The emigrat ships: St. Olaf - Lammershagen, Newspapers, 
Hamburg - New Zealand in 1875

Thank you Barry, this photo of the original painting is a donation from Barry Alexander in Australia.

A new story that did arrive today 9 february 2001 from Dawn Bowen 

dawntki@paradise.net.nz

Harry PETERS, born Peter Hinrich PETERS, 28.4.1853 @ Cleve bei Hennestedt in Schleswig-Holstein. He trained at the Kiel Naval College and was a first mate on the Lammershagen (pers.comm. from a grandson). Came to NZ on voyage 1.4..1875 Hamburg to Wellington 18.7.1875 with a shipload of passengers (list at NZ Nat. Archives). He is said to have been the first to sight land - Mt Egmont(/Taranaki) from the crow`s nest. "It was my luck to see the clouds parted for a moment,revealing the snow-clad peak of a mountain. ..arrived...two days later a disagreement with my superior officer ended in a fight and made me determined to desert the ship."
Lived at the foot of the mountain after marrying a Polish immigrant girl from the ship and had a life-long love affair with the mountain and achieved a great deal as a new settler. Further info. from dawntki@paradise.net.nz

Information on crews etc also sought.

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH NOTES AND PRESS CUTTINGS

The passenger list was transcribed with permission, by Barry Alexander from an unreadable photocopy of the original Passenger List held in the Qld State Archives Runcorn in book format with Reference Number Z31.

The list was totally unreadable and as such was never originally successfully microfilmed by the State Archives. Attempts to correctly identify the correct surnames and christian names were made however errors could have occured due to the original transcription being unreadable in some cases and the best assumption of the correct spelling of each name was made. In some cases, the words were indecipherable and where this was the case the word was spelt out as far as appropriate and ( indicipherable) was used for the rest of the word.

The following additional research was undertaken by Barry Alexander in the John Oxley Library,The State Library, and The State Archives in relation to the two Inquiries that followed, following the Ship being placed in Quaranteen at Peel Island on arrival of 8 January 1873 and it wasn't released until 12 February 1873.The ship sailed for Rangoon on 19 February 1873.

The passenger list was not written up until the ship was released from Quarantine on 12 February 1873 and as such has the date of arrival as 12 February 1873 in lieu of its original date of arrival viz 8 January 1873

From the results of the enquiries, the Colonial Secretary cabled the Qld Agent General in London to have him stop the next ship the Alardus which was due to leave Hamburgh but he was too late and the Alardus suffered the same fate as the Lammershagen with the Captain committing suicide by jumping overboard in the Great Australian Bight and as the first mate was also indisposed with sickness, the crew sailed into Melbourne and the ship was quarantined for a month with typus before proceeding to Queensland. References to this voyage are mentioned in this document as they appear relevant to the Lammenshagen however they are not quoted in full.

As a result of the fate of the two ships, the Queensland Government ceased the importation of German Immigrants from Hamburg to Queensland for some time until all the ships were all examined and upgraded and then passed inspection..

The Lammershagen did make a further voyages to Queensland in the 1870's and one of those voyages is fully documented in Davies Cutting Books of Ships. in the John Oxley Library.

QLD GOVERNMENT GAZETTE - 11 January 1873 PROCLAMATION

EXECUTIVE MINUTE PASSED 10 JANUARY 1873 9/1/1873

Peel Island to be declared a Quarantine Station

The Honourable The Colonial Secratary submits to the Council a letter from the Assistant Health Officer for the Port of Moreton Bay, reporting that a certain infectious disease called Typhus Fever had been found to exist on board the ship Lammershagen recently arrived with Emmigrants from parts beyond the seas.

Ministers recommend that the said ship be immediately placed in Quarantine and that such further measures may be taken according to law for the continuance of such vessel in Quarantine as may be judged expedient.

and further that - the Island in Moreton Bay know as Peel Island be appointed a Station for the performance of Quarantine and that the same be notified by proclamation in the usual way.

and also that - all persons, vessels and boats be prohibited from going within the limits of the said proclaimed station under the penalities contained in the "Quarantine Act of 1863"

QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT GAZETTE RESCINDING PROCLAMATION - PEEL ISLAND AS A QUARANTINE STATION 25/3/1873

Minister recommended that a certain Proclamation that appeared in the Government Gazette of 11th February 1873 prohibiting all persons vessels and boats from going within the limits of a certain place in Moreton Bay known as Peel Island appointed a Station for the preformance of Quarantine until such proclamation shall have been rescinded , be rescinded by proclamation accordingly.

CERTIFICATE

I the undersigned Surgeon Superintendant of the ship 'Lammershagen' and now in charge of the Quarantine Station, Peel Island, do hereby certify that the passengers whoose names are given in the accompanying lists, were landed at the Quarantine Station, Peel Island on the 12th day of January last, and that they are now free from any infectious or contagious disease and may with safety to the public health be released from the performance of further Quarantine.

SIGNED: Theodore Schmidt Surgeon Superintendant

QUARANTINE STATION PEEL ISLAND 12TH APRIL 1873

BOOK: Log of Logs. 2nd edition Lammershagen

Complaints re Voyage conditions. Qld State Archives COL 76/169 Viz.Colonial Secretary's Letterbook Bundle 76 Letter 169 Letter 169 was missing out of bundle!!!

However a letter to Agent General in London dated 11/5/1873 was located enclosing a copy of the Health Report (copy not located in bundle!) and results of the two enquiries (Copies also not located in bundle) This is also mentioned in the

Davies Shipping Cutting Book No. 3 Page 3 Col 3. John Oxley Brisbane.

Article on Lammershagen?

Article not located at that page! A full check of the Cutting Book located an article of another voyage of the Lammershagen to Australia where it stopped in at Hervey Bay and Bowen and continued onto Asia.

The article was a reprint in a newspaper called the Central Qld Herald 27/3/1930 page 15. The article was in the 1930's and didn't quote the original newspaper and date it came from! As such, the article only mentioned dates of departure and arrival as Day and Month and no year! It was obvious the date of arrival was 7 September 1871

Extract from the Central Qld Herald 27/3/1930 page 15

LAMMERSHAGEN

The Lammershagen left Hamburg on 16th May; crossed the line on 17th June in long 25.32 W; and entered Bass Straight on 17th August.She passed Moreton Island on the 21st;passed Lady Elliotts' Island at 3 o'clock on the morning of the 5th September,anchored on the morning of the 6th.Here the pilot boarded the ship and brought her on to Keppel Bay, anchoring at Sea Hill at 9am on the 7th September, 114 days out.

The ship experienced heavy S.W.winds off the Cape of Good Hope, with heavy gales to the Australian coast.After passing through Bass Straight she met strong northerly winds and hazy weather.

On 13th June in Lat 7.0 N Long 24.21 W. passed the Barque Linda bound north. ON June 29 at Lat 27.39S Long.26.44W spotted ship Gyne from England bound for Batavia 43 days out.On July 3 in Lat 33.7S 11.5 W spoke the barque Ida from Cardiff bound for Aden 62 days out.Captain Jorgansen reports that he passed close to Lady Elliott Island at 3 am on 5th September but saw no light there, although the weather was perfectly clear.

The Lammershagen brings no cargo for this port having 250 tons of Newcastle coal on board which is destined for Jarva. Captain Jorgensen states that his instructions were to call at Port Curtis and there receive instructions to proceed onwards to Keppel Bay or Port Denison and that his owners never contemplated the ship calling at the three ports, as desire by the Government.

On the morning of the 7th September, the arrival of the Immigrant Ship Lammershagen was telegraphed from Keppel Bay.By the next tide, the Government steamer Mary, with Dr. Salmond (Health Officer), Mr Feez (Agent of the Vessel) and Mr Horn (an Interpreter; started for the Bay leaving the Railway Wharf at 4pm anchoring near the Lammershagen shortly before ten o'clock the same evening. Dr. Salmomd at once went on board and examined the ship. He found all well, and the Surgeon reported that the passengers had been singularly free from sickness there having been ony one death that being of a child.

Dr Salmond found the ship clean and well ventilated and he consequently at once granted pratique.At 8am the next morning, Dr Salmond again went on board the ship and mustered all the passengers calling over every name and putting (through the interpreter) the usual questions to each one.They appeared to be all well satisfied and made no complaints.D. Salmond's instructions were to select 150 passengers for Rockhampton, and then send the vessel with the remainder on to Port Denison; but to this arrangement Captain Jorgensen would not agree, as according to his sailing instructions his pasage ended at Keppel Bay.

He refused to keep the immigrants any longer in the ship and therefore, Dr Salmond had no alternative but to bring them up. They were all anzious to land and were pleased on learning that their journey was at an end. About noon on the 8th,the Mary left the ship for Rockhampton having on board 200 of the immigrants consisting of all the married people, all the single women,and thirty three of the single men leaving about 120 on board the vessel.The Mary reached the railway wharfat 5pm, and the immigrants landed.

Mr Feez and Dr. Salmond accompanying them to the Depot and seeing that they were made comfortable.The MAry again started at 6 o'clocknext morning,and by that evening's tide brought up the remainder of the immigrants with their luggage.

On the morning of the 8th, a young man named Kund Olsen, who had some time previously been suffering from Bronchitis, died on board the Lammershagen. He is supposed to have caught cold after entering the bay on the previous night, which induced a fatakl attack of apoplexy in the lungs the next morning. He was entered in the official papers as a labourer, aged 22 years. The body was interred on Curtis Island.

The Lammershagen is a fine iron vessel of 345 tons register.She is a Clyde built vessel, and nearly new this being her second voyage.She is remarkably clean and well ventilated , and is admirably supplied with water from a reservoir in the forecastle deck,whence pipes are laid from one end of the ship to the other. Thus the baths are supplied, and water closets and deck flushed without the slightest trouble. No doubt the convenience of water laid on had much to do with the wholesome appearance of the ship, and the apparent cleanliness and health of the passengers.

Although the particulars have been already published in our columns, we may again say that the Lammershagen brings 98 married adults,157 single males, 41 single females and 58 children; total 325 souls equal to 288 statue adults. These were divided into 288 free, 27 assisted and ten full paying passengers. They appear to be very respectanble people, there being among them a number of fine healthy looking young men and women.

On the 14th September, we were informmed by Dr. Salmond that the immigrants as per the Lammershagen are passing well and a considerable number have been engaged.One hundredn and fifty are to be forwarded to Bowen vis SS Blackbird next Tuesday for distribution among the northern areas.

A few of the single women remaining are to be reserved for the servant market. The families will be mostly remain here as it is easier to find assignments for married couples in the neighborhood that in the settlements northwards.

Located in the Cutting folder for the Lammershagen were several cuttings as well as an article on a model of the Ship Lammershagen being constructed by a model maker. See cutting folder in John Oxley Library for their cuttings.

The John Oxley Photo Collection contains 4 photos of the Lammershagen. One is a coloured version of the ship as well as a large black and white drawing of the ship.Another one is a photo of the model of the Lammershagen.

LAMMERSHAGEN RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN

Mr J.W.P. Chadwick of Caloundra has done an enormous amount of research on the Lammershagen over the years.His mother, formely Martha Tillack, was a baby of 7 months on the Lammershagen with her parents when it arrived in Brisbane on 7th August 1878 after leaving Hamburg on 10th April 1878. Her brother George, who was a little older,died on the voyage.Mr. J. Chadwick's son, Barry, made a model of the ship which he completed in 1978, 100 years after his grandmother's voyage on the original ship.

Mr Chadwick wrote to Stephens of Glasgow who were the original builders, seeking information on the vessel. The Lammershagen was built at their Kelvinhaugh Yard at Glasgow.Even though there were "depressions' years ago, Stephens would not put men off, but built ships without orders, having faith that the depressions would pass.

They were Presbyterian christians and forebade the discussion of politics or religion on the job.When the builders were asked what sort of ship "Lammershagen" was, they could not quite remember, as when ships were made to order, the company was experimenting and trying out new designs all the while.So the Lammershagen was unlike lots of other ships that they had built previously in that she had an iron hull.

Around the time of her construction, iron hulls began to catch on with sailing ships. Then later, steam was added , then funnels and then steam plus sails made for a faster trip.Some vessels carried over three acres of sails. Eventually the steam only ships replaced the sailing vessels.

During a 32 year period, Stephens of Glasgow built 17 ships for Slomans of Germany even though ships were also being built in Germany during the same period.But this was a time when there was a big exodus of immigrants from Europe via Hamburg and sailing ships were in short supply everywhere. Many people were ferried across in smaller boats from Europe to England and Scotland.

The English ports of departure to America and Austrlaia at the time were Liverpool and Plymouth.But if departing from Scotland, they landed on the Scottish east coast,got a train to Greenock, on the Upper Clyde near Glasgow and boarded ships after their launching. This saved bringing ships over to Europe to collect passengers.

After writing to many different sources in Wales, Mr Chadwick was fortunate enough to contact a Mr. W.M. Jenkins who had a keen interest in the local history of his district and passed newspaper cuttings about the wrecking of the Lammershagen to him.

The Lammershagen was wrecked off the Welsh coast near Swansea on the 19th November 1882. There was no loss of life.She was carrying no passengers on that particular voyage, only a crew and cargo.During her life, her usual Captains were Captain Jorgensen and Captain Pauls.

The Lammershagen was not the only ship to be wrecked in this area.Ships coming around Lands End, England on the way to Swansea, Wales in those days when approaching Morts Point, Ilfracombe, were usually met by so called Pilots ( who didn't have to prove their ability ). These Pilots rowed out and offered their services. Some were called "Hobblers", because they steered zig zag courses. They were most unreliable and many ships ran aground on the numerous sandbanks and rocks in the chanel.

A lot of rushing water from out of the Rivern Severn(between Newport and Bristol),one of the biggest rivers in the world,plus fast tides to an fro, made the Bristol Channel very dangerous, plus the constant gales and bad weather in the area. Many vessels have been wrecked in this area because of these conditions and now add to the treachery because of decaying and submerged hulks.

THE LAMMERSHAGEN WRECKED OFF WELSH COAST

Extract from the Welsh Newspaper "The Cambrian" dated 1 December 1882 page 5

SALE OF WRECKAGE AT PWLLDU

On Tuesday there was a sale by auction at Pwlldu of the hulk,spara, and other wreckage, together with a portion of the stores of the fine sailing ship Lammershagen which was wrecked on the Gower Coast on Saturday, the 19th November.

It will be remembered that the Lammershagen, which was the property Messrs Sloman of Hamburg, was of 877 tons registered tonnage, with a carrying capacity of 1300 tons. When wrecked, she was on a voyage from Hamburg to Swansea with pitch and sand ballast, whence she was chartered to take a full cargo of coal to Valparaiso.

In coming up the Bristol Channel, she took on board an Illfracombe pilot, and on Saturday evening, about 9 o'clock, got ashore at Pwlldu, where Captain Wilhelm Sooth and his crew of 19 men landed safely in their boats.

It was not in a far distant land that this fine iron barque met her destruction but on on of the promontories of the Gower Coast.

About 8 o'clock on the evening of Saturday week last, the keen-eyed coastguardsman stationed at Oxwich Bay, saw a fine vessel with sials set, crossing the bay,and making for the coast between there and Pwlldu. About 9 o'clock the same evening, he found thatshe had been driven on the rocks under the Becken at Pwlldu.

Acting under instructions,he and his colleagues remained and watched the ship. The crew had in the meantime landed safely in their boat, but after the tide receded the Captain placed 4 men on board for the purpose of protecting the property.

The ship stood majestically cradeled in the rocks; but when the sea of Sunday night surrounded her, it caused her to surge to and fro, until there were signs of a parting of the bow and stern. The gale drove the dark and sombre clouds across the face of the moon, but at short intervals, a light was shed on the ill fated vessel.

The coast guard observed the four men on the poop deck, making an effort to leave on the hawser that was attached to a piece of rock.One at a time the men left by drawing themselves across the hauser, which dashed them ever and anon into the boiling surf as the ship was forced to one side by the waves;when she rolled on the other side, the hauser rose in the air, and if it were not for those guardians of the coast who went into the surf and assisted them, one or all of the four may have met their end that night.

One of the masts went overboard, we believe,before the four of the crew left the vessel, the others afterwards. The sea with its force tore asunder the firm iron plates of the hulk. The Lammershagen's bow was jammed up like a wedge in a corner of the rocks, and her keel was upwards. The iron plates were twisted and bent by the forceof the water as though ther were no more resistant than a structure of tin plate. The mid ships were smashed to pieces, the stern stood erect, and though the now empty rivet holes the sea spurted and played in a thousand jets. Thus was a fine ship broken to pieces and reduced piecemeal to the auctioneer's hammer.

On Tuesday, a large crowd was attracted to the shore at Pwlldu, the fine weather bringing out many form motives of curiosity, and many animated by a desire to make bargains. Mr Evan Carpper was the auctioner, and his rostrum was a shifting one, now on the green-sward and now on a jutting piece of rock, wherever the special lot of stores or gear was laid beyond the reach of the treacherous sea.

The scene was a humourous one,and the Auctioneer lost no opportunity to air his jokes. In a nautical fashion he sold from the mast to the hull, canvass new and canvass old,anchors, chains, and ropes, hams, tonges, cheeses, butter, and all the other articles which had been saved from the wreck.

The hull fetched 190 pounds and was biught by E.F. Daniel esq.JP The anchors went for 81 pounds to Mr Jones and the rest of the material was sold to different purchases,the whole price amounting to from 450 to 500 pounds.

VOYAGES OF THE LAMMERSHAGEN TO QUEENSLAND

DEPT. HAMBURG 16/5/1871 ARRIVED KEPPEL BAY 7/9/1871
DEPT. HAMBURG 6/10/1872 ARRIVED BRISBANE 8/1/1873
DEPT. HAMBURG 1/11/1873 ARRIVED TOWNSVILLE 19/2/1874
DEPT. HAMBURG 11/10/1876 ARRIVED MARYBOROUGH 18/1/1877

LAMMERSHAGEN WAS WRECKED OFF THE WELSH COAST NEAR SWANSEA ON 19 NOVEMBER 1882

THE FINALE TO THE LAMMERSHAGEN

The Lammershagen was built in Scotland in 1869 and was 55.7784 metres long. It was wrecked on 19 November 1882 of the Welsh Coast near Swansea without loss of life. While the ship was being pounded to pieces by the waves,an artist painted the scene with people carrying away goods that had been washed up on the beach. A coloured photograph of the painting is in the photo collection at the John Oxley Library. 3 other drawings exist also.

A FINAL NOTE TO LAMMERSHAGEN RESEARCHERS

This is not the complete collection of Lammershagen research!

Located in the cutting folder at the John Oxley Library is a note dated 1982 to Lammershagen Researchers that there has been a Lammershagen Research Folder lodged in the Library of the Qld Family History Society Library now situated at the Old Albion Fure Station at Albion.

I have yet to check out this research file. Three members names and addresses as at 1982 are quoted as the donators of the relevant material held there!

Any additional Material would be appreciated to add to this collection.

Barry ALEXANDER 62 Penarth Street, Runcorn, Qld 4113.

Phone: 07-33455008
Fax: Ring above number and I'll switch on my Computer Fax!

Internet Email: barry@gargoyle.apana.org.au

The emigrat ships: St. Olaf - Lammershagen, Newspapers, 
Hamburg - New Zealand in 1875

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