Passenger Information

Genealogy Rubber Stamp!

If you have any information about Birman passengers that you would like to contribute to this page, please contact Peter Sim.



Eli Allen
Eli Allen was married to Elizabeth Mitchell, who had arrived with her parents aboard the Gertrude in 1841, on 19 October 1845 by the Rev. Samuel Ironside at the Wesleyan Church, Manners Street. Elizabeth Allen died on 21 September 1887, and Eli on 27 September 1889. They had six daughters and two sons. Mary (born 1 October 1846) married James Pask. Elizabeth married Thomas Tremewan. Hannah married Henry James Freeman, a watchmaker of Wellington. Nancy married John Mitchell, Sarah married James Taverner Russell and Maria married James Gordon. Eli (jnr) married Mary Morgan, daughter of John Morgan, and the other son was John.
Source: Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road by Arthur H. Carman p127-8.


Elizabeth Buck
Elizabeth was formerly Mrs Harvey, hence the children's names. Elizabeth's maiden name was Coose.
Source: Julie Workman.


The Claphams
Joseph and Sarah Clapham arrived at Wellington in 1842 by the Birman, with their seven children. Sarah (jnr) married Charles Deihl; George remained single and was a clerk in Levin & Coy., and died on 13 June 1894. Ellen married Harry Thompson of Takapu. William Thomas married Mary Ann Bould, sister of Robert Bould. Thomas Henry married Jane Edwards, and their son was George J. Clapham. Elizabeth married William Edwards. Joseph Charles remained single and lived up Ohariu off Stebbings Road, and died in 1902. William Thomas Clapham ran the Half-way House (a hotel) in succession to his father, who died on 8 July 1857, his mother dying on 17 March 1864 aged 71. W. T. Clapham then moved to the Ngahauranga Hotel, which was run by his son until No-licence was carried in 1909--45 years in the family. He died on 9 April 1890, aged 63. Thomas Henry Clapham was proprietor of the Queen's Arms Hotel Molesworth Street, and he died on 18 August 1881, aged 53, and his wife Jane on 23 July 1894 aged 60.
Source: Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road by Arthur H. Carman p72.


John Monk
John Monk is well mentioned in Surgeon Motherwell's diary; he appears to have been a bit of a stirrer, which surgeon Motherwell blames on the fact that he was "sent out at the expense of his parish". This obviously made him the lowest of the low! Incredible the hardships they faced just to get here, and then arriving in the country as it was then, unlikely ever to see England again, and yet they just got on with it, and forged a place for themselves and their families here as best they could. The family eventually settled in Makara. Apparently John and Phoebe's children spoke better Maori than they could speak English, which is understandable.
Source: Liz Monk.


Thomas and Mary Ann Morgan
This couple arrived from Wales with their three eldest children. Four more were born in Wellington. In 1856 they settled in Tawa Flat, building a home (a small, high-pitched roof hut) just north of the stream that runs under the Main Road, just beyond its junction with Tawa Street (old Station Road), on the east side of the road, opposite the Bull and Bush. Thomas Morgan died on 27 August 1875 aged 67, and Mary Ann at the same age six months later (20 February 1876). John Morgan (died on 15 October 1886 aged 53) married Catherine (Kate) Green (died 11 September 1917 aged 74), and they had 16 children. One daughter Mary married Eli Allen junior.
Source: Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road by Arthur H. Carman p112.


William and Ann Nott
William and Ann Nott settled at an early date along the Porirua Road. Mrs Nott died on 3 August 1853. William remarried about 1858 to Emma Judith Martin (aged 25), who had arrived by the Clifton on 17 February 1842. William Nott died on 7 July 1895 aged 81, and his widow at the same age on 3 December 1914. They had six children.
Source: Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road by Arthur H. Carman p79.




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