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 The 'Joseph Fletcher'

to New Plymouth and Auckland in 1854

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, 25 October 1854, Page 4
NEW PLYMOUTH. [From the Taranaki Herald, October 11.]
The fine ship Joseph Fletcher, of Messrs. Willis & Co.'s line of packets, arrived here direct from England on Wednesday evening last, having 60 passengers, 25 of whom remain here, the rest being for Auckland.
    The Joseph Fletcher left Gravesend on the 19th June, and from stress of weather was obliged to put into Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, where she remained two days. Just before passing the Needles saw the Himalaya, Royal Mail steamer, aground, and made the Land's End 2nd July. Arrived off the Cape on the 1st September, and sighted New Zealand at 5 o'clock on the morning of the 3rd inst. — making the passage in 93 days.
    Mr. Charles Hursthouse, well known as one of the earlier settlers of this district, returned from England by the Joseph Fletcher. This gentleman for years past has been in England the untiring advocate of New Zealand emigration, and by his writings and lectures has materially contributed to the colonization of the settlement. He was warmly welcomed by all his old friends.
    We understand that Mr. Hursthouse's visit is only a temporary one, and that he is about to make the tour of the settlements with the view of bettering his information of the present position and prospects of the different districts of New Zealand previous to his return to England to resume his labours. The Joseph Fletcher landed forty tons of cargo, during Thursday and Friday, and left here for Auckland by mid-day on Saturday.

Taranaki Herald, 11 October 1854, Page 2
Arrived. October 4.— Joseph Fletcher, ship, 672 tons, Foster, from London. Passengers — C. Hursthouse Esq., Mr. Naylor, Mr. & Mrs. Johnstone, Mr. and Mrs. Knight, and two sons, Miss Knight, Mr. Goddard, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and three children. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Touet and two children, two Misses Touet, Mr. E. Touet, Messrs. Shaw, Wright, Jago, and R. Rowe. -L, Nash & Co., agents.

SAILED.
October 3 — Eclipse, ship, Laing, for Shanghai.
October 7 — Joseph Fletcher, ship, 672 tons, J. Foster, for Auckland. Passengers — D. McLean, Esq., and Mr McDonnell.

Daily Southern Cross, 17 October 1854, Page 2
PORT OF AUCKLAND.

Entered Inwards. October 13 — Joseph Fletcher, ship, 900 tons, Captain John Foster, from London via New Plymouth. Passengers —
Mr. and Mrs. Andcock
William and Mary Andcock
Edward Bartley
Mr. and Mrs. Bartley
Emma, Julia, and Walter Bartley
Mr. & Mrs. Brown
Arthur, Catherine, and William Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Daniell
Mr. and Mrs. Ewen
Mr. C. Ewen
Mr. & Mrs. Flynn
Messrs. W. H., W. J , and G. G. Flynn
Thomas Goddard
Thomas Harvey
Mr. & Mrs. Hodhn
Mr Charles Hursthouse
Henry Ireland
Joseph Jago
Mr. and Mrs. Johnstone
Mary Kirby
Mr. & Mrs. Knight
Elizabeth Jane, John H., and H. D. Knight
Misses Isabella and Alexina Meams
Mrs. Millar
Mr. and Mrs. Motion
Margaret, Helen, William, Margaret, and Jane Motion
Mr. Peter Naylor
Amelia Overton
Charles Overton
William Rhodes
R. Rure
Mr. Scholly
Samuel Sharr
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
John D. Smith
Matilda Smith
Jessie and Barbara South
Elizabeth Stonehouse
Arabella Stonehouse
Mr. and Mrs. Tonet
Jane, G., E., John, Jane, Elizabeth, M. Jane, and J. Mary Anne Tonet
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace
Mr. and Mrs. J. Wallace
James, Catherine, Margaret and Andrew Wallace
Solomon Westaby
John Wright
— Brown and Campbell, agents.

Taranaki Herald, 18 November 1899, Page 1
AS OLD TARANAKI SONG.
An old resident of Taranaki has forwarded us a song composed by the late Charles Hursthouse in the early days of the settlement. This song, with its spirited chorus, was generally sung by local amateurs at all public dinners, &c, "in the days that were," and may probably recall old memories to some of the pioneers who are still alive. It ran us follows :—

The passing moments to beguile,
To cheer our spirits, raise a smile,
Though rude the verse and rough the lays,
We'll sing in Taranaki's praise -
And soon we'll prove in doggrel rhymes,
Despite the dulness of the times,
That of all places on the coast,
We surely have best cause to boast.

Chorus — So banish care and don't despair;
Of fortune in this place so rare;
But in a bumper pledge the toast;
New Plymouth fair  - New Zealand's boast.

We've famous land for him who tills;
To grind our corn we've got good mills;
We've churches for the orthodox,
And for the sinners gaols and stocks;
We've lowering herds on every side,
Hapuka in every tide;
And as for fruit, the place is full
Of that delicious bull-a-bull.

Chorus — So banish, etc, etc.

We've coal, jet black on yonder hill,
Manganese close by the mill;
Sulphur near old Egmont's base,
And iron-sand all o'er the place;
Nickel, too, if we are right,
Signs of silver, rich and bright ;
And where's the man who dare to tell,
But that a gold mine's there as well?

Chorus — So banish, etc, etc.

A noble steed we have to ride :
'Scrutator'—ass in lion's hide.
To strike the whale with harpoon true,
We've Barrett and his hardy crew;
Our flagging spirits soon we cheer,
With Secombe's stout, and George's beer ;
Nor fetch tobacco from afar,
Whilst Nairn can twist the mild cigar.

We've gallant hearts and maidens fair ;
A climate that's beyond compare ;
Crystal waters, noble wood ;
In truth—we've everything that's good.
So nothing more we need to add,
To prove the sin of being sad ;
But gaily here through life we'll rub,
And merrily meet at the Farmer's Club.

CHORUS. 
Then banish care and don't despair
Of fortune in this place so rare ;
But in a bumper pledge the toast:
New Plymouth fair—New Zealand's boast.

Evening Post, 23 November 1876, Page 2
One of the ablest, pleasantest, and most prolific writers on New Zealand, and one of the most energetic and successful emigration agents this colony yet has possessed — Mr. Charles F. Hursthouse— died last evening. It is sad to have to state that his career found its termination in the Mount View Lunatic Asylum, whither he was removed some months ago, his mind having completely given way owing to some insidious disease of the brain. The late Mr. Hursthouse was an "early settler" in Taranaki, and wrote a number of highly - attractive pamphlets on that province, which he delighted to dub ''The Garden of New Zealand." His best and most widely known work, however, was "New Zealand the Britain of the South," which has attained a degree of popularity never approached by any similar work. Written throughout in a pleasant, and interesting, and eminently readable strain, conveying information generally accurate, if perhaps a little too much couleur de rose, that book was devoured with eagerness by intending emigrants, and led many who, although dissatisfied with their position in England, yet never would have dreamed of such a formidable step as emigrating, to look on it merely as a picnic excursion on a large scale, ultimately resulting in their comfortable establishment in more comfortable circumstances than of yore. Nor was his influence in this direction exerted solely through his pen. When visiting England in the year 1856 and 1857, he was accustomed to receive intending colonists, at stated days and hours in a room set apart for him by his London publishers, Messrs. Stanford, where he furnished information and advice to them, charging a fee of one guinea. Of late years he has written but little, with the exception of occasional communications to the local newspapers, and in these the symptoms of his malady first manifested themselves in an inveterate tendency to insert a comma after every third word in his letters. His eccentricities rapidly developed into pronounced mental derangement, and the cerebral disease made steady progress until it resulted in his death, last evening. Mr. Hursthouse was greatly liked and esteemed by all who knew him, and his melancholy end will be widely lamented.

Evening Post, 11 March 1909, Page 3
Charles Wilson Hursthouse was born in 1841 in England, and was only some 18 months old when he landed in Wellington with his parents on the 31st January, 1843. The family moved north to New Plymouth, arriving at their new home in April, 1843. Young Hursthouse joined the Provincial Government Survey Department on the 28tb March, 1855, entering the service as a cadet. In 1858 he was promoted to the position of assistant surveyor and clerk in the same department. In 1860 he was chosen to carry out the survey of a block of land at Waitara...

Evening Post, 30 September 1914, Page 2
In recording the death of Mrs. Hempton (widow of the late Captain Hempton) the Taranaki Herald says that she was born in the year - 1826 at Buncrana, by the shore of Loch Swilly, County Donegal. With her husband she arrived at Wellington in December, 1854, by the ship Puddgy Dawson, and reached New Plymouth a fortnight later in the Matilda (Captain Swan), having been attracted to these shores by the reading of Charles Hursthouse's book entitled "Account of the Settlement of New Plymouth, in New Zealand, during a five years' residence, 1849." Mrs. Hempton was amongst the number sent to Nelson as refugees in 1860. Three sons predeceased her (including Mr. J. H. Hempton, the one-time champion sprinter, who was fatally injured in a motor accident a few weeks ago), and she leaves three daughters (Annie, Alice, and Mrs. Newman), one son (Arthur), and five grandchildren to mourn their loss.

His books are online.

The cat probably introduced itself from some early ship. Like every other alien animal introduced into this teeming country, it has taken full possession of the soil; and, like the dog, has multiplied beyond due limits. Charles Hursthouse,1857