Richard went next to Charing Cross,
London, to see a Mr Marshman, the agent for Canterbury, and was
advised to apply for discharge from the
Militia. Richard did on the 1st July, 1863, and, then followed the
packing their belonging and farewells and the family went on
board the Lancashire
Witch
and sailed from the East India Docks on the 2nd of July 1863. Ships Listing: Richard Pelvin, Kent 42 Labourer; Elizabeth 34; Henry William 5; Richard Charles 4; Rose 2 (infant son Alfred b. 21 Apr 1861 is not listed)
Lyttelton
Times, 26 August 1863: Immigration - The next ship with Canterbury
immigrants is the Lancashire Witch, which would leave London about the
end of June. It will call at Timaru and land a portion of her complement
there. Being a vessel of large tonnage, she will probably bring at least
400 souls.
Nationality of
our Immigrants.—From a table just published we learn that, of the 2488
immigrants arrived during the year ending 31st March last; 976 were
English, 24 Welsh, 773 Scotch, 634 Irish, 2 from the Channel Islands, 56
Germans, and 6 other countries. Of these 503 were nominated in the
colony and 1985 selected in England. Richard found
the Canterbury Association Agent Mr Marshman very kind - he introduced him to the
Doctor and together, throughout the voyage, they together "were about day
and night, although the doctor could scarcely crawl, as he was ill
himself." (Years ago I
located the 3 diaries of the 1863 Lancashire Witch voyage
to Lyttelton at Wellington Archives and at the Canterbury Museum (1) Arthur Price; (2) Henry Shepherd; (3) David Carr - I already had the passenger
contract ticket cutting from Timaru Herald. I gave copies
of each to the Timaru Museum and also put then
on the South Canterbury Website. Winsome) Richard Pelvin
was appointed constable during the voyage and both he and Elizabeth were
hospital attendants assisting Dr McLean during the voyage - the scarlet
fever and whooping cough epidemic resulted in the deaths of 23
children and 3 adults. There were nine births. Our Pelvin family arrived
safely at Timaru and landed on October 1863. In appreciation, the
captain made Richard a present of £5 and the Government £5,
and the Government also made Mrs Pelvin a present of £5 for their
services.(Dr McLean ship's doctor, now on his 2nd voyage to NZ was 23 yrs of age - a responsibility inconceivable
today...) Christchurch Press, 14 October
1863: The ship Lancashire Witch, 96
days out, arrived off Camp Bay at 10 am where she still remains at
anchor. The Immigration Commissioners left the jetty at a 11
am and after they passed the ship our reporter was admitted on
board, where every attention and information was given by the medical
officer in charge of the immigrants. from whom we are informed fever and
whooping cough broke out at the commencement of the voyage during which
26 deaths had taken place, three of whom were adults. There were nine
births. The
following testimonial was presented to Doctor McLean: "We the
undersigned passengers on-board the Lancashire Witch, on our voyage
from England to Canterbury, New Zealand, desire to express our
sincere gratitude for the kindness and great attention received
from you. Although we have lost a considerable number by death, yet
we feel that it has not been for want of attention or medical
skill. We trust you will receive the small present as a token of esteem,
earnestly hoping the remainder of your life may be blessed with every
success." [Signed by all the passengers.] The Lancashire
Witch left the East India Docks on the 5th of July, had light winds down
the channel, crossed the line on the 5th August in longitude 25deg 14
W., and owing to the drugs and medical comforts running short, put into
the Cape on the 30th August for a supply. Retained in quarantine at
Simon's Bay 36 hours. During her stay, the Federal vessel Vanderbilt arrived in search
for the Confederate vessels, and was just too late for the Georgia which left the day before. Spoke
to the ship Moonlight from Boston on the 28th July, had fine
weather but contrary winds, and sighted Stewart's Island on Thursday
last, took in a pilot at Otago Heads, and reached Timaru on Saturday
where about 80 or so of the passengers were landed - left again on
Monday at 10am, and arrived here as above. The ship being so well known
needs no further description. She has a large distilling apparatus by Gravely capable of
serving out 600 gallons of water daily, and a first-rate steam
cooking apparatus. The passengers
landed by surf boat and on arrival, Mr Woolcombe (the Resident
Magistrate at Timaru) put Richard Pelvin in charge of the
emigrants until they could get employment. The family had
accommodation at the emigration barracks for nearly six months before
taking over 40 acres leased from the Provincial Government four
miles from Timaru at Claremont and started his career as a
colonial. The
Lyttelton Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1863. The Newly Arrived
Immigrants.—Considerable apathy appears to exist on the part of the
authorities in dealing with the present large arrivals of immigrants.
The Lancashire Witch came in on Tuesday last with 420 passengers, and
the Victory with 250 more is now outside the heads. Yet not a soul has
been landed from the former vessel at the time we write this. Report
says that the immigrants were to be landed in Camp bay, but that the
houses recently erected there were found to be unfit to receive them. We
hear also that the immigration officer in Lyttelton is incapacitated
from ill health, but these can hardly be considered sufficient reasons
for keeping four hundred people confined to the limits of a ship one
hour longer than is necessary. The indifference of the authorities
amounts almost to cruelty, when it is remembered how ardent are the
longings of every landsman to get on shore after a three months' voyage.
Some explanation is certainly required to account for the detention of
these immigrants, and we trust the Government will send some trustworthy
person to inspect the Camp bay buildings, as we hear, on very good
authority, that no man with a regard for his horse would think of using
them for stables. Daily
Southern Cross, 9 Nov 1863: More immigrants have arrived
since my last report. They are speedily absorbed on arrival. The
"Lancashire Witch" has just arrived with 320, chiefly of the laboring
class. 150 of the able-bodied are at work on the West Coast" road at 5s.
per day - they began work about 20 miles from Christchurch, working on
towards the coast. Dr. Hector has discovered a good road through an easy
pass in the mountain chain, connecting the East and West Coasts, and
uniting the provinces of Otago and Canterbury Timaru Herald, 27 September 1871:
Death of Dr McLean. It is with deep regret we
have to record the demise of this gentleman, which took place at his
residence, Timaru, on September 11. The deceased gentleman has
resided in Timaru since the year 1863. He had, previous to that
date, paid a flying visit to the Colony in the ship Echunga, of
which he was surgeon in l862. The Echunga then landed immigrants in
Timaru, and Dr McLean went back to England in her, returning in
1863 in the Lancashire Witch, in which vessel he was also in
official charge as doctor. This vessel also landed immigrants at Timaru.
On board the Lancashire Witch there were, all told, nearly 500 souls,
and, on getting into the tropics, scarlet fever, in a most
virulent. form broke out. Thirty-three (there were 26) deaths occurred,
and at one time there were 250 cases of sickness on board. It was then
that the sterling qualities of the good doctor shone forth, for he was
the only physician on board, and besides having to combat with a dread
disease, his means for doing so were sadly crippled, the stock of
medicines running short, and the vessel having to put into Simon's Bay,
Cape of Good Hope, for a fresh supply. As a passenger by that
unfortunate vessel tells us "By day and by night Dr McLean was
unremitting in his attention, and doing all one man could possibly
do to stem the fatal tide of decease which was sweeping over the vessel.
To the children especially he was most kind, and many a young life was
saved by his thoughtful and persevering care. Frequently he supplied
them with delicacies out of private means, which otherwise were not
procurable, and even his own meals he has been known to give away to
nourish some sick child." Constant watchfulness, causing so great a
mental and physical a strain, could not do ought but tell on the Doctor,
and at one time it was feared that he too would have succumbed. Such
noble conduct had its reward by endearing Dr McLean to every soul on
board, and the gratitude then felt a to our own knowledge still fresh in
the minds of those who were his fellow passengers. Since the deceased
gentleman settled in Timaru, he has been known by the same good
qualities which distinguished him on ship board— always thoughtful,-
kind, and ready, and— one of the best qualities for a medical man
wonderfully patient It would be but supererogatory for us to state that
Timaru has sustained a loss.. When a good man dies the community at
large suffers. Both personal friends, and those with whom the late
Doctor was brought professionally into contact, must feel the truth of
this - the former have lost a kind good friend, the latter a
faithful and zealous physician. His death is a sadly early one, he being
only thirty-one years of
age. A wife and a family of four young children are left to mourn
his loss. The funeral of this gentleman took place on the 14th
September. As a mark of respect, all the business places in the
town were closed just before the hour appointed for the funeral. At a
little before four o'clock the members of the Foresters Society and of
the Ancient Independent Order of Odd Fellows (of whom Dr McLean was a
member) marched in procession to the residence of deceased, and
were there joined by numerous friends who came to pay their last tribute
of respect. In all there could not have been less than a
hundred and fifty who followed the hearse to the grave. (Photo below: Timaru in 1860's) CELEBRATION AT TIMARU. Thursday 14th
January 1909. The jubilee was an opportunity to unite all
with true local patriotism and an opportunity to revive before too late,
renew friendships and share memories of the days when the area's first
immigrants were landed on the beach at the tiny township. A committee
organised a monster
procession,
a dinner at the Drill Hall for early
pioneers - passengers on the first four ships accompanied by short speeches
delivered by the Mayor, the Premier, and Messrs F. W. Stubbs, Arthur Rhodes,
James Blyth, and Arthur H. Turnbull, who are pioneers and all were
presented with a Jubilee Certificate recording their Early Settler
status. Sports were held on the bay, and there was a fireworks display by
the Harbour Board at night. The weather was beautifully fine, and the
procession of military, trades, friendly and local bodies was deemed a great
success. The over-all keynote
was the satisfaction at the progress of South Canterbury during the past 50
years and spirited enthusiasm shown by the public. The photos on this page were taken at the Timaru
Museum where Richard Pelvin's clock is housed.
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