Letters from Settlers & Labouring Emigrants in the New Zealand Company's Settlements of Wellington, Nelson, & New Plymouth: From February, 1842, to January, 1843

New Zealand Company

Jan 1843 · Smith, Elder

Ratings and reviews

A review of the letter from DAVID HARRIS to his Mother MRS HARRIS, Widow, Shear, near Gifford, Guildford, Surrey. Wellington December 5th 1842. No. 25, pg's 52-54. You can imagine my excitement to discover this letter on Google books from my gr gr grandmother Emma Lewer, nee Harris's "brother", David Harris. My gr gr grandmother and her husband Charles Lewer came to New Zealand on the same ship, the (barque George Fyfe), as did David Harris's wife Caroline nee Cox and their young son William, arriving at Port Nicholson, Wellington, on the 7th November 1842. David Harris signed his marriage certificate in 1839 with a cross " x mark of David Harris", as did his bride Caroline Cox and both his witnesses Robert & Hannah Gale. It is obvious that David Harris had help with composing this letter, and most certainly someone else wrote it for him. However there is plenty of personal input with stating his mother was a widow of Shere, near Guildford, although not spelled correctly, (Shear, Gifford), then the letter mentions his son, his wife, and even his sister Jane. No doubt this letter was a put up job and published to encourage more people to emigrate to NZ and to travel on NZ Company ships.