A bit more about the demise of the Fernglen in 1881. 14 Nov 1881 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 115, 14 November 1881, Page 2 THE WRECK OF THE FERNGLEN. NARROW ESCAPE OF THE CREW. [By Telegraph.] [From our own correspondent. ]Auckland, This Day. Following are the particulars of the wreck of the ship Fernglen from Wellington, as gathered From a despatch dated Astoria, Oregon, 13th October : — The British iron ship Fernglen, Captain Bubb, from Wellington, New Zealand, went ashore on Clatstop Spit on Sunday morning at 4 o'clock. There was no pilot on board. The weather was calm and the prospects good for driving the ship over the Spit in the channel. The captain declined to abandon the ship. Yesterday a heavy south-east gale drove the vessel further up, and the captain set the signal of distress, which was seen by the steamer General Canby on her way to Astoria. A later despatch says : — The General Canby has just returned with the news that the Fernglen is on her beam ends. The spars are gone and the Crew are clinging to her sides. The steamer is now leaving with another life-boat and volunteers, who will take off the crew if possible. Captain HARRIS made two unsuccessful attempts to-day to reach her. The wind has moderated and the sea is going down. There is some hope, therefore, that another attempt will be successful. Another telegram, dated 3 pm. the same day, say:— The tug Columbia jnst arrived here with Captain BUBB and the entire crew saved from the wreck. The ship has gone to pieces. The Oregonian's Astoria special gives the following statement of Captain BUBB : — " We left Wellington on 22nd August, made Hancock light at 2 a.m. on Sunday, 16th October, and arrived off Columbia River bar at 4 a.m. I was puzzled with the lights. I know nothing of a light being on Tilimook rock, or the change of light at Point Adams. I saw a red light where I expected to find a red and white flash. I took bearings of the lights to windward, and wore ship to stand off for daylight, believing that I was in a good position for making the bar and picking up a pilot. After wearing, which was about 6 a.m., l found the ship striking, with a very strong tide, which I was not aware of, setting her right in. I set all canvas to lay her over and force her over the ground, but found that the strong tide and set of the sea were still driving her over ground against the sails. The wind was then South-east. The ship lay easy and made no water. On Monday, at 5 a.m., finding the ship gradually working astern, and still making little or no water, I got steam up, and commenced heaving the ballast overboard. We kept at it till 4 p.m,, when I found that the ship had commenced leaking, and came to the conclusion that she was not likely to come off. I got tackles on the life-boats, and saw everything was ready to leave the ship, if necessary. At 7 p.m. I found the ship leaking badly, and striking much more heavily, and the wind increasing fast. I let go both anchors, as I thought she might come off into deep water, and could see no chance of saving the ship. On Tuesday morning, the ship having struck very heavily all night, the wind and sea rising and the ship making water very fast, I prepared to leave the vessel. I got the starboard life-boat out, but found the sea too heavy, and could do nothing with her ; she washed aboard and stove in. At 9 a.m. the ship began to heel over, and in half an hour her ballast shifted, and her masts were in the water. All the hands were compelled to get on to the ship's side and cling. I saw a life-boat making every effort to get to us, but the wind and tide prevented it. At 10 a.m. the vessel began to break amidships, and everything was washed out of the ship. All the yards were gone, and the ship was lying with her masts in water. At noon there was no sign of the lifeboat, and we were expecting the ship to go to pieces every minute. She being already in two pieces, and her stern settling down fast, as a last resource for saving our lives, we, with great difficulty, launched the only boat we had, and left. In launching she had two holes stove in her bottom. After twenty minutes' hard struggle we managed to get her clear of the wreck, and pulled for the shore with the whole of the ship's crew in the boat. We had but two oars, and it kept four men busy baling the boat sufficiently to keep her afloat. After getting over the reef we were picked up by the tug Columbia and arrived at Astoria about 3.30 p.m. The crew, 20 in number, sayed nothing. The vessel now lies southwest of Fort Stephen's, and is fast breaking up. She was owned by Perrot and Co., of Sunderland. peter -----Original Message----- From: Peter Dillon Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2017 7:39 PM To: [email protected] ; [email protected] Subject: Re: [nz] Query re newspaper shipping report 1879 Crikey. I haven't see that article before. My great grandmother Annie MAHONY and her sisters Elizabeth and Ellen from Tipperary were on board the Fernglen. They got off at Nelson and travelled immediately to Reefton. The Fernglen continued to the North Island. At Reefton as they arrived in the main drag they saw a solitary mourner on foot following a dray with a coffin heading for the cemetery. Annie married the mourner in 1886. He was Sam FURNESS a gold miner from Westmorland county in England. The man in the coffin was his brother George, also a gold miner, who had taken his own life on New Year's eve. An inquest was carried out before he could be buried. Sam lied abut his age when they married, said he was 42. He was actually 50 by then, twice Annie's age. It didnd't stop him from making up for lost time though, as he fathered nine children before he fell of the twig at 66. Elizabeth MAHONY married ,in 1880 at Reefton, Stewart MONTEITH of Monteiths' brewing fame whose operation was at Reefton. Stewart was buried at Reefton in 1921. Most of their family went to New South Wales afterwards including Elizabeth. Their daughter Tillie became a solicitor which was unusual back then (Matilda Jane MONTEITH). http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ Grey River Argus, 15 June 1907, Page 2 PERSONAL ITEMS. The Wellington Post of Monday has the following about a talented young Reefton lady:— "Miss Matilda MONTEITH appeared as a solicitor at the civil sittings of the Magistrate's Court this morning, and had the unique experience of being the first lady to take a seat at the Bar in the Lower Court in Wellington. Miss MONTEITH, in asking for an adjournment of a case on behalf of Messrs Lewey and Mackenzie, was congratulated by Dr. McArthur, S.M., on her first appearance at the Bar. His Worship said they hoped they would see Miss MONTEITH frequently. Miss MONTEITH was admitted as a solicitor at Hokitika. Ellen MAHONY married Mattie LOUBERE. Some info: 02 Jan 1879 Sisters Annie MAHONY [1886=Samuel FURNESS], Elizabeth MAHONY [1880=Stewart MONTEITH] and Ellen MAHONY [1885=Matthew LOUBERE], arrive at Nelson on the ‘FERNGLEN’. A younger sister is supposed to have emigrated to America (husband Jonas?). According to the ‘Fernglen papers’[ National Archives 1M 5/4/31-32 no.370 ] the FERNGLEN left Plymouth England 12/10/1878 and arrived Nelson 02/01/1879. The ‘FERNGLEN’ was sent on to Wellington/Wanganui as there was little demand for labourers on the West Coast of the Middle Island except for those who had friends to receive them. The original number bound for Westland was 124 but only 38 arrived at Westland. Health good, no sickness worth mentioning. Conduct good especially single girls. Average school attendance 30. Further papers [ National Archives Wellington IM 15/335 - IM 5/4/31, no370 ] - The contract per statute adult was £14-7-6. There were 143 passengers - 64 adult males, 48 adult females, 14 boys, 12 girls, 4 male infants & 1 female infant. The passengers included Eliza MAHONY (21), Anne [sic]MAHONY (17) & Ellen MAHONY (16), all ‘General Servants’ from Co. Tipperary. Remarks : “Greymouth 546” (???). http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 309, 2 January 1879, Page 3 ARRIVAL OF THE FERNGLEN. "The New Zealand Shipping Co.'s chartered ship FERNGLEN, Captain FRASER, arrived off Nelson this morning with 250 Government immigrants for Nelson and the West Coast. She left Plymouth on 12th October, and has, therefore, made a quick run of 82 days. Definite information having been received by the Government that there was no demand for the immigrants at Nelson or the West Coast, instructions were telegraphed this afternoon from the Immigration Office for the ship not to stop at Nelson, but to come on immediately to Wellington. The 140 immigrants who were bound for the West Coast of the South Island will be forwarded Instead to Wanganui and the remainder will easily be absorbed by Wellington. We understand that all is well on board. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 311, 4 January 1879, Page 2 The ship FERNGLEN which arrived at Nelson from Plymouth, with immigrants, on Thursday morning, and was ordered to proceed to Wellington, left at 10 p.m. same day. As the wind has not been favorable for her, it will probably be to-morrow before she makes our harbor. White Wings Illustrations appearing in 'White Wings Fifty Years of Sail in the New Zealand Trade, 1850-1900' Vol. 1 by Henry Brett. Auckland: The Brett Printing Company, Limited, Publishers, Shortland Street, 1924. Reprint by Caper Press Christchurch, NZ from the copy in the University of Christchurch Library 1976. ...Fernglen in port p.283 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 362, 7 March 1879, Page 1 THE NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY'S LINE Head Office: Christchurch, N.Z. London Branch: 84 Bishops-gate-street Within.WOOL SEASON, 1878-9. FOURTH WOOL SHIP FOR LONDON DIRECT, SAILING ON OR ABOUT THE 15th MARCH. The splendid iron clipper ship FERNGLEN, 100 Al, 818 tons register, Wa???r Frazer, Commander. This magnificent vessel, built specially for the Now Zealand passenger trade, has a splendid saloon, and her state cabins are superbly fitted and provided with every requisite for the comfort of passengers. A limited number of second and third-class passengers will be taken, who will have superior accommodation provided for them. The dietary scale is most liberal. Rates of freight on dumped wool — greasy, 5/8d per lb; washed, 3/4d per lb; and 1/4d extra for undumped. For freight or passage, apply at the office of the Company, Custom House Quay. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 372, 19 March 1879, Page 2 BY TELEGRAPH. Napier, 18th March. The ship Fernglen, for London, left our harbor shortly before eight o'clock this morning, With a strong N.W. wind. She was in good trim, and, no doubt, will make a quick run home. Peter +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2017 4:33 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [nz] Query re newspaper shipping report 1879 Greetings all, I have just read a newpaper report in the Evening Post, dated 10 January 1879 re the immigrants who arrived aboard the Fernglen. The article starts with, “It appears to us,” and then goes on to be very offensive re the people aboard the Fernglen. I.E. ...,but many of the passengers, both male and female, are stunted in figure and weak in physique, and not over-cleanly in their personal appearance. Some even had a look of squalor, while in general they presented stolidity of appearance and a singular lack of intelligence in their faces, as if they had come from the most ignorant and half-starved quarters of the United Kingdom. We do not want the dregs ...” and so it goes on. The article is not signed and I wonder who the “us” could be? My son-in-law had family aboard this ship so I feel obligated to try to find out more about the article. I have never come across anything quite like this before so any advice would be most gratefully received. Marlene