Hello. I understand that in December 1844, the Government brig VICTORIA was involved in ferrying unhappy settlers from the New Plymouth settlement to Auckland. I cannot find any reference to this however on the net. Does anyone know whether this is correct?  Or have any information about it? And if it did happen, is there a list of name  of those settlers who travelled to Auckland.  I would like to see if my rellies were among them. Thanks,  Beth

Re moving to Auckland, 1844, an offer by the Governor to provide passages from New Plymouth to elsewhere in the colony of those wanting to move is mentioned in the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle of 12 October 1844 (search Papers Past for “Victoria”). A meeting of tradesman and labourers had been held in the Devon Hotel, New Plymouth on 2 & 3 August about the depressed state of the settlement. From the New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator of 14 August 1844 the settlers were blaming the land commissioner William Spain for not confirming land claims. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ Yours, John Wilson Hello. I understand that in December 1844, the Government brig VICTORIA was involved in ferrying unhappy settlers from the New Plymouth settlement to Auckland. I cannot find any reference to this however on the net. Does anyone know whether this is correct? Or have any information about it? And if it did happen, is there a list of name of those settlers who travelled to Auckland. I would like to see if my rellies were among them. Thanks, Beth

Hi All: Re 1844 New Plymouth, in “The History of Taranaki” by B. Wells (1878) page 115, he quotes from a letter of J. T. Wickstead to Colonel Wakefield dated New Plymouth, November 9th 1844 “His Excellency promised to send a vessel in the course of next month to take about twelve miners with their families to Auckland, whence they might proceed to the Barrier Island, and obtain work in the copper mines. The other labourers and artisans he recommended to remain at New Plymouth, and promised them present employment in some public works at 2s per day for five days in the week. He complained of the number of men he had on his hands at Nelson, Wellington and “this place” in consequence of the Company’s failure .....” Written by the Resident Agent of the New Zealand Company, who were complaining about Land Commisioner William Spain’s investigation of dubious land purchases! His Excellency the Governor (Captain Fitzroy) was considering Spain’s recommendations I think. Yours, John Wilson Subject: [nz] Government brig VICTORIA 1844 Hello. I understand that in December 1844, the Government brig VICTORIA was involved in ferrying unhappy settlers from the New Plymouth settlement to Auckland. I cannot find any reference to this however on the net. Does anyone know whether this is correct? Or have any information about it? And if it did happen, is there a list of name of those settlers who travelled to Auckland. I would like to see if my rellies were among them. Thanks, Beth