) 
    daughter (Margaret Young Hay) - Rothesay Bute Scotland
113 John Sinclair, wife, son and daughter - Latheron
114 William Smart
115 Georgina Smith - Arbroath
116 Jessie and Elizabeth Smith - Edinburgh
117 Wm Smith - Blackridge
118 Catherine Stevenson - Coldoch
119 Alex Stewart - Glasgow
120 Jane Stewart - Edinburgh
121 Hohn Stewart
122 Charlotte Stobie
123 James Stott, wife, son and 2 daughters - Carroughtree
124 Miss Toby
125 Wm Tough, wife and 3 daughters
126 J Weaver - Colchester
127 James White
128 Walter Wiffen - Colchester
129 Alex Wood, wife, 3 sons and 2 daughters - Elgin
130 John, Margt, Isabella, Geo, Eliza and William Wright - Pluscarden
131 Robert Wright - Pluscarden
132 Andrew Young
133 Janet Young - Tillicountry

Births
          
December  6 1859   Mrs Martin, of a son, premature
December 12 1859   Mrs Johnston, of a daughter
February  5 1860   Mrs Bambery, of a son
          
Deaths
          
December 17 1859   Mr Martin's child, 10 days old
December 18 1859   John Bambery, 17 months 
December 21 1859   Robert G. Coleville, 11 months
December 31 1859   William Hay, 18 months
January  12 1860   Robert Jones, 18 months

Other departure details concerning the Gala from Port Chalmers:

For Singapore (Captain Fisher),  April 14, 1860

From Glasgow (Captain Shaw), November 5, 1864

For  London (Captain Shaw), March 4, 1865 
(this passenger list is also on this web site)

Information obtained from the Otago Witness dated 25 February 1860

The Gala brings neither school master nor clergyman. Weather
permitting, divine service was read every Sunday to the assembled
passengers by the doctor or one of the cabin passengers.

Service consisting of portions of scripture, psalms, singing, and an
appropriate sermon out of some sermon book, and prayer, sometimes
read, sometimes extempore. Worship was conducted in the married
couples compartment by the married men themselves. One of the
passengers conducted a Sabbath School on board, which was well
attended by the children who could read the Bible.

There were several good fiddlers among our passengers who cheered
the evenings a good deal. In moderate weather dancing was carried on
with spirit, promoting hilarity and healthful exercise.

There is at present one very distressing case of sickness of board -
a married man with wife and young family. He has been a very
respectable and amiable person.

The general health of the passenges was good upon the whole. The sea
changes told most severely on infants at the breast or lately
weaned, and next to them, on mothers nursing.

The 5 deaths which occurred were infants or very young children. A
few of the married females were seasick most of the voyage. On
coming into hot weather, bowel complaints became of rather frequent
occurrence, but  the cases were usually subdued at an early stage.
The sudden transition agian to rather cold weather, to the south of
the Sourthern tropic, affected a good many with catarrh and
bronchial ailments, which, however, yielded favourably most to
flannesl and patience.

The general quality of the water and provisions was good and the
surdiest grumblers - and these were but few - improved in condition
remarkably, which establishes that great is the charm of grumbling,
if it compensates for the deficiencies which provoke it.

The increase to our industrial population by this importation is of
a highly superior stamp - a character applying more especially to
the married couples and single men. some of the single females,
coming under the portection of brothers or other real friends, are
worthy specimens of their class. Of the greater number, who are
adventurers, some will be found very useful aids, and the most of
the rest we hope, may be made so by good management.

We learn that Captain Fisher has gained gained the esteem and good
wishes of the passengers generlly for his heatly endeavour to
promote their comfort at sea, and for the very indulgent and
unassuming manner in which he exercised his authority. He is a fine
looking tar, in prime vigour, thoUgh the frosty floss of his curly
locks imparts to him the dignity of a veteran.

This is his first visit here with passengers from the mother
country; but he formed intimate acquaintance with almost every creek
and inlet of our coasts, when the WHALER and MAORI were indiputed
lords of the flood and field. Any "crack" survivors of that
primordial regime who may be within hail, will, no doubt, be yet
able to recognise in him the hearty friend of yore.

Mr Hutcheson, chief officer of the Gala, has also made a favourable
impression on the passengers, by his obliging conduct, a frank
transparent disposition.


The Gala left the Clyde on the 19th November 1859. By a favourable
necessity, owed to a strong south easter, a great stretch of westing
was made at the outset, in consequence of which the coast of
Portugal was made without tacking, in spite of the frequent
southwesters which succeeded the former.

The North East Trades were caught  much further north than usual and
were lost at a corresponding early stage to the the sourth. After
three days calm the Sourth East Trades succeeded.

The cape Verdes were sighted on 9th December and the Equator crossed
on the 18th. On the 20th Fernand de Noronha (off Cape St. Rogue) was
sighted, under the lee of which, and subsequently jambed by the
aheadness of the breezes, but she managed to wedge along without
tacking until the variables and westerlies came to her relief.

The trades through out were light after pressing them, good average
runs were made until gainin the vicinity of the meridian of
Greenwich in Lat. 30 degrees  36 minutes S. where 3 or 4 days were
lost in calm. Splendid runs were then made on the longitude 127
degrees  Latitude 45 S. where a week was spent in calms and head
widnds.

The only heavy weather experienced was at the beginning and the end
of the voyage. On the 20th inst., when about 120 miles to the west
of the Snares off New Zealand a westerly gale and heavy weather
caused the vessel to hove to.

No sun for two days. At 8:00 pm the ship was put on her course under
close-reefed sails. Wind very strong all night. At 8:00 pm on the
21st the ship was again hove to; shortly agerwards she was put on
her course and with a light N.N.W. breeze, she made the Heads in the
morning of the 22nd.

The Gala is an iron Clyde built clipper ship, four years old, now
A.1 for eight years and highly seaworthy. She made some sparkling
runs, passing a number of vessels on the same course, the best run
285 nautical miles, as per log, was made on the 27 January.
    
Formatter's Notes:
Passenger numbers were added by the formatter.


Correspondence December 13, 2001 passenger #86 MASON
Janet Mason married a German immigrant Adam Meder 12 September 1865.  
Operated a Bakery in Owaka.  Had 12 children: Mary Ann Erskine Sinclair; 
Louisa; Elizabeth; Adam Robert Erskine; William; David; Janet; Henry; 
Alice; George Herbert; Andrew; Isabella.  Died in Dunedin 7 July 1934.
Greg


Correspondence May 21, 2008 passenger #65 KEITH
Hi, I have found my ancestor in this passenger list. George Campbell Keith b24 may 1836
Married Elizabeth Millar from the same ship (Gala) b 1841 had 5 children – George Campbell Keith 
b 14 Feb. 1862, James Sutherland Miller Keith b 1893, Elizabeth Keith b 1868, Jessie Dallas
(Janet) Keith b 1873 and Christina Keith b 16 May 1875. The Gala arrived in Port Chalmers, Otago 
23 Feb. 1860 and that’s where they settled. Thanks Debbie Keith

Source: Public information document produced by the Otago Early Settlers Association. The information was originally printed in the Otago Witness dated 25 February 1860.