Website Link


FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FAMILY NAME PLEASE VISIT OUR FAMILY HISTORY WEBSITE - https://titheradgefamilyhistory.wordpress.com/

JOIN OUR FAMILY HISTORY FACEBOOK GROUP, (A GROUP FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE FAMILY NAMES) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/titheradgegenealogy/

ARE YOU RELATED TO ANYONE WITH THE FAMILY NAMES? IF SO PLEASE EMAIL ANN AT titheradgegenealogy@gmail.com

Tuesday 1 November 2016

A Voyage from East Meon to a New Life in New Zealand

East Meon Parish Church


On 27 April 1874 the Euterpe sailed from London, England to Wellington, New Zealand arriving on 30 August 1874.  The voyage took 124 days, a very slow voyage even by the standards of the day.  The arrival in New Zealand was recorded in the local paper, The Evening Post, on 31 August 1874



“The ship Euterpe, 1,105 tons, Captain Phillips, which has been expected hourly during the last six weeks, at length arrived in this harbour last night after a long passage of 124 days. The delay partly has been caused by an accident to the condenser, which compelled her to put in to the Cape of Good Hope for water. She brings 410 immigrants, all in good health; two infants died during the voyage, and six births occurred. A seaman was washed overboard last week; no other serious mishap took place. Immediately on the ship being signalled, the agents, Messrs Turnbull and Co. at once, although it was Sunday, procured an ample supply of fresh meat and vegetables, collected the crew of the S.S. Stormbird, and sent her out to the Euterpe, which she towed safely in by 9 p.m. Messrs Turnbull and Co. deserve great praise for the thoughtfulness and promptitude with which they acted, which we have no doubt will be, duly appreciated both by the immigrants and the Government. The immigrants will not be landed until Wednesday. Sixty will be conveyed to Wanganui by the Stormbird this evening.”



In 1874 thousands of assisted migrants arrived in New Zealand, half coming with government assistance.  The Eutrepe spent a quarter of a century hauling emigrants to New Zealand before she was sold in 1893 and renamed The Star of India. She is now preserved in the San Diego Maritime Museum.  A picture of this magnificent ship can be found at the following link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_India_(ship)#/media/File:Starofindia.jpg


The 409 passengers recorded in the passenger list showed 142 males, 125 females, 66 boys, 59 girls and 17 infants.  Among the passengers are listed
James Tetheridge aged 34
Eliza Tetheridge aged 33
Eliza Tetheridge aged 18
Fanny Tetheridge aged 16
Robert Tetheridge aged 12
William Tetheridge aged 7
James Tetheridge aged 5
Frank Tetheridge aged 3
Harry Tetheridge aged 16 months

At the side is written Total Cost of Passage to the Government £101.10.

Also at the end of the passenger list are three miscellaneous entries under the heading “For advances outfit”.  One reads:-
James Tetheridge April 1874 £5 balance outfit money

I cannot imagine what it must have been like for James and Eliza aboard ship for over 4 months with seven children, four of them under 8 and Eliza must have been pregnant with her son who was born in December of that year. 

So what do we know about James and Eliza Titheridge who left England for a better life on the other side of the world?

James came originally from the village of East Meon in Hampshire. James’ grandfather was Thomas Titheridge (1774-1846).  Thomas married Jane Tee in East Meon where they settled and had six children including William Titheridge, James’ father (1805 -1866).  William married Elizabeth Lee in 1827 and they had fifteen children including James Titheridge born in 1840 in East Meon.

Through the census we can follow James’ life.  On the 1841 census James was 6 months old and living with his parents William and Elizabeth in East Meon, one of six children. By the 1851 census  James was 10 years old  and again living with his parents in Frogmore, East Meon, one of 7 children living at home. On the 1861 census James had left home and was lodging at a cottage in Wymering Farm Yard.   Over the next few years James’ occupations are recorded as agricultural labourer, carter or labourer.  

In 1865 James married Eliza Harfield, a widow, in Catherington.  Eliza’s maiden name was Rossey, she had previously been married to Thomas Harfield.  Thomas died in 1863 leaving her with three children Eliza, Fanny and Robert. The 1871 census shows James married to Eliza and they are living in Waterloo, Hampshire with their eldest three children plus two of Eliza’s children from her first marriage, .

James and Eliza had six children, only the eldest four were born in England and the last two were born in New Zealand.  The first four children were
William born 1866 in Waterloo Hampshire died 1895 in New Zealand
James Augustus born 1867 in Waterloo, Hampshire died  1951 in New Zealand
Frank born 1870 in Catherington, Hampshire died 1942 in New Zealand
Henry born 1872 in Catherington, Hampshire died 1952 in New Zealand

In 1874 James and Eliza sailed to New Zealand  where two more children were born.
Edward born December 1874 in Featherston, New Zealand died 1946. (His birth was registered as Edwin but he was married and died as Edward)
Louisa born 1877 in Geraldine, New Zealand died in 1907

The six Titheridge children all settled and married in New Zealand producing generations of Titheridges.
William, a labourer, married Rosetta Rowe in 1893 at Belfield, Orari and they had two girls.
James, a farmer, married Mary Ann Davidson in 1898 in Christchurch and had 2 boys and one girl.
Frank, a groom and gardener, married Ann Hill in 1904.
Henry, a farmer, married Nellie Matilda Johnson in 1902 and they had one boy one girl.
Edward, a labourer and farmer, married Isabella MacDonald in 1897 and they had two boys and two girls.
Louisa married William McDonald in 1902 and they had two girls.

Eliza and James enjoyed a good long life in their new country.  Eliza died in New Zealand in 1909 aged 72 and is buried in Geraldine Cemetery, while James lived until the age of 83 dying on 23 April 1923.


You may have noticed on the passenger list of the Euterpe the spelling of the surname is TETHERIDGE.  I do not know how many of the family kept this incorrect spelling and how many reverted back to TITHERIDGE.  The majority of descendants have definitely spelt the surname correctly but there were at least 8 births registered in the surname Tetheridge between 1901 and 1911.  Frank and Ann’s death and burial are recorded in the surname Tetheridge as is James and Mary’s wedding in 1900.  Searching the Internet I can only find one living individual with a surname of Tetheridge.  Also on the passenger list the three step children are called Tetheridge although their legal surname was Harfield.  I believe once in New Zealand they resumed the use of their legal name of Harfield.



I know there are many Titheridge descendants in New Zealand, many with a keen interest in genealogy.  If anyone would like to the add to the story by telling how their ancestors faired in this new world, or are able to clarify the surname used please add a comment below or send me an email.

3 comments:

John Tidridge said...

Hey, hey, hey, Ann, you have done it again....good stuff I shall up- date my records by linking to your blog...

Annabelles Travels said...

Although the Harfield children were listed as Titherige on the passenger manifest, this was the only place I have found it, previously in Hampshire and subsequently in NZ they used their own surname, although comments made later in life by their families say that James was a far better father to them, and they were very close to him.
I believe that in the case of the Tetheridge children born in NZ 1895-1911, this is most likely a mis-reading of the name on the original printout by the typists when these were put online. (We don't tell the RG about many of these, as they have a distressing habit of pulling the original documents and replacing them with newly typed copies in a ridiculous format when we order one). It is easy to see how the error can be made with written 'i's.

Ann Titheradge said...

Mispelling of the surname and using the wrong surname certainly provides challenges for genealogists trying to piece together a family tree.