Joseph Bright Gooch - English mariner in NZ circa 1862 - can we find him?

[dtcoulson]

This link identifies the Trevelyan captain as Edwin Gooch.

http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/trevelyan1866.shtml

[spades]

Hi David,

A Joseph Bright GOOCH appeared in the Otago Police Gazette as a constable. The entries relate to his appointment as a Constable ('before 17 Feb 1862'), page 36, and discharge ('before 31 March 1862'), page 48.

So he was here!

Spades

[dtcoulson]

Last night I collected some context & history for the Rainbow, on which Joseph Bright Gooch travelled from Wellington to Sydney, June 1862.

The ship appears in the NZ newspapers a number of times prior to its journey to Sydney.
It had been used as a tugboat + ferry (75 tons) in the region of Dunedin Taieri, making occasional long range trips up and down the country. In March 1862 it was advertised for sale and in May it was on its way up the coast (stopping at Lyttelton) to Wellington after which the plan was to send it to Sydney for refurbishment and then bring it home to NZ (I think back to Dunedin in particular).

The Captain who took the Rainbow to Sydney is the same captain who took the ship up from Dunedin. My question would be, would the crew have been regular crew resident in Dunedin or would people have been chosen especially for this voyage in Wellington? If it is the former then it would suggest that my ancestor had established a home in Dunedin. OTOH he may have been something of a drifter and accepted the job in Wellington as a means of passage to Australia. Who can say?

Looking further into this man's history I see that he was still with the Bengal Pilot Service in 1852.
That is the last appearance worldwide in which I can be sure it is him.
 
-DC

[dtcoulson]

Spades, you beaut!  Well done.

[spades]

Ta!

The full references are:

His appointment - Otago Police Gazette, February 1862, No. 9, page 36.

His discharge - Otago Police Gazette, March 1862, No. 12, page 48.

No further information provided in either entry.

Many Police Gazettes are available to view for free on Archway. This is the link to the relevant Gazette/s
https://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=17068696&digital=yes

Spades

[dtcoulson]

He didn't last long as a cop!

I just went through the BDMs like everybody else and confirmed for myself no evidence of a wife or offspring, so I regard his time in NZ as probably brief and inconsequential. It would be great to find a ship on which he arrived, 1852-62.

I'm thinking now he probably settled in Australia, despite the lack of solid evidence there.

-DC

[dtcoulson]

Shifting focus again to Australia,

I found this newspaper appearance of Mr "J B Gooch"

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13702409


a passenger for London via Portsmouth from Australia (Brisbane?)
on the RMS Austral, 5th November 1888.

My ancestor would have been 56 at the time.

-DC

[minniehaha]

Perhaps this is your man? [1870]


https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18700418.2.26?phrase=2&query=capt.+gooch


Minniehaha.

[minniehaha]

Possible death? [Second Christian name initial missing]

GOOCH, JOSEPH       66     
GRO Reference: 1899  J Quarter in WEST HAM  Volume 04A  Page 31


Minniehaha.