ENTERPRISE – BILL OF LADING
APRIL 21ST 1828. [2 items]
‘Shipped, by the Grace of God in good Order and well-conditioned by the Rev Messrs. Mansfield & Horton in and upon the good Ship called Enterprise….’ A short list of the articles sent from Sydney Cove to Hokianga New Zealand unto Rev John Hobbs & James Stack, freight paid by the said Messrs. Mansfield and Horton. ‘And so, God send the good ship to her desired Port in Safety – Amen. Dated in Sydney, New South Wales, April 21st, 1828’. The original Bill of Lading, printed document with details in ink, an oblong sheet, 360 x 110mm, fold marks, browning and small chips, handwritten on the side, a short list of the goods sent. MANUSCRIPT INVOICE: Heading [Copy] Hand-written document by William Horton – 'Invoice of Goods Shipped at Sydney on board the Brig Lord Rodney, Capt Wm Hindson Master, for the Revd N Turner, Nukualofa, Tongataboo April 22nd 1820'. Folio, 4 pp. p1 with a double column list of the items sent, and down the page vertically a small notation regarding the invoices and hoping he will be excused the smallness of the handwriting to avoid double postage, dated Sydney, May 7. 1828 signed Will Horton to the Wesleyan Missionary Society, New Zealand District. Page 2 continuation of ‘Invoice of Goods Shipped on board the Schooner Enterprise, Captain Saies Master, for the Revd. John Hobbs, New Zealand April 14th 1828’. ‘N.B. 450 copies of the Tonga taboo First Lessons which completes the work were sent per Lord Rodney …’. On the same page ‘Invoice of goods shipped on board the Schooner Enterprise Captain Saies Master for the Revd John Hobbs, New Zealand April 14th, 1828, followed by a list of the items sent from England and Sydney. On page 3. Continuation of the invoice and a letter in very small writing from Horton to the Revd. N Taylor ‘…accompanying the preceding Invoice. Sydney April 22nd, 1828’, with descriptions of goods sent and reasons for purchase order changes. Signed Dear Br for Mr Mansfield & Myself Yours affectionately Will Horton’. Verso of Page 3 addressed to The Secretaries of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, No 77 Hatton Garden London. Small circular hole in the page where the wax seal has been and a rubber stamp ’Kings Bridge Ship Letter’.


The schooner Enterprise was completed 1827 in the Horeke shipyard (also known as Deptford) in the Hokianga Harbour. ‘On the 3rd of May 1828 the “Enterprise”, so recently built at Horeke was wrecked at Whangape when returning from Sydney with the consignment of mission stores. A parcel and some letters were washed up and delivered to Mangungu….’ With the loss of all hands. T.M.I. Williment - John Hobbs 1800-1883
Provenance: Gerald Ellott MNZM postal historian, purchased by him at auction in 1964 at Cordy's Auction House. [Auckland], and believed by him to have been part of a collection of manuscripts and papers that had belonged to Judge Maning.