Stephen and Julie Gibbon (Gill) - Genealogy Information
This is the diary of the journey accompanying the letter from Uncle Jo Moxham to Violet May Price
- From Caerwent
At 10.40pm said goodbye to Gladys and the men and got into the trap accompanied by Sophie and Will (driving) and Clara and part luggage – spring cart following close behind with Vi, Doff, Ciss, Nora and remainder of luggage and driven by Jack.
Pleasant journey to Newport – saw Sara Ann & John Edwards and girls going by the farm – 2 or 3 minutes saying goodbye – arrived Newport 12.30am (met Will Coulson & Sara & Mabel Price to see us off).
May 27th
12.58 am wished all goodbye & got into train which was very crowded, had to stand most of the way to Hereford (first stop) except that the train waited more than an hour at Maindee junction for Bristol section – I tried to sleep a bit but “no-go”.
8.15am
Saw the “Mauritania” (one of the largest ships afloat) discharging passengers at landing stage – All well and fairly happy – Clara heaved a sigh or two – Went to shipping office & paid balance of fare (£36) and exchanged money into Canadian Dollars – by the way it seemed funny to handle their money for the first time – I kept a few shillings for use on board. We walked about Liverpool a while till noon & then made for landing stage and embarked at 12.30. Had no difficulty getting on board simply showed our ticket. Went straight to our state room and found our trunks and parcels there and was very pleased to find it quite as good as represented in the books. Watched embarkation proceeding till 2pm when all visitors aboard were warned ashore and the S.S. “Laurentic” cast off and left the shores of Britain at 2.30pm amidst cheers & handkerchief waving and watched by thousands of spectators and laden with, who knows how many, hopes and fears in the hearts of her living freight. Clara is very despondent and children in sympathy to a slight extent – of course I secretly feel it but keep smiling, and as the shores of Old England gradually faded from view our spirits rose a few degrees. I must here remark that the whole of this day has been beautifully bright and the water only had just a ripple on it till dark – now to resume, no sooner had the shores of England been lost sight of than the Isle of Man came in view and before that had disappeared the North coast of Ireland was visible and about 10pm the lights on the Irish and Scottish coasts were to be seen at the same time.
Dined at 6pm. Supper 10pm – seats at table were allocated at 7pm ours were 58.60.62.64 & 66 – Clara and the girls were tired and went to bed before supper and I tumbled up in my bunk about 11pm.
May 28th
Rose at 7.20am after having slept splendidly – dull misty morn. – quite strong wind on the port bow (SW) slight roll on ship although waves are quite big – several missed breakfast at 8am Doff and Ciss included – wind continues to increase and ship pitches considerably – lunch 1.30. 3 girls missed Clara & I put in an appearance, quite 50% of passengers absent sick I suppose. Doff and Ciss affected, Nora walked round deck with me for an hour, a good bit of staggering going on - Clara went to room in afternoon & stayed there & Doff & Ciss sat on deck till evening & then went to room. Dinner at 7.30 only I, of our family, attended – there were considerably fewer than at lunch, feeling capital myself & quite enjoy a smoke and my meals – The sea is much rougher now & the spray flies over from the prow to 1/3 the length of the ship – quite a pretty sight but wind very cold overcast all day – Lots of the passengers fail to carry their food up the companion ways from the dining saloon. A seaman is cleaning up and growling all the time because they don’t carry their “curry” farther, only Doff has actually been sick so far of us - The log extract posted up in the companion way each day at noon, reads – May 28th Latitude 55.32N Longitude 11.17W. Distance travelled in 24 hours 330 miles moderate wind and smooth sea, - retired to bunk at 11pm found the others turned in. Not a sail in sight all day.
May 29th
Bright morn. Stronger wind very cold, boat pitching worse, waves bigger & spray flies more. Slept splendidly – Doff and Ciss sick, Clara bad headache, Nora still in bunk. Went to breakfast 8.30 left others in room, felt quite hungry myself, not more than ¼ of the passengers showed up at table. Stewardess visited Clara and children and took food to them – wind changed to NW & stronger spray flies all over decks – boat seems shrouded in mist sometimes & pitching until her bows seem to go under water.
Lunch 1.30 less attendance only 5 out of 19 at our table, some tables only 1 or 2. The 3rd Class is abaft (or behind) us & on a lower deck & their end of the boat pitches up and down a great deal more than we do more towards the middle of the ship. The 1st class are forward of us more amidships & the crew in the very front. There is a parson or 2 in our class they often play chess in the smoke room where dominos, draughts and chess are provided and also the bar. Everything is 6d a time Bass, haircut, whiskey, shave etc. Excellent provision of lavatories all over the ship and every thing as clean as a new pin.
Dinner 6.30 – did justice to it – no sail in sight all day. Turned in 11pm Clara and girls stayed in room all day.
Log Lat 55.53N Long 21.15W. 338 miles moderate gale and rough level sea.
May 30th
Slept soundly. Clara and Children about the same, Very cold NW wind fairly bright. Ate good breakfast. Had a few games of draughts. Ship still pitches badly can hardly write. Enjoyed my lunch 1.30 and dinner 6.30 when Doff came with me, the others had food in their room. I took Doff & Ciss for a turn around the deck for ½ hour but could not persuade Clara and Nora to turn out. Clara complains of feeling weak but I think Nora stays with her more for sympathy than sickness. Wind still strong dead ahead (West) but boat is steadier. Turned in at 10pm. I observe that the seats are gradually filling up at each mealtime.
Log Lat 53.50N Long 30.13W. 326 miles moderate gale and high level sea.
Supper is quite an informal meal, just bread & cheese & biscuits and a cup of tea and very few go to it. I mostly have a bite up in the smoke room but breakfast, lunch and dinner are quite swell with excellent food in quality & variety splendidly served and each one always has the same seat & waiter – there is one waiter for each side of every table – 12 tables of 19 seats each & 2 of 21 seats each, 270 seats in all and it takes 2 sittings to accommodate the 2nd class passengers – the other classes have dining saloons to themselves.
May 31st
Slept well & woke early & hungry, very foggy morn – ships hooter blown every 60 seconds since some time in the night. Clara & Nora & Ciss breakfasted in cabin & Doff and self went to table & made good show. I forgot to mention that Clara came up on deck this morning for an hour at 6.30. The ship’s clock is put back every midnight according to the longitude west we are in. I expect we are three hours behind your time now. Took Doff and Ciss to lunch but Clara & Nora wouldn’t come. Fog cleared off about 11.30 & wind increased & is now blowing very hard & the spray flying. The waves are white foam topped as far as we can see all around. Just been to the cabin & found Clara & Ciss in their bunks. Doff and Nora are about the deck somewhere. There is to be a whist drive in the saloon this evening but I do not intend to take part in it – not particularly struck on the job. As it is too rough for me to risk shaving myself I had to visit the barber shop this evening. The last shave I had was in Liverpool & I expect the next will be in Montreal. Doff and I went to dinner the others would not turn out of their room. Spent rest of evening in smoke room talking to a fellow passenger named Woods who is going back to Canada with his wife & 3 children having been out there before for nine years. Turned in at 11pm. Wind stronger than ever & ship rolling worse, very cold.
Log Lat. 51.31N Lon 40.15W 391 miles moderate breeze, fog, moderate sea.
June 1st
Slept well got up 7.30 & learn that we had passed icebergs during the night for we are now passing through the arctic current. Wind still very cold and strong NW & ship pitching a good deal. Nora, Doff & self to breakfast Clara & Ciss had some in room. Clara and Ciss a bit better & sat in library for an hour or so but had lunch in cabin. Doff, Nora & self very hearty so attended saloon for our lunch. There is a splendidly & comfortably furnished library over the saloon and is mostly patronised by the ladies & children & non smoking men – there is a lending department attached to it. I am reading one of Marie Correllis’ books (God’s good man). No games on board today – for we can play quoits & ring board on deck when its fine enough as well as draughts etc in the smoke room and also a lot of skipping is mostly going on. I had a look through the 3rd class quarters this afternoon. It look rather rough and dirty in comparison to 2nd class but not so bad considering the number of foreigners there are among the passengers. The most I noticed was that the decks & gangways were not kept so clean as ours & the cabins & saloon & smoke rooms were very plainly furnished and also they had a very small area of deck space for exercise. The 2nd class has 3 decks for use namely Promenade Deck, Shelter Deck over that and Boat Deck where the life boats are over that again but as the Boat Deck is not covered in it is too cold up there for most people. The smoke room is on the Shelter Deck (the highest room on the ship). The library is under that on the promenade deck & the saloon is under the library (I don’t know what deck they call that) and the cabins are on a deck below the saloon.
Clara, Ciss & Nora are in the library this afternoon & Doff around the deck somewhere. We have scarcely seen the sun for 2 or 3 days now. Nora, Doff & self to dinner 6.30. Clara & Ciss as usual had some in cabin but they are now both better. Doff & Nora attended service in the saloon at 8pm. Clara is chatting to Mrs Brown in an adjoining cabin. She (Mrs B) has a little girl about three years old who runs into our cabin pretty often – quite a quaint little girl with a teddy bear nearly as big as herself. Turned in at 10pm. Lots of the young girls are still on deck, sparking with the boys I suppose. There are two brightish girls who sit at table opposite us at meals. I often observe them making sheep’s eyes at their waiter – a rather nice looking young fellow but I guess he is quite used to that sort of thing every voyage.
Log Lat 49.17N Long 47.00W 291 miles moderate gale, high level sea.
Remark. This is the shortest daily run we have made so far and I hear later that it was because there was a burial at sea of a 4 year old child in the night when the engines were stopped and after that they were stopped owing to the fog & ice.
June 2nd
Woke up about 12.30 and found that the engines were stopped
owing to fog and icebergs. We hear this morning that the ship stopped over three
hours but when she did start she went full gallop for she travelled 379 miles
during the 24 hours. Got up about 7
and was pleased to hear that Clara and Ciss were feeling well enough to come to
breakfast. So we were all at table this morning the first time for 5 days. I
must tell you that early this morning we sighted the first land (Cape Race
Newfoundland) and a couple of sailing ships. I should guess we were 2 to 4 miles
off but soon the fog came & hid it from view. It is quite clear now &
the sun shines but we cannot see any land now for we are crossing a big bay.
Cape Race looked very barren and rocky with high cliffs at the distance
we were off it. We also sighted a steamer going east almost on the horizon.
We must have passed her before. Clara and I have been writing letters
ready to post somewhere tonight. I have written to Slough (is this Slough Farm Caerwent?) & Charley Pritchard & now
going to write to Credy Jon (?) & Ford (?). (Possibly Coedyfon?)
Hurrah! We all went into lunch together today & ate heartily. I mean Clara & the girls ate wonderfully well. As for myself I have been burdened with an immense appetite during the whole of the trip and at each meal time. I have forgotten to mention about my bad finger during the voyage. Well, its getting better slowly and the core came out last Friday. I must tell you of the slight fright I had one day at dinner. I think it was Friday. I had an awfully blunt knife and an underdone steak and as the knife seemed to require a lot of persuading I simply gave it a bit more muscle and just at that moment the ship rolled a good dip and the thought flashed through my mind that I had tipped the ship or broken the table when the steak sank beneath the extra pressure I had applied. I couldn’t help look around to see if anyone else had noticed it and felt quite relieved when it dawned on my slow mind that it was the waves & not I that had tipped the boat – my seat is tight against the side & only the thickness of the ship’s side between me and the water. We all 5 turned up at dinner quite hungry. The weather is getting thicker. I asked out steward (there is a steward & stewardess for every so many state rooms) if he thought it was going to rain and he said it was only a Scotch mist with an Irish accent and as the spray was flying all over ship I suppose it was in a Welsh temper. A grand concert was held in the saloon, programmes 3d each hat the door (compulsory) and a voluntary collection inside for Seaman’s Institute. Clara and the girls went and they say there was some decidedly talented singers (comic & otherwise) and a very clever young dancer. Clara says the Chairman, a Mr Brooks, was very amusing & had a splendid voice. Turned in 1030. This has I think been the roughest sea & wind we have had on the trip, you could scarcely stagger about without holding to something and that’s why I have written more than usual today. You felt such a fool trying to walk about.
Log Lat 46.37N Lon 33.6W 379 miles moderate wind & sea (that’s what the navigation officer called it I don’t think I should care much about what he would call rough).
Tuesday June 3rd
Woke early & on deck 6.45. but mind you the clock was put back 60 minutes last midnight and I expect we are pretty well 5 hours behind your time now, a splendid morning sea smooth & sun shining brightly. The crew busy getting 3rd class luggage from hold upon their deck ready for landing at Quebec where all 3rd class passengers have to land. All 5 to breakfast – good appetites, mine prodigious, almost ashamed to stay to satisfy it. It is now noon & I am ready for lunch but have to wait 1 ½ hours yet. We are now in sight of land again. New Brunswick north coast opposite Anticosti Island but the island is not visible for we are only about 2 miles from the mainland coast and the Gulf of St Lawrence is very wide here. Can see larches growing on the side of the hills which remind me of the Rhondda valley at this distance, there is stretch of level ground between the river and hills. A few ships in sight & it looks as if there was a harbour in a bay running back towards the hills. The post box was not closed until noon today so I suppose no letters have left the ship yet but will this afternoon. I wrote to Hez (?) this morning. Clara and girls quite well now - . I notice that several of the 3rd class luggage was knocked about a bit mostly tin boxes, they pull them up from the hold in a rope sling with a steam winch, sometimes half a dozen or more at a time & the rope squeezes the sides in so much because of the great weight that the covers warp and the locks burst open but the rope bindings keep them from falling right open. Going to lunch 1.30pm.
4.15pm still passing New Brunswick, several small fishing villages in the little bays & where the foreground is flat – notice one church or something like it with red roof & white spire – all the hills as far inland as we can see are covered with larches and in some places where the shore is rocky the trees grow right to the very brink of the cliffs. There are numbers of what looks like torrents pushing down the steep banks to the sea, but whether they really are torrents or drifts of snow lying in the ravine I am not sure, anyhow they look very white among the trees which are just turning green. Country very hilly all around for miles. The land is too far off to describe details but near enough to look pretty & interesting. Most of the passengers are on deck “gazing”, the sea is smooth, a little rain fell about 2 o’clock, stopped now but dull – 5pm. We are now about 1 ½ miles from shore, still hilly & thickly wooded with little villages in the small bays only a strip of land bordering the sea is cultivated – puts me in mind of the small farms & cottages on the highest fringe around Mynydd Alltir-fach & Grey (Gray?) Hill and Wentwood. There are several patches of snow in the ravines (we are near enough now to see that it is snow). Just passed a big steamer a mile off. Still dry but air cold and sea smooth. Whist drive & fancy dress held in saloon 8pm – Went in to see the judging – some of the men’s ideas were funny, one or two were in women’s clothes. The first prize (men) was awarded to a man labelled “Departed Spirits” his face was blacked, hair powdered grey and body encloaked in a long white sheet and around his shoulders he had a string with 4 empty whiskey bottles slung on – 2 behind & 2 before. I couldn’t describe the ladies 1st prize except to say that she was very prettily dressed. Went to bed 11.15. Clara & girls were fast asleep (Red sky tonight).
Log 48’57’’ N and 64.4W 395 miles wind & sea moderate (the longest run so far).
June 4th
Woke up about 1 o’clock ship stopped & started again. Find this morning that the pilot came aboard in the night. Woke again 4.30 and as it was such a beautifully fine morning & the sun shining & the land looking so pretty both sides of us Clara & I washed & dressed & was on deck 5.30. I am not particularly poetic or artistic so I cannot describe the view except to say it is enchanting. Villages, farms, woods & forests, green isles., rocky shores, & flat open country, with every thing looking so fresh in the morning sun, the sea sparkling and the air fresh & no wind except the rush of the steamer. Two lighthouses on rocks in mid channel looked particularly fairy-like with their bright red tops and as clean as if they had just been taken out of a band-box. All these passed before our eyes like a majestic panorama – not one dull moment always something pretty in sight. Had breakfast at 8.30. You bet we were ready for it too. All passengers were ordered on promenade deck after breakfast to pass the ship’s doctor – we had no trouble. They seem to closely examine children particularly babies – several were stopped. The 3rd class were examined earlier in the morning. We heard that about 30 were put back. About 10 o’clock a small steamer came alongside & hitched to us and 3 or 4 2nd class passengers (women with babies in arms) were put on board and were taken to quarantine. I suppose the children were doubtful – the boat went straight North to the shore. I expect there is an isolation hospital there. I couldn’t help laughing when the quarantine boat was alongside. Some refuse (potatoes etc) were thrown out of a porthole & pitched on the deck, but as they were not “taking any” a sailor off our ship had to go & clean it up, it wasn’t much but it touched their skipper’s dignity a good bit. Had lunch 12.15 because of boat being due at Quebec at 1 o’clock. The farther we go the more picturesque it becomes – reached Quebec at 1 o’clock. 3rd class passengers and luggage landed & port medical officer came aboard to examine us, it took about 2 hours to go through the 2nd class – several were turned back – one case was particularly pitiful, a woman with 5 or 6 year old boy –the said boy having a short leg and the woman having no money and no friends in Canada was refused admittance, and one or two other cases – eyes I think. We passed all right – the medical officer asked what was the matter with my finger but scarcely looked at our party and the pass or recommendation I had from the English agent quite satisfied them about deafness. Oh we hear today there were 3 deaths and 1 birth amongst 3rd class & 1 birth in 2nd class during the voyage. We left Quebec at 5pm. It is a very pretty city as far as we can see from the steamer – we had no time to go ashore because of the doctor’s examination. We are packing this evening ready for our trunks to be put on deck in the morning when we reach Montreal. The ship expects to reach Montreal in the night & anchor in the river till daylight.
June 5th
Up early and found ship still sailing and making for the landing stage, although we had anchored in the night to wait for daylight. It is now breakfast time and whilst we had breakfast the old “Laurentic” was tied fast to the landing stage, and when we went to our cabin to see about quitting we were agreeably surprised to find Mattie and her daughter Ivy & May & Dolly Morgan. We soon collected our hand parcels & ran down the gangway on to the wharf which is all covered in & thus at about 8 o’clock in the morning we first set foot in Canada. The heavier luggage was carried ashore by the sailors whilst we breakfasted and put into groups according to surnames ours was therefore placed in the M group but one parcel had gone astray and after a while we found it had been placed in the wrong group. We looked everywhere for the 2 big packing cases and 2 boxes (or beds ?) which had been sent forward to Liverpool to go into the hold and subsequently found that they had not arrived in Liverpool in time to come with the Laurentic but was following us in the next boat SS Canada.
Luckily we had no trouble in getting our luggage passed through the customs, they simply put their OK on it & passed on, but they examined some peoples closely. We walked out of the wharf shed across the railway sidings into the street and the first thing that struck me as peculiar was the bell swinging in a locomotive to warn people – lines are not fenced in as completely as in England and the bell is kept constantly ringing at level crossings etc. As we got a little further into the street I could not help noticing the amazing number of overhead wires and poles – the poles all shapes of crookedness & bewildering disorder of lines.
I really should have mentioned that the very first unusual sight that met my wandering gaze was a policeman strolling about the wharf with his staff or bludgeon in his hand it looked rather cold blooded at first sight bit as we got into the city I noticed that all policemen carry their staves in their hands.
Mattie hired a cab. We couldn’t think in dollars yet & we were driven to 871 Wellington St. Point St Charles (Uncle Morgan’s house) about 2 miles & there we had our first Canadian meal. Our luggage was sent to Mattie’s house 234 Hibernia Rd (close to here) and now here we are enjoying a bright sunny day & casting shadows in the streets of Montreal, Canada, about 2000 miles from Caerwent in Monmouthshire, England.
Jos W Moxham