I have family member William McAughtrie, who came to NZ as an Early Settler. To Southland, Otago.
He was still in Scotland on 1861 census aged 14. I did see his name once years ago ... Somewhere online....lost the link, on a list of early settlers. I remember trying to follow that up, but didn't head anywhere, no response.
A family document notes that he married in NZ about 1888 to a young widow, Kate Helen Lavannah Munro, who was apparently 18 years younger than him and already with 3 children. They went on to have 10 more children.
William owned the Bellamore Run, a run at Tarras and a farm at Otiake. Other info from Papers Past show he had even more substantial land holdings in the wider area.
He died in Kurow 1929, aged 29. So I have plenty of stuff on him. Sitting looking at this document I have, which was given to me by a family member when I first visited Ayrshire in 2003!
The family document shows a transcript of an ad in the Ayr Advertiser newspaper of 26th May 1864. "SS SERILLA" sailed from Gourock Bay on Saturday for Southland New Zealand. There were upwards of 250 passengers A large body of emigrants are from the town of Girvan, being sent out by the Government to The Colony".
And then a comment, "Perhaps this is how William got to NZ did he get a land grant and a free passage? " who knows, and he can't tell me until I join him upstairs! He died 20th March 1929 in Kurow and is buried in the Kurow cemetery.
My only problem is, I can't find him on a Passenger list! FindMyPast, ANCESTRY, ANYWHERE, I tried emailing to relevant Museums etc., even the Hocken stuff, but not even any replies. About 14 public trees for him on Ancestry, none of which give any details about his passage to NZ, even though they have his marriage, chn etc.
Ok. Bottom line ...... Can anybody find out please how and when he came to NZ
I would be so chuffed to find this final detail for him after 15 years or so!
Thank you for any help you can offer! Much appreciated
Jeanne 😃