BOY IMMIGRANTS TO NEW ZEALAND
1914
THE 'AYRSHIRE' BOYS

The following appear to be the second group of fifty boys who were brought to New Zealand as boy immigrants before the outbreak of the First World War. They were brought out to alleviate a shortage of farming boys and were to be trained in all aspects of farming life as well as clothed and fed. Their wages were to be paid to the Labour Department while they were given weekly pocket money.

The first group of boys were organised by Thomas Edward Sedgwick of London, and arrived in Wellington on the 25 January 1911 on board the ss Athenic - see Sedgwick Boys.

The third group of fifty arrived in Auckland on the 1 March 1914 on board the ss SUFFOLK. The second group arrived in Auckland on the 20 January 1914 on board the ss AYRSHIRE.

The Ayrshire and Suffolk boys were also often referred to as Sedgwick Boys though strictly they were not as they were under a Labour Department scheme based on Sedgwick's scheme. The Ayrshire and Suffolk boys were from all over the United Kingdom, rather than just East London and Liverpool.

None of the boys were named in the Department of Labour yearly returns to the AJHR's (Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives) and according to research by Anne Lemon in 1984 on the original Sedgwick boys, the Labour Department files were destroyed in the Hope Gibbons Building fire in Wellington in 1952.

Lists have been made from the passenger lists - see Ancestry - UK Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960.

Unfortunately, as with the ss SUFFOLK boys, the ss AYRSHIRE boys were not listed together on the passenger list or marked in any way. However many of the boys signed up for service during the First World War and appear in the UK census records which has made tracing them slightly easier. For the New Zealand Military Files marked On Line see - Archives New Zealand

With the Ayrshire boys, I have 57 names as I am unable to ascertain which were the 50 (sometimes listed as 51) boys who came under the Labour Department scheme.

The following is from the Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 6, 7 January 1914, Page 8
BOY IMMIGRANTS
FOR WORK ON THE FARMS. THE AYRSHIRE'S PARTY. (By Telegraph.� Own Correspondent) WELLINGTON, this day.
Fifty-one sturdy boys, to be indentured to New Zealand farmers for three years will arrive in Auckland by the SS Ayrshire from England on January 17. [sic]
This will be the first batch of boy immigrants to arrive in the Dominion under the new system which the Immigration Department has established. A reporter to-day gathered some details on the subject, and learned that the Government had set the scheme afoot in order to secure the best possible farm labourer immigrant that the Dominion can have. It is believed that by getting hold of the right kind of boys at Home and putting them on out here, they will make, with experience, good farm labourers, and ultimately good settlers.
The Department recently issued circulars to farmers, stating that if they required boys they should make application. The conditions were that each farmer should deposit �10 for the fare of his future employee. The boys were eagerly applied for in New Zealand, and the result is this first batch on board the Ayrshire.
The High Commissioner for New Zealand (the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie) has forwarded to the Department a GROUP PHOTOGRAPH of the lads. They are a strapping lot and appear to be of the right physique for farm work. They hail from all parts of the United Kingdom, forty-four being of English birth, six Irish and one Scotch. Mr. H. C. Cameron, who is the immigration officer attached to the High Commissioner's staff, recently travelled over England, and personally selected the majority of the boys. They have all had some farming experience at Home, ranging from two to six years. Their ages run from 16 to 20 years, and their average height is 5ft. 6in.
The biggest lad of the party is John Halloran, who has been farming for six years at Moyasta, County Clare. He is a veritable young giant, 20 years of age. standing 6ft. 2in. high, and weighing 13st.
Next comes Sidney Pledger, from Stoke-by-Clare, Sussex [sic - actually Suffolk], who reaches 6ft. in height, and weighs 12st 2lb.
Another Irish lad, Richard McSweeney, who hails from County Kerry, weighs 12 st. 7lb, and measures 5ft l0in.
The "boy" of the group is Stanley Baker, who ha�s been at farm work since he was 10 years old, and his age is now 15 years. He measures 5ft. 3in. in height and weighs 7st. 51b.
The conditions laid down for the employment of the boys are interesting. The first years they are to receive 7/6 a week, and out of this each farmer must give his lad 1/ for pocket money. The remaining 6/6 is to be placed to the credit of the boy in the nearest post office savings bank until �10 has been accumulated. That sum is then refunded by the boy to his employer for his fare out from home. The farmer has to provide each boy with board, lodging and reasonable clothing. The minimum wage for the second year is 12/6 per week, and for the third year 17/6.
The boys are coming out in charge of Sergt.-Major W. H. Cooper, who is described as an ex-army officer of wide experience with military cadets. The party left Liverpool on November 22nd last. The Hon. T. Mackenzie had arranged to go from London to the northern port to see them off but an alteration in the sailing date of the Ayrshire interfered with his plans.
Twenty-four boys will go to farmers in the North Island, and 27 to South Island employers.

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