John Thomson (1809 - 1896)

Born 17 Sep 1809 in Kergord, Weisdale, Shetland, Scotland

Husband of Mary (Law) Thomson — married 29 Nov 1838 in Hellister, Whiteness, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom

Died 13 Nov 1896 at age 87 in New Zealand

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Biography

Died 13 NOV 1896. NZL^[1]

Buried Presbyterian Churchyard, Halkett, Canterbury, NZL.

Census: 1851 Resident at 3 Kergord, Weisdale.^[2]

Occupation: Farmer.

Notes

Emigrated to New Zealand with his wife and family on “Rakaia”, which sailed from the Clyde on 7th September 1877, and arrived at Canterbury on 10th December 1877.

John Thomson wrote to William (his son-in-Law) and Margaret (still in Shetland) from Lyttelton on 26th February 1878 – in the letter he briefly describes the voyage aboard the “Rakaia”: “I need not say much about our Pasage we were 91 days the most of the Voyage was good weather only after we passed the Cap of good hope we had strong winds & cold weather & one day we passed 5 large icebergs – we got plenty of Victules & our old wife was able to make her stocking every day Hugh Nicholson wife & 3 boys was in the mease with us…”.

Included in John Thomson’s letter (26th February 1878, Lyttelton) to his son-in-law and daughter, William and Margaret Nicolson (still in Shetland), was news of William’s family since disembarking the “Rakaia” a couple of months earlier, “…as far as I know your father & family is all well but we have not seen any of them since we were landed for your people went to the Depot & from there they went to a place on the Plains Called South Bridge where your father is got work at building wood houses & they have bought one one Acre of land & is going to build a house on it your Sisters is all gone to Service & is to get from £25 to £30 per year – your brother Hugh was stoping with a farmer Closs to A. Hunters & getting £1 and pound per week – but he is left there now & gone home to South Bridge. I need say no more about them for you likely have got letters from them by this time…”.

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S80 212
2. ↑ Source: #S37

• Source: S37 Census return
• Source: S80 Sons and Daughters of Shetland 1800-1900 Margaret Stuart Robertson Publication: Shetland Publishing Company, Lerwick. 1991