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Edwin Fox Ship: 836 tons Captain: John S Davies Surgeon Superintendent: Dr Tighe Sailed London December 23rd 1874 - arrived Wellington April 18th 1875
The Edwin Fox was a full-rigged ship of 836 tons, built to the order of the famous East India Company. In 1878 her rig was changed to a barque. About the year 1873 she was brought by the Shaw, Savill Company, and in that year she made her first tri to New Zealand, Lyttleton being her port of call. In 1874 the Edwin Fox sailed from London on December 23, and arrived at Wellington on April 18, 1875, bringing 259 immigrants. She originally left London on November 24, but during a gale at Deal lost her anchor and put back. The vessel was then in command of Captain Walpole. On resuming her voyage again she ran into and sank a collier schooner, the Edwin Fox drifting on to the rocks at Deal. She was towed off and docked, and finally left on December 23, in command of Captain Davis. White Wings - Sir Henry Brett
This list is mainly heads of families, single men & single women. No other information is available in public records that we know of. Our thanks to those who have provided their family information and, as such, have helped us enhance this list.
Name Age County Occupation Families & Children
Anderson James Bale Philip Booth William Boulden George Bowden Charles Bradshaw Henry Brosnan Thomas Cameron James Mrs James 21 months Died on board 20/02/1875 Pythisis Abominales Male infant Born on board Carter Frederick Cheesman Henry Claridge William Close Stephen Collins Michael Cook Walter Crowther Dixon Dobbie Thomas Doddy Jeremiah Dooley Francis Downey F Feahen John Gardener Charles Gash George Gavey James 35 Guernsey Susan Elizabeth 32 Ada Agnes (Aggie) Albert 10 James 5 Alice 2 Greenhill Frederick Hall Alfred Harrison William Haskell George Ingram Jasper Virtue Ann Leah Mabel Frances Elizabeth Jessie Mary Nellyn Victor Emmanuel Wilfred Beach Irwin James Albert Jackson James Kearney James Thomas Keegan Patrick 36 Cork Master Baker Ann Kelbow James Kendall George William Kershaw William
Colonial Nominated Mrs 3 children Kimber John King Arthur Kitson William Knigges Hermann Heinrich Almina 2 children Famale infant Born on board 29/03/1875 Lapp Henry Langley Walter Leitch Elizabeth LeNowry Francis Ellen Lowney? Colonial Nominated Lloyd John Loxley William Lyne Thomas Lyng John Mackie George Maining William Anne Elizabeth John Fredrick Elizabeth Susannah William George Edwin Fox Born on board 21/08/1875 Mahoney Daniel Martin Thomas
Mills Henry 32 Dorsetshire Mary Anne 26 Lillie (Lily Ann) 14 months Died on board 25/12/1874 Bronchitis
Munro James Murphy Daniel Oki John Pellard William Price David Quarterman Leonard Quirke Bartholomew Reed Thomas Roberts Morris Robins William Mrs William Burrell 9 months Died on board 27/12/1874 Convulsions Rowland George Salter Thomas Sexton James Mrs John 5 months Died on board 26/12/1874 Diffuse Bronchitis Smith William Stacey Joseph Stratford Charles Sullivan John Teehan Jeremiah Turner Michael Walsh John Ward George Wealleavers James Webber Joseph Whenbaw William Whyte Archibald Wicks Thomas Wicks Edwin Eliza Male Infant Born on board 24/02/1875 Wiggins John 23 Blacksmith - bound for Feilding, Manawatu Wiggins Tryphena 22 - bound for Feilding, Manawatu Esther Priscilla Infant Born on board 18/03/1875 Wilcock George Elizabeth Emma 2 Edwina Fox Infant Born on board 20/02/1875 Williams Jasper Williams William Wood George Woodneet Arthur Woodward Stephen Woolford Charles Ambrose
Single Men Atkins Samuel Colonial Nominated Bracelin James Colonial Nominated Coffey Michael Colonial Nominated Dunn John 67 Colonial Nominated Died on board 28/03/1875 Irritative traumatic delirium, bed sores and general exhaustion as a sequence of fracture through the lower third of femur. Hagan James Colonial Nominated Kingerlee Thomas Colonial Nominated Purcell Martin Colonial Nominated Son of Bridget Purcell Senior Kelliher Maurice Colonial Nominated Kingerlee Thomas Colonial Nominated Moorey Edward 26 Died on board 16/02/1875 Diarrhoea Purcell Martin Colonial Nominated Son of Bridget Purcell Snr
Single Women Andrews Catherine Bonnell Juliana Brosnan Ellen Brosnihan Margaret Brown Eliza Cameron Ann Clarke Maria Coleman Julia Connor Honora Cullen Mary Downey Mary Gould Jane Grint Annie Hemming Caroline Hogan Mary Kearney Mary Keepron Ellen Kelbow Lavinia Moore Louisa Murphy Honora Nicolle Judith Mother of Susan Elizabeth Gavey Power Kate Colonial Nominated Purcell Bridget Colonial Nominated Mother of Martin Purcell Bridget Colonial Nominated Sister of Martin Purcell Reidy Mary Shea Margaret Colonial Nominated Warwick Margaret Williams Jane Woodneet Annie Mary
INGRAM family: The family of Jasper and Virtue Ingram arrived in New Zealand on board the Edwin Fox. Accompanying them were their children Leah Mabel, Frances Elizabeth, Jessie Mary, Nellyn, Victor Emmanuel and Wilfred Beach Ingram. They had three more daughters Maggie, Rosena and Virtue and three more sons Walter, Herbert Jasper and Dorcas, all born in Masterton. If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact Warwick Brooks.
GAVEY family: James GAVEY (1841-1923) married Susan Elizabeth NICOLLE (1842-1935) on 23 March 1865 in Guernsey. Susan's family can be traced back to the early 1600's in Guernsey. James and Susan had 7 children; Ada (1879-1911), Alice Jane (1873-?), Susan (1880-1967), Jessie Cissie (1882-1963), James (1870-1925), Albert (1864-1888), and Agnes (?-?). James worked for the New Zealand Railways department for around thirty years. It is remembered by both my grandmother and her sister that they spoke French, especially when they didn't want the children to hear what they were saying! They are both buried in Terrace End Cemetery in Palmerston North. If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact Bruce McNiven.
KEEGAN family: Spanning one hundred years, through the reign of five monarchs, two world wars, earthquakes, epidemics, and a world wide depression, this is the Story of Patrick Keegan and Annie Sinnott. Their lives were a series of chapters. The struggles and pain during 55 yrs of marriage, were overshadowed by the huge bright bursts of laughter. Their love trained and strengthened the bond between them and their children .The children, there were eleven of them, grew up in a warm, close knit, very Irish Family. Though essentially different, there was a solidarity, loyalty and a tenacity to overcome obstacles imbued in each member of the family. Through all the triumphs and disasters they maintained their ever-present sense of humour and irrepressible optimism. Oh, what it is to be IRISH! Through-out Ireland in the 19th century there existed what was known as the hedge schools. Forbidden by law, they were conducted behind hedges and attended by ragged children eager to appease the appetite for learning, officially denied to them. Made extremely poor by the process, they invariably became hungry and very undernourished, to attend classes taught by scholars who risked death if caught. John Keegan of Connaught was one of the bright lights who graduated from the hedge. Poet and Patriot, he was born 1809, married to Catherine Brien, and died 1849, IRE. Their children were Patrick, born 1839, in Connaught and Ellen, born 1847, Gorey, County Wexford. Patrick was only a very young lad when the Family shifted to County Cork. He was later apprenticed to a baker, and was a Master Baker when he married Annie Sinnott in 1862/3. His Sister Ellen, married John Connor in Dublin 1867. Patrick was 36, and had seven children, when his doctor advised a long sea voyage for his wife, due to her ill health. So, having swiftly made a decision, and after selling up, they took a coach to Dublin, a ship to Bristol, and travelled by rail to London. There they boarded the clipper the Edwin Fox, 25th November 1874, bound from the River Thames, London, to Wellington, New Zealand. In London,after the family had boarded the clipper, it caught fire so all the passengers were put ashore again. The next attempt to sail also nearly ended in disaster. On Saturday the 28th the passengers re-embarked but, as there was thick fog , the ship could not be moved to Gravesend until Monday 30th for the pre-voyage inspections. Finally, by Tuesday the 1st December the ship had been made ready and on the 2nd she set sail.Unfortunately they had to return to Gravesend on the 13th, owing to the stress of the weather. They had been driven back into the Downs, and dropped anchor to near the Deal Sand bar where the ship ran aground as the tide fell, bumping heavily, and taking on water. The ship was towed to dry dock and the passengers disembarked and billeted once again, to enable a full inspection on the vessel. By now it was the 19th of December. One could imagine what was going through Patrick and Annie’s mind, should we just give up and go back home? But oh no! This is not the finish of the Edwin Fox’s troubles. The frustrations and delays must have been a nightmare, not to mention a severe drain on the resources, but must have been a godsend to the children, to do things they would have never been able to do before. On the 22nd re-embarkation took place yet again, but once again fog delayed sailing. The next day while being towed down the Thames, she ran foul of a coal-carrying schooner carrying away the Edwin Fox's jib. The schooner promptly sank. That’s when things really started to fall apart. It was said the Captain was “three sheets to the wind most of the time”, so was removed. He showed his disapproval by taking the sailing instructions with him, so a new set had to be obtained, and the ships Surgeon had had enough at this stage, too, and left. While all this was being sorted out, the ship had a new boom fitted, and by noon on Christmas day was finally towed out to the Chops of the Channel, and the voyage actually started. Their is plenty of family history re the voyage, but too numerous to recall here, and so, 114 days after leaving the Channel, the little ship finally sailed into Wellington Harbour, YAAY! Patrick’s sister, Ellen, who married John Connor (who were also our Cousins) had already sailed on the clipper Douglas, arriving in Wellington 14th June 1873. It was them who rowed out to meet the ship and one could image the joy that this brought them. Unfortunately their were more delays instore, as there was a period of quarantine required on Somes Island. I was here that Mary-Ann Keegan was born on 18th April 1875. The family next stayed with the Connors to, as they say, sort themselves out, and prepare for the shift to Wanganui. As Annie had been a lace maker and had used her considerable talents making vestments at Wexford Castle, it is safe to say that any material that had presented itself to meet there imminent clothing needs would have had the most beautiful decorations on them, as all their clothes were hand made. From Wellington they travelled by boat to Wanganui, obviously making it over the notorious bar. It was here that John Keegan was born on 10th September 1876. The main families in this scenario, the O'Donnell’s, O'Shannessey’s, and Keegan’s have all had a long association with Wanganui, while our cousins the Conner’s were Wellington and then Christchurch based. The O'Donnell’s were Christchurch based first, whereas the O'Shannessey’s came south to Hokitika later on. The history of the families goes on from 1800 in Ireland to the present day, which brings in a lot more families not mentioned here, but where the Keegan link to the other families comes in is: - Michael Keegan married Bridget O'Shannessey, 10th June 1886 at Wanganui - Elizabeth Keegan married Thomas O'Shannessey, 14th February 1888 at Wanganui My Mother was an O'Shannessey and brought in that side. All these families originated from County Galway, Connaught Province, Eire. In closing, Patrick finally hung up his coat on, 20th April 1912, aged 73, after 38 yrs in New Zealand and is buried at Wanganui. His wife Annie did the same on 8th July 1914, aged 75, after 40 yrs in New Zealand and is also buried at Wanganui. Patrick Keegan is my 2nd Great Grandfather. If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact AJ O'Donnell.
MILLS family: Henry Mills was born about 1842 to William and Elizabeth at Lyme Regis, Dorset, England. His wife, Mary Ann Gould was born in 1848 to Isaac and Marie (nee Le Tissier), St Peter Port, Guernsey and died in 1883 in Wellington, New Zealand. Henry and Mary Ann were married in August 1869 at St Peter Port. Children born in St Peter Port were; Eliza Ada in 1871and Lily Ann on October 15th 1873. Lily Ann died on the Edwin Fox on the voyage out to New Zealand on December 25th 1874 aged 14 months. Subsequent children born in Wellington, New Zealand were; Joseph Henry in 1876; Lily Isabel in 1878, who married James Robert Lowe in Dunedin 1901 and died in 1960 in Dunedin, New Zealand - she is buried in the Anderson's Bay Cemetery, Dunedin - this is my Great Grandmother - Granma Lowe - and Charles J. born in 1880 or 1881. Little is known of Henry Mills after the death of his wife but it is thought that he went to Pahiatua and died there either 1910 or 1911. The older daughter, Ada, came to New Zealand some months after the death of her mother. The younger three children were in various schools in Dunedin between 1885 and 1891. Lily appears to have lived with William and Susanna Pickett for a number of years including 1891 but trace is lost of the boys after their last school entry in 1897. If you have a connection with this family or can provide any further information please contact Shona Paton.
Copyright Denise & Peter 2002 - 2009
Reference: Archives New Zealand New Zealand Times February 20th 1875