Holland-Hayward Family
Voyage of the Wanganui - 1883
Although her daughter Ida wrote 1884 on the top of this clipping, Gertrude arrived aboard the Wanganui in late 1883.
Gertrude Hayward's Diary of her voyage to New Zealand in 1883
Note: Gertrude's troubled friendship with two other men on the ship is a key point of her trip as far as her diary is concerned. Only one of them (presumably) is named on the passenger list, one Walter Satchell. However, Gertrude has written his name as Satchnell (not a known surname) or probably Satchwell. Mr Walker, seemingly the fiance who was coming to New Zealand with her, and whom she split from during the trip, is not listed as a passenger. Perhaps he worked his passage out as a crewmember.
Descendents understood that Gertrude was a governess to the Rutherford family's children, who appear likely to have been very young and were accompanied by their nurse (Margaret Peavoy presumably). It is more likely Gertrude was an ordinary domestic servant, as she had been described in the 1881 Census while working for the Rutherfords in England
See also the ship's passenger list
20 August 1883 - Sailed on Monday the 20th of August 1883 from Gravesend for New Zealand at ten o'clock at night very mild and calm did not know that we were moving.
21 August - Tuesday. Pilot left at about 10 in the morning he went on shore at Dover the tug still remaining as there was no wind left at ten at night. I began to feel the ship was moving one saw the Dieppe steamer Orleans going to Newhaven a lovely moonlight night.
22 August - Wednesday. Feel very swimmy (= 'sw-eye-me'), Mrs H. feeling very bad also Mr H. The sea is smooth as glass. Mr Bateman fell down in a fit whilst dressing nurse helped bring him to.
23 August - Thursday. Rather rough wind we sighted The Lizard lighthouse, in the evening I began to feel rather seedy.
24 August - Friday. I did not feel at all well we got as far as the Bay of Biscay so expect it to be rough.
26 August - Sunday. Our first Sunday at sea, we had no service in the morning had one in the evening at half past seven.
28 August - Tuesday. Fine day as usual. Made Mr Bateman a pair of unmentionables.
29 August - Wednesday. Fine day made the Captain a brush and comb bag which he thought very nice went on deck in the evening.
30 August - Thursday. Fine day cut out my dress set at work with the sail maker, sit out on deck in the evening with Mr Walker. There was a sudden squall in the night, but I slept through it all.
31 August - Friday. Another fine day. Got Charlie Croucher's stockings to darn and also Mr Webster's socks. I poulticed Mr Satchwell's neck several times and made him some gruel in the evening, sat out on the deck again and enjoyed myself.
1 September - Saturday. Rather rough day, we are spinning along beautifully at a rate of ten miles and a half the hour. Darned C.C.'s stockings and K.W.'s socks, made the button holes on Mr Walker's overalls, made the Captain a cup of tea. Mr Satchwell's boil broke. Mr Cracroft sat into a basin of gruel. Spent the evening with Mr Walker.
2 September - Sunday. Another fine hot day. We had no service read with Mrs R. and Charlie in our cabin, rather a long day. Spent the evening as usual with Mr Walker, he took away my ring, had a Phillipine with him at dinner.
3 September - Monday. Said good morning first had some more work promised me. Mr W. gave me back my ring in the evening Mrs H. as cross as two sticks.
4 September - Tuesday. Fine day again, Mr Walker gave me his photo.
5 September - Wednesday. Wet in the afternoon, cleared up in the evening. Made another bag for the Captain.
6 September - Thursday. Fine day. Made Mr Cracroft a pair of overalls. Gave Mr Satchwell my photo and he gave me his, had my box up to get out my check dress.
7 September - Friday. Fine day. Made Mr Bateman two neckties. Mrs R. warned me about Mr Satchwell. Made myself an apron, Mrs Harry a pin cushion, altered nurse's dress in the morning.
8 September - Saturday. Ran some tucks in the sleeves of some flannel shirts for the captain hemmed Mr Walker's coat ironed for nurse and made afternoon tea for seven, the steward was drunk. We had a very bad dinner no pudding.
9 September - Sunday. Fine morning, came on to rain about 12 o'clock, set on deck reading till then with Mr Walker had a long chat in the evening with Mr Satchwell which did not please Mr Walker so he asked me what I meant.
10 September - Monday. Fine morning. Altered nurse's dress came on to rain in the afternoon which we do not like at all. Darned some socks for the first mate, began a body for nurse.
11 September - Tuesday. Wet morning, all the ducks(?) where (sic) let out in the rain, cleared up for the evening so we sat out on the deck.
12 September - Wednesday. Fine when I got up but began to rain about 9 o'clock. They took one of the yards down that has cracked making my petticoat body.
13 September - Thursday. Very hot day, becalmed in the tropics I washed and ironed some things for the officers lovely moonlight night.
14 September - Friday. Began to rain about breakfast time only a shower we are getting on at the rate of five knots an hour.
16 September - Sunday. Lovely day. Mr Walker was cross with me and would not speak in the evening.
17 September - Monday. Mr W. still cross so I spent the best part of the day with Mr Satchwell which he was very pleased at very miserable at meal times.
18 September - Tuesday. Very wet day sit in the Captain's room with him and Mr Satchwell. I wish I had not done so.
19 September - Wednesday. I felt very miserable at having encouraged Mr Satchwell, told him at which he was very much upset. Mr W. and I spoke in the evening.
20 September - Thursday. The Captain very cross with me on account of Mr Satchwell. I am very sorry for him. I hope it will be a lesson to me.
21 September - Friday. Finished my blue dress, we see a large sailing vessel going home to England from Calcutta.
22 September - Saturday. ...... (date shown but no text)
At this point the diary ends, however, the subsequent pages may have been removed from the diary, which seems a bit thin. The Wanganui arrived at Lyttelton, New Zealand, on 25 November 1883, and thereafter the Rutherford party travelled to Napier by some other means, probably a coastal steamer.
The diary also contains a list of people Gertrude did work for on the ship. these are as follows:
Uniforms
Lenard Harvey - pair pants, lanyard, blue coat, 1 cap, 1 dark blue collar
H. Kyte - 3 white coats, 2 caps
Nalder - 1 white coat, 1 lanyard, 1 cap
T. Bell - 1 white coat, 1 singlet
Murphy - 1 cap
J. McArthur - 1 white coat, 1 lanyard, 1 cap
G. Carrel - 1 good lanyard
Given to:-
G. Harris - Scott's clothes
E. Galvin - Kyte's coat, Harvey's pants, cap and lanyard
J. Watson - T. Bell's coat, Kite's cap, Carrel's lanyard
Stevenson - Armstrong's cap, Kite's coat
