Captain Thomas Wood signed William Young's discharge papers on the 23rd April 1879 in Dunedin. William was then on the next boat home.......leaving Port Chalmers, Dunedin on the 24th April 1879 on the Taranaki. I've found the ships departure reported in the Otago Daily Witness issue dated 3rd May 1879 (it was a weekly newpaper). It's linked, so click to read it! More info about the cargo in the Timaru Herald 9th May 1879 which suggests the Taranaki set sail on the 8th May. And info also in the Otago Witness 12th April 1879.
I've spent the afternoon in the Castletown Heritage Centre with Angela Lewis (one of the Caithness Heritage trust board members who look after Mary-Ann's cottage). All the archives for Mary-Ann's cottage are now stored here. Documents are being slowly archived and filed so info can easily be accessed in the future.
A lot of research had been done in the past by Eric Voice (now passed away). In one folder are 33 of William Young's original discharge papers from his voyages around the world. 10 other originals are held with the Wick Heritage Society. Eric has listed in detailed chronological order William's voyages. Eric summaries that William must have been on many more voyages, but the discharge pages are unaccounted for.
It's from this info that I discovered that William returned home the very next day on the Taranaki with Captain H.P Wight, who recommended William for promotion to Second Mate at the end of the voyage at East India Dock in London (discharge papers signed by Captain Wight on the 23rd July 1879.)
I've spent the afternoon in the Castletown Heritage Centre with Angela Lewis (one of the Caithness Heritage trust board members who look after Mary-Ann's cottage). All the archives for Mary-Ann's cottage are now stored here. Documents are being slowly archived and filed so info can easily be accessed in the future.
A lot of research had been done in the past by Eric Voice (now passed away). In one folder are 33 of William Young's original discharge papers from his voyages around the world. 10 other originals are held with the Wick Heritage Society. Eric has listed in detailed chronological order William's voyages. Eric summaries that William must have been on many more voyages, but the discharge pages are unaccounted for.
It's from this info that I discovered that William returned home the very next day on the Taranaki with Captain H.P Wight, who recommended William for promotion to Second Mate at the end of the voyage at East India Dock in London (discharge papers signed by Captain Wight on the 23rd July 1879.)
Taranaki discharge papers and note of conduct for Captain Wight:
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1 comments:
He certainly didn't stick around in NZ did he! What a wealth of material is pouring in now. I think we need another year to finish! My diary entry for his discharge day reads..."Crewman William Young is discharged from the Westland. Local legend has it that some sailors were not as lucky. Apparently there was a pub with a tunnel, a lady would entice young men in, get them drunk and then, the inevitable, they would wake up at sea."
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