Jane Rundle Trevail and James Robinson

Eastern Monarch (ship, 1874)

Jane Rundle Trevail, youngest daughter of Joseph Trevail and Jane Rundle, aged 14, embarked on the Eastern Monarch, one of seventy-four single women, mostly domestics, all as Assisted Immigrants to Canterbury, New Zealand. In Jane's case, it would appear that the New Zealand Government bore the whole of the cost of her passage. The ship sailed from Plymouth on 7 May 1874 and arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand on 22 Jul 1874. (Jane's two eldest sisters, Ellen Higgs and Mary Ann Bawden and their husbands, had emigrated together, to Lyttelton, New Zealand, at the end of 1862.)

The initial report, on 23 Jul 1874, on the ship's arrival, said that "During the voyage (73 days) fifteen deaths, principally infants, occurred." A subsequent report, on 24 Jul 1874, called it a floating village with talk of entertainments. It also remarked, "The Eastern Monarch brings 552 souls, representing 473 statute adults. They appear to be a well selected and healthy-looking lot of immigrants ..." which makes them sound like little more than slaves!

In 1875, when Jane must have been no more than 15, she married James Robinson, in New Zealand. Later records suggest that he was born in 1854, so will have been 21. Unfortunately, there are far too many people called James Robinson and no other clues, to be able to trace his origins.

The records I could find point to James and Jane having five children:

1. James Robinson b. 1876
2. Elizabeth Jane Robinson b. 1878
3. Alfred Trevail Robinson b. 1888
4. Mabel Eveline Robinson b. 1890
5. Eva Mary Robinson b. 1891 (appears to have died 1891 or 1892)

James Robinson died on 16 Jul 1945, aged 91. He is buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch City. Jane Rundle Robinson died on 9 Jul 1947, at 87. She also, is buried at Linwood Cemetery, alongside her husband. 

Jane's will appoints daughters, Mabel Evelyn Price and Elizabeth Estall as the Executrices and Trustees of the Will. To Mabel she left properties at 241 Hereford Street and at 244 Hereford Street, Christchurch and to Elizabeth Estall her property at 242 Hereford Street. Jane also left a property at 49 Keppel Street, New Brighton, to her son Alfred Trevail Robinson. Son James isn't mentioned, so may also have predeceased her. Again, as there are too many people called James Robinson, it's not possible to identify the relevant record to confirm. There are no records to suggest what James or Jane did for a living, but to have property they seem to have done pretty well on it.