Henry and Ann Timpson · Leaving England · 1886

Departing Cheltenham

There was great excitement in the Timpson household in Cheltenham. The tickets were booked on the Great Western Railroad to London then from London by ship to New Zealand and it was time to leave.

Their plans to travel to the colony resulted from letters written by Ann Timpson’s brother, William Wheelband who had recommended they pay the extra and travel as Cabin Passengers after his and Sarah’s voyage travelling steerage. Of the 340 passengers on board the ship 36 ended up dying of typhoid and other diseases and the ship had to be quarantined on arrival.

The final decision was made after William had promised Henry work in his flourishing nursery business in Temuka until they got established.

William had been elected to the Temuka Licencing Committee in February 1886 and had contacts in the hotel industry. Henry and Ann had discussed and decided that following the success of Mary Ann (Henry’s sister) and James Loweth’s hotel, The Wheel Inn, in Kings Cliffe, that hotelkeeping was something to aim for. Henry and Ann having both assisted the Loweth’s during busy evenings and they understood the general running of the business.

Son Harry William who had an established gardening business in Cheltenham was not intending to go with them as he had met Lois Johnson his future wife. The two elder surviving girls Mary Lizzie and Ada Fanny had good jobs, were not living at home, but said they would follow the rest of the family out later. Maybe they needed to give more notice at work, or were just showing their independence, or possibly did not want to be the child minders on the voyage out.

So Henry and Ann and children Charles, George Herbert, John Thomas, Annie Eliza and Lillie Groome arrived at the railway station with all their luggage.

Henry had studied the map and was sure the changing views would keep the children occupied with the different landscapes and then London itself which must be vast compared to Cheltenham.

Arriving in London

After an exciting journey the family arrived in London, and had dinner at a modest Inn near the docks.

They were astounded by all the dock activity.

The family boarded the ship they would travel on to New Zealand and said farewell to England for ever.

• Learn More about the Timpson family’s Voyage Out to New Zealand.

The Older Sisters Arrive in New Zealand

True to their word Mary Lizzie and Ada Fanny sailed to join their parents and family on 16 July 1887 on the SS Arawa.

SS Arawa

The Arawa was built for Shaw, Saville & Albion by Wm. Denny of Dumbarton in 1884. She was a 5,026 gross ton vessel, with clipper stem, two funnels and four masts, length 439.6 ft x beam 46.3 ft., single screw and a speed of 13 knots. To reduce fuel consumption on the UK – Australia run, she was rigged for sails, being square rigged on the fore and mainmasts and fore and aft rigged on the other two.

• Learn More about the SS Arawa from the National Library of New Zealand
• See additional photographs of the Arawa