Amelia Thompson reunion planned
On Thursday March 25, 1841 the Amelia Thompson left England with a full complement of settlers bound for New Plymouth.
Little did the passengers, the crew or even the captain know the ship’s back was broken and she would eventually end up at the bottom of the sea, but luckily not on that trip.
The break was discovered on the way back to England when the ship was beached to have her bottom cleaned.
When Captain William Dawson approached the insurance company he was told they knew about it before the boat launched.
Anne Francis, whose ancestors came on the ship, said given the difficulty experienced on the trip, she didn’t like to think of what might have happened.
These settlers were brave people. They’d packed all their belongings into a box or two and set sail without actually knowing where they’d end up, other than it was somewhere in New Zealand.
Cramped in close quarters seven people died along the way, all women and children, and seven babies were born. ‘‘Great was the discomfort for such a number of people in such a small space.’’
Prevailing south winds carried the ship to Brazil and a trip that
‘‘When they came here they had nothing. They had to live in tents for a long time. Really and truly they were real pioneers.’’
Anne Francis
took the previous settler ship, the William Bryan, four months took the Amelia Thompson about six.
On September 9, after several weeks anchored off the coast at Moturua, at 5.30pm the captain decided it was time to paddle the settlers ashore and land near Kawaroa reef.
‘‘A beacon fire was lit on the beach to guide the row boats in. It was low tide and the boat hit the reef,’’ she said.
People living in the area went out and carried women and children ashore.
‘‘The Plymouth Company that arranged all this, they told them they were coming to this new place and they thought they had houses and gardens and everything set up for them.
‘‘When they came here they had nothing. They had to live in tents for a long time. Really and truly they were real pioneers.’’
An anniversary and reunion to mark 175 years since the voyage will be held in New Plymouth during Labour Weekend, October 21 to 23.
Descendants of the families who travelled on the Amelia Thompson are invited to the reunion. Find out more on page 22.