Pollok downunder

[shaigh]

In 1863 about 100 Pollokshaw parishoners, plus the elders and the minister, emigrated en masse to Auckland New Zealand on the Ganges, arriving October 1863.
They got government land grants for each adult and child and set up a community on a the Awhitu peninsula not far (these days anyway) from Auckland. They named the settlement Pollok. The land was not very good but most stayed and broke it in.
In 2013 the Pollok people are planning to stage a re-enactment of the landing of these emigrants at Pollok.
I have a copy of a diary written by a cabin passenger on this voyage and a book is to be published on the voyage this month.

Coincidentally some friends of mine recently purchased the old Pollok church, no longer used, and are starting to restore it. The plan is for it to be included in the re-enactment next year.

here is a link about the history if anyone would like to look

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.anc ... ollok.html

My own greatgrandfather, from Renfrew not Pollokshaws, also emigrated on this same ship and joined the militia for in the NZ Wars, settling on his allocated land in the Waikato.

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings Sue.

Without looking at a map, I would think that Renfrew / Pollockshaws is considerably less than 10 miles, while Pukeroro / Pollok would be closer to 75 miles, or more, and differing Counties to boot, even today. I'ts quite a way out to the coast depending which way you get there. Back then it would have been via the mighty Waikato River, for most of the journey.

On this search you will find other interesting sites with items about Pollok, Franklan County, North Island New Zealand.

http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=pollok ... CAkQpwUoAQ

Alan SHARP.

[Currie]

Hello Sue,

In the Glasgow Herald, from January 16, 1864, (page 6) over several issues, was published a daily journal of the voyage that had been kept by one of the passengers who had formerly been in the newspaper business. Is that the same journal? No sign of it being transcribed and put online.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=G ... page&hl=en

All the best,
Alan

[shaigh]

Hello Alan

Thank-you for the reference - I has been looking for that!
Yes - this is the diary. I have a copy of it - was written by a journalist emigrant named Buchanan travelling in the main cabin with 4 of his children.

A book which i am assuming is based on this diary was supposed to have been published in the UK yesterday (or is it today over there?)
Here is the link which includes an image of the cover.

http://www.booksfromscotland.com/Books/ ... =viewCover

The Pollok community here is an interesting one as it is almost a transplanted community with so many from Pollokshaws coming at once and having been encouraged by the minister who had visited earlier.
I gather there is some mystery about what happened to the Rev Smith as he left the district a few years after arriving.

Regards
Sue

[mulberry]

I hope I can add something appropriate to the Pollok theme. My home was in Pollokshaws Glasgow until I became exiled to England many years ago. I have a book on Old Pollokshaws and there may be some interesting pics there. While researching my family McFeeters I found the return of a native from New Zealand in the 1901 census for Staffordshire England. He did not go with the first migrants in 1863 and when he returned I do not know but he had four children born in New Zealand between 1876 and 1881. This Robert McFeeters was born in Erskine Renfrewshire. As already realised Renfrew is no great distance from Pollokshaws,probably about three miles as I have walked it myself. It may also be interesting to note that Shand is a familiar name in the "Shaws" My own niece being married to a John Shand. Would the author of 'New Zealand' "The early history of Pollok" mind if I copied it to send to New Zealand as I still have family there from my sister who emigrated with her husband in 1952 they may be interested in this history and may even know of Pollok.
rachel

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings Rachel. "mulberry"

I've started a new thread, on the NZ forum, incase there are some search options there that you have not tried, for the surname McFEETERS.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16756

Alan SHARP.

[mulberry]

=D> Thanks for your reply Alan and the interesting links to New Zealand. The shipping news brought a touch of nostalgia for the place names that I visited on my trip down under in 1986.How I long to make another. I trawled through some of the records as far as I could without the right links. I will try again as I am particularly interested in the four who were born in NZ. Although they returned with their father I have a feeling that at least 2 returned to NZ. My sister(now deceased) lived at several places in NZ including the Bay of Plenty. Her daughter currently lives at Kaiwaka. I also have a niece who was born in Pollokshaws currently living in Newton Mearns Renfrew has the married name of Shand,small world. Your interest is much appreciated.
rachel

[shaigh]

Hi Rachel

Which NZ history of Pollok do you mean?

Sue

[mulberry]

It was the one supplied by Ancestry with an acknowledgement to "Daphne Friis" I came in rather late in the discussion and possibly did not explain myself properly .As it was an Ancestry article which you found perhaps I should just forget it as we must not infringe on copyright. Nevertheless thanks for all the interesting articles about Pollokshaws Glasgow and Pollok NZ. By the way in 1863 Pollokshaws was not considered a district of Glasgow but was addressed as Pollokshaws Renfrewshire.
rachel