Mooltan1849

Mooltan
Ship: 610 tons
Captain: William Chivas
Surgeon Superintendent: Dr William Purdie
Sailed Greenock September 11th 1849 - arrived Otago December 26th 1849

Name		Age	Occupation	Comments
Chief Cabin Passengers
Ferguson	Mr	25	Gentleman
McAdam	Caroline	39	Spinster
Oatts	Henry	30	Gentleman	Bound for Wellington
	Ann	25
	Ann	4
	Maurice	10 months
Pillans	Francis S	38	Gentleman
Purdie	Dr William	52		Surgeon on board
	Mrs	36
	Jessie Don	9
	Henry Wright	6
	John William Mitchell	7
	Jane	3
	David Robertson	2
	Elizabeth Rose	2 months
Todd	Alexander	46	Accountant
	Mrs	37
	Cornelius	16
	James	14
	Jessie	8
	Archibald	6
	Alexander	3
	William	2
Fore Cabin Passengers
Bell	A H	35	Spinster
Blackie	William	35	Shipmaster
	Jane	36
	William	11
	John	9
	Mary Jane	6
	Jessie	4
	Catherine	2 months
Clemison	Plumpton	29	Gentleman
McDoig	Andrew	21	Farmer
McDougal	Thomas	21	Farmer
McGibbon	John	40	Grocer
	Mrs	30
	Thomas	9
	Jessie	6
	Jeanie	3
	John	5 months
McGibbon	Margaret	24		Not related to the above McGibbon's
Paid Steerage
Beattie	Margaret	67	Widow
	Mary	13		Child of above
Gilchrist	Isabella	34	Widow
Hall	Margaret	30
Harrison	Peter	45	Gentleman
	Martha	25
	Harriet	6
	Joseph	5
	Edward	4
	William	2
	Clorinda	5 months
McGregor	David	21
	Magdalin	21
Paterson	Mary	42
	Janet	30
Patterson	Mary	18
	Roseanna	14
	Jessie	12
	Peter	7
	Agnes	5
	Edward	3
	Florence	6 months
Perkins	Mrs Senior	67	Widow
Perkins	George	42	Gentleman
	Katherine	40
	William	16
	James	11
	John	10
	Charles	9
	Catherine	6
	Clorinda	4 months
Proudfoot	Jane	25	Widow?	Died on board 07/10/1849 Cholera
Smellie	William	42	Gentleman
Assisted Steerage
Aitchison	William	16	Groom
Barr	John	47	Mason
	Mrs	48
	Jean	22	Servant
Beaton	Malcolm	25	Ploughman
Berrie	Janet	24	Servant
Bissett	William	22	Mason
	Agnes	17
Boyd	John	35	Shepherd
	Alan	29	Shepherd
Cameron	David	24	Ploughman
Carle	John	24
	Elizabeth	28
	James	3
Dick	Mary	18	Servant
Duncan	John	39	Gardener
	Mrs	37
	Henry	8
	John	6
	William	2
Duncan	George	23	Shepherd
	Elspeth	20
Duncan	John	20	Labourer
Duncan	Agnes	14	Servant
Gebbie	Alexander	46	Agriculturalist
	Isabella	38
Gebbie	James	32	Gardener
	Mrs	33
	James	3
	Jeannie	1		Died on board
	John	3 months
Grant	Alexander	28	Shepherd
Kirkland	John	34	Ploughman
	Margaret	26		Died on board Cholera
	William	2
	Agnes	5 months		Died on board Decline
Lumsden	Andrew	26	Blacksmith
	Jane	30
McDonald	John	24	Ploughman
McIndoe	Ann	17	Servant
McLachlan	Donald	32	Shepherd
	Catherine	20	Ships Carpenter
McLachlan	Duncan	26
McLay	Thomas John	29	Ploughman
	Margaret	28
	John	8
	James	6
	Jessie	4
	Mary	2
McMaster	Allan	22	Ploughman
	Jane	22
McMillan	Angus	31	Shoemaker
	Margaret	19
McMillan	Janet	33		Sister of Angus
McNeil	Alexander	26	Blacksmith
	Mary	24		Died on board
	Ann	5		Died on board
	James	2
	Mary	4 months
McNeil	James	46	Ploughman
	Ann	48
	James	22
	George Buchanan	18
	John	13
	Robert	11
McNeil	Margaret	34	Servant
Miller	David	18	Millwright
Nicholson	John	29	Shepherd
	Donald	23	Ploughman
Sinclair	Georgina	28	Servant
	Grace Inglis	25	Servant
Smith	Alexander	31
	Jane	27
Stephen	John	20	Joiner
Stephen	John	20	Butcher
	Mary	18
Stewart	Alexander	36	Labourer
	Isabella	38
Torrence	Margaret	21	Servant
	Isabella Watson	14	Servant
Wright	James	27	Labourer
	Mary	33

William PURDIE, M D: William was born on August 31st 1797 at Airdrie, Lanarkshire in Scotland to John Purdie and Margaret (nee Bell). In 1823 he started his apprentiship in medicine under Dr Walter Rankin of Airdrie and cycled 10 miles each way to Glasgow University to pursue his studies. Subsequently he moved to Edinburgh where he qualified in Surgery in 1825. He continued his studies and finally graduated as Doctor of Medicine at Glasgow in 1834. After completing his degree, he obtained a position of Ship’s Doctor on the whaler Elizabeth of Hull to gain further experience. During this time, in an attempt to save a man from killing himself with drink, he agreed that if the man would stop drinking he would too. From this time he became a staunch teetotaller, never having another drink, although he was not not totally opposed to it. He married Elizabeth Millar Robertson at Cannongate in Edinburgh where he had set up his practice. Elizabeth and William had several children, two of whom died in their youth. During his time in practice, a severe Cholera epidemic broke out in Cannongate. William was subsequently officially recognised for his services during this period. He became a Burgess and Freeman of Cannongate. As well as being very religious man who was deeply involved in the spiritual needs of the poorer classes, he was very interested in horticulture and became a member of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. These interests remained with him all his life. In 1849 he brought his family to New Zealand, on the Mooltan, he being the Ship’s Surgeon. During the voyage, cholera broke out but for all the 180 lives on board, emigrants, other passengers and crew, he only lost 9 lives to cholera. Others did die from other causes, including his own infant child from heat exhaustion. On their arrival in New Zealand, he purchased the only house then, north of what is now the Octagon in Dunedin and devoted his life to public service along with his practice. During this time he was the first Vice President of the Otago Horticultural Society, now the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He served as a Magistrate and on Local Bodies. Until his church was founded he was a loyal adherent of the First Church Dunedin and when built Know Church, but being a Baptist, he never took office in the Presbyterian Churches, although he took services for them in Port Chalmers. When the first Baptist Church was founded, he was one of the promoters of the church and he along with his family became foundation members. William, along with Thomas Dick, formed a partnership for the purchase of Run 304, Cottesbrook Station out of Middlemarch which they sold in 1866 and one of William's, Henry Wight Purdie, managed the Run. Henry subsequently took up Dentistry and married Thomas Dick’s eldest daughter, Eliza Mary Dick. William Purdie died a very sick and spent man, on 30 June 1876. He was survived by his wife and family. If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact Del Purdie.

Reference
Archives New Zealand