The Ships Into New Plymouth 1843 1885

The ship AVALANCHE 1,161 tons, owned by Shaw, Savill and Albion Co., Captain W. Bishop, sailed from London 22 Oct 1874 with a total (including crew) of 371 souls, from England (222), Ireland (23), Scotland (5), Channel Islands (2), arriving in New Plymouth 22 Jan 1875 with 260 passengers for that port. After just 12 hours she was cleared and proceeded to Wellington to disembark the other 59 passengers. The 'Herald' said she was the first immigrant ship to call there for twenty years - but not, the Anne Longton (at least) arrived 27 Aug 1860.

• After completing three successful voyages to Wellington she came to grief when starting out again in 1877, bound for Wellington with 60 passengers. She collided in the English Channel with an American ship, and went down in a few minutes, with all the passengers and crew, a total loss of 99 souls "” only three of the crew were saved.

The Arrival Of The Avalanche
The ship 'Avalanche.' Captain Bishop, made the offing early yesterday morning, dropping anchor in the roadstead about 7 o'clock. This is the first immigrant ship that has visited the port for nearly twenty years and the event is one of great importance to the Province. No sooner was the vessel signalled, than active preparations were made for landing the passengers. The Health Officer (Dr O'Carroll)
and Mr Hulke, the Immigration Agent, went on board and having inspected the immigrants, the single women were placed in the boats and brought ashore first, after which the remainder of the passengers were landed as fast as the boats could pass to and from the ship. By the time the first cargo boat reached the shore, a large number of persons had assembled on the beach, which had a lively appearance throughout the day. The passengers together with their luggage were landed carefully and expeditiously and Messrs Boswell & Co deserve every credit for the manner they carried out their work.
The 'Avalanche' was built under the immediate superintendence of Captain Bishop, in the well known yards of Messrs Alexander Hall & Co of Aberdeen. Her length is 215 feet; beam 36 feet, with a depth of hold, 21 feet' nett tonnage, 1.160 tons, but she will carry nearly 2,500 tons, her registered measurement being 1,210 tons. She is an iron ship of the highest class; her lower masts are tubular iron, being made out of boiler plate; her fore and main yards and lower fore and main topsail yards are also iron. She is calculated to carry 350 adult immigrants. She has nine patent ventilators through her decks, besides hatchways and side lights. She is fitted according to 'Lloyd's specification in every respect and has on board a steam winch and steam windlass for weighing the anchors. She was built expressly to the order of Messrs Shaw, Saville & Co, and intended for the New Zealand trade.
The 'Avalanche' was christened by Mrs Bishop, the captain's wife; and the name was suggested by Mr Temple, of the Alpine Club, one of the partners of the firm of Shaw, Saville and Co. She was launched on the 29th August last. Her saloons are admirably fitted; the side cabins are fitted with standing berths, under which are placed drawers for passenger and all the conveniences which tend to mitigate the dreariness of a sea voyage. The walls are lined with polished bird's-eye maple, inlaid with teak; the ceilings are pure white, with gold mouldings. The captain's cabin is very spacious and furnished with polished walnut fittings. The chief saloon has no mast running through it and is very spacious. The side hand-rails are teak (polished), with electro-plated mounts. The partitions, &c., are all polished bird's-eye maple, inlaid with teak. At the entrance is a curved sideboard, of white marble; around which runs a handsome brass railing. A large looking-glass, surmounted by a clock, runs the length of this and forms a handsome ornament to the saloon, which is will lighted by a clerestory skylight, glazed with bent ornamental matted glass. The ceiling is painted pure white and ornamented with gilt mouldings. On each side of the various passages leading to the cabins are small brackets gilt, picked out with blue and vermilion. The seats are provided with reversible backs padded, with velvet covers and carved ends. The general effect on entering the cabin, is that it is very light and cheerful and the fittings resemble those of a yacht, more than of a trader. Evidently, Messrs Shaw, Saville and Co. have an eye to preserving their laurels and prevent them being wrested from them by the New Zealand Shipping Company. Her decks are spacious; there are four deck-houses for the men, besides accommodation for twenty-seven more in the forecastle. Adjoining the deck-houses is a well-arranged galley and cook-house and nect to this the donkey engine, for working the steam winch and windlass. Between decks she has seven feet of head-room and although lumbered with the passengers luggage, &c., appeared very spacious,
The department for the single women is divided off and inaccessible except from the poop, behind the saloon. No intermingling of the passengers has been allowed during the passage. The married people occupied the middle of the 'tween decks; while the single men were forward and, during the passage were not allowed further aft than the mainmast and could communicate with the other ends of the vessel by signal only. In every respect she may be looked upon as a model for emigrant ships. The passengers, nem. com., express themselves very well pleased with the treatment received on board - with the one exception of being on short allowance of food, the scale not being sufficiently large to meet the demands of a healthy appetite.
The 'Avalanche' has on board a silver cup for the Wellington Regatta, presented by Messrs Shaw, Saville & Co. .. much more

PASSENGERS . For NEW PLYMOUTH .
BARGE, Samuel aged 26

BARRETT
John aged 40
Catherine aged 40
Ellen aged 19
Mary aged 16
Susan C aged 14
Elizabeth A aged 13
Alfred John aged 9
James aged 7
Sarah aged 3
Richard aged 4 months

BENNETT
George aged 38
Martha aged 28
Frederick C aged 6
George William aged 5
Alfred C aged 2
Charles J aged 2 months

BELLINGHURST
Henry aged 37
Martha aged 34
William aged ?

BISHOP
William aged 21
George aged 17
Enor aged 14

BOND, Richard aged 21

BOTTIN
Thomas aged 42
Sarah aged 43
Catherine aged 19
Thomas aged 9
Emma aged 7
Peter aged 3

BOURNS, Mary A aged 39

BOX, George Henry aged 20

BULLOCK, Walter aged 20

BURNHAM
Charles aged 30
Mary aged 31
Hannah aged 13
Walter aged 8
Charlotte aged 5
Elizabeth aged 2
Alfred aged 11 months

BUSBY
Jason aged 38
Sophia A aged 38
Louisa aged 17
Joseph aged 14
Matilda aged 11
Emma aged 9
Henry aged 7
Annie aged 11m

COULTER, Edward aged 13

CANTELL, Joseph aged 16

CARVELL, Frederick aged 19

CHRISTIAN
Thomas aged 32
Mary aged 23
Julia aged 4
Alfred George aged 3
Thomas James aged 8 months

CLARK, John aged 23

CLARK
John aged 30
Elizabeth aged 31
CLARK, Henry aged 14

COOMBER, Charles aged 28

COLE, William aged 22

CROOK, William F aged 21

CUMMINGS, Herbert A aged 20

DANEY, Sarah aged 28

DOUCH
George aged 25
Phillis aged 21
Eleanor aged 1

DUFFIELD, Kate aged 18

DUNNE
Francis aged 40 - schoolmaster
Eliza aged 39
Mary J aged 18
Bridget F aged 15
Margaret M aged 16
Arabella aged 14
Patrick Joe aged 12
Edward aged 10
Eliza aged 7
Francis aged 1

DWITNELL, John aged 37

ELLEM, Thomas aged 36

FARLEIGH, Lewis aged 21

FANGE, Henry aged 26

FERNIE
Francis G aged 33
Alexander aged 26
Betsy aged 28 - matron
Wilhelmina aged 9 months

FLOREY
Henry R aged 32
Elizabeth A aged 30
Henry Jno aged 11
F Edwin aged 4 months

FISSINDEN
John aged 25
Ellen aged 19

GILCHRIST, James aged 21

GILES, Thomas John aged 19

HALL
George Henry aged 25
Margaret J aged 21
James M aged 21

HARDING
William aged 27
Maria aged 24

HARRISON, George aged 20

HASKELL, Samuel aged 24

HAYHOW
William aged 27
Eliza aged 26
Eliza C aged 11
Martha aged 4
William G aged 2
Henry aged 1

HODGE, John aged 23

HODGES
James aged 19
Jose aged 24

HODGKIN
Charles aged 29
Caroline aged 30
Minnie J aged 6
Rosa E aged 5 months

HOGAN, Mary aged 19

HOLLIS
Henry aged 34 - constable
Eliza aged 38
George Henry aged 8
Richard aged 5
Mary J aged 3
Hannah aged 2

HOLMES
John aged 22 - constable
Marian aged 22
Emily aged 2
John aged 6 months

HUGHES
Stephen aged 36
Eliza aged 32
Stephen aged 13
Thomas aged 9
John aged 7
William 4
George 2

JEFFERY
Edward aged 33
Louisa aged 34
Jane aged 16
Edward aged 12
Alice aged 10
Sarah aged 8

JOHNSON, Alfred aged 22

JONES, Thomas aged 40

KING
Phillip aged 31
Sarah Ann 30
Emily 9
George aged 7
Alice M aged 6
Rose aged 3

KNOWLER
Henry aged 25
Martha A aged 20
Henry aged 1
Richard aged 2 months

LANKSTEAD, Walter aged 19

LANGRIDGE, John aged 22

LAURENCE
William aged 29
Elizabeth aged 26
Albert E aged 9
William aged 7
Kate aged 5
Walter aged 2
Emma aged 6 months

LEPPER, Charles aged 19

MARIN, Mary J aged 17

MARTIN, John aged 28

MATHEWS
Robert aged 25
Catherine aged 30
George aged 3

MILES
James aged 45
Jane aged 38
James aged 12

MILES
Rhoda aged 17
William aged 15

MILLGATE, Jane aged 46

NEARY
Patrick aged 33
Margaret aged 28
Mary J aged 5

NEILL
James aged 26
Catherine aged 21

PEARSON, Eliza aged 16

PETT, Alfred aged 22

POPE, Annie aged 30

RADDIN/RADDEN, David aged 23

RATTENBURY, Henry aged 35

RAVEN
John aged 40
Carlotte aged 36
Mary A aged 16
Alice aged 15
Peter aged 13
Elizabeth aged 11
Hannah aged 8
Emily aged 6
Henry aged 4
Florence aged 1

REECE, Thomas aged 23

REEVES, Edward aged 21

ROE, Matthew aged 21

SANDS
Thomas aged 23
Caroline aged 26
Sarah A aged 2
Ambrose J aged 8 months

SEAMARK
William aged 39
Margaret aged 15
William aged 13

SIMPSON
Thomas aged 33
Sarah aged 33

SMITH
Sarah aged 23
Raymond aged 30
Sarah A aged 28
Charles aged 5
James aged 3
Emma aged 19 months

STROUD
Henry aged 31
Mary A aged 29
Harry aged 7
John aged 5

SURREY
Issac aged 34
Mary A aged 26
Robert G aged 9
Alfred E aged 8
Percy H aged 6
Louisa A aged 3

SWINERD
Humphery aged 36
Frances aged 32
Humphery aged 13
Charles aged 11
Fanny M aged 10
Arthur aged 9
Martha M aged 6
Ellen L aged 4
Ebenezer aged 21

TAYLOR, Edward aged 19

TAYLOR
William aged 34
Emma aged 35
John aged 9
Walter aged 6
Esther aged 3
Eliza aged 10 month

THORNE, Frederick aged 19

TUCKER
Dennis aged 30
Jane aged 24

WALLIS
James aged 22
Sarah aged 20

WELLER, Alfred William aged 18

WETHERELL, Emily aged 20

WHATSON, Stephen aged 28

WOOD
Joe aged 26
Alice aged 25

PASSENGERS . For WELLINGTON .
ADCOOK
John aged 34
Frances 36

ATKINS
James aged 23
Eliza aged 24

BARTHOLOMEW, Margaret aged 34

BILLINGS
Stephen aged 42
Sarah aged 36

BROPHY
Edward aged 31
Ellen aged 27
Catherine aged 9
Ellen aged 7
Edward aged 5
James aged 3
Mary aged 9 months

COOK
Edward aged 28
Anne aged 25

CRAWFORD, Elizabeth aged 23

DOUCHE, Obadiah aged 26

DUNN, Johanna aged 27

FENNELL, Cathe aged 18

GRAHAM
Donald aged 29
Mary aged 26

HARNEY
Job aged 37
Emma aged 25
Caroline aged 16
Emily aged 9
Annie aged 7
William aged 5
Hilda aged 3
Adeline aged 2

HOUSE
Frank aged 23
Sarah aged 22
Maude aged 2
Caroline aged 2 months

HUGHES
John aged 30
Sarah aged 20

JOINER
Fred G aged 30
Charlotte aged 29
Emma aged 4
Ellen aged 3
Mary J aged 9 months

LEE,
James George aged 25
Elizabeth aged 27

LEWIS
David aged 37
Mary A aged 39

MAHONY, Ellen aged 22

McMILLAN
Henry aged 23
Catherine aged 19

NASH
Patrick aged 20
Mary aged 18
Rose aged 16

NEAL
William aged 29
Fanny aged 24

SEAL
James aged 38
Frances S aged 30
John aged 9
B Ann aged 14 months

STARTUP
George aged 21
Mary aged 19

TAYLOR
Allen aged 26
Emma aged 26

TOWN, Henry aged 20

TURNER
George aged 38
Frances aged 37
Caroline aged 17

VAUGHAN
Jesse aged 21
Frances aged 19
Alfred aged 9 months

WATERS,
Herbert aged 20
Elizabeth aged 19