Alice Shaw had every reason to fear ships and the sea. Her father, William Rout, a high-profile pioneer from Nelson in New Zealand, was lucky to escape with his life when he was caught in a violent storm while sailing off the coast in a small, unseaworthy ship. However, Alice’s husband, Henry Wharton Shaw, and her mother, Harriette, were not so fortunate.
Harriette died at sea in 1888, after suffering a heart attack while travelling to England accompanied by William and Alice. Harriette appeared to be in perfect health when she farewelled family and friends, so the loss came as a terrible shock. Then, in February 1909, Henry drowned when the SS Penguin struck rocks and sank in Cook Strait. Known affectionately as Harry, the Englishman was travelling on business as Australasian manager of his family’s wire rope manufacturing company, based in Sheffield.
