Voyage of the Bangalore

The ships chartered by the Canterbury Association at the East India Docks were pictured in the "Illustrated London Times" (May 17 1851) and were from left, the "Bangalore", "Dominion," "Duke of Portland," "Lady Nugent," "Midlothian" and the "Canterbury" - all awaiting departure to New Zealand.

The Bangalore sailed from Gravesend on May 9, 1851, with our Cone family aboard as assisted immigrants. By August the ship was off New Plymouth 97 days out and on the 20th, she berthed at Lyttleton. A medical diary of the voyage was written by Thomas McCheane M D Surgeon. His health care of the passengers is outlined, among his patients, Caroline and Sarah Cone.

Painting by Mary Townsend of arrival of first ships at Port Lyttleton. The original is in

The "Bangalore" was the largest ship chartered by the Canterbury Association of 876 tons. Tonnage was measured as the total enclosed space of the vessel measured in square feet and divided by 100. Some vessels were short and tubby, others lean and long so tonnage gave a more accurate comparison of size rather than using length ie tonnage measured the ship's capacity.

This 1851 painting by Sir William Fox shows the immigrants disembarking with their luggage at the jetty built at Port Lyttleton. The original is in the Hocken Library. Ref. Paintings of Canterbury 1840 - 1890; John Oakley 1969

On September 14th, the Bangalore having discharged its passengers and freight at Lyttleton, sailed for Wellington where it arrived on September 23rd.

On the 8th of October she sailed for Bombay. It was reported in the Lyttleton Times July 3, 1852 that the ship had been totally wrecked.

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