Assisted passage from England 1870s?

[hensher]

My great grandfather William Edmond Hensher from London was in South Africa by the early 1880s, but in a letter from him to his son he mentions 'when I went to New Zealand'. Can find no other mention of NZ anywhere. He was born in 1853 and not from a wealthy family so presume he went to NZ in the 1870s. He eventually became a gold miner in Africa. Where is best to start searching please?

[Milliepede]

Have you found his passage to South Africa? 

His original destination when he left London would be the place to start as he could have gone from place to place. 

Do you know if he travelled on his own or did he have a wife/children in London?

[Milliepede]

Is this him in 1901

William E Hensher 44 gold prospector agent
Daisy 26
Thomas 7
Ella 1
Gladys 2 months
Elizabeth Collis 17 servant

Death in 1903

[BumbleB]

Thomas William - 1893 - mmn = Beckett - baptised 5 April 1896 - Kettering - born 17 April 1893 - Thomas Edmund (Gold Prospector) and Esther Emily.

Richard Edmund - 1896 - mmn = Beckett - baptised 5 April 1896 - Kettering - born 20 October 1895 - Thomas Edmund (Gold Prospector) and Esther Emily.

Cecil Jack - 1897 - mmn = Beckett - baptised 31 October 1897 - Kettering - born 14 July - Thomas Edmund (Gold Prospector) and Hester.

Ella - 1900 - mmn = Shead

Gladys - 1901 - mmn = Shead

I can't readily see a marriage between Hensher and Beckett or Shead.


Added:  BUT none of this helps in the search for a journey to New Zealand. 

[Maiden Stone]

He might have worked his passage if he went as a young, single man.
Was there a mining industry in NZ? Was there a gold rush in Australia which attracted him before he continued to NZ?

[BumbleB]

So, Esther Emily died 11 September 1897 - Tooting.  Administration to Robert Hensher, attorney for WEH.

[Janette]

Hi,
do you have any more dates as to when he got to South Africa and where and when did he die please?

Cheers Janette

[Fresh Fields]

Hello.

I'm wondering how many W. HENSHER there were. On a very quick look at our archives listings and PapersPast I got only one hit pre 1885.

Otago 1865 for a design of clay pipe on sale.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT18651215.2.4.2?end_date=31-12-1885&query=Hensher&snippet=true&start_date=01-01-1839

Alan.

[hensher]

Wow this forum is a treasure trove for me! William Edmond Hensher must have been in South Africa before 1884 as that was when he married Esther Emily Beckett from Port Elizabeth. Her family arrived there in 1862. He died in April 1903 allegedly of Blackwater fever in the Gold Coast, now Sierra Leone. I've not been able to find any details of his burial.
There were several William Henshers, a family name. The Henshers had quite a dynasty of tobacco pipe makers. William Edmond's father Robert was one and the William in the newspaper advertisement was I think William Edmond's uncle, born 1806. I didn't know he was an exporter so thank you very much for that info!