Royal Bride
Ship: 526 tons
Captain: Laker
Surgeon Superintendent:
Sailed London January 9th 1863 - arrived Auckland April 29th 1863
                                                                   Napier June 14th 1863

The first vessel to arrive at napier from london with passengers was the Royal Bride, 526 tons, Captain Laker, which brought out 24 assisted immigrants. She made a very good passage of 110 days to Auckland. This ship left the Downs on January 9, 1863, and arrived at Auckland on April 29. The pilot log-books refer to her as being the first "direct" ship from London, but the newspaper files show this was not so. She remained in Auckland from the end of April until May 31 discharging cargo, and reached Napier on June 10. The Royal Bride was cast ashore at Petane Beach during a terrific north-east gale, but no lives were lost, all hands getting safely ashore. She was the first large vessel to come to grief on the beach. "I well remember the wreck of the Royal Bride," writes mr Harding. "From 7pm on Sunday, June 21, there were strong gusts from north-east by east to east-north-east with rain. At 9pm the wind was still increasing and at midnight the gale was at its height - the wind gague at the Napier metorological station recorded a maximum pressure of 25lb. At 1am, Monday, 22nd, the vessel commenced dragging her anchors, about 4am one of the cables parted, half an hour later she struck heavily aft, the sea makning a clean breach over her. Until daylight the crew had a very uncomfortable time, but with the assistance of a large number of natives who had gathered on the beach, all hands were safely got on shore. The spot where she struck was on the western spit (Petane Beach), about two miles from the entrance to the inner harbour. At 4 o'clock the same afternoon the wreck was sold by auction. Hull, spars, rigging, etc were purchased by G E G Richardson for £35; anchors and chains £37, one hundred tons coal £5, to John Campbell."
White Wings - Sir Henry Brett

Arrival of the Royal Bride

Copyright Denise & Peter 2004

Reference:
The Daily Southern Cross April 30th 1863