A wedding and … some mysteries When brothers Hugh and James WYLIE and Teresa/Caroline SWIFT embarked on the SHALIMAR in Liverpool in September 1859, I wonder if Hugh and Teresa/Caroline already knew each other. Were they already planning to wed during the voyage or did a shipboard romance blossom, leading to their marriage less than a month out from England?  The bride’s given name is variously recorded as Teresa and Caroline, but here, let’s suppose Teresa is correct.  As I haven’t been able to locate a complete list of the details that were recorded about each passenger when they embarked, there is no way of knowing how old Teresa and Hugh were or where they came from. I suspect they either met on the ship or immediately before embarking. Why they didn’t marry before they said farewell to their friends and families can only be speculated at. It’s easier to imagine why they decided to get married among their fellow passengers rather than get married on arrival in Au...

When the SHALIMAR left Liverpool bound for Auckland in September 1859, there were probably as many reasons for facing the perils of the 100+-day voyage and the uncertainties of settling in a new land as there were adult passengers on board. Undoubtedly, the occupations with which the passengers embarked weren’t necessarily what they would end up doing when they reached New Zealand. Edward Leyland is an intriguing example. Born in Yorkshire in 1828 or 1830, he was one of 4 sons employed by their father in his prosperous woollen mill in Halifax. In the English census of 1851, Edward is a ‘worsted spinner and manufacturer’. He married Emma Hughes in 1855 and they had two sons before Edward decided to come to New Zealand. As often happened, he came alone, presumably to check out the best place to settle and to get established. Emma and the children arrived on the Queen of the North in July 1862. I wonder if he took his family to where he was living in Hunua when he had registered to v...