Passengers to Natal: Rochester 1862

Arrival of the barque Rochester at Port Natal, 17 November 1862

November 17 - Rochester, barque, Wm Bruce, 393 tons, from London 21 August

PASSENGERS

Cabin

Mr and Miss Atkinson

Mr and Mrs Crossley and 5 children

Mr and Mrs Cartwright

Mr and Mrs Williams

Rev and Mrs Guard and child

Mr Poole

Second Cabin

Nilson

Hodges

Eaglestone

Ferguson

Steerage

Mr and Mrs Henry

Messrs

Fulton

Ridsley

Mr and Mrs Durrant and 3 children

Mr Bremner

John and Samuel Pinder

Mary A Wrightson

Mr and Mrs Smith

Messrs

Lang

McLaren

Braid

Departure: Rochester

23 February for Singapore

PASSENGER

Mr Woody

Three masted barque similar to Rochester

Passengers to Natal per Phantom, 13 July 1858

From the Port Captain's original list:

Cabin 
Dr Wright

Steerage 
Mr and Mrs Bartholomew and 3 children 
Mr and Mrs Butterfield and 1 child 
Mr and Mrs Denel and 5 children 
Mr and Mrs Ford and 5 children 
Mr and Mrs Fowle and 1 child 
Mr and Mrs Horsley and 5 children 
Mr and Mrs Hulett 
Mr and Mrs Holliday and 4 children 
Mr and Mrs Jardine and 6 children 
Mr and Mrs Lindsay and 3 children 
Mr and Mrs Mack and 4 children 
Mr and Mrs McCullock and 4 children 
Mr and Mrs Redshaw and 4 children 
Mr and Mrs Tedder and 3 children 
Mr and Mrs Wilshire and 2 children 
Mr and Mrs Wray and 4 children 
Mr and Mrs Wray and 3 children 
Ann Douglas 
Ann Dolphin 
Sarah Ford 
Lucy Ford 
Ellen Ford 
Esther Holliday 
Mary Hulett 
Sarah Hulett 
Harriot (sic) Hulett 
Margaret McDonald 
Richard and Edmond Dolphin 
John Dyer 
John Holliday 
John Horsley 
June McNamara 
M Regan 
William Sweeny 
George Taylor 
William Whitlock 
Alfred Webb 
George Wray 
Mary Wray 
John Caffen/r

Port Office 
July 13 1858 
William Bell 
Port Captain


Note: over 50 children travelled on this voyage.

Passengers per Leontine Mary and the Ceres brings sugar cane tops Natal 1852

The Natal Mercury 30 Dec 1852 
SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

ARRIVED:
Dec 25 - The Gem, schr, J Glendining from the Cape. J Proudfoot, agent. (General Cargo)

Dec 28 - The Ceres, schr, F Ashton, from Algoa Bay Dec 8, with part cargo from Mauritius. E P Lamport, agent.
Manifest: 45 bgs [bags] sugar, 4 cks [casks] molasses, 10 bgs dates: Evans & Churchill. 300 bgs lime, 5 000 cane tops, 1 bg green ginger: Henderson, Smerdon & Co. 5 000 cane tops: G C Cato. 75 bgs sugar: Breede & Co. 149 bgs sugar: McArthur & Hunter. 45 do. W Lister. 52 do. E Snell. 51 do. H E Knight. 250 bgs & 30 000 cane tops: Feilden & Co. 6 000 cane tops, 1 cs [case] sundries, 1 cs statuary, 4 bgs rice, 213 bgs & 16 casks sugar: W de Terrason.

SAILED
Dec 29 - Leontine Mary, schr, Fuller, to East London and Port Elizabeth. E Snell, agent.
Manifest: 30 tons mealies, 59 bags potatoes and 100 yellow wood planks.
Passengers: Mrs Lofthouse and 2 children, Messrs. Baragwanath, Reed & Miles.

IN PORT 
The Gem, schr, J Glendining J Proudfoot agent.
Ceres, schr, 117, F Ashton. E P Lamport, agent.

VESSELS EXPECTED

Wee Tottie, 150 tons, Robarts, sailed Aug 29th from London
Louisa Maria, 114 tons, Thornton, from London
Roscoe, 200 tons, Ritchie, from London
Margaret Gibson, brge [barge], 163 tons, Robinson, from Liverpool. E P Lamport, agent.
Augustus Schnader, bq [barque], London
Treet (Trent?), bq, 230, A Collett, London
Vibilia, schr 150, W J Robarts, London
Wanderer, 200, Glendining, London via Cape, sailed Oct 2nd.

The Ceres was within 30 miles of the Bluff 12 days ago, but being becalmed, was carried back by the current, and further afterwards by an easterly gale. It will be observed from the manifest that she brings, with other cargo, 46 000 cane tops.

Died
Dec 27th 1852 - Mary Anne, wife of Mr Forsyth.

First public auction of sugar at Durban 23 June 1855;
Robert Acutt auctioneer.
 (Illustrated London News)

Passenger arrivals and departures at Natal in 1852

The Natal Witness 23 January 1852 reported:

ARRIVED
The Duo, brig, Captain Eneroth, from Cape Town.
Passengers
Messrs.
Cloete
Meurant (45th Regt.)
Marru
Phipson (and 2 children)
Fairbridge
Fenton
Mrs. Searle and four children
Miss Scott
One servant
One soldier (45th Regt.)

INSIDE
Devonian, E. P. Lamport, agent
Iris, J. Millar and Co. Agent

OUTSIDE
Typhena (sic - error for Tryphena)

Natal Witness 20 February 1852

Arrived
Feb. 11 - Elizabeth Jane, from Mauritius, and sailed the 13th inst. for Port Elizabeth and Cape Town
Feb. 15 - Mayflower, Captain Langmair from London

INSIDE
Devonian, E.P. Lamport, agent
Iris, J. Millar and Co. agent
Rosebud, H. Jargal, agent

OUTSIDE
Trent, J. Brown, agent
Mayflower, J. Millar and Co. agents

Natal Witness 15 March 1852

Sailed
Mayflower, J. Millar and Co. agents

Arrived
March 11 - Wanderer, N. Glendining, from Algoa Bay.
Passengers
Mrs. Adendorff (sic) and two children
Mrs. Jones, five children and servant.  J. Proudfoot, agent.

March 15 - Larne, schooner, from London, Mr. F. Simmons, master, for Comoro Islands, put in for water.

March 15 - Gem, J. Glendining, from Table Bay.
Passengers
Mr. A. J. De Kock and family and J. De Kock and family
Rev. Mr. Appleyard and Mrs. Appleyard
Mrs. Snell
Mr. and Mrs. Field and family
Misses Bresler
S. De Kock
Revs. Dunn, Sabor, Logegary, and Allard
Messrs. Bompain, Herbert, Moore, and Long.
J. Proudfoot, agent.

INSIDE
Wanderer, Gem and Larne.

Natal Witness 20 August 1852

Arrived
August 14th - Sir Robert Peel, Royal Mail Steamer, 233 tons, Captain J. Boxer from Table Bay and Algoa Bay 11 August, to this port. Cargo sundries.
Passengers
Mr. and Miss Fairbridge and servant
Mr. Thompson and son
Mr. Symons
Lieut. Inglis, R.E.

Brings a Cape Mail. Crossed the bar on the 16th inst. E. Snell, agent. Reports the Ceres having sailed on the 30th July with the English mail for May and June.

INSIDE
Sir Robert Peel, steamer, J. Boxer, for Algoa Bay and Table Bay To sail on Saturday. E. Snell, Agent.

OUTSIDE
Bydal, (sic, Rydal?) for Mauritius, E. P. Lamport, Agent

VESSELS EXPECTED
From London - Narcissus and Hannah From the Cape - Ceres, Rosebud and City of Rotterdam

NATAL WITNESS OCT 1852

ARRIVED
October 7th - Sir Robert Peel, Royal Mail Steamer, 234 tons, John Boxer, from Table Bay. Cargo - sundries.
Passengers
Captain Smales and family
Messrs:
Kuhr
Brown
Stratton
Amyot
Goodricke
Gain
Buck
and another

STEERAGE:
Mr. Stretch

VESSELS EXPECTED:
From the Cape: Lord Auckland, steamer, Sanspareil and Sarah Bell
From London: President and Wee Tottie

NATAL WITNESS OCT 12

SAILED
Sir Robert Peel, steamer, to Port Elizabeth and the Cape
Passengers for Port Elizabeth (in the Cabin)
Capt. Messum

Mrs Appleyard

Rev. Mr. Appleyard, wife and child

STEERAGE
Messrs.
Stretch
Hirst
Caldwell
Bruton
Hernes, wife and four children
For the Cape (in the Cabin) -
The Lieutenant Governor
Mr Christopher
Mrs. Christopher, child and servant
Messrs
Burge
Taats

STEERAGE
Messrs
Heys
Crowder
Williams
and five shipwrecked seamen

VESSELS EXPECTED
From the Cape - Lord Auckland, steamer, Sanspareil, Sarah Bell and Rosebud
From the Mauritius (sic) - Ceres
From London - President and Wee Tottie

Passenger list: Ballangeich to Natal 1850

Arrival of the Ballangeich was reported in The Natal Witness 2 July 1850:

SHIPPING AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE

ARRIVED 
July 26th - Ballangeich, Ship, Captain Liddell, from London with Emigrants; 
left Gravesend, on the 17th, and the Downs on the 19th May;
and arrived off this Port on the 26th ult. 
July 27th - Sandwich, Brig, Peddie, from London with Emigrants. 
July 29th - Border Maid, Schooner, from Cape Town.

SAILED 
July 29th - Gem, Schooner, Glendinning, to Cape. 
July 29th - Douglas, Schooner, Clarkson, to Cape Town.

IN PORT 
Sandwich.

OUTSIDE 
Conquering Hero, Henrietta, Ballangeich, and Border Maid.

VESSELS EXPECTED 
From London 
Coromandel, Justina, Nile. 
From Glasgow 
Ontario. 
From Liverpool 
Henry Warburton. 
From Hull 
Palace, Haidee. 
From Launceston 
Lalla Rookh. 
From Cape Town 
Sarah Bell, Rosebud, Water Witch. 
From Mauritius 
Natal (ship)

List of Passengers per Ballangeich, 68 days from London. E. Morewood, Esq., Agent. 
C Owen 
TS Hopley 
R Salter 
Wm Newman 

I (or J) Reed 
J Dryden and family 
T Arnold 
Jane Arnold 
Jane Arnold (infant) 
T Ordish 
W Ordish 
J Green 
E Green 
Robert Surtees 
Ralph Robson 
HGL Smith 
CC Dennis 
Emma Dennis 
EF Dennis 
PJH Zohrab and family 
WJ Coltam 
J Denize 
E Coward 
J Coward 
R Short 
R Chapman 
F Hammond 
Joshua Upton 
R Hodgson 
WA Hodgson 
WF Russell 
JH Brooks 
David Sparks 
Hannah Newell 
Eliz Newell 
JH Davis 
H Davis 
GC Cato, agent for the ship.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE 
Christenings 
On the 29th July, by the Rev James Green, daughter of William Peters, pensioned from the 45th Regiment, and Ann, his wife, christened Mary Ann.

Wreck of the Luna Natal 1880

Another Wreck on the Back Beach: Natal Mercury 6 September 1880

On Friday afternoon (Sept 2) some sensation was created in town by a rumour to the effect that another ship had been driven ashore on the back beach, and become a wreck. On further inquiry the rumour proved true, and though the day was inclement, large parties were to be seen winding their way to the back beach to witness the struggles of the schooner Luna, after parting her anchor at the outer anchorage, in drifting slowly towards the shore. The Luna is a schooner of Elsfleth, 22 tons, (Captain) Grube, and arrived at this port with a general cargo, Messrs. J.T. Rennie acting as agents.

It was at 2.30 when the flag-staff on the Bluff signalled the danger of the vessel, when, with a promptitude that was highly commendable, the port officials under Captain Airth were at once on the beach, and by means of signals directed the vessel to the shore, just at the end of West Street East. A south-easterly gale was blowing at the time, and though all possible efforts were made by the men on board to get the ship's head to the wind and brave the blast, the attempt was fruitless, and a little after 3 o'clock the vessel was stranded, where pointed out by the pilot.

The rocket apparatus was quickly put into use, and though the vessel was rolling violently amid the huge breakers, the line was got through the rigging; but here again, as in the case of a ship stranded a short time since, the crew seemed quite unable to understand the working of the apparatus until Mr. Chiazzari boldly plunged into the waves, and by following the line of the apparatus was able to get on board, where he at once had things put in order, and in a short time the crew was landed.

Though there was a thick drizzling rain and rather a stiff breeze blowing, there was a large concourse of people on the back beach, and help was willingly tendered by all in assisting the crew ashore. All were loud in their praise yesterday of the expert style in which the work was performed by the port officials.

The officer in charge of the rocket apparatus complains of the manner in which the public crowd round coming inside the rope, and preventing the men from performing their duty. Much valuable time is thereby lost. As in many instances precious lives depend upon promptitude of action by those on shore, it would be as well if this were kept in mind in future.

Late at night the vessel was rolling heavily among the breakers within 50 yards of the shore. The opinion is that she will become a wreck.


This later proved to be the case. The Luna, a British brig (referred to as a schooner in the Mercury) of 184 tons, built in the Sunderland yards, was on a voyage from London. The rocket apparatus at Natal once again proved the means of preventing any loss of life in the shipwreck. Mr Chiazzari was of the firm of Landing Agents, Harcombe & Chiazzari.

Passengers to Natal: the Catherine 1862

Arrival of Catherine at Port Natal 8 March 1862

List of Government Emigrants per Ship Catherine, Captain R Pattie, 493 tons, departed London Nov 5, Portland Dec 3.

48 emigrants per list annexed. Departed again May 25 bound for Akyab.

Cabin passengers:
Mr and Mrs Eridge

List of Government immigrants per ship Catherine
 (here given as Catharine)
Natal, March 1862

Passengers: 
Black, William 
Black, Jane 
Bouham, Thomas 
Bouham, Emma 
Bouham, Tom 
Bouham, Mary 
Bouham, John 
Bouham, infant 
Cooper, Mark 
Hind, John 
Hind, Sarah 
Hind, Mary 
Hind, James 
Hind, C. Larison (?) 
Hind, John 
Hind, Charlotte 
Hind, William 
Hind, Arthur 
Fox, Edmund 
Fox, John 
Huggins,Thomas 
Huggins, George 
Huggins, Ellen 
Jones, Richard 
Magnus, John 
Magnus, Sarah 
Magnus, Sarah 
Magnus, George 
Magnus, Elizabeth 
Magnus, Harriet 
Milton, William 
Northern, William 
Northern, Emma 
Philliplis (?), Arthur 
Seymour, Cayo 
Seymour, Mary Ann 
Seymour, John 
Seymour, Charles 
Seymour, Eliza 
Seymour, Vincent 
Seymour, Henry 
Seymour, Arthur 
Stanley, Fred 
Walker, William 
Walker, Elizabeth 
Walker, Helen 
Walker, Mary Ann 
White, Jamey 
White, Mary Ann 

In all 48 emigrants.

Passengers to Natal: the D'Urban 1862

ARRIVAL OF THE BARQUE D'URBAN AT PORT NATAL 9 January 1862

January 9 - D'Urban, barque, Mornilyon, 391 tons, from London, November 17

PASSENGERS
Cabin
Burnhill
S Benboro
Messrs
James Brown
Wood
BJ Cullingworth
Betsy Ann Benboro
Varley
Baxter
Cullingworth
AC Hawkins
CG Hawkins
AC Hawkins
JC Hawkins
L Hawkins
E Hawkins
and 1 infant
Eliz Grice
J Stott
C Middleton
J Phillips
S Rolleston
C Rooke
Jas Crawford
S Rolleston
C Rooke
Jas Crawford

Second class
A Morley
Rowland
A Phillips
AR Ashe
D Tunmer

Private passengers:
W Bordedale
J Cruickshank
J Crawford
G Cooke
J Crossley
A Davidson
J Garbutt
J Green
F Hawksley
T Hunt
Richard W Moxon, Sarah Anne
Wm G Passmore, Anne, Evelyn, Edwin, Ellen, Annabella Passmore
R Roberts
J Robertson
J Shaw
G Smith, Herbert, Charles Smith
HS Williams
Lomsa (2)
Elizabeth Francis, Henry, Thos, William Williams
Fred, Wm, Emma, John Elizabeth Wilson

The barque D'Urban

Passengers to Natal: Rydal 1854

Natal Mercury October 11 1854

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

The 'Rydal' - This fine barque, which arrived in the outer anchorage on Wednesday afternoon, crossed the Bar without difficulty on Sunday.

ARRIVED

Natal Mercury 11 Oct 1854

October 4th - Rydal, bq., 

Capt J Robbins - from Liverpool

PASSENGERS                               

Cabin

Mrs Allen and 4 children            

Miss Allen and servant

Mr and Mrs Methley

Mr Nettleship

Mr GW Newmarch

Mr Atkinson

Steerage

Mr and Mrs Solomon and child

Mrs Mack, son and daughter

Messrs

Hardman

Gibson

EP Lamport, agent.

Manifest list [see image]

SAILED

October 7 - Cape of Good Hope

screw-steamer, 700 tons

Captain Lowen - for Table Bay.

PASSENGERS

Saloon to Cape Town

Captain Gawler

Mr Burrows

Capt Gawler's servant on deck

Fore-cabin, Cape

Mr Boyne

Mrs Collier, child and infant

To Algoa Bay

Mr McCorkindale

Manifest list

IN PORT

Spirit, schr, 84 tons, - Milner - from London

Milner Bros, agents.

Princeza, 3-masted schr.,149 tons, - Gordon - from Liverpool

EP Lamport, agent.

Rydal, bq., - Captain J Robbins, - from Liverpool,

EP Lamport, agent.

VESSELS EXPECTED

Natal, scr.-stm., 700 tons, - from Table Bay

E Snell, agent.

Gitans, schr., - Duncan, - from Cape.

J Brown, agent.

Pantaloon, 260 tons, - from London, - to sail about the 15th July.

John Millar and Co., agents.

Lady of the Lake, bq. - Scott - from London, - to Sail in July

E Snell, agent.

Wreck of the Annabella, Port Natal 1856

Annabella Bank

The ship Annabella, 200 tons, Capt. Louis Wilson, arrived on the 21^st January [1856]. She was unable to come inside until the 26^th, when she crossed the Bar in charge of a Pilot, with the Master at the wheel, and attended by a steady N.E. breeze. There was said to have been 16 foot of water on the Bar, but,  there being a moderate sea on, she touched between the swells, lost steerage way, and drifted on to the Lee Bank, where she was taken aback in an unsuccessful attempt to make a stern board (i.e. get off backwards), and so swing round head to sea. Notwithstanding attempts to move her, she hung on the bank all night.

The crew were landed, and next morning she was found to have 8 feet of water in her hold. Heavy seas had set in and her seams having opened, all hope of her floating again was abandoned, though efforts were made to discharge her cargo of general merchandise, the greater part of which was damaged and passed under the hammer of Mr. Auctioneer Acutt, who disposed of the hull and cargo left on board on the 4^th February.

Captain L Wilson eventually settled here with his wife and family, and became a Burgess of Durban on establishing a Ship Chandler’s business at the Point, where he has been succeeded by his son, Mr L J Wilson.

The Annabella, not so fortunate as the Princess, gave her name to that locality, and the Annabella Bank became, in all Harbour Board records and reports, synonymous with the earlier Lee Bank. The existing North Pier passes over the site of the disaster and marks the grave of the Annabella. The Lee Bank has, in consequence, asserted its prior rights, calls Nature to its aid, and continually obtrudes itself in unexpected places to the perplexity of Engineers and navigators.

[G.Russell's History of Old Durban]

Passenger Lists Natal: John Bright 1851

Arrival of the barque John Bright at Natal

Natal Witness 16 May 1851

John Bright, barque, 290 tons, Captain Mills, from London, arrived on 8 May 1851 but was kept waiting outside in the roadstead, being unable to cross the Bar due to lack of wind until 12 May, when the weather at the Port was cloudy but with a fine breeze. Her agent was H. Milner.

She reportedly carried 58 passengers but this doesn’t tally with the number listed in the column:

Abrelpha (?) William

Boemun J F

Brockman Henry

Brockman Joseph

Cumpston -

Clerk Andrew

Clerk Ann

Imrel -

Crowder Benjamin

Crowder Samuel

Crowder Mary

Crowder Sarah

Davidson -

Duncan Mary Ann

Duncan A

Duncan H W

Duncan E

Exall Henry, wife and 4 children

Grouthead Samuel

Gurby Peter

Hunter James

Hunter Caroline

Hilliard Charles

Hute (?) David, wife & child

King Charles

Rowell Frederick

Parry J G

Purse Stephen

Palfreyman Wm

Stevens F P, wife and 2 children

Schofield James

Smith J B

Scott Edward

Scott R

Scott N

Stuart Caroline and 4 children

Stuart T

Stuart M E

Stuart A

Wright H J

Wilson James

Webb F G

Webb Sarah

Young George

Arriving a day earlier, 7 May 1851, was the Lady Sale, brig, Captain Young, from Glasgow, carrying Mr W T Sanderson, one of the vessel's agents.

John Bright

Ships named Natal

In 1852 the General Screw Steamship Company, which already ran a mail service between England and South Africa, obtained the contract for carrying mails between Cape Town and Natal, with coastal stops. Two years later, in March 1854, the Natal, of 680 tons burthen, put in her first appearance on this route. The Natal Mercury 12 April 1854 described her as ‘a remarkably fine vessel, and besides having capacity for a large cargo … she possesses ample and elegant accommodation for passengers’. Her commander was Captain LOWEN.

She was not long seen in South African waters, however, as the General Screw Company withdrew from the Cape, and disappeared altogether in 1857. The Natal and her sister ship, the Cape of Good Hope, returned to England. Later, the Natal was chartered to the French Government, and finally wrecked on the Spanish coast in March 1855 on her way to the Crimea.

Ship arrivals and departures at Natal for year
ending October 1866. Several of the ships mentioned in
this post appear listed.

The Union-Castle Line coaster, also named Natal, was built in 1866, ten years after her namesake’s demise. This new ship, of 618 tons, was designed so as to be able to cross the notorious Bar at Durban’s harbour entrance, no matter what tide was running. Her career began inauspiciously when her captain, RIDSDALE, fell overboard and drowned during a voyage to Cape Town.  Transferred to the Zanzibar Line in 1873, the Natal was first overhauled and painted yellow, after which she went on a cruise to Saldanha Bay carrying some distinguished passengers among whom was Sir John MOLTENO, the Cape Premier.

This Natal had a varied career, including some years in the Australian coastal trade; subsequently she had Siamese owners, before being sold to a Dutch East Indian company, who renamed her Srie Bandjar.  A ship with an identity crisis, she later became the Libertas and then the Alava, under Spanish ownership.  In 1905 she was wrecked in the Philippine Islands.

Natal Star was among Rennie's Aberdeen Clippers.
Advertisement 1867.

There was yet another Natal: not to be confused with either of the above, this was a sailing vessel, one of Scottish shipowner John T Rennie’s ‘Aberdeen Direct’ clippers. The first of this line to sail the direct route from England to Natal was L’Imperatrice Eugenie, departing November 1858 and arriving at Durban on January 21 1859. It was such a successful venture that Rennie had further ships built specifically for the Natal direct route; they were barques of under 500 tons, of beautiful proportions, and included the Prince Alfred, Tugela, Transvaal, Natal, Quathlamba and Maritzburg.  One of Rennie’s clippers on the same route was named Natal Star.

A three-masted schooner of 216 tons, also named Natal, was reported in The Natal Mercury as arriving from London on October 5 1862, under Captain SPENCE, with about 15 passengers; her agent was J BROWN. This may have been a private charter.

The Cape and Merchants’ Line had a steamer called the Natal Merchant, about 1300 tons, in the 1880s. And, in 1865 there was a coaster called Natalian operating between the Cape and Natal as part of the Diamond Line – a company whose light flickered briefly and was extinguished in 1867.