Genealogy Chat

My ancestor Thomas Bluett arrived in Wellington New Zealand in April 1841 with a lithographic press. After producing the first ever chart of Port Nicholson, he and his partner Jacob Jones produced a newspaper called the Victoria Times. It only ran to one issue, Thomas and Jacob had a falling-out and Thomas upped sticks and was settled in Sydney by the end of the year. So, is there a kindly kiwi out there who could trace a copy of the Victoria Times? I believe Victoria Hill is now a suburb of Wellington.

Hey Paul, I remember this one - I just don't know where to start looking. I'm new to tracing you see and get lots of ideas from those people searching for Scotish roots. Far out Kiwi history only goes back a couple of hundred years - it cant be too hard - could it? Let me do a google - I'll get back to you soon.

Paul Do you mean Mount Victoria?

Just a thought but maybe you could email the National Library. http://www.natlib.govt.nz/en/digital/index.html I had a look at their paperspast section and it's not listed, but maybe they would be able to help you Sylvia

Hi Paul, the national library is a good first step. As sylvia sai your relations newspaper is not listed amoungst the historican papers BUT there are three that could be worth a look, New Zealand Gazette printed 31/10/1841 or New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser 08/1842 - 08/1843 or the NZ Spectator & Cook Strait Guardian 04/1840 - 08/1865. Maybe one of those mentions your relation or the Vistoria Times - maybe it made the headlines for going out of print so quickly??? http://paperspast(.)natlib(.)govt(.)nz/brow(.)html

I'm sure you're right Sylvia - it would be Mount Victoria - I was going from somebody else's memory. Thomas got a lot of coverage in the NZ papers at the time and I have read copies at the National Newspaper Archive in Colindale. But this one publication has eluded me.