The Piggotts of Bombay
This story begins with Solomon James Pigott and Lucy New who married in the Parish Chapel, St Pancras, Camden, England on 16th January 1838. Eventually, Solomon and Lucy had a son, William and William married Elizabeth Parsons. The are my great great great grandparents and two of the original settlers to Bombay south of Auckland.
The Bombay was commanded by Captain Sellars. Bombay a 937-ton, fully rigged ship with dimensions of 186 feet (57 m) x 33 ft 4 in (10.16 m) x 20 feet (6.1 m). Built in Harwich, England by John Henry Vaux, and was the second ship owned by G. D. Tyser and his sons (company Tyser and Haviside). It was then chartered to Shaw Savill. It undertook several trips to New Zealand from London in the 1860s. That included taking emigrants from London to Auckland, who settled in the Bombay Hills region. In 1872, the ship was wrecked on a reef in the Balabac Strait, Philippines.
‘Considerable excitement prevailed in the town during the morning of Saturday, in consequence of the report which had been current that the Curacao had been signaled in sight with a ship dismasted in tow. On arrival in harbour the ship proved to be the Bombay, Captain SELLARS. The ship had been out 111 days from the Downs, with 400 passengers and general cargo. The Bombay had fallen in with the terrific gale which had been experienced along the coast of New Zealand. Much anxiety had been felt as to the condition of the ship and passengers. We are happy to say the passengers were in the best health and spirits and that the ship was a model of cleanliness, evincing the greatest care and attention on the part of her commander and officers. When the condition of the ship is considered, knocked about as she must have been in the gale of two days’ duration, terrific seas running, and freighted with passengers, who had never before been so situated, calm and presence of mind and other sailor-like high qualities were necessary to preserve discipline and prevent anything like disturbance, which in such circumstances might have been fatal. The passengers speak in the very highest terms of their captain.
On the ships list, the family are listed as: PEGOTT, W.C., Elizabeth, Wm & Elizabeth.
A relative, Fay Williams, told my mother that the family "walked from the Port of Auckland to their land when they first arrived".
Willilam and Elizabeth lived on what was called Williamson Clearing, later renamed Bombay, and farmed lots 127 and 129.
Elizabeth was born in London in the Saint Luke’s area in 1839 Elizabeth married William Piggott in 1860. Elizabeth voted in the 1893 General Election, making her one of the first women in the world to vote
The Bombay
The Ship BOMBAY! – The Story of the 1864 Voyage to New Zealand
The settlement of Bombay and hence the Bombay Hills are directly named after the ship Bombay, which landed in Auckland and brought settlers to the area, originally called Williamson's Clearing.
In 1915, there is reference to the Bombay Jubilee. AUCKLAND WEEKLY NEWS - BOMBAY JUBILEE - MARCH 1915 (sooty.nz).
