 It was stated in John Humphris's
obituary (Timaru Herald, Sept 19, 1935) that he came to New Zealand in
1876. He must have paid his own fare as not recorded as an assisted immigrant.
Two possibilities! Both on the ship Mataura. The closest with time frame matching the paper report - the sailing ship Mataura left London 8/08/1875 and arrived at Port Chalmers 17/11/1875, a voyage of 100 Days - Captain Gorn. I have no ship's list... There is a report of a John Humphris arriving on the Mataura in 1879. Grandchildren believed that Jessie Jack Rodgers came on the same ship as with her future husband but again, I have found no entry of her arrival in NZ. The second sailing John and Jessie could have arrived on - again the "Mataura" - it left for Otago on the 26th June
1879 and arrived at Port Chalmers on the 22nd September 1879 under
Captain Brown.
PASSENGERS:
BARRY, I Mrs,
Steerage
BLACK, Alexander,
Steerage
BRYAN, John, (Carpenter's Mate)
Steerage
DAVIDON, Nathaniel,
Steerage
ETHERINGTON, James, Elizabeth, John
R, Isabella, Steerage
FLAHERTY, John, Michael,
Steerage
FOXCROFT, Charles,
Steerage
GRAY, George,
Steerage
LEAHY, John,
Steerage MAHER, Martin,
Steerage
MASSIE, Joseph,
Steerage
MEREDITH, William G,
Steerage
O'CALLAGHAN, Michael,
Steerage
SOULSBY, Robert,
Steerage
TSEOHNER, Oscar, 2nd
Cabin
WATSON, Thomas, Jeremiah,
Steerage
WITCHFIELD, Edwin,
Steerage
My grateful thanks go to Dinah
Dunavan of Dunedin who transcribed the above "Mataura"
passenger list at the Dunedin Library
for me.
Because the sailing ship Mataura had been fitted with dry-air refrigeration
for the transport of frozen meat to Great Britain it could carry only a limited
number of passengers and in the above photo alongside
the wharf at Port Chalmers, the funnel for the refrigeration plant is
clearly visible.
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