NZ History - the William Bryan and the first settlers in New Plymouth

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The William Bryan, a barque, left the English port of Plymouth on the 19th of November, 1840, with about 148 passengers (70 of those being children). It was the first of six ships carrying (mainly sponsored) settlers to a new planned settlement organised by the Plymouth Company (its parent being the New Zealand Company). It arrived in New Zealand's Port Underwood (Marlborough) on the 20th of March, 1841, and anchored there for a week before sailing out again on the 28th and heading for their new home in the newly-minted settlement of New Plymouth (the trip took two days). The passengers, all feeling a little overwhelmed with not only the long journey but the new challenges - including lack of the facilities they were promised - which they suddenly realised they were facing, were disembarked at Moturoa Beach.

"The William Bryan arrived in New Plymouth on March 31, 1841, the first of six settler ships to dock in Taranaki over two years. This image is of an untitled painting by Edwin Harris which is part of the Puke Ariki collection."
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They were lucky in that the weather was kind to them early on because they had to sleep in tents and hastily-constructed shelters as there was no prior construction waiting for them. It was especially distressing for the numerous women, who had to contend with a distinct lack of privacy. The settlers also had to become accustomed to new (and unwelcome) experiences such as earthquakes, as they were now living in a geologically challenging place which included the volcanic Mount Egmont (Mt. Taranaki) nearby (see notes below).

"Ngamotu Beach in 1841, by Joseph Jenner Merrett, which was in the folder of sketches belonging to Ern(e)st Dieffenbach (1811-1855)."
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As winter set in, surveyors found it became increasingly difficult to carve order out of the untamed bush which surrounded the struggling settlers, so progress was slow.

The first six suburban sections were available to settlers on October 6, while the town sections were not to be available until November 15.
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Unfortunately they had other major problems, too.

Rumours had been circulating among coastal traders about the dangerous coast along New Plymouth, so ships had been avoiding the little settlement.
Other rumours about the destitution of New Plymouth were reaching the ears of intending settlers and many went instead to Port Nicholson. As a result, while Wellington had unemployment, New Plymouth simply did not have enough employers, leaving hundreds of labourers who had been promised work before leaving England unemployed.
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The chosen site for the town had a distinct disadvantage in not being positioned near a good harbour where ships could easily visit, but planners were determined to push ahead with its development. In the end it wouldn't be until the 1880s that a breakwater was finally constructed and ships could begin to use the harbour safely and effectively. The town was finally able to flourish (and now, of course, it is a city).

An 1842 plan of New Plymouth.

"by Frederic Carrington (1808?–1901) London: Smith, Elder, 1842 MapColl 832.295a/1842/1928"
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The local Maori, who had been helpful and accomodating to the new settlers - they'd even begun growing food such as potatoes in anticipation of the newcomers' needs, and the settlers would not have survived so well without their help during that early time - soon began to feel (rightfully) disgruntled with the high-handed manner in which officials and representatives imposed their English structure and law onto them, especially in regards to the land. The natives had no concept of land 'ownership' and separatism; they were a communal society, and had their own system of dealing with issues. The settlers began to have problems with some of the Maori, who had started to show their resistance to what was happening to them. Problems would continue to escalate until the eruption into what is now known as the Taranaki Wars of the early 1860s.

Here is a transcription of a letter written and sent home via ship by one of the settlers to family back in England. Reading it gives one a sense of what life was like:

10 February 1842
To Mr Samuel Crocker, Revelstoke, Devonshire, from his daughter-in-law.

Dear Father,
We have sent these letters home by Captain Liardet, the Governor of New Plymouth. Captain Liardet and his mate, and one of the Cawsand men, were clearing out one of the great guns and the gun went off, and the sand and powder flew up in their faces and eyes. Captain Liardet has lost one eye, and is very likely to lose the other; he is going home to England; everyone is sorry for him, he is such a good man.

I should be very glad to hear that Captain Kingcombe had taken his place to come here to New Zealand. The governor will give you the true account of the place.

As to saying that there is no harbour here for ships to lie in a storm, they can make a very fine harbour, but they must send home to England first about it. There is a fine harbour down to the Waitara, fourteen miles from here.

They have grown fine wheat and barley here, the finest that you ever saw, very fine; and new potatoes and turnips on Christmas day for dinner.

Dear father, when we get together Jane is sure to say, "Now John, if poor father was but here, and Samuel, how happy we should be" and John's answer is, "I wish he was my dear, he would be quite happy here, to see our gardens and land and to walk over them."

Henry and Charles go to school. Henry is just learning to write, the schoolmaster is just newly set up; it is 6d a week for Charles, and 9d a week for Henry; he has been writing for some weeks.

Dear father, please to bring me and Jane out a barrel of pilchards each; please to buy a gardening hook too. There are plenty of mackerel here but no nets to catch them, and there are pilchards; please to bring one good pilchard net.

I must beg of you once more to bring dear Samuel with you. I have sent him a letter; when I wrote yours I did not think I should have time to write him one, as there was a ship in sight, but it was not coming here. It is a great thoroughfare here for ships, they are often in sight.

Dear father, on Christmas Day six of us went up to the Moturoa Chapel to hear Mr.Creed, and the chapel was quite full of poor missionaries. When we came home we had cold fig pudding, and cold leg of pork, dressed the day before; ten of us sat down to dinner. In the afternoon, we went to see the land and in the evening we went to chapel.

The sand has been tried and it is more than half iron: and in the interior about a mile from ours there is stone with lead in it all over the place. I wish it had been in ours to have had a mine. It is a valuable country.
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The letter's author, Jane Crocker (nee Kingcombe)

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Extracts from this book put out in 1841 by the New Zealand Company, give us some interesting information.

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APPENDIX (No. II.) REGULATIONS FOR LABOURERS WISHING TO EMIGRATE TO NEW-ZEALAND.

(2) The Company offers a free passage, (including provisions and medical attendance, during the voyage), to persons of the following description:-- Agricultural Labourers, Shepherds, Miners, Bakers, Blacksmiths, Braziers and Tinmen, Smiths, Shipwrights, Boat-builders, Wheelwrights, Sawyers, Cabinet-makers, Carpenters, Coopers, Curriers, Farriers, Millwrights, Harness-makers, Boot and Shoe-makers, Tailors, Tanners, Brick-makers, Lime-burners, and all persons engaged in the erection of buildings.

You'll see from the passenger list (notes, below) the kinds of occupations the settlers from the William Bryan had.

(4) They must be actual labourers, going out to work for wages in the Colony, of sound mind and body, not less than fifteen nor more than forty years of age, and married. The marriage certificate must be produced.

A number of the passengers (both single and married) fibbed about their ages in order to secure their passage.

The honour of being the first European baby born in New Plymouth belonged to Elizabeth Catherine Climo, as her mother Jane (nee Phillips) became pregnant during the voyage and gave birth to her on the 5th of November, 1841.

Elizabeth as a young woman.
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Elizabeth's father was James Booking Climo, and he and Jane had married only a few weeks before they set sail for this new land.

Surviving the harsh and difficult conditions these settlers found themselves in highlights (what would become) the great kiwi 'can-do' pioneering spirit. Some of the William Bryan's passengers were my own ancestors, and perhaps my fellow kiwis may find their own brave forefathers (and mothers) in the passenger list below, and feel a sense of pride in being descended from such New Zealand pioneers.

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Notes:
Many of the new settlers came from Cornwall and Devonshire, hoping for a better life.

Apparently,

The Plymouth Company had a policy of recruiting immigrants from a small number of villages so that 'instead of being torn from their friends and relations they will find, instead of regret at leaving their native village, the pleasure of improving their circumstances among their own village friends and relations'.
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Passenger list (known):
Cabin and Intermediate Passengers
Aubrey, Alexander esq. (age 18)
Aubrey, Frederick William esq. (age 19)
Chillman, Richard (age 24; agent)
Chillman, Agnes (age 26)
Cutfield, George esq. (age 40)
King, Thomas (age 20; agent)
Weekes, Henry (age 25; surgeon)

Steerage Passengers
Baily, Enoch (age 38; carpenter)
Bray, Thomas (age 31; agricultural labourer)
Bray, Sarah (age 32)
Bray, William (aged under 14)
Bray, George (aged under 14)
Bray, Mary (aged under 14)
Bray, James (aged under 7)
Brown, Mary (aged 18)
Climo, James (aged 20)
Climo, Jane (aged 19)
Cowling, William (aged 28; quarryman)
Crocker, John (aged 35; shipwright)
Crocker, Jane (aged 35)
Crocker, Jane (aged under 14)
Crocker, Mary (aged under 7)
Crocker, Emily (aged 10 months)
Curtis, Samuel (aged 26; mason)
Curtis, (Mrs)
Dawe, Arthur (aged 45; agricultural labourer)
Edgecumbe, William (aged 29; labourer)
Edgecumbe, Mary (aged 37)
Edgecumbe, Mary (aged under 14)
Edgecumbe, William (aged under 7)
Edgecumbe, Alfred (aged 7 months)
Faull, Richard (aged 35, miner)
Faull, Elizabeth (aged 34)
Faull, Henry
Faull, Mary (aged under 14)
Faull, Catherine (aged under 7)
Faull, Richard (aged under 7)
Faull, [girl]
French, John (aged 28; agricultural labourer)
French, Ann
French, Mary Ann
Gilbert, Henry (aged 29)
Harper, Henry (aged 27; miner)
Harper, Harriet (aged 24)
Harper, William (aged under 7)
Harper, Charlotte (aged under 7)
Harper, Mary Ann (aged 11 months)
Harris, Edwin (aged 32; painter)
Harris, Sarah (aged 30)
Harris, Charles (aged under 7)
Harris, Emily (aged under 7)
Harris, Frances (aged 10 months)
Harrison, Valentine (aged 40; carpenter)
Harrison, Jane (aged 35)
Harrison, Thomas (aged 19)
Harrison, Alfred (aged 3)
Harrison, George (aged 9 months)
Henwood, William (aged 21; millwright & smith)
Hicks, John (aged 22; mason)
Hoskin, Peter (aged 27; sawyer)
Inch, Paul (aged 31; shoemaker)
Inch, Tabitha (aged 33)
Inch, Phillippa (aged under 14)
Inch, Louisa (aged under 14)
James, John (aged 27; blacksmith)
Jury, Jessie (aged 37; sawyer)
Jury, Elizabeth (aged 32)
Jury, John (aged under 15)
Jury, Richard (aged under 14)
Jury, Thomas (aged under 7)
Jury, James (aged under 7)
Jury, Elizabeth (aged under 7)
Jury, Justin Henry (aged 10 months)
Lye, John (aged 40)
Lye, Grace (aged 38)
Lye, Ann (aged 19)
Lye, Mary (aged 17)
Lye, William (aged 16)
Lye, Edward (aged under 14)
Lye, John (aged under 14)
Lye, Elizabeth (aged under 14)
Lye, Agnes (aged under 14)
Marshall, William (aged 37; agricultural labourer)
Marshall, Mary Ann (aged 36)
Marshall, Mary (aged 18)
Marshall, William (aged under 7)
Marshall, Samuel (aged under 7)
Marshall, Edward (aged 8 months)
Medland, Edwin (aged 24; plumber)
Nairne, John (aged 43; gardener)
Nairne, Elizabeth (aged 44)
Nairne, Elizabeth (aged 21)
Nairne, Francis Edward (aged 21)
Nairne, Henry (aged under 14)
Nairne, John (aged under 14)
Pearn, Jonathan (aged 34; carpenter)
Pearn, Elizabeth (36)
Pearn, Edwin (aged under 14)
Pearn, William (aged under 7)
Pearn, Rosanna (aged under 7)
Pearn, Lavinia (aged 4 months)
Pepperell, Nicholas (aged 41; agricultural labourer)
Pepperell, Sophia
Pepperell, John (aged 17; agricultural labourer)
Pepperell, Samuel (aged under 15)
Pepperell, Emily (aged under 14)
Pepperell, Robert (aged under 7)
Pepperell, Nicholas (aged under 7)
Pepperell, James (aged 1 month)
Phillips, Ann (aged 36; widow)
Phillips, John (aged 8)
Phillips, Mary (aged 7)
Phillips, Emma (aged 6)
Phillips, Ann (aged 17)
Phillips, Richard (aged 15; agricultural labourer)
Putt, Richard (aged 47; agricultural labourer)
Putt, Elizabeth (aged 49)
Putt, Ann (aged 23; straw plaiter)
Putt, Catherine (aged 20)
Putt, John (aged 17; agricultural labourer)
Putt, [Boy] (aged under 15)
Putt, Elizabeth (aged under 14)
Reed, Nathaniel (aged 28; agricultural labourer)
Revell, Samuel (aged 45; agricultural labourer)
Revell, Elizabeth (aged 32)
Revell, Mary Ann (aged 21)
Revell, Charles (aged under 14)
Revell, William (aged under 14)
Revell, [Girl] (aged under 14)
Revell, Henry (aged under 7)
Revell, James (aged 10 months)
Rowe, Richard (aged 27; agricultural labourer)
Sarten, Edmund (aged 21; wheelwright)
Sarten, Lucy (aged 21)
Sarten, John (aged under 7)
Sarten, Levi (aged 3 months)
Shaw, James (aged 21; carpenter)
Tucker, Edward (aged 50; agricultural labourer)
Tucker, Jane (aged 47)
Tucker, Edward (aged 17; agricultural labourer)
Tucker, John (aged 12)
Tucker, Eliza (aged 9)
Tucker, Richard (aged 7)
Tucker, George (aged 5)
Tucker, Jane (aged 5)
Tucker, William (aged 2)

The other five settler ships were the:
Amelia Thompson - arrived September 1841
Oriental - arrived 7 November 1841
Timandra - arrived 23 Feb 1842
Blenheim - arrived 10 Nov 1842
Essex - arrived 25 Jan 1843
The Regina was to bring excess cargo the Amelia Thompson could not fit in her own hold, but was completely wrecked in bad weather during the 4th of November, 1841. Luckily there was no loss of life, and the precious cargo was all retrieved - supplies the settlers desperately needed.

A map showing volcanic activity, with arrow highlighting New Plymouth in relation.

"This map shows the volcanic vents that have erupted in New Zealand since about 1300 and were likely to have been witnessed by people, as well as the Taupō volcano, which erupted about 200 AD. Eruptions occurred only in the North Island – there have been none in the South Island."
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Bibliography:

http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Bre02Whit-t1-body-d1-d3-d2.html

https://www.geni.com/projects/New-Zealand-Settler-Ships-William-Bryan-1841/12857

https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/77417673/recognising-new-plymouths-history-key-to-building-identity

http://www.nzjh.auckland.ac.nz/docs/1991/NZJH_25_2_04.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Company

http://www.genealogynp.com/ship1.html

http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_Plymouth

http://www.enzb.auckland.ac.nz/document/?wid=4719

http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Bre02Whit-t1-body-d1-d3.html

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(extra tags: #life #education #minnowsupport #geopolis)