Blockade Runner

Michael Hamilton, son of Robert Hamilton, was born at Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Scotland, around June 1829. The 1841 Scottish census records him as living with his parents and older sister Margaret, in Blantyre Parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland, but by 1851 he was living only with his father; and his occupation was shown as a handloom weaver in the cotton and muslin industry. Michael in the 1841 and 1851 census records was not living with either parent, Michael did have a sister, Ann, who in the 1861 census of Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, was living with her three young sons; Thomas, Robert and John. Michael in the 1841 and 1851 census records was not living with either parent, Michael did have a sister, Ann, who in the 1861 census of Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, was living with her three young sons; Thomas, Robert and John.Michael Hamilton, son of Robert Hamilton, was born at Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Scotland, around June 1829.

Her husband, John Scott a ships engineer, who also ended up becoming a Blockade-runner, was at the time of the census, away at sea aboard ship. At the same residence, number 10, Finnieston Street, Glasgow, was Ann’s brother; Michael Hamilton. Michael was still employed in the cotton trade, but the industry soon began to suffer due to the effects of the Union blockade of the Southern states of the United States, after the beginning of the “War Between the States”. The whole industry felt the effects of the declining cotton trade with the Southern States, and Michael and John Scott both decided to take their chances in the blockade running business; doing business with the Confederate States Government. Michael was next shown as a fireman in the engineering department of the steamship Thistle. It was actually the first blockade running vessel of that name, a 636-ton iron side-wheel steamship built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1863, though another researcher states it was in 1859. [see "Early American Steamers", Volume III by artist Erik Heyl, 1957] Having been run aground in an attempt to get out of Charleston, South Carolina on February 13, 1863, the ship was salvaged, repaired, re-named the Cherokee and once more, put into operation as a blockade runner. Although it had been re-named, the name Thistle continued to be used when discussing it. The Thistle served as the USS Dumbarton in 1864-1867 and was known as the merchantman Dumbarton in 1867-1868. Rerigged and fitted with new engines in 1868, she operated under the British flag as the SS City of Quebec until it was sunk in a collision on May 1, 1870 while in Canadian waters.

The Thistle, and Michael Hamilton, made numerous voyages between Bermuda and Wilmington, North Carolina running through the Union blockade transporting goods needed by the Confederate people, and returning with desperately needed cotton destined for Europe to keeps the mills operating. Their voyages, though dangerous, were very prosperous while at the same time filling the needs of people on both sides of the ocean. As with many blockade running ships, however, the day came when the luck of the Thistle ran out.

On April 12, 1863, a message was sent by Brigadier General Ripley, Commander, Confederate Headquarters of the First Military District in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, through Adjutant General, William F. Nance, his assistant, to Lieutenant William A. Webb, Confederate States Naval force, Charleston, South Carolina advising him that because of the reduced number of Union vessels blockading the port, that it would be possible for a group of blockade running ships, which included the Thistle, to make an attempt to run the blockade with their cargoes and make their way to the open sea.

Only one month later, on May 11, 1863, Rear Admiral Samuel F. Du Pont sent the following report to Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy in Washington, D.C., from aboard the Union flagship Wabash off Port Royal Harbor, South Carolina:

 “Sir:

 I have the honor to report the capture of the steamer Cherokee, formerly the English steamer Thistle, by the U.S.S. Canandaigua, on the morning of the 8th instant, attempting to run out of Charleston loaded with cotton. Captain Green has already reported to you in detail the circumstances of her capture. The steamer being in want of coal was sent to Port Royal, and by the general order of the Department I have dispatched her to Boston in charge of Acting Master Samuel Hall, of the Canandaigua, with a crew from several of the vessels of the squadron whose times are out, or nearly so. The captain, G.F. Trescott, and the first mate, A. McLeod, go in the prize.  The former being a South Carolinian, I would suggest to the Department should be looked to. The difficulty of furnishing men for the engine department of prizes induced me in this case, as in others, to pay such of the crew of the steamer as were willing to work. May I ask the Department to authorize Commodore Montgomery, to whom I have written on the subject, to pay these persons from the 8th of May until the arrival of the prize in Boston.”

Included was a list of the names of eleven personnel aboard the Thistle, Rear Admiral Samuel F. Du Pont  had authorised to be kept aboard to operate and maintain the engine of the Union vessel, on her way to a prize court in Boston, Massachusetts. The list included the rate of pay each man was to receive for their work, including Michael Hamilton who was paid two dollars per day.

After the conversion of the Thistle to a Union gunboat, it was placed in commission as the USS Dumbarton in August 1864.

After his release Michael returned to Scotland where he married Anne Wallace, who bore him his first son, Robert Wallace, who was born in 1866. Michael migrated to New Zealand on October 1, 1868, where his brother in law and sister, John and Ann Scott, were already living; having migrated a number of years earlier.  Michael and his wife Anne, who was pregnant at the time, along with their two children Robert, and Anne, boarded the migrant vessel, Wild Duck, at Downs, Scotland and sailed for New Zealand, arriving three months later at the Port of Nelson, on January 5, 1869. Upon their arrival thry moved into the home of John Scott, Michael’s brother-in-law on Russell Street, where on April 2, 1869, their third child, a daughter, was born. Michael and his family continued living in Nelson for some fifteen years, before moving to Wellington on the northern tip of South Island. There Michael found employment at the Gear Meat Freezing and Preserving Company Works and worked on the company’s hulk, the Jubilee; remaining with the company until his retirement in 1897.

In September 1870 in pursuance of  Section 29 of the ‘Gold Fields Act, 1866’, Michael Hamilton was awarded by the Crown Grants land, which was recorded in the Registrar of Deeds in Auckland, New Zealand.

In January 1899 Michael at the age of 69 and after having been in New Zealand for 39 years, was granted an “Old Age Pension” of £11. His wife Ann being 66 years of age and having been in New Zealand (according to their records) for 29 years was allotted a pension of £18.

Early 1900 Electoral Rolls recorded Michael Hamilton as a "fireman" living in Jackson Street, Petone; which has been and still is the main street through the town. Another record "fich" produced the following wording from his headstone:  Anne Wallace  wife of Michael  died in Petone 13th Aug 1902 aged 70; Michael Hamilton  husband of Anne died Petone  14 December  1917 aged 97.

Michael died at his home at 105 Nelson Street, Petone, New Zealand on December 14, 1912 and was buried two days later in the Taita Cemetery Presbyterian section, plot 148; which is situated on Kowhai Street. He was survived by three sons and one daughter. Michael’s wife Ann had preceded him in death by ten years.  Michael’s grave is only three meters from the road and he is buried in his wife' s grave along side other family members,  including  Mary Jane  who died  23.11.50  and another  Mary Jane  who died  10.6. 59.   

The gravesite is a bit run down with the headstone having being old, covered in moss/lichen making it difficult to read and broken. Michael’s grave is adjacent to the Hamilton family plots; to the right.

The gravesite is a bit run down with the headstone being old, covered in moss/lichen and difficult to read.   His home at 105 Nelson Street, Petone has since been torn down and replaced by a concrete commercial building. Taita Cemetery today is a Lawn Cemetery with graves either unmarked or marked with a small plaque on a concrete strip, or just a plot number.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4091, 1 October 1870

"Early American Steamers", Volume III, Erik Heyl,

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 8, 10 January 1895, New Zealand

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 16, 20 January 1899, New Zealand

Gaylene McCooey, researcher

Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland Census Records, 1860 –1865

Glen Stewart, genealogy researcher, NZ

Joan Gaudin, researcher, New Zealand

Map of the  Presbyterian  Cemetery Area

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 9 January 1869

New Zealand Archives

New Zealand BMD Records, Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand Cemetery  Index, Wellington

New Zealand National library, Wellington

Nicola Harwood, Nelson Public Libraries, Nelson

Paperspast, New Zealand

Reserves Asset Manager for Parks and Garden, Taita Cemetery

Records of the USS Wabash, National Archives, Wash., D.C.

Scotland National Archives, Dublin, Ireland

Sexton of Taita Cemetery, New Zealand 

Spartacus International, England

Taita Cemetery Heritage Library, Petone, New Zealand

Taita Cemetery Records, Lower Hutt City, New Zealand

1881 New Zealand Electoral Roll