Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild

Ship Wairoa

List or Manifest of all the Passengers taken on board the Ship Wairoa whereof Captain Joss, is master, from London, England and Plymouth, England burthen 1015 tons.

Columns represent: Last Name, First Name, Age, County, Occupation, Status.

SELECTED Single Assisted Passengers October 1877 Voyage
(National Archives 15 July 1877)

Stevens         Joseph     27     Staffordshire      Farm Lab     Single
Stevens         James      20     Staffordshire      Farm Lab     Single
Stevens         Sarah      11     Staffordshire      Child        Child
Stratford       John       24     Kilkenny           Gen Lab      Single
Sullivan        Timothy    20     Cork               Farm Lab     Single
Wood            Edward     34     Gloucestershire    Carpenter    Single
Wood            Henry      35     Middlesex          Carpenter    Single
Bourke          Thomas     21     Kerry              Gen Lab      Single
Connell         William    20     Kerry              Gen Lab      Single
Connell         Honoria    18     Kerry              Child        Single F/M
Doherty         Michael    19     Kerry              Farm Lab     Single
Fitzgerald      David      23     Kerry              Gen Lab      Single
Fitzgerald      Michael    19     Kerry              Gen Lab      Single
Fitzgerald      John       20     Kerry              Gen Lab      Single
Hickey          John M     20     Kerry              Gen Lab      Single
Hickey          John C     21     Kerry              Gen Lab      Single
Hickey          Margaret   20     Kerry                           Single


Please contact me for further information on passengers Bourke and Hickey.
Russell Thorne.

Press clippings of the arrival.

THE WAIROA, FROM LONDON ("New Zealand Mail" 20 Oct 1877)

Captain Joss 1015 tons
Dep London, England 7 July 1877
Arr Plymouth, England 9 July 1877
Dep Plymouth, England 15 July 1877
Arr Wellington, New Zealand 19 Oct 1877

All Wednesday the ship Wairoa was outside the Heads awaiting the flood tide to enable her to beat into port. At 6 o'clock that evening she commenced to work up with a fresh N.W. wind, and an hour afterwards was inside Barratt's Reef, where, however the breeze fell light and it was not till half-past two on Thursday morning that she came to an anchorage in port abreast of Somes Island. The Wairoa , as is already known belongs to this port. She brings 1751/2 statute adult immigrants, and as clean, healthy and desirable a lot of people as ever arrived here. They comprise 22 married couples, 48 single girls, 65 single men, and 43 children. Some of them (about 15) are destined for the Fielding settlement. Dr. A. Hamilton, the surgeon-superintendent, who has previously visited this port in the Collingwood, reports that the health of the passengers throughout the trip was most excellent, and that no serious sickness of any kind was experienced.

Two deaths occurred, viz that of an infant three months' old from marasmas, and a single man named William Muir, aged 22, of consumption. Of amusement there was no lack, for when the ship was fairly at sea, concerts, penny readings, and Christy Minstrel entertainments were held weekly which tended greatly to relieve the monotony of the long sea voyage. Captain Joss and his officers amongst whom we might mention the chief one , Mr Neven, have evidently made themselves very popular with the immigrants during the voyage, a fact which ensued when the passengers were leaving the vessel yesterday. Referring to the Wairoa's passage from London , it may be mentioned that it was fine weather throughout. She never experienced a gale of wind during the whole time, moderate winds with fine weather seemingly having prevailed, which, although it made things pleasant to those travelling in the vessel, must have at least annoyed her worthy skipper, who instead of finding strong winds during certain portions of the trip , met with nothing but light and baffling breezes. Her royals were only furled once from the time she left Ushant till she made Cook Stait. The N.E trades were of a very fickle nature indeed, while the S.E trades although a good wind , did not last sufficiently long to bring the ship within the belt of the westerly winds which in their turn were of no account. Taking everything into consideration the passage of the Wairoa is by no means a bad one. It occupied 92 days from land to land, and 95 from anchorage to anchorage: and her run across the southern ocean was unusually long occupying 35 days. She left London on the 7th July , adjusted her compasses at Greenhithe same day and then proceeded in tow to Plymouth, arriving there on the 9th. Embarked immigrants on the 14th, and proceeded down the Channel at 6pm next day with fresh westerly winds. Took her departure from Ushart at 4pm on the 17th and thence till Madiera was passed on the 26th , had moderate and light N.E and westerly winds, the barometer during the time ranging high. On the 27th what might be called the first of the N.E trades was met with, which proved from first to last to be very light. The southing was made on the meridians of 23 deg to 23 deg W, and the Cape Verde Islands were passed about 90 miles to the westward on the 4th August. The N.E trades were lost in 12 deg, where the wind shifted suddenly int o the S.W, carrying the vessel to 5 deg N and 18 deg W. Thence it worked into the south, and the vessel stood on a S.W course for some time, when the wind gradually hauled into the south-east , which proved to be the trade, and thus the equatorial calm belt was got through without her having any of the calms and baffling airs which are so frequently found in that latitude. The Equator was crossed in 25 deg W 29 days out. The S.E trade proved brisk, and gave out in 20 deg S. and 35 deg W on the 20th , and was followed by light and variable winds , mostly from the northward, until the 26th when the westerlies were found. Tristan d'Acunha was sighted on the 31st August, and the meridian of Greenwich crossed in 41 deg S on the 4th September, and six days afterwards she had passed the Cape. On the 43rd parallel principally she hauled off the balance of the casting, the wind experienced being exceedingly light, accompanied by frqunt and long continuing fogs, in one case lasting for 8 consecutive days, and on two other occasion 5 and 4 days respectively. No ice was met with, and but one easterly wind. The Meridian of the Leuwin was passed on the 1st inst. and Tasmania on the 7th. Land was made in the vicinity of Cape Farewell at noon on the 12th, but owing to a clam-the first experienced during the voyage-Cape Farewell was not passed until noon of the next day. S.E winds and fine weather were found to Stephen Island, where a nor'wester was met with, which ran her down to the Heads, arriving there on the 14th inst. At 7 o'clock next morning took Pilot Holmes on board, but was prevented from beating into port owing to the very heavy N.W winds blowing, and the same night very thick disagreeable weather came on. She went half way across the Strait, and next morning came back to the Heads and waited for the evening's tide, when she commenced to work in arriving here yesterday. The Wairoa comes into port in good order, both above and below. Her immigrants were landed yesterday by the Moa. She has entered at the Customs, and will in all probability be berthed at the wharf today.

Source: New Zealand Mail 20 October 1877- Alexander Turnbull Library,
National Newspaper Collection, Wellington, New Zealand.

ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP Wairoa, FROM LONDON

The New Zealand Shipping Company's fine ship Wairoa, 1015 tons arrived off the Heads early this morning and her numbers were run up very shortly afterwards. She is announced as having left London on the 7th July, and Plymouth on the 15th of the same month, which would give her a passage of 93 days from the latter port. She has a large general cargo , several saloon passengers and a number of Government immigrants. In consequence of the strong N.W. wind today , she had not been able to get into port up to the time we went to press, but will probably beat in this evening. She brings the following passengers in addition to 193 Government immigrants:- Mrs Price, Mr R Hargraves, Mr A C R Drewe and servant , Mr Rowles Patterson, Miss E Spooner, Mr and Mrs J Webber, Mr A Webber, Mr and Mrs Cucksey and daughter, Dr Hamilton.

Source: The Evening Post , Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, NZ.

Immigration Office Wellington 2nd Nov 1877

Sir,
We have the honour to report the arrival on the 18th October of the ship "Wairoa" from Plymouth, with 1741/2 adult immigrants = 200 Souls, there were three births, and two deaths during the voyage, one being that of a young man by name William Muir who died of consumption, the other was a young child.

We boarded the ship soon after her arrival, and were pleased to find everything well arranged, clean and orderly, there being no complaints of any kind, it was arranged to land the people on the day of arrival, which was accordingly carried out, the "Moa" being sent off, by the agents of the ship, for the purpose.

The Surgeon Superintendent Dr. Hamilton has made three voyages with immigrants, he therefore understands the management of them. The surgeon, Captain and officers of the ship appear to have carried out their duties in a very satisfactory manner , the Fire and Boat Drill was carried out according to instructions.

In conclusion we beg to recommend that all gratuities be paid, and that Dr. Hamilton should again be employed if he desires it.

We have the honour to be Sir
Your obedient Servants

Alexander Johnston MD
John Holliday
James B Redward

Source: National Archives Wellington IM 77/1014

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