Deaths at sea

This week's Sepia Saturday prompt is the sea. In fact, the prompt picture of Bondi Beach inspires thoughts of holidays by the beach, but I have recently been researching several members of my family who died at sea and I was reminded that the sea is not always benign.

The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault painted 1818-1819 and now hanging in the Louvre. The Méduse was wrecked off the coast of Africa in 1816. Of the 400 on board only 15 survived.

Arthur Branthwayt (1776-1808) was the second husband of my 5th great grandmother Elizabeth née Phipps (1774-1836). He died at sea in a shipwreck. He was travelling to Gothenburg and the Crescent, a frigate with 36 guns, which was lost off the coast of Jutland. 220 of the 280 aboard her died. A raft was constructed, similar to the Méduse's. Arthur Branthwayt's wife, eight-month-old daughter and four step-children were not travelling with him.

Hampshire Chronicle 6 February 1809

Kentish Gazette 30 December 1808

Morning Post (London) 17 January 1809

Arthur Branthwayt's grandson, Arthur Branthwayt Toker (1834 - 1866), my first cousin five times removed, is doubly related to me as his mother married her half-sister's nephew by marriage, the son of Clarissa Champion de Crespigny (1776 - 1836). Young Arthur died at sea of typhoid fever while returning to England from New Zealand. He had been an officer in the 65th Regiment (later the York and Lancaster Regiment) and fought in the Maori Wars. He was unmarried.

from William Francis Robert Gordon's album "Some "Soldiers of the Queen" who served in the Maori Wars and Other Notable Persons Connected Herewith". Retrieved from the collection of Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, New Zealand

Wellington Independent 27 March 1866

In 1814 another shipwreck took the lives of Henry Gore Wade, his wife and children. Wade was the brother-in law of my fourth great uncle Philip Champion de Crespigny (1765 - 1851).  The Wade family were returning to England from India and died when the John Palmer was wrecked.

Morning Post (London) 31 March 1814

Morning Post (London) 1 April 1814

Gordon Skelly, who died in 1771, was my 6th great grandfather. His granddaughter Sophia née Duff (1790 - 1824) married Rowland Mainwaring (1783 - 1862). Skelly was the captain of the Royal Navy sloop Lynx stationed at Shields Yorkshire. He was drowned when his ship's long boat, ,crossing the bar of the harbour, was overturned by breakers. At the time of his death his two children were aged four and three.

Leeds Intelligencer 2 July 1771

Entrance to Shields Harbour from The Ports, Harbours, Watering-places and Picturesque Scenery of Great Britain Vol. 1 by William Findon retrieved from Project Gutenberg

When I checked my family tree I found a number of others who died at sea:

• Charles Patrick Dana (1784 - 1816), my 4th great grand uncle, who died while travelling from the East Indies to England on the Sir Stephen Lushington.
• Michael Hickey (1812 - 1840), the brother of my 3rd great grandmother died on the voyage to South Australia from Cork, Ireland,  on the Birman.
• Kenneth Budge (1813 - 1852), my 3rd great grandfather, died of cholera while sailing near Elsinore, Denmark.
• Walter Wilkes Plaisted (1836 - 1871), my 3rd great grand uncle, who died of phthsis (tuberculosis) on board the SS Geelong during the passage from Singapore to Melbourne. His probate file, held by the Public Records Office of Victoria, includes an inventory of his effects, a fascinating insight into his possessions.

My great great grandfather, James Francis Cudmore (1837 - 1912) was born at sea aboard the Siren off the coast of Kangaroo Island. His mother, Mary née Nihill (1811 -1893) was travelling from Launceston to the very new colony of Adelaide to join her husband Daniel Michael Paul Cudmore (1811 - 1891). 

My husband's great great grandmother Margaret née Smyth (1834 - 1897) gave birth to a baby boy as she travelled to Australia from Ireland on the Persian. The baby is recorded on the passenger list but it is not known what happened to him after arrival. He probably died as an infant. His death was before compulsory civil registration.

My grandmother's cousins

My grandmother, Kathleen Cudmore (1908-2013), had many cousins. Her sister Rosemary claimed they had ninety.

Their father, Arthur Murray Cudmore, was one of thirteen children and their mother, Kathleen Mary Cavenagh-Mainwaring, was one of ten.

Two of the bridesmaids at my grandmother's 1933 wedding, Mary and Dymphna Toll, were her cousins. SOCIAL NOTES. (1933, June 12). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46980229

The children of James Francis Cudmore (1837-1912) and Margaret née Budge (1845-1912):

• James Kenneth Cudmore (1867-1948) had four children
• Margaret Jane Cudmore (1869-died young)
• (Arthur Murray Cudmore, Kathleen's father, had two children)
• Violet Mary Cudmore (1872-1947) had three children
• Kenneth de Lacy Cudmore (1874-1940) had two sons
• Dorothea Nevill Cudmore (1876-1925) had one son
• Thomas Cecil Cudmore (1877-1926) had no children
• Rosa Florence Cudmore (1879-1954) had five children
• Daniel Cashel Cudmore (1881-1966) had one child
• Alexandrina Budge Cudmore (1882-1953) had three children
• Mary Jane Cudmore (1883-1884) died as an infant
• Mary Paringa Cudmore (1887-1952) had two children
• Robert Milo Cudmore (1889-1969) had four children

There were 25 Cudmore cousins for the two daughters of Arthur Murray Cudmore.

The children of Wentworth Cavenagh (1822-1895) and Ellen Jane née Mainwaring (1845-1920):

• James Gordon Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1865 – 1938) had four children
• Eva Mainwaring Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1867 – 1941) had two children
• Mabel Alice Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1868 – 1944) had two children
• Wentworth Rowland Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1869 – 1933) died without issue
• Orfeur Charles Cavenagh (1872 – 1890) died without issue
• (Kathleen Mary Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1874 – 1951), Kathleen's mother, had two children)
• Hugh Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1875 – 1953) had three children
• Helen Maud Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1877 – 1918) had three children
• Alice Mainwaring Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1879 – 1952) had two children
• Gertrude Lucy Cavenagh-Mainwaring (1882 – 1968 ) had one child

There were seventeen Cavenagh-Mainwaring cousins for the two daughters of Kathleen Mary Cavenagh-Mainwaring.

In total my grandmother Kathleen had 42 first cousins.

Some of my grandmother's first cousins once removed. Members of the Cudmore family who owned "Adare" at Victor Harbor. Back Row, l-r: Roland, Henry, Mary (Minnie), Paul. Front Row, l-r: Collier, Martha, Daniel H;, Danny (on footstool), Milo DATE ca.1900 From the State Library of South Australia image B 48077. Daniel Henry Cashel Cudmore (1844-1913) was the brother of my grandmother's grandfather.

As their grandparents were all from large families, Kathleen and her sister Rosemary had many second cousins. Their great grandparents on the Cudmore side had 52 grandchildren, including the 13 children of James Francis Cudmore. 39 of those grandchildren were the first cousins of Kathleen's father Arthur Murray Cudmore and thus my grandmother's first cousins once removed. The children of the 39 cousins were Kathleen's second cousins.

On the Budge side, Kathleen's grandmother, Margaret Budge, had two brothers and two sisters but only one of the brothers and one of the sisters had children and there were only five grandchildren other than the thirteen Cudmore grandchildren.

Kathleen's grandfather Wentworth Cavenagh had six brothers and sisters. Only one brother had two sons who survived. 

On the Mainwaring side, although Kathleen's great grandparents had seven children, only one, Kathleen's grandmother Ellen Jane Mainwaring had children. Thus Kathleen had no second cousins from this side of the family.

In total my grandmother Kathleen had 46 first cousins once removed. This calculation does not include the younger generation, the children of her first cousins.

My own cousins

I have only two first cousins, the daughters of my mother's sister. My father was an only child and my mother had one sister. These cousins do not have children so there are no first cousins once removed downwards.

My mother had no first cousins. Her father was an only child and her mother's sister had no children. She is, however, close to a cousin of my grandmother's, and also to her children, my mother's second cousins.

My father had one cousin on his mother's side of the family, the Cudmore side, with whom he remains close. There was another boy who died as an infant. On his father's side, the de Crespigny side, my father has four first cousins from his father's sisters and five cousins from his father's half-sister. In total I have eleven first cousins once removed on my father's side of the family.

As for my second cousins, my great aunt Nancy had five grand children. My great aunt Margaret had six grandchildren. I am not sure of the number of grandchildren my great aunt Charlotte has (I must follow this up with her). On the Cudmore side, my great aunt Rosemary had three grand children. I have fourteen second cousins in addition to the grand children of my great aunt Charlotte.

Geneablogging

This post was inspired by Randy Seaver's post some weeks ago asking How many cousins do you know you have?

I enjoyed Alex Daw's and Caitlin Gow's responses and thought I would have a go myself.

I wanted to calculate my great aunt Rosemary's statement about the number of cousins she had. 42 first cousins and 46 first cousins once removed is certainly a lot. Calculating the number of second cousins is a large task that remains for another day.

I found it very interesting that both my grandmother Kathleen's parents came from large families but their children, my great grandparents and my various great great aunts and uncles on my grandmother's side, all had small families. There was a very rapid shift in the size of families within a generation.

I am more interested in tracing my family tree backwards than keeping track of the present generation but I am always delighted to hear from them and would be thrilled to share what I have learned of our family history.

The challenge was:

1) Take both sets of your grandparents and figure out how many first cousins you have, and how many first cousins removed (a child or grandchild of a first cousin) you have.

2) Extra Credit: Take all four sets of your great-grandparents and figure out how many second cousins you have, and how many second cousins removed you have.

HINT: Make a Descendants Chart with your genealogy software program!

3) Tell us the grandparents and great-grandparents names, but don't give the name of living cousins unless you want to.

4) Are there any of those lines that you don't know all of the cousins names? Do you care? 

5) Tell us about them in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook or Google+ post of your own. Be sure to drop a comment to this post to link to your work.

W is for Wick, Caithness

My great great grandmother Margaret Cudmore née  Budge (1845-1912) came from Wick, Caithness. Her father, Kenneth Budge (1813-1852), was a seaman. After his death, her mother Margaret Gunn (1819-1863) remarried and emigrated to Australia with her children and second husband.

Wick was an important herring port. My great great great grandfather shipped herring from Wick to ports on the Baltic sea.

Wick harbour 1867 retrieved from http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usebooks/naylor-johnogroats/04.html

Herring gutters Wick 1913 Retrieved from Dornoch History Links image library http://www.historylinksarchive.org.uk/picture/number11780.asp

From a collection of 44 monochrome postcards showing fishing scenes around Scotland in the early 20th century. Monchrome photograph with the title 'Herring Gutters at work, Wick' showing three large trench style benchs full of herring with men and women on each side gutting herring. There are stacked fish barrels behind them with the masts of fishing vessels in the harbour in the background. Retrieved from Dornoch History Links image library http://www.historylinksarchive.org.uk/picture/number11794.asp

Last month Sue Adams wrote about Soundtoll Registers on the Worldwide Genealogy Blog. Soundtolls were taxes imposed by the king of Denmark on ships passing through the narrow strait, the Sound, between Sweden and Denmark,. The records run from 1497 to 1857. The toll house was at Elsinore.

I searched the database of the Soundtoll Registers for Kenneth Budge and found five entries, three from Wick and two from Inverkeithing. The two Inverkeithing records are for the same voyage on the same day.

Date 16 September 1850, master K. Budge from Wick. The voyage was between Wick and Stettin. Sondtoll register film 363 image 147 from http://dietrich.soundtoll.nl/public/toon.php?fnr=363&sid=147

On 16 September 1850 K. Budge from Wick was sailing from Wick to Stettin with a cargo of sild [herring]. Stettin is present day Szczecin in Poland on the Baltic sea. In the nineteenth century it was a major Prussian port connected with Prussian and Pomeranian cities by rail from 1843.

On 9 October 1850 K. Budge from Wick was sailing from Stettin to London with a cargo of zink [zinc] and staver [translates as spells but this does not make sense, perhaps staves of wood].

On 2 July 1851 K. Budge of Wick was sailing from Kønigsberg to Liverpool with a cargo of 3460 Scheffel Ærter [3460 bushels of peas]. Kønigsberg is today known as Kaliningrad. It is on the Baltic and was the capital of East Prussia.

On 10 August 1852 K. Budge of Inverkeithing, was sailing from Wick to the Baltic sea with a cargo of sild [herring] and 2 heste [horses]. Inverkeithing is near Edinburgh, 240 miles south of Wick. I am not certain why there are two separate records apparently two pages apart for the voyage other than that two different sorts of cargo  are involved.

On this last voyage Kenneth Budge died of cholera. From the John O'Groat Journal Friday 10 September 1852

THE MARY RODGERS. -  This vessel which belongs to Bo'ness, is reported in the Shipping Gazette of the 4th instant as having left Elsinore on the 30th ult.; and in the same paper she is again reported as having put into the same port, with master and one man dead of cholera. This vessel left Wick on the 30th July, herring laden, for Dantzic, and was commanded by Mr Kenneth Budge, of this place, son of the late Mr Donald Budge, shipmaster, Wick. The owner of the Mary Rodgers was on board when the vessel left Wick.

View Kenneth Budge's voyages in a larger map

Related posts:

• Margaret Gunn (1819 - 1863)
• The death of Kenneth Budge (1813 - 1852)

Trove tuesday : Daniel Budge

 Although I had spent a long time looking for the death of Daniel Budge (1842 - 1895), the brother of my great great grandmother Margaret Cudmore née Budge, and had found a death index entry for him in Western Australia, I couldn't be sure this was the right man.  It wasn't until I had searched the digitised newspapers on Trove that I learned how he died and why he was in Western Australia.

 COMPARATIVE LEGISLATION. (1895, January 26). The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1929), p. 18. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article67947575

It is with feelings of the deepest regret that we (Barcoo Independent,) learn of the death of Mr. Daniel Budge, who expired at Coolgardie on Sunday last of typhoid fever. The deceased gentleman was well-known throughout the pastoral districts of Queensland, and to many of the older residents of the western portion of New South Wales, and was exceedingly and deservedly popular with all classes of the community. Born in Scotland in 1842, he accompanied his family to Adelaide, South Australia, in 1853. He adopted pastoral pursuits, and about 1862 was appointed manager of one of the Tolarno stations, on the Darling River, New South Wales. In 1875 he joined his brother, Mr. Kenneth Budge, an part owner of Gooyea Station, near Adavale, Queensland, where he remained until the death of his brother, after which the station was sold. In 1880 or 1881 he purchased Mr. A. Mossman's share in Delta Station, baring for a partner Mr. W. P. Tozer, which station he managed for some years, during which Mr J. M. Niall bought Mr. Tozer's share. About 1886 Messrs. R. Rarr-Smith and Co. bought Mr. Budge's interest in that property, and the latter removed to Blackall, where he pur- chased the old Barcoo Hotel. This property he sold to Mr. R. Moss about 1888, and then entered into partnership with Mr. J. D. Hughes as auctioneers, stock and station agents, Blackall. Mr. Budge was the lessee of this paper from April, 1891, to April, 1894, and in September, 1894, he left Blackall for Coolgardie, where he died. He took a great interest in local matters, more especially in the welfare of the local racing institutions. At various times he occupied the offices of alderman of the Blackall Municipality, chairman of the Kargoolnah Divisional Board, vice-president of the Blackall District Hospital, and vice-president of the Blackall Racing Club. From his genial manner and cheerful disposition he was a general favourite with everyone with whom he was brought into contact ; while his extreme generosity will make his name long remembered on the Barcoo, and his good deeds a fruitful subject of conversation at many a camp fire. Poor old Dan will be greatly missed, and many a long day will elapse before his name fades in the memory of a host of friends. He leaves a wife and two children, who reside in Sydney.

The obituary also appeared in Rockhampton's Morning Bulletin of 24 January 1895.

There is a longer obituary in The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld.), 22 January, page 9.  It mentions Daniel Budge's connections with the Niall, Cudmore and Tozer families, his property dealings and his interest in local government and in horse-racing.

Barcaldine Small Debts Court. (1895, January 22). The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Qld. : 1892 - 1922), p. 9. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article79735787

The death of Kenneth Budge (1813 - 1852)

My very great thanks to Laurena who has so generously shared some research with me relating to the Budge and Cudmore families.  Although she is only very distantly related to these families by marriage she had come across some research which solved a long standing puzzle for me.  Unfortunately ancestry.com's notification system is very unreliable and I was unaware that she had let me know of her finds until she sent me a follow-up message.  I am indeed very grateful and my silence did not mean my lack of interest!

I wrote a couple of months ago about Kenneth's wife Margaret Gunn. They married in 1840 and had five children:

1. Donald, also known as Daniel, (1841 - 1895)
2. Kenneth George (1842 - 1878)
3. Alexandrina (1844 - ? : died young)
4. Margaret (1845 - 1912), my great great grandmother who married James Francis Cudmore
5. Alexandrina (1851 - 1911)

When Margaret married James Francis Cudmore in 1867 the marriage announcements referred to her as the daughter of the late Captain Kenneth Budge.  I had a great difficulty in finding Margaret's and her family's immigration and had never found her father's death.  I had worked out that the death must have been about 1853 based on Margaret's remarriage.  The death preceded civil registration and I had not found a burial record.  I thought he must have died at sea but had not found any newspaper mentions.


Laurena has located a key newspaper article telling of the fate of my great great great grandfather, filling in some of my family history and also adding another generation. 

From the John O'Groat Journal Friday 10 September 1852

THE MARY RODGERS. -  This vessel which belongs to Bo'ness, is reported in the Shipping Gazette of the 4th instant as having left Elsinore on the 30th ult.; and in the same paper she is again reported as having put into the same port, with master and one man dead of cholera. This vessel left Wick on the 30th July, herring laden, for Dantzic, and was commanded by Mr Kenneth Budge, of this place, son of the late Mr Donald Budge, shipmaster, Wick. The owner of the Mary Rodgers was on board when the vessel left Wick.

Another article on the same subject from the Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury  Saturday 11 September 1852: 

Elsinore, Aug.30 - The brig Corinthian, from Newcastle, was towed up from Hornbeck to these roads to-day. The schooner, Mary, Rodgers, of Boiness, from Danzig, has put in here; master and one man dead of cholera.

Margaret Gunn (1819 - 1863)

Margaret Gunn was born 26 February 1819 in Auchingill near Wick, Caithness, Scotland. She was the daughter of Donald Gunn (1783 - 1870), a farmer, and Alexandrina Manson (1786 - 1881). She was baptised in 1819 by the Reverend James Smith of Canisbay; the witnesses were William Gunn, farmer, Auchingill, and Margaret Miller, Auchingill.

Old parish register image retrieved from ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk

GUNN

MARGARET

DONALD GUNN/ALEXANDRINA MANSON

F

WICK

/CAITHNESS

043/00 0030 0390

GUNN

MARGARET

DONALD GUNN/ALEXANDRINA MANSON

F

WICK

/CAITHNESS

043/00 0030 0390

Auchingill was a coastal village in the parish of Canisbay, ten miles north of Wick. (Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Auchingill from John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887) retrieved from http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/entry_page.jsp?text_id=1863250# )  The village is not found on modern maps such as Google maps.

Margaret was the seventh of nine children born to Donald and Alexandrina. 

On 17 June 1840 Margaret married Kenneth Budge, a seaman, at South Leith parish church, Edinburgh.  Both were living at South Leith at the time.

Old parish register image retrieved from ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk

In 1841 the Budge family were living in Staxigoe.  Kenneth was a fisherman and their son Donald (also sometimes known as Daniel) was two months old at the time of the census on 6 June 1841.  He was christened at Wick on 4 June.

Staxigoe is a former fishing village two miles east of Wick.  In the mid 1800s it was the largest herring salting station in Europe. (Staxigoe, Ports and Harbours of the UK http://www.ports.org.uk/port.asp?id=581 )

Staxigoe harbour 1890s from the Johnston collection (http://www.johnstoncollection.net). Comments associated with the photograph noted that all the buildings along cliff top were demolished and used as hard core for the runways of Wick Aerodrome.

At the time of the census in 1851 on 31 March Margaret was living in Breadalbane Terrace, Wick. Her husband was away and she was recorded as a sailor's wife.  With her were three children: Donald aged 10, Kenneth aged 8 and Margret aged 5.

Breadalbane terrace in the 1920s from the Johnston collection.

There had been another child, Alexandrina, christened on 26 September 1844 and born on 26 June.  Death records for Wick before 1855 are not available.  There are also no relevant headstone records.

On 4 May 1851 Margaret and Kenneth's fifth child, again called Alexandrina, was born at Wick.

By 1851 it seems that Kenneth was master of the vessel “Sisters “ which was involved in coastal trade and whose crew apparently sometimes included his brother-in-law William Gunn. (Information from Deborah Patterson, a descendant of William Gunn)

In about 1853 Kenneth Budge, seaman died. I have not found any records of his death, death records for Wick before 1855 are not available and there appears to be no headstone in the cemetery. Update: thanks to a newspaper article found by a very distant cousin I now know he died at sea of cholera in August 1852 - see my later blog post on his death.

Margaret remarried on 10 June 1854 at Wick to Ewan Rankin, a carpenter of Pulteney Town, Wick.

Old parish register image retrieved from ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk

On 15 July 1854 Margaret, Ewan and Margaret's children set off from Liverpool on board the "Dirigo" bound for Australia. A cholera outbreak on board forced the ship to turn back from Cork to Liverpool. The voyage recommenced on 9 August and they arrived in South Australia on 22 November 1854. It seems that the ship was new.

DIRIGO from 1858 Lloyds Register Rigging: Ship; sheathed in felt and yellow metal in 1858 ; fastened with iron bolts Master: Captain White Tonnage: 1,152 tons Construction: 1854 in New Brunswick, using Tamarack, Oak, Pine & Birch ; some repairs in 1856; repairs to damages in 1857 Owners: Coltart & Co. Port of registry: Liverpool Port of survey: Liverpool Voyage: sailed for Australia

...
Rankin Ewen 29 Carpenter - Caithness
Margaret 35
Daniel 12
Kenneth 11
Margaret 9
Alexandrina 2


from The Ships List http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/dirigo1854.htm


Ewan Rankin was among 118 passengers who signed a memorial concerning the cholera outbreak:

To the Government Colonial Land an Emigration Commissioners.
The Humble Memorial of the Passengers per Ship Dirigo.
Most humbly showeth,
That we consider the ship Dirigo quite unfit for us passengers to proceed in, as she is at all times damp, and very much given to leakage. We have the opinion of many of the sailors as to the above-mentioned fact, together with our own experience. We were on board for 14 days, and during that length of time she was constantly wet ; and we consider that the damp state of the ship tended greatly to the progress of the disease we had amongst the passengers.
Memorialists are ready to give their sworn testimony as to the facts stated in this memorial.
The passengers beg leave to state that our medical attendant allowed diseased passengers to come on board, which we consider was the first and principal cause of the fatal disease that swept so many of our passengers to an untimely end, as the passengers up to that unfortunate day were free from any infectious disease.
Many of the memorialists further beg to state that the doctor wilfully neglected to attend many of the dying when called upon to do so, he not being occupied at the time more than walking on deck. Memorialists have many minor complaints to make that they consider too numerous to put here, as they hope for an inquiry into the whole case.
And memorialists, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

The majority of the 118 who signed the memorial re-embarked on the Dirigo. (from http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/dirigocork1854.shtml )



South Australian Register Thursday 23rd November 1854 Wednesday, November 22nd :-

the ship Dirigo, 1,282 tons, Trevellick, Master, from Liverpool August 8th 1854 Passengers:— Mrs. Mulville & Misses Ann, Ellen and Mary Mulville, and Master D. Mulville in the cabin. — 26th ship from England to S.A. with 484 government passengers for 1854 ; 12 births and 14 deaths on the passage ; William L. Echlin, surgeon-superintendent. ship Dirigo ... sailed from Birkenhead in early July 1854, but was forced to go into Queenstown (Cork) due to cholera aboard. The ship was towed back to Liverpool by the steam vessel Minerva, arriving there on July 10th 1854. Arrangements were made to fashion a temporary hospital but met with resistance from local people. Of the 518 passengers and 51 crew-members, there were 44 deaths recorded as of July 11th. ...

The Dirigo . . . Arrived from Liverpool on the 22nd November, after a passage of 107 days. She landed 482 immigrants. Fourteen deaths and twelve births took place at sea. This ship arrived in a very excellent order. The cleanliness, general management and discipline of the people reflected the highest credit on Mr. W.L. Echlin, the surgeon-superintendent. The ship itself was of a first class character for emigrants, having ample room and height between decks, and was well ventilated. The male and female hospitals were large and convenient. The Surgeon-superintendent speaks highly of the efficient support and co-operation he received from the master and all the officers of the ship. The mortality, with one exception was confined to young and delicate children, and was caused by diarrhoea.

The Surgeon-superintendent seems to have had more trouble with enforcing the regulations among the single men, than all the others on board. He speaks highly of the conduct of the single women, who were a well selected set of persons, and adapted for the requirements of the Colony.

In this ship the baking succeeded better than usual. the size of the oven precluded the possibility of baking twice in the week, a sufficient to supply all the emigrants with soft bread twice a week. The yeast used was made by using what the surgeon called porter bottoms, and answered well. The form and size of loaves found the best, were those baked in square tins, containing 2lbs each, supplied by the Commissioners for the use of emigrants. The oven contained twenty six tins and the time required for each batch was about two hours; the 12oz. of flour yielded about 14½oz. of bread. I have been thus particular in describing the system of baking adopted on board the Dirago because in all other ships the baking of soft bread has turned out quite a failure. The first requisite to ensure success is to appoint a man as baker who is properly qualified and who ought to prove his efficiency by baking good bread before the ship is despatched to sea; and sufficient space should be given so that his work may be done properly. The surgeon-superintendent suggests that one or two extra floor plates for the oven should be sent, as the first, from continual use, is burnt through before the ending of the voyage. I think that in all respects the Dirago was the model of an emigrant ship.

I uncovered the remarriage of Margaret and her emigration with her children under the surname Rankin due to a report of a plaque on her grave:

Murray Pioneer, Friday May 6, 1994; - COUPLE UNCOVER HISTORIC PLAQUE: - A brass plaque of historical interest has been discovered by a Berri couple. - Mrs Sue Laidlaw and husband, Tim, when cleaning a block of land north of Berri recently, came across a plaque which dated back to 1863. They communicated their discovery to Riverland historian, Ms Heather Everingham, who quickly realised the importance of the Laidlaw's find. The plaque reads - "Presented by EWIN RANKIN in memory of his beloved spouse, MARGARET GUNN, who departed this life at Bookmark on the second day of Sept 1863. Aged 41 Years. Oh Death where is thy Sting. Oh Grave where is thy Victory." It had been stolen from the tombstone of one of the first woman settlers in the Riverland. Ms Everingham said the plaque had been missing from the grave site since the early 1950's. The historic grave was situated between Dishers Creek and old Calperum Station. About one and a half kilometres from the river, above the floodplain, in an area of red sand and hop bushes. The grave was originally enclosed by a wrought iron fence, which was also stolen more than a decade ago. All that remains at the site today, are some chiselled stone blocks which once formed the base of the fence. The plaque discovery sparked an investigation into the identity of Margaret Gunn and her husband. Renmark Historian Mr Brian Glenie, obtained a death certificate, lodged at Adelaide, which stated the woman died of liver disease. Also, a newspaper report at the time read;- RANKIN, On September 1, at Bookmark, River Murray, Margaret Gunn, daughter of Daniel Gunn, Staxigoe, Wick, Caithness, Scotland, the dearly beloved wife of Ewin Rankin, of the same place, aged 41 years. Much regretted by all who knew her. - Ewin Rankin was apparently the overseer of Bookmark, at the time, when that property belonged to John Chambers.

The plaque has been restored by Ms Barbara Smith of the Renmark National Trust, and will take pride of place at "Olivewood", the Chaffey Brothers historic homestead/museum, at Renmark.

from Lonely Graves in the Murray Valley http://users.esc.net.au/~pereilly/grave.htm

Death notice in the South Australian Register of 7 October 1863 on page 2

I have not found any details of the death of Ewan Rankin.

Margaret Gunn was my third great grandmother.