In 1842, a Captain Edward Nowlan from New Ross, Co. Wexford, Ireland, attended a Repeal of the Union meeting held in Charlottetown, PEI. It is believed that he was the same one listed in cross-Atlantic shipping records for the 1840s and 1850s. By the mid 1850s, however, he seems to have fallen into disfavour with shipping merchants, losing a ship supposedly due to disorderly conduct on the part of the crew.

In the late 1850s, however, the New Zealand Government was offering free land to settlers provided they pay their own way to get there. It was in this context that Captain Nowlan accepted to sail a ship, especially built for the trip, from PEI to New Zealand.

The ship left Charlottetown in December 1858 and arrived in Auckland on May 13, 1859, carrying 100 or so souls from Prince Edward Island, then a British Colony in North America. The new arrivals settled in various parts of New Zealand i.e. Mangonui East, Oruru,Waiwera, Kaiwaka, Mangapai, Maungakaramea and Omaha. Captain Nowlan and his family settled in the Oruru area.

Born February 9th 1828, the eldest son of Robert Howard Nolan and Martha Adams of 16 Fountain St., Londonderry, Northern Ireland, David McCool Nolan, joined the Merchant Navy as a young man and worked in the service of the East India Comnpany before marrying in 1852.

On June 29th 1852, David McCool Nolan married Mary Burnside at Fanghanvale, Co. Derry, and shortly thereafter set sail with his wife, three sisters and a brother for Melbourne, Australia.

On May 24th 1854, David and Mary's first child, James Wrey, was born in Bathurst, NSW. Two other children would soon follow, Robert Howard born in 1855 and Sophia, also born in Bathurst, NSW.

Sometime between 1865 and 1867, David and his family relocated to Auckland, New Zealand.

This Nolan line is perhaps best known for David's second son, Sir Robert Howard Nolan (1855-1923), K.B.E., who became an auctioneer, racing administrator and patriotic worker in New Zealand.

NOTE: Matt Crowther, the contact person for this Nolan line, is a descendant of Sophia "Cushla" Nolan, daughter of David, who married Arthur Sydney Tonks. If you know more about this Nolan line please do not hesitate to contact him.

Jeremiah was born around 1850 in county Limerick, the son of Denis Nolan. His mother is believed to have been an O'Connor and it is not known if he had any siblings.

Jeremiah and Mary married before emigrating to New Zealand. They were married on February 1, 1870, in the Catholic chapel of Kilcoman in Co. Limerick. At the time, Jeremiah was a labourer residing in nearby Glensharrold and Mary was a servant of "Park", the daughter of Michael Mahoney.

Five years after their marriage, in 1875, they went to Greenock (a port near Glasgow, Scotland) and, on April 30, 1875, boarded the Aldergrove bound for Port Chalmers, New Zealand. They arrived in Port Chalmers on July 25th that year and there is no mention that any children or other family members accompanied them.

Jeremiah and Mary settled in Central Otago and raised a family there. They are both buried in the MacRaes Flat cemetry, Central Otago, New Zealand.

NOTE: Donald Lamont, the submitter of this information, is a great-grandson of Jeremiah and Mary, and would like to find out more about Jeremiah's father Denis and any family left behind in Ireland.

Jeremiah was born around 1850 in county Limerick, the son of Denis Nolan. His mother is believed to have been an O'Connor and it is not known if he had any siblings.

Jeremiah and Mary married before emigrating to New Zealand. They were married on February 1, 1870, in the Catholic chapel of Kilcoman in Co. Limerick. At the time, Jeremiah was a labourer residing in nearby Glensharrold and Mary was a servant of "Park", the daughter of Michael Mahoney.

Five years after their marriage, in 1875, they went to Greenock (a port near Glasgow, Scotland) and, on April 30, 1875, boarded the Aldergrove bound for Port Chalmers, New Zealand. They arrived in Port Chalmers on July 25th that year and there is no mention that any children or other family members accompanied them.

Jeremiah and Mary settled in Central Otago and raised a family there. They are both buried in the MacRaes Flat cemetry, Central Otago, New Zealand.

NOTE: Donald Lamont, the submitter of this information, is a great-grandson of Jeremiah and Mary, and would like to find out more about Jeremiah's father Denis and any family left behind in Ireland.