Mimosa (ship)

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The Mimosa was a clipper ship best known for carrying the first Welsh emigrants to South America in 1865.

By the time Mimosa made the voyage she was already past her prime, having been built in 1853 at Hall's shipyard in Aberdeen. She had not been designed to carry passengers, but had been converted for the purpose. The cost of fitting provisioning and chartering the ship was £2,500 and the passengers paid £12 per adult or £6 per child for the journey. [1]

Before the voyage the emigrants assembled at various points, not always their places of origin, to prepare for the journey, including Aberdare, Birkenhead and Mountain Ash.

Mimosa sailed from Liverpool, England on May 28, 1865 to Patagonia, South America with a group of about 153 passengers with Captain George Pepperell and a crew of 18. Thomas Greene, an Irishman from Kildare, had been appointed as ship's surgeon. They landed on July 28, 1865 and named their landing site Porth Madryn. They were met by Edwyn Cynrig Roberts and Lewis Jones who had already arrived in Patagonia in June 1865 to prepare for the arrival of the main body of settlers.

Their aim was to establish a Welsh colony which would preserve the Welsh language and culture. The proposed site for the colony was in the Chubut River valley. On September 15, 1865 the first town in the Chubut colony was named Rawson, and the settlers went on to build the settlements at Gaiman and Trelew.

The exact number of emigrants who sailed out to Patagonia on the Mimosa remains uncertain. Although one of the original settlers, Richard Jones (Berwyn), maintained a register of births, marriages and deaths for many years, most of these original records were lost in the great flood in the Chubut Valley in 1899.

In 1875 the Argentine government granted the Welsh settlers ownership of the land which encouraged hundreds of others from Wales to join the colony.

The colony became known, in Welsh, as Y Wladfa.

The 1865 Settlers

Name Assembly Point Given Age Note
Austin, Thomas Mountain Ash 17
Austin, William Mountain Ash 18
Davies, Evan Aberdare 25
Davies, Ann Aberdare 24 wife of Evan Davies
Davies, Margaret Ann Aberdare 1 daughter of Evan & Ann Davies
Davies, James (Iago Dafydd) Brynmawr 18
Davies, John (Ioan Dafydd) Mountain Ash 18
Davies, Lewis Aberystwyth 24
Davies, Rachel Aberystwyth 28 wife of Lewis Davies
Davies, Thomas G. Aberystwyth 3 son of Rachel and Lewis Davies
Davies, Robert Llandrillo 40
Davies, Catherine Llandrillo 38 wife of Robert Davies
Davies, William Llandrillo 8 son of Robert & Catherine Davies
Davies, Henry Llandrillo 7 son of Robert & Catherine Davies
Davies, John Llandrillo 1 son of Robert & Catherine Davies, died on board
Davies, John E. Mountain Ash 30
Davies, Selia Mountain Ash 26 wife of John E. Davies
Davies, John Mountain Ash infant son of John E. & Selia Davies
Davies, Thomas Aberdare 40
Davies, Eleanor Aberdare 38 (second) wife of Thomas Davies
Davies, David Aberdare 18 son of Thomas Davies (1st marriage)
Davies, Hannah Aberdare 16 daughter of Thomas Davies (1st marriage)
Davies, Elizabeth Aberdare 11 daughter of Thomas Davies (1st marriage)
Davies, Ann Aberdare 7 daughter of Thomas Davies (1st marriage)
Davies, William Liverpool, England 36
Ellis, John Liverpool, England 38
Ellis, Thomas Liverpool, England 36
Ellis, Richard Llanfechain, Llanfyllin 27
Ellis, Frances Llanfechain, Llanfyllin 27
Evans, Daniel Mountain Ash 27
Evans, Mary Mountain Ash 23 wife of Daniel Evans
Evans, Elizabeth Mountain Ash 5 daughter of Daniel & Mary Evans
Evans, John Daniel Mountain Ash 3 son of Daniel & Mary Evans
Evans, Thomas Pennant (Twmi Dimol) Manchester, England 29 crew
Greene, Dr. Thomas William Nassau Liverpool, England 21 crew (ships' doctor)
Harris, Thomas Mountain Ash 31
Harris, Sara Mountain Ash 31 wife of Thomas Harris
Harris, William Mountain Ash 11 son of Thomas & Sara Harris
Harris, John Mountain Ash 6 son of Thomas & Sara Harris
Harris, Thomas Mountain Ash 5 son of Thomas & Sara Harris
Harris, Daniel Mountain Ash infant son of Thomas & Sara Harris
Hughes, Catherine Birkenhead, England 24
Hughes, Griffith Rhosllannerchrugog 36
Hughes, Mary Rhosllannerchrugog 36 wife of Griffith Hughes
Hughes, Jane Rhosllannerchrugog 11 daughter of Griffith & Mary Hughes
Hughes, Griffith Rhosllannerchrugog 9 son of Griffith & Mary Hughes
Hughes, David Rhosllannerchrugog 6 son of Griffith & Mary Hughes
Hughes, John Rhosllannerchrugog 30
Hughes, Elizabeth Rhosllannerchrugog 39 wife of John Hughes
Hughes, William John Rhosllannerchrugog 10 son of John & Elizabeth Hughes
Hughes, Myfanwy Mary Rhosllannerchrugog 4 son of John & Elizabeth Hughes
Hughes, John Samuel Rhosllannerchrugog 2 son of John & Elizabeth Hughes
Hughes, Henry Rhosllannerchrugog 1 son of John & Elizabeth Hughes
Hughes (Cadfan), Hugh J. Liverpool, England 41
Hughes, Elizabeth Liverpool, England 40 wife of Hugh Hughes
Hughes, Jane Liverpool, England 20 daughter of Hugh & Elizabeth Hughes
Hughes, David Liverpool, England 6 son of Hugh & Elizabeth Hughes
Hughes, Llewelyn Liverpool, England 4
Hughes, Richard Caernarfon 20
Hughes, William Anglesey 32
Hughes, Jane Anglesey 32 wife of William Hughes
Hughes, Jane Anglesey infant daughter of William & Jane Hughes
Hughes, William Abergynolwyn 33 widower, married Ann Lewis on board
Humphreys, Morris Ganllwyd, Dolgellau 27
Humphreys, Elizabeth Harriet Ganllwyd, Dolgellau 21 wife of Maurice Humphreys
Humphreys, Lewis Ganllwyd, Dolgellau 27
Humphreys, John Ganllwyd, Dolgellau 22
Huws, Rhydderch Manchester, England 33
Huws, Sara Manchester, England 37 wife of Rhydderch Huws
Huws, Meurig Manchester, England 4 son of Rhydderch & Sara Huws
Jenkins, Aaron Mountain Ash 35
Jenkins, Rachel Mountain Ash 32 née Evans
Jenkins, James Mountain Ash 2 son of Aaron & Rachel Jenkins, died on board
Jenkins, Richard Mountain Ash 1 son of Aaron & Rachel Jenkins
Jenkins, Rachel     daughter of Aaron & Rachel Jenkins, born on board
Jenkins, Thomas Mountain Ash 23
Jenkins, William Mountain Ash 18
John, David Mountain Ash 31
John, Mary Ann Aberdare 24
Jones, Evan Aberdare 19 son of Eleanor Davies (1st marriage)
Jones, Thomas Aberdare 15 son of Eleanor Davies (1st marriage)
Jones, David Aberdare 13 son of Eleanor Davies (1st marriage)
Jones, Elizabeth Aberdare 12 daughter of Eleanor Davies (1st marriage)
Jones, Elizabeth Mountain Ash  
Jones, Anne Bethesda 23
Jones, George Liverpool, England 16
Jones, David Liverpool, England 18
Jones, James Mountain Ash 27
Jones, Sarah Mountain Ash 24 wife of James Jones
Jones, Mary Anne Mountain Ash 3 daughter of James & Sarah Jones
Jones, James Mountain Ash 1 son of James & Sarah Jones
Jones, John Mountain Ash 61
Jones, Elizabeth Mountain Ash 53
Jones, Richard (Berwyn) New York, USA 27 crew (purser)
Jones, Richard Mountain Ash 21 son of John & Elizabeth Jones
Jones, Ann Mountain Ash 18 daughter of John & Elizabeth Jones
Jones, Margaret Mountain Ash 14 daughter of John & Elizabeth Jones
Jones, John (jnr) Mountain Ash 28
Jones, Mary Mountain Ash 27 née Morgan, wife of John Jones (jnr)
Jones, Morgan     son of John & Mary Jones, born on board The Mimosa
Jones, Thomas Harries Mountain Ash 16
Jones, Joseph Seth Denbigh 20
Jones, Joshua Cwmaman, Aberdare 22
Lewis Jones Liverpool, England 28 advance party
Jones, Ellen Liverpool, England 25 wife of Lewis Jones, advance party
Jones, Mary Mountain Ash 22
Jones, Stephen Caernarfon 18
Jones (Bedol), William R. Bala 31
Jones, Catherine Bala 31 wife of William R. Jones
Jones, Mary Ann Bala 4 daughter of William R. & Catherine Jones
Jones, Jane Bala 1 daughter of William R. & Catherine Jones
Lewis, Anne Abergynolwyn 35 née Pugh, widow, married William Hughes on board
Lewis, Mary Mountain Ash  
Matthews, Abraham Aberdare 32
Matthews, Gwenllian Aberdare 23 wife of Abraham Matthews
Matthews, Mary Annie Aberdare 1
Morgan, John Pen-y-Garn, Aberystwyth 29
Nagle, Robert Birkenhead, England, 22 crew (passenger steward)
Owen, Ann Liverpool, England
Price, Edward Liverpool, England 41
Price, Martha Liverpool, England 38 wife of Edward Price
Price, Edward Liverpool, England 16 son of Edward & Martha Price
Price, Martha Liverpool, England 2 daughter of Edward & Martha Price
Price, Griffith Ffestiniog 27
Pritchard, Elizabeth Holyhead 20
Rhys, James Berry Ffestiniog 23
Rhys, William Thomas Tregethin 25
Richards, William Mountain Ash 19
Roberts, Edwyn Cynrig Nannerch & Wigan, England 27 advance party
Roberts, Elizabeth Bangor, Wales 19
Roberts, Grace Bethesda 25
Roberts, John Moelwyn Ffestiniog 20
Roberts, John, Ffestiniog 27
Roberts, Mary Ffestiniog 27 wife of John Roberts
Roberts, Mary Ffestiniog daughter of John & Mary Roberts
Roberts, Thomas Ffestiniog 2 son of John & Mary Roberts
Roberts, John Ffestiniog infant son of John & Mary Roberts
Roberts, William Seacombe, Liverpool, England 17
Solomon, Griffith Ffestiniog 23
Solomon, Elizabeth Ffestiniog 30 wife of Griffith Solomon
Solomon, Elizabeth Ffestiniog 1 daughter of Griffith & Elizabeth Solomon, died on board
Thomas, John Murray Bridgend, Wales 17
Thomas, Robert Bangor, Wales 29
Thomas, Mary Bangor, Wales 30 wife of Robert Thomas
Thomas, Mary Bangor, Wales 5 daughter of Robert & Mary Thomas
Thomas, Catherine Jane Bangor, Wales 2 daughter of Robert & Mary Thomas, died on board
Thomas, Thomas Mountain Ash 26
Williams, Amos Bangor, Wales 25 crew (passenger cook)
Williams, Eleanor Bangor, Wales 24 wife of Amos Williams
Williams, Elizabeth Bangor, Wales daughter of Amos & Eleanor Williams
Williams, Dafydd Aberystwyth  
Williams, Jane Liverpool, England 24
Williams, John Birkenhead, England 36
Williams, Elizabeth Birkenhead, England 31 wife of John Williams
Williams, John Birkenhead, England 4 son of John & Elizabeth Williams
Williams, Elizabeth Birkenhead, England 2 daughter of John & Elizabeth Williams
Williams, Watkin W. Pritchard Birkenhead, England 33
Williams, Elizabeth Louisa Birkenhead, England 30
Williams, Watkin Wesley Birkenhead, England 27
Williams, Catherine Birkenhead, England
Williams, Robert Meirion Llanfairfechan 51
Williams, Richard Howell Llanfairfechan 18 son of Robert Meirion Williams
Williams, Thomas Mountain Ash 60
Williams, Mary, Mountain Ash 55
Williams, William Liverpool, England 20
Wood, Elizabeth Liverpool, England 11

Bibliography

  • Susan Wilkinson - Mimosa: the life & times of the ship that sailed to Patagonia (Y Lolfa, 2007)
  • Susan Wilkinson - Mimosa's Voyages: Official Logs, Crew List and Masters (Y Lolfa, 2007)

See also

References

  1. Buenos Aires Herald, Sep 1998

External links

cy:Mimosa (llong)