27/08/2026
WOMEN OF THE FOX
Margaret “Maggie” Deane – A Remarkable Voyage and an Unexpected Love Story
Margaret Deane, known as Maggie, was just 20 years old when she left Derry, Ireland, with her 22-year-old sister Rebecca in 1873. Both sisters were listed as housemaids and were destined to work in a hotel in Hokitika.
They travelled aboard the Edwin Fox on the dramatic 1873 voyage to Lyttelton – the same voyage that encountered a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay only days after leaving port, when the ship and those on board were nearly lost.
After the damaged ship arrived in Brest, France, for repairs, an inquest was held into Captain Johnson’s management. Among the allegations were reports of inappropriate behaviour involving a female passenger – Maggie Deane. Another passenger, Philip Moore, who was travelling with his brother and sister-in-law, was a key figure behind the complaint.
Captain Johnson was ultimately cleared of all accusations, and the Edwin Fox continued its journey to New Zealand.
Maggie and Rebecca eventually made their way to Hokitika. But Maggie’s story was far from over. Soon afterwards, Captain Johnson travelled to Hokitika, where he and Maggie married. The couple then returned to Lyttelton and rejoined the Edwin Fox before its next voyage.
Maggie went on to travel with her husband on numerous voyages, and the couple’s first child, a daughter named Suzanna Selina, (possibly named after his mother) was born on board the ship in the Indian ocean.
In an interesting twist, Maggie’s sister Rebecca later married Philip Moore – the very passenger who had been involved in the complaint against Captain Johnson – and the couple settled in Christchurch and had two children, who along with Philip died of tuberculosis.
Eventually, Maggie and Captain Johnson returned to England, where they raised a family of nine children. Captain Johnson later is thought to have died of beriberi, an illness that affected many sailors. Maggie was said to have worn black mourning clothes for the rest of her life, until her own death, believed to have been from breast cancer.
From a young Irish woman setting sail for a new life in New Zealand, to becoming the captain’s wife – Maggie Deane’s story is one of the many extraordinary human stories connected to the Edwin Fox.
Photo supplied by a family member.
