NZSG Franklin: Suffrage 125 Vol2 2018 original

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2380 Surname: POLAND
Given names: Teresa Residence: Tuakau
Occupation: storekeeper Qualification: residential

Teresa was born in Magherlin, County Armagh and Down,
Ireland in 1837. Her actual birthdate is unknown, but she
was baptised on 2 July 1837 and her place of residence was
Ballymaikbrude. Her parents were Mathew BLACK and
Rose McGRADY.

At 21 she married John POLAND at the Tullylish Catholic
Church, County Down, and in 1864 they decided to
immigrate to New Zealand as part of the Waikato
Immigration Scheme sailing on the Ganges from Cobh to
Auckland. As they could only bring two children under the
age of three the older son Matthew was left behind with
his grandparents.

Two children, Mary and John, sailed with them on the
Ganges but both died on the voyage. Teresa gave birth to
another son during the later stages of the voyage and so
arrived in New Zealand in February 1865 with a new baby,
again named John.

When they eventually received their 10 acres of land in
Tuakau, a house was built, and Teresa ran what was the
first store in Tuakau from their home. John was flaxmilling
as well as farming.

Matthew, the son left behind in Ireland, eventually joined
them when he was 15 as it took some time for them to get
the money together to bring him out to the family. Teresa’s
Irish Black family also later came to New Zealand and they
too settled in Tuakau. A devout Catholic, Teresa took part

with John in the church activities.

Eventually Teresa had 10 living children as well as the two babies who died on board ship. Teresa lived
until 1914 and saw her son Hugh elected as a member of the Liberal government in 1905. Politics
were important to her and hence her interest in the Suffrage petition and enrolling to vote in the 1893
election.

She was very proud of all her children, and in the fact that they all got a very good education and
excelled scholastically. This was important to Teresa. Teresa died on 24 March 1917 aged 75 and is
buried in Tuakau Cemetery.

Sources:
Personal Family History

Researcher and contributor Diane Wilson

245

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2386 Surname: POLLOCK
Given names: Agnes Ellen Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Her signature from her mother’s probate records 1923

Agnes Ellen was the third child of Thomas McDonald
POLLOCK ( 1840 – 1923) and Mary Jane NIXON (1841-1923).
She was born on 26 September 1869, probably at Drury as
that is where the family lived prior to them settling in
Pukekohe and she had four brothers and four sisters.
On 16 April 1897 she married Alexander STEVENSON who
was a milk tester but rose to be a butter factory manager in
later years at Waiuku and Frankton.
Agnes and Alexander had five children;
• 1898 Rupert McIntosh
• 1900 Kathleen Mary
• 1901 Alexandra Margaret (Allie)
• 1903 Clara Pollock
• 1905 Helen Dunsmore
After Alexander’s death on 10 January 1925, Agnes lived in Norton Road, Hamilton but by 1946 she
had moved to Te Kauwhata where she lived until her death on 5 June 1954.

Agnes is buried with Alexander in Pukekohe
cemetery.

Sources:
NZ electoral rolls – ancestry.co.uk
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz
Old newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Photo – Family Tree – My Heritage
Headstone photo – Franklin Branch NZ Society of
Genealogists

Researcher: Heather Maloney

246

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2383 Surname: POLLOCK
Given names: Elizabeth Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Her signature from her will dated just before she died in 1920

Elizabeth was the second child and eldest daughter of Thomas McDonald POLLOCK (1840-1923) and
Mary Jane NIXON (1841-1923) and was born in Drury on 7 October 1865.

The family moved to Pukekohe and settled on good farming land where Elizabeth would have
received some schooling at Pukekohe West School, along with her siblings. As the eldest daughter
she no doubt had to help around the home with the other eight children – four brothers and four
sisters.

On 26 September 1894, Elizabeth married William James ALLEN, a farmer. They lived in Pukemiro
before moving closer to Hamilton where they continued farming.

They had six children:

• 1895 Ivan McDonald
• 1898 William Raymond
• 1901 Norman Pollock
• 1901 Rosalind Mary
• 1905 Margaret Edith
• 1907 Gordon Carson

Elizabeth was only 54 when she died on 12 June 1920 and she is buried in Pukekohe cemetery.

Sources:
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz
Probate records – www.familysearch.org
Headstone photo – Franklin Branch NZ Society of Genealogists
Researcher: Heather Maloney

247

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2384 Surname: POLLOCK
Given names: Margaret Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Signature from her mother’s probate records 1923

Margaret was the fourth child of nine, of Thomas McDonald POLLOCK (1840-1923) and Mary Jane
NIXON (1841 – 1923) and was born in Pukekohe on 21 November 1871.

She attended Pukekohe West school with her siblings and her father was on the School Committee
as well as numerous other community organisations.

It is unknown whether Margaret had any employment outside the home and farm but as with all
large families there was always plenty to do.

She remained single and was obviously living with her other single sister, Minnie, in 1923 when her
father left them the property described as Lots 201, 210 an 211 Section 2 of the Parish of Pukekohe,
in his will.

Margaret was part of the Pollock family who had a road in Pukekohe West named in their honour.

Margaret and her sister lived in Pukekohe all their life and are buried togther at Pukekohe cemetery.
Their headstone reads;

Sources:

Probate records – www.familysearch.org;
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz
Headstone photo – Franklin Branch NZSG
School records: NZ Society of Genealogists

Researcher: Heather Maloney

248

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2385 Surname: POLLOCK
Given names: Mary Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Mary was born Mary Jane NIXON in Ireland in 1841, the
daughter of Adam Nixon (1799-1871) and Elizabeth
O’REILLY (1807-1868).

She had at least six sisters and three brothers.

On 12 May 1863, Mary married Thomas McDonald
POLLOCK, who had been born in New Zealand in 1840.
They settled in Pukekohe prior to 1873 and remained on
this land until their deaths – Thomas on 22 May 1923 and
Mary a few months later on 15 September 1923. They
were both aged 82 and are buried together in Pukekohe
cemetery.

Mary and Thomas had nine children born between 1864
and 1886 – five daughters and four sons. Two of her
children were to pre-decease her and two daughters
remained single. They were given Lots 201, 120 & 211,
Section 2, Parish of Pukekohe in Thomas’ will.

Mary died intestate and the seven children alive at that
time, along with five grandchildren who had reached the age of 21, all signed documents for her
probate.

Sources:
Photo & info – Watkins family
Tree – ancestry.co.uk;
Probate – www.familysearch.org;
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz;
Newspapers –
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz;
Headstone photo – Franklin
Branch NZSG

Researcher: Heather Maloney

249

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3796 Surname: PONSFORD
Given names: Emma Residence: Kohekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Emma was born in 1840 to parents James and Jane GOODING and the family’s home village was
Colaton Raleigh in Devon, England.

In the 1851 census Emma aged eleven was described as a lace-maker living in the small village of
Hawkerland. Young girls were introduced to this skill early in life.

Emma and William PONSFORD appear to have met while living in Sidbury village and were married in
the parish church of St Giles on 23 September 1860. Emma continued to be a lace-maker and was
living in Honiton Rd in 1861 with their first child William.

The Ponsford families were agricultural labourers and William
and Emma with their two children, 4-year-old William and
Lucy just over seventeen months, saw an opportunity for a
new life in New Zealand. They joined the clipper ship
‘Matoaka’ along with 400 other migrants which sailed from
London on 17 September 1864 and arrived in Auckland on 3
January 1865.

Settlers were unable to move onto their lands straightaway
and initially the Ponsfords were put in transit camps around
Auckland, before being taken to Waiuku to be housed until
surveys of their land were completed.

The land was located about 5kms south of Pollok, in
Kohekohe on what is known as Ponsford Road, and they
began to develop the land bringing it into production under
the usual pioneering hardships.

By 1882 the’ Return of Landholders’ shows that the Ponsford farm was 85 acres indicating that
William and Emma had increased their original holding. The Ponsford home was a simple pioneer
construction consisting of two rooms. William died in 1921 at the age of 81 years, and it is probable
that their son William took over the management of the farm for his mother as well as running his
own farm.

In the early 1930’s the farm was taken over by Lucy May and Ernest TWIDLE. Lucy May was the
eldest daughter of Robert McWATT and Lucy Ponsford and on the death of Emma it passed into
Twidle hands where it remains to this day.

Emma passed away on 16 June 1933 aged 92 years and is buried in Kohekohe cemetery alongside
her husband William.

Acknowledgement: ‘The Good-Holding Ground’ by Bishop Robert Ponsford McWatt

By: Gillian Conroy

250

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3797 Surname: PONSFORD
Given names: Lucy Residence: Kohekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Lucy was born in 1863 in Honiton, Devon, England to William and Emma PONSFORD. She was
seventeen months old when her parents made the decision to start a new life in New Zealand. The
family, including Lucy’s older brother William aged 4 years, sailed on the ‘Mataoka’ from London on
the 17 September 1864, arriving in Auckland on 3 January 1865.
They settled on their land at Kohekohe and any education Lucy received would have come from her
parents or Sunday School at the Kohekohe church. However, her primary tasks would have been
helping her parents in the household or on the farm.

During the 1890s Robert McWATT met up with Lucy although they would have known each other
previously as their farms were located close to one another as well as her brother William knocking
around with Robert as young men. They were married on 8 May 1896 in the Auckland Registry
Office.
They settled into married life in the area as the Kohekohe School records list their first children on its
rolls. They moved to Otaua for a year, but came back to Te Toro for a time, then to WhiriWhiri until
the end of 1912. Robert and Lucy then purchased their own farm in Aka Aka.
A large family meant there was always a baby to care for and children to be clothed and fed. Lucy
would often be up late at night mending and making clothes by lamplight. From time to time she
would hitch up the horse to the family gig and drive from Aka Aka to Te Toro/Kohekohe to visit her
mother taking some of the children with her. She had no formal schooling and the demands of a
farmer’s wife when pioneering on the land were considerable.

Robert and Lucy’s 10 children were Lawrence William born 23 July 1897, Robert Alexander born 23
July 1898, James Leonard born 21 September 1899, Lucy May born 21
December 1900, Maud Agnes born 23 April 1902, Emma Irene born 8 July
1903, Arthur Edward born 24 November 1904, Charles Raymond born 25
August 1906 died of meningitis on 4 February 1910 and is buried in the
Kohekohe cemetery, twins Pearl Lavinia and Ruby Edna born 22 August
1908.
By 1919 Robert and Lucy could afford to retire and moved to a home
with some land in Edinburgh Street, Pukekohe. Robert passed away in
1927. About 1930 Lucy and her daughter Pearl took a steamship across
the Tasman to South Australia to visit son and brother Robert (Bob) and
his wife Eva who were living near the Murray River. On their return
journey they flew to Adelaide in a single-engine Fokker monoplane, one
of the first commercial air services in Australia.

Lucy is remembered as a lovely mother. She passed away on 20 January 1941 aged 78 years and is
buried in the Pukekohe cemetery.

Acknowledgement: ‘The Good-Holding Ground’ by Bishop Robert Ponsford McWatt.
By Gillian Conroy

251

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2398 Surname: PORTER
Given names: Eliza Scott Residence: Tuakau
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Eliza Scott PAUL was born in Edinburgh, Scotland to Patrick Paul and Eliza SCOTT on 18 March 1853.
By 1889 Eliza was in New Zealand, for this is when she met and married John PORTER, a farmer from
Buckland.

New Zealand Herald 14 Jan 1889

John and Eliza had two children,
Annie Gertrude Scott in 1889. Annie married Albert Edwin CURRY in 1934.
Ivan Norman born in 1892. Ivan married Mary Florence BARCLAY in 1920.
Sadly, John died in 1897 just
eight years after their
marriage, leaving Eliza with
two small children and a
farm to manage.

Eliza died in 1929 at Takapuna and is buried in the Pukekohe
Cemetery.

Sources;
Scotland births and baptisms 1564-1891
NZ BDM
Papers Past
Researched By Mary Mercer

252

Electoral Roll: Waipa 2213 Surname: POTTER
Given names: Ellen Residence: Bombay
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Nellie and Jack sold the farm in 1908
and retired to Auckland, at first Remuera,
then Birkenhead and finally 3 Clifton Road,
Takapuna for many years.

Nellie was a respected person with a
cheerful nature and a lot of good stories to
tell. She always had a well-kept interesting
garden. She was very fond of music and had a
harmonium which she liked to play.

In 1904 when her husband had a trip
back to Ireland, Nellie stayed home to look
after the farm.

Ellen’s daughter, Jane helped her
parents on the farm until she married David
INGRAM and farmed for many years in
Ingram’s Road, Ramarama. Jane often played
the organ in the little Pukekohe East Church.

^ Daily Southern Cross, 18 April 1856 ^ NZ Herald, 20 May 1930

Ellen (Nellie) MORGAN was born 16 ^ NZ Herald, 20 May 1940
April 1856. She was the elder daughter of ^ NZ Herald, 1 June 1940
William Morgan and Jane Elizabeth ROBINSON
of Pukekohe East. ^ NZ Herald, 30 April 1941

Her father was from Leeds, Yorkshire Ellen and John’s ashes were scattered
and her mother was from Rotherhithe, at Waikumete Cemetery.
London. Her parents had married in Auckland
on 27 December 1853. Sources: PapersPast; Family History
Compiled by Christine Madsen & Jim Percy, gr grandson
When Nellie was just a little girl, she
woke one morning to find an unknown Maori
traveller asleep just inside their door. He
must have decided it would be good shelter
for the night.

In February 1870 her mother Jane
died after a brief illness at the age of 36.

On 20 May 1880 she married John
(Jack) POTTER at Pukekohe East. They were
to have a long life together as shown in the
newspapers of the day by their Golden and
Diamond Wedding Anniversary notices. Nellie
died in 1940.

Ellen and John had a dairy farm at Mill
Road, between Pukekohe East and Bombay.
All their four children, Jane (Janie), Leila
Annie, Gertrude (Gertie) and Robert Cecil
grew up on the farm.

253

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3799 Surname: POWELL
Given names: Johanna Residence: Waipipi
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Johanna was born in County Clare, Ireland c1836.

Johanna and Matthew POWELL were early settlers in the Waipipi area and had a section in the valley
to the south of Craig Road. The farm straddled Creamery Road about 40 metres west of the school.

They had two sons: Matthew born 1866 and John Edward born 1868.

Matthew married Catherine DONNELL on 16 May 1898 and on 20 February 1899 they had a son John
Edward. The family lived for a period in Waipipi but they later moved to Aka Aka where Matthew
worked as a contractor before settling for a time in Waiuku. By late 1920s Catherine, Matthew and
John had moved to the wider Auckland area. Unfortunately, Catherine passed away on 16 April
1930 at the age of 56 and John passed away 16 December 1931 aged 32. Matthew passed away 28
January 1962 aged 95 and all three are buried together in Waikumete Cemetery Catholic Section.

John married Johanna KEOGH, daughter of Mary and John Keogh and stayed in Waipipi. They had
three children – John Edmund, Linda Gertrude, Mary Phyllis. John Edmund took over the family farm
about 1945 but by 1963 it had proven to be uneconomic and was sold. John and Johanna are buried
in Waipipi Cemetery with John’s parents.

Johanna and Matthew worked hard on their farm, but Mathew passed away on 25 December 1916
at the age of 75.

Johanna remained on the farm with son John, daughter-in-law Johanna and grandson John Edmund.
Johanna died 29 January 1929 age 93.

Sources:
“Of Pigeons and Pipis” Waipipi School and Districts 125 years
Electoral Rolls – NZ BDM Historical Register
Researcher: Penny Prescott, Lois Hopping

254

Electoral Roll: Waipa 3483 Surname: PRIDEAUX
Given names: Ethel Miriam Residence: Pokeno Valley
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Her signature from Humphrey’s probate documents, 1932

Ethel was born Ethel Miriam GIBSON on 16 December 1869, the eldest child of Harrison Gibson and
Mary HANDLEY. She had one brother and four sisters. Her parents were farmers in Taranaki and her
father also invented a successful cattle branding system, known as Gibson branding.

In 1890 Ethel married Humphrey Arnold PRIDEAUX at her parents’ place in Taranaki, New Zealand.

It appears that the Prideauxs were only at Pokeno for a short period as Humphrey appeared on the
1890 electoral roll as a farmer in Taranaki and in 1896 as a factory manager in Stratford. They
shifted frequently and lived at Midhurst, Eltham, Patea and Whakatane where Humphrey’s
occupations varied from farmer to creamery manager to engineer before being recognized as a
settler in Whakatane. It was here that he was to die after swimming on 14 February 1932.

Ethel and Humphrey had five children – two daughters and three sons who all lived to great ages –
most in their late 80’s and Leo to 95.

Ethel Miriam Prideaux lived in Whakatane at several different addresses after her husband’s death.
In 1957 she was living with her son Francis at Whakatane and when she died on 19 August 1964, at
the age of 94, she was living
with her daughter Avice
PEEBLES at 68 Roslin St,
Tokoroa and is buried in
Hamilton.

Sources:

Probate – www.familysearch.org;
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz;
Old Newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz;
NZ electoral rolls – ancestry.co.uk; Pearce Family Tree – My Heritage; Burial records – Hamilton City Council

Researcher: Heather Maloney

255

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3801 Surname: PRIEST
Given names: Janett* Residence: Waiuku
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Janet* Howison CORNES was born in Parnell, Auckland on 13 March 1868 to Thomas Cornes (a
Cornish miner) and Margaret Aitken THOMPSON (a Scot). Janet was a housemaid for the
Presbyterian minister in Thames and when the Cornes family moved to Australia she stayed in New
Zealand. The minister was transferred to Waiuku.

Janet (16yrs) met William James PRIEST when he took part in a
parade of the Waiuku Cavalry. They went to the unit ball in the
evening after Janet had climbed out a window knowing the
minister did not allow dancing. When she arrived home, she
found the window locked and her clothes were flung at her.
William took her home to his mother. She married William
(23yrs) in St Benedict’s Church, Newton on 29 July 1885 aged
17. William started the first coach service from Pukekohe
railway to Waiuku. Enroute there was a steep hill and if it was a
full coach Janet would ride out with an extra horse to the
bottom of the hill to help pull up the coach. She often took
children/babies with her. She rode side saddle and that
included the hunt on a grey. They also had the mail contract. It
was in 1890, while Mail Contractors, that William and Janet
suffered a fire which totally destroyed their house – only a few
clothes were saved.

For 20 years they held licences for the Tuakau Family Hotel, Newton and Albion Hotels. At one
stage, in December 1914, while owning the Albion Hotel, there was a fire at the nearby Devonshire
Boarding House. An item in the Auckland Star – “… the night of the fire was a fearful one, and as
most of the boarders, both ladies and gentlemen – escaped only in their night attire, they were in
somewhat pitiable plight. Thanks to Mrs Priest’s kindness, one and all were soon housed at her
husband's hostelry and warm refreshments and dry clothing provided; everything possible being
done for the comfort of those unfortunate sufferers by the fire.”

Janet and William had nine children (six girls and three boys). It is not known if Janet attended in the
Hotel Bar or rather more the internal workings of the Hotel as it appears several may have had both
bar and rental accommodation. Growing up with young active children in such “adult” situations
would not have been easy. Several of the girls did try to attend in the bar but Janet and William
were advised of the legal age for such activities and they stopped. After releasing the hotel licences
Janet and William went farming at Te Aroha and then the Hauraki Plains. Their last move was to
Auckland where William became a Real Estate Agent.

Janet and William were active members of St
Joseph’s Parish, Grey Lynn, and took a keen and
active interest in all work pertaining to the
parish. William died on 13 August 1933 (Plot
15) and Janet on 29 May 1946 (Plot 17) and are
buried at the Waikumete Cemetery – Catholic C
Row 19 –No. 13966 – Headstone 6793

Source:
Information and Photographs from Brian Fahey – Family History.
Additional confirmation from Papers Past

256

Electoral Roll: Waipa 2238 Surname: PROUDE
Given names: Eliza Catherine Residence: Bombay
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Eliza Catherine MANDENO was born on 1 August 1844 in New Port,
Shropshire, England to James Frances Mandeno and Jane LLOYD.
At the time of Eliza’s birth, her father was vicar of Trinity Church,
Newport, a position he held from 1841 to 1848. In 1855 the
Mandeno family, James, Jane and their four sons and five
daughters, came to New Zealand and Rev Mandeno became pastor
of the Congregational Chapel at Remuera.

In 1863 Eliza’s future husband, Robert PROUDE and his brother
George left Yorkshire in England and came to New Zealand on the
Royal Stuart. They arrived in Bombay (which was known as
Williamson’s Clearing in the early days) in 1864, about a year
before the settlers from the ship Bombay. George moved on, but
Robert acquired land locally and built himself a house on what
came to be known as Proude’s Corner. He and Captain Thomas
Jackson, a former sea captain, were among the first settlers in the
area and became firm friends. They helped each other and also
helped the new settlers who came on the ship Bombay in 1865.

In 1860, Mary Mandeno, Eliza’s eldest sister, had married Captain Thomas Jackson and in the mid
1860’s they had settled on a property of 600 acres at the Razorback. No doubt it was about this time
that Eliza Catherine Mandeno was introduced to Robert Proude and they were married in 1867. Eliza
and Robert named their home ‘Thornville’ after Robert’s home in Yorkshire. The two sisters lived
within a mile and a half of each other and so would have enjoyed the mutual support their close
proximity allowed. Another of the Mandeno sisters, Sarah Ann, married Samuel Jackson, a brother of
Thomas Jackson.

Eliza and Robert raised a family of six but not without much sadness. Their eldest child, Annie, born
in 1869, died in 1890 at the age of 20, and their eldest son Robert William died in 1875 at just one
year. The other children were: George, Mary, Lucy and Harriette.

Eliza became a widow in 1899 when Robert died at the age of 58.
Eliza signed her will in 1902, making provision for her daughters
Harriette and Lucy (who married Percy Reynolds) and leaving the
balance of her estate to her son George. Harriette (who married
Frank Walter Reynolds), also received Eliza’s “piano and all music
which I may possess at the time of my death.”

Eliza died on 30 August 1910 at the age of 66 and was buried at St
Peter’s in the Forest at Bombay where her husband was buried.
The inscription on the headstone reads: In loving memory of Robert
Proude, third son of Thomas & Anne Proude of Old Thornville,
Yorkshire, England who died at Thornville, New Zealand, January
31st 1899 aged 57 years. God is love. In loving memory of Eliza
Catherine wife of the late Robert Proude of Thornville, Bombay, died
at Remuera, August 30th 1910.

Sources: NZ Historical BDM, National Library of New Zealand; Papers Past;
Bombay the Next 50 Years 1965-2015 Bombay; Cemetery Records; Family
Search; Te Awamutu Courier, 28 June 2007; Researched and collated by
Christine Madsen and Lynda Muir.

257

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2418 Surname: PULLENG
Given names: Johanna Residence: Puni
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Johanna KENNELLY was born in New Zealand on 27 July 1867. She was the daughter of Thomas and
Mary Ann Kennelly who had arrived in New Zealand in January 1865. Thomas and Mary Ann had
married just prior to sailing from South Africa on board the Eveline.

Johanna married Alfred Caleb PULLENG in 1887 and they were living in Pukekohe in 1888 when their
baby son, Alfred James, was found dead in his bed when he was just five months old.

1888 did not prove to be a happy year for Johanna as her
17-year-old sister, Ellen Kennelly, died nine months after
baby Alfred James, on 23 October.

Johanna and Alfred went on to have two more children
after Alfred James’ death. Daughters Adelaide Helen and
Jessie were born in 1891 and 1895.

By 1891 Alfred and Johanna were living at the Mauku Inn
where Alfred was licensee and by the turn of the century
the family had moved to Drury and were living at the
Drury Hotel, known as the Railway Hotel.

It was at the hotel that Johanna died suddenly on 26 January 1902 aged 34 years. Her obituary states
she was highly respected by all who knew her, and she was known as an exemplary hostess and a
loving mother. After her death Johanna’s father and father-in-law placed a bereavement notice in the
NZ Herald - “Mr A G Pulleng, of Mount Eden, and Mr Thos Kennelly, of Pukekohe, and their families,
sincerely thank the great number of friends and neighbours for miles round for their kindness and
sympathy at the funeral of the late Mrs A C Pulleng, of Drury Hotel.”

Johanna is buried at the Catholic Cemetery in Pukekohe. Her name is recorded on the Kennelly family
headstone. Less than two months after Johanna’s death her mother, Mary Anne Kennelly, died and
is buried alongside Johanna. Johanna’s husband, Alfred Caleb, died in 1922 aged 70.

Sources:
1. Birth, death, marriage records: https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
2. Newspaper articles: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
3. Pukekohe Catholic Cemetery records: https://www.ancestry.com.au

Researcher: Judith Batt

258

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2416 Surname: PULMAN
Given names: Selina Residence: Tuakau
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Selina was born on 2 April 1866 at Port Waikato, the daughter of William LODDER and his wife Sarah
Selina HARDING. The Lodder family had immigrated to New Zealand from England in 1857.

In 1888 Selina married Frank PULMAN in Remuera. Frank worked for the Railways Department and
was stationmaster and officer-in-charge of the Post and Telegraph Department at Tuakau.

Between September 1888 and January 1903 seven children were born to Selina and Frank. Twins
Evelyn and William were born in 1888, followed by Dorothy Elizabeth (1892), Lillian Madge (1894),
Kenneth (1900), Inez Cora Lena (1901) and Hemia Jessie (1903). Kenneth died six hours after his birth.

In September 1902 life would have changed dramatically for Selina as Frank Pulman was arrested and
charged with 4 counts of forgery and 13 of theft. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced
to 5 years imprisonment.

While Frank was in prison Selina began working as a midwife. Her name first appeared in the Nurses
and Midwives Register of New Zealand in 1906. She continued to work as a midwife after Frank was
released from prison. They were both living at Heaphy Terrace in Hamilton East when the 1914 Raglan
Electoral Roll was compiled.

Selina Pulman was 62 years old when she died on 18 June 1928. She is buried at the Hamilton East
Cemetery. Frank, who died on 28 April 1933, is buried in the same plot as Selina.

Sources:
Birth, marriage and death dates: https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
Newspaper articles: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
1914 Raglan Electoral Roll: www.ancestry.com.au
Nurses and Midwives Register of New Zealand, 1903-1933: www.ancestry.com.au

Researcher: Sandra Brasell

259

Electoral Roll: Franklin 4111 Surname: PYE
Given names: Harriett Residence: Pollok
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Harriet PYE was the third born to parents Daniel RUMBAL and Harriet LEACH.

She was born on 20 June 1868 in Wairoa South (now Clevedon). She had three sisters and four
brothers and went to Wairoa South School. Harriet and her brother John used to walk across farms
to school which was about 4 miles away.

Later the family moved to Waipipi, purchased land and farmed on Creamery Road.

On 15 December 1887 Harriet married John Pye at St Andrews, Auckland.

After their marriage they lived in Pollok, then in 1905 moved to Waipipi staying till 1908. They then
moved to Mt Albert, Auckland until 1919, then Ponsonby till 1922 and finally to Manukau Road, Mt
Roskill where she stayed with her son Gordon till her death on 14 September 1960.

They had 6 children, 2 girls and 4 boys.

She is buried at the Waipipi Cemetery with her son John who had died when 7 years old.

Sources:
Family Knowledge
Family Ties
Family Search
Researcher Leonard Pye (Grandson)

260

Electoral Roll: Franklin 4112 Surname: PYE
Given names: Helen Residence: Pollok
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Helen PYE

Born 29 April 1824 Wigtown, Scotland

Married 2 August 1864 St Andrews Manse, Parnell, Auckland

Died 17 July 1911 buried Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland

Helen MacKenzie McKENNEL was born to parents Hugh McKennel and Mary McDOWALL.

In 1864 she boarded the ship Flying Foam as an assisted passenger with the help of Mr James Pye.
The ship arrived in Auckland on 13 July 1864 after 98 days at sea, including a mutiny on board when
members of the crew refused orders to work losing about a fortnight in time. They were dealt with
when the ship arrived in Auckland.

After marrying they moved to Pollok where Mr Pye lived with his 5 children who had come to Pollok
in 1863 on board the ship Ganges following the death of his first wife.

James and Helen had one child named John born 17 October 1865. They farmed and raised the
children there.

Selling to the Wilsons [about 1867; the land was later to be used for the church and school] they
moved to Auckland.

She died on 17 July 1911 at Walters Road, Kingsland, Auckland was buried 18 July at Waikumete
Cemetery.

Helen with John and Maggie Sources:
Family Knowledge
Family Ties
Family Search
Researcher: Leonard Pye (Great Grandson)

261

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3802 Surname: PYE
Given names: Jane McKerrow Residence: Pollok
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Jane McKerrow HAMILTON was born on 24 January 1862 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland to James
Hamilton and Margaret GLOVER. She endured the voyage to New Zealand.

After the first few years in Auckland, she moved to the first home on the original Grant, Lot 108 and
107, with her parents and lived there until her marriage.

Her education would have been assisted by her father who sometimes taught at both the Pollok and
Awhitu Central Schools, and her mother.

She married James Smith PYE, a son of one of the early pioneers of Pollok, one of the Pollok Special
Settlement settlers. Because his father was away from home working as an engineer, it fell to the
young James to run the very hilly farm on Lot 43, although he preferred to be a carpenter. The site
for the house had had to be literally dug out of a hillside before the house could be built.

Shortly before her marriage, Jane was the one who travelled to Auckland to receive lessons on how
to play the new reed organ, recently given to the Pollok Church by Mr MACTIER. It is indeed to her
credit that she managed well enough to be able to play for the Services after such little tuition. The
advent of a musical instrument in Worship was not welcomed by the whole congregation, many of
whom firmly believed that the human voice was the only perfect instrument to use, and some left.
Her example led to an almost constant succession of members of the wider Hamilton family acting
as the Pollok organist for the next century.

On 20 February 1883, at the age of 21 years, Jane married James Smith PYE.

Over the next 15 years, five daughters and a son were
born. Another child was to be born, but Jane caught
a chill from which she died, taking her unborn child
with her. She was just 35 years old. Her youngest
daughter, Winnie (Winifred), was only two years old!

Jane passed away on 22 October 1897 in East Street, Auckland and is
buried in Pollok Cemetery, Plot 17, with her husband James who died on
19 October 1947.

Source: family records and information
Researcher: Clyde Hamilton

262

Electoral Roll: Waipa 3716 Surname: PYNE
Given names: Isabella Martha Residence: Pokeno
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Isabella Martha PYNE was born in 1867 and baptised at St Marylebone, London on 8 March 1868.
Her parents were William Masters Pyne and Anne TAMPLIN ( the third wife of William).

Baptism record 8 March 1868 at St Marylebone, London

William (1801-1869) was a Clerk in Holy Orders and he and Anne had two children - Francis born
1866 and Isabella. There were also older children from his two previous marriages.

In the 1871 UK census, Isabella age 3, was living with her brother age 5, her mother Anne and
grandmother Martha Tamplin and in 1881 she was living as the adopted daughter of a single
women, Harriet JOHNSTON, in a house with eight servants.

It was Harriet who brought Isabella and her brother Francis to New Zealand in 1892 and settled in
Pokeno where she gifted the money for the Pokeno church, St Mary on the Hill, to be built.

In 1895 Isabella married Robert Christopher JENNER, a clergyman with the Church of England, in
New Zealand and by 1901 they were living in Sussex, England with their 3 year old daughter Ella
Dorothy (born in England), and in 1911 they were living in Towcester, Northamptonshire, with three
servants. Ella was their only child and she died in 1925, single.

1911 UK census

Isabella died 9 February 1919, age 51 at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Robert remarried and died in
1931.

From the England & Wales National Probate Calendar, below

Sources:
UK census – ancestry.co.uk
Pyne Family Tree – ancestry.co.uk

Researcher: Heather Maloney

263

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3804 Surname: QUINN
Given names: Rebecca Residence: Mauku
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

In 1893, Rebecca QUINN was a widow with five young children. The year before, on 4 June 1892,
her husband Hamilton Quinn had died suddenly while attending livestock sales at the Waiuku sale
yards. Described at the inquest as a settler from Mauku, the findings were that the cause of death
was syncope of the heart. Mr Quinn had died from heart disease. He was 65 years of age.

Rebecca, pregnant with their fifth child, went into labour and their daughter Annie was born the
next day. Was the birth brought on by the shock of her husband’s sudden death?

Rebecca DOHERTY from Donegal, Ireland, born about 1856, was an assisted immigrant on the ship
“Canterbury” which sailed from Glasgow in 1878 arriving at Port Chalmers on 10 December 1878.
Rebecca is noted on the passenger list as a domestic servant, single, aged 24.

Hamilton Quinn and Rebecca Doherty were married on 8 November 1880 and spent the next twelve
years settled at Mauku, farming and raising a family: Margaret 1881, Robert 1883, Joseph 1885,
John 1886 and then Annie 1892. In the years following Hamilton’s death Rebecca continued to live
at Mauku and bring up her family. It must have been very hard for Rebecca – times were tough, but
our pioneer women were tougher.

In 1897 Rebecca married James CRAIG b.1862 County Antrim, Ireland. James, when two years old,
travelled on the ship “Ida Zeigler” with his mother and four older siblings, arriving on 29 October
1864. The Craig family also farmed at Mauku; their farm was near the current Glenbrook Vintage
Railway Station.

After their marriage, James continued to farm in the area and
became guardian to Rebecca’s five children. Sadly, Rebecca
died 1906 and is buried at Mauku Cemetery where her
headstone reads: “In loving memory of Rebecca Craig, beloved
wife of James Craig, of the Mauku, who departed this life
October 18, 1906 aged 50 years”. Annie, her youngest
daughter was only 14 and still attending Patumahoe school.

James died not long after. His death being recorded at
Morrinsville on 14 January 1909 and he is buried in an
unmarked grave at Morrinsville Cemetery.

Researcher; Madeleine Judson

Sources: Papers Past, BMD NZ, Family Search, Ancestry, My Heritage,
NZSG, Auckland Museum cenotaph database, NZ Archives, Franklin
Pioneer Register

264

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2444 Surname: RANKIN
Given names: Jane Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: milliner Qualification: residential

Jane Ann LAIRD was born in Ireland, the daughter of Andrew
Laird and Ann Hampton MONTEITH. On 6 October 1877, in
company with William and Hugh LAIRD, Jane sailed from
Glasgow aboard the Loch Long, bound for Melbourne, Australia.
Jane married William RANKIN in Sydney (1878) and they set up
home in Urbleragh House, Reiby Street, Enmore, Newtown. By
1892 Jane had given birth to seven children, four of whom died
young. David 1879-1888, William H. 1880-1881, George R. 1884-1887 and William Alick 1888-1889
lie together in Plot 437 of the Presbyterian section of Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.

Life changed forever for Jane on Thursday 14 April 1892. William (described at his inquest as a
‘sober man’) was employed as a gatekeeper at the Petersham railway station. He was working late
that evening and, shortly before 11:30pm, while standing between two tracks, he stepped back on
to the fast line and was mown down by an express train. Death was instantaneous. William, who
had been born in County Tyrone 56 years before, was laid to rest near to his sons in Rookwood.

Jane uplifted her little family of three - John Ernest Laird b1882, Florence Jane b1889 and Elsie
Elizabeth b1891 - and crossed the Tasman. John was enrolled at Pukekohe School on 17 October 1892,
and on 16 November Jane advertised in the Auckland Star: ‘Wanted at once, a competent Dressmaker;
references required – Apply Mrs Rankin, Milliner, Pukekohe.’ Jane had established residence in
Pukekohe in time to enrol to vote in 1893. Millinery, in an era when women’s hats were becoming
increasingly elaborate, would enable a secure income to support her family of three. The
advertisement pictured in the top corner ran from March 1912 until 30 June 1914. In 1922 she
advertised that she would consider offers for her ‘valuable freehold property, 64 x 171 approx. in the
centre of King St, Pukekohe.’ She was living at 229 Balmoral Road, Mt Eden where she had resided
with her son and two daughters since leaving Pukekohe in 1914.

Ernest became a carpenter and builder. He married Elizabeth Margaret LAIRD in 1920 and they had
one son, John William. Elsie became a teacher and, in 1923, married a colleague Franz Roering SLEVIN.
Elsie too suffered the loss of tiny babies, echoing her mother’s experience and no doubt reviving sad
memories for Jane. Florence Jean married Joseph Percy ISBISTER on 25 March 1916; they had two
daughters and a son.

Jane’s daughters and grandchildren were all musical; some achieving high grades in music
examinations. Her grandson Joseph William Isbister, a policeman, was awarded a QSM for services to
music and the community, having led the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra for thirty years.

Jane was clearly a woman of initiative who, through her skills and business sense, established a sound
base to give her family a good and well-rounded education leading to fulfilling lives.

Jane settled in at 229 Balmoral Road, and it was there that she died from cancer, on 27 September
1933, aged 81 and departed for burial on Friday 29 September at Hillsborough cemetery.

229 Balmoral Road in 2018

Sources: paperspast.natlib.govt.nz, bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz, New
Zealand Society of Genealogists Inc, irishgenealogy.ie, Trove,

Compiled by Val Gillanders

265

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2446 Surname: RATCLIFFE
Given names: Jane Residence: Karaka, Drury
Occupation: housekeeper Qualification: residential

Jane RATCLIFFE was born in 1858, the second daughter of James GORDON and Eliza (nee BURNETT)
who were married in Banbridge, County Down, Ireland in 1850.

They had six children:
Isabella born 1854 married James REID in 1882
Jane born 1858 married William Ratcliffe 1884
Sarah born 1860 married J. A. WILLIAMS 1885
James born 1863 bachelor, died 1898 at 35 years
Eliza born 1867 married Thomas Hague WALKER 1890, and
Robert born 1869, died France WW1, 10 June 1917 aged 45 years.

The Gordon family came to New Zealand around 1880, except for Jane who was working as a
milliner. She sailed later to New Zealand on the Rangitikei which left London on 16 December 1883,
calling at Plymouth on 19 December and arriving in Auckland on 15 April 1884.

Jane married William Ratcliffe from Yorkshire, England on 28 August 1884 at All Saints Church,
Ponsonby.

They had three children born in New Zealand:
Bertram Gordon born 1887
Evelyn Mary born 1890, and
Charles William born 1892.

The Gordon family lived at Karaka and Jane and William lived on the family farm on the Waiuku
Drury road. They then moved to Queensland in Australia where they had more children.

William died on 23 June 1915, aged 54 and Jane died on 13 February 1922, aged 64.

They were buried at Marburg Anglican Cemetery, Ipswich, Queensland.

Sources:
http://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/Marburg_Anglican/index.php?image=173_7329.JPG
&d=d.html

Research: K. G. Colmer, 2/3 West St, Papakura, Great niece of Jane Ratcliffe

266

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3805 Surname: REID
Given names: Eliza Mary Residence: Maioro
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Eliza Mary was born Elizabeth Mary ROBERTSON in 1858 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. She married
late in life in New Zealand. On 21 November 1892 Eliza married Thomas REID, who had two adult
children, Margaret Annie (born 1861) and Thomas Dickson (born 1868).

Thomas was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland in 1826. As a young man he left Ireland to
try and make his fortune on the goldfields of Australia. Having little success there it was suggested
by relatives that he try New Zealand. Settling initially in Howick, he then ventured to Waiuku. He
purchased a farm up the back of Maioro and got interested in sheep and cattle farming but
unfortunately suffered some difficulties due to the Maori Wars. However, he began developing his
farm known as “Hauturu” or “Windy Hill”. He married his first wife, Margaret WILLIAMSON, in 1860,
and raised their two children on this farm. Margaret died in 1889. It was three years later that
Thomas and Eliza married.

A piece of land at Glenbrook had been bought and was known as “Reid Park”. Young Thomas began
leasing the farm shortly after Eliza and Thomas’s marriage and ultimately gained the farm freehold.

Thomas died in Auckland in 1899 after a short and painful illness and was buried with Margaret in
Waiuku Cemetery. The headstone also acknowledges Eliza although she is not buried there.

Margaret Annie Reid married Thomas Lawrence CRAWFORD in 1889 and they had a son. In the early
1900’s a homestead was built, and they farmed on the part of the property left to Margaret.

Thomas Dickson married Margaret BROWN in 1898 and then Edith Elizabeth Ellen MILLER in 1922.
He gained enormous recognition for his breeding of fine stock and also developed business interests.
He died 1946 and is buried with Edith (his wife) and Edith Margaret (daughter) in Purewa Cemetery.

Eliza continued to live in Maioro but on Electoral Rolls from 1905-06 to 1914 there appears a Daniel
Maclaren ROBERTSON. He is also living in Maioro and is recorded as a Settler. On the 1919 Electoral
Roll for Roskill, Auckland Elizabeth Mary Reid, Daniel Maclaren Robertson and Marion Maclaren
Robertson are all living at 9 York Avenue, Epsom. They are all siblings.

Eliza died 21 May 1932 (age 74) and is actually buried with three of her siblings in Waikaraka
Cemetery – Daniel Maclaren (17 May 1922 age 75), Alexander Duncan (14 December 1925 age 75)
and Marion Maclaren (15 August 1931 age 75).

The part of “Windy Hill” land that Margaret and Thomas Crawford farmed (on what is now known as
Forestry Road) is still owned and farmed by descendants today (2018).

Sources: Family Knowledge
NZ BDM Historical Records
Cemetery Records
Electoral Rolls
Local & General News. NZ Herald, Vol XXXVI, Issue 11175, 22 Sep 1899 – Obituary

Researcher: Lois Hopping

267

Electoral Roll: Waipa 2281 Surname: REID
Given names: Isabella Residence: Rama Rama
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Isabella GORDON was born in 1854 in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland, the eldest of 7
children of James Gordon (1817-1889) and Eliza Ann BURNETT (1921 - ??) – she had 2 brothers and 4
sisters.

The family came to New Zeland about 1881, although it is not known if her mother was with the
family, nor what ship they came on.

Isabella married James REID at her father’s residence in Karaka, just south of Auckland on 22
December 1882, where he had a farm.

James and Isabella farmed at Ramarama where they raised their family of 3 sons and 1 daughter.

Isabella died on 11 August 1901 and James on 4 September 1903 following a lengthy stay in hospital
after being thrown from his horse and trap. They are buried at Drury Presbyterian Church cemetery.

Sources:
Family History – C Landon; Old newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; headstone photo – findagrave.com
Researcher: Heather Maloney

268

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2463 Surname: REVELL
Given names: Mary Ann Residence: Tuakau
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Mary Ann was the daughter of James and Mary Ann HOSKING. In September 1876, aged twelve, she
arrived in New Zealand on the Jessie Osborne accompanied by her parents, three brothers and one
sister. Originally from Cornwall, there had been a previous migration to Rhode Island in the late
1860’s from whence they returned to Cornwall. There were three other siblings who never got to
New Zealand. One who died as an infant at Rhode Island, another who died in 1875 aged thirteen
years and one who died in California in 1884, aged 25.

In 1887, aged 23, Mary Ann married George Aaron REVELL, a well-known builder of the Tuakau area.
In 1890 he built Revell’s Hall on Harrisville Road which for several years served as Tuakau’s only
public hall. During World War Two Mrs Revell is recorded as a member of the Tuakau branch of the
Women’s Patriotic League.

Children of the marriage were: George Charles, who for many years was a teacher at Pukekohe,
Harold John, died in 1980 in North Shore hospital, Ernest William who continued on the family farm
at Harrisville and Olive Clara, who married Vincent LEE.

Mary Annie, as she seems to have been known, died suddenly in 1925, aged sixty-one years. She is
buried in the Alexandra Redoubt Cemetery, Tuakau.

Sources:
1893 Electoral Roll.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Family history and photograph, Great Grand daughter, Elizabeth Revell.

Researcher: Janet Pates.

269

Electoral Roll: Franklin 4118 Surname: REYNOLDS
Given names: Kathleen Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Kathleen ADAMS was born in Luton, England, on 14 November 1857. Kathleen (also known as Cate,
Catherine or Katherine) arrived in Auckland, via South Africa with her parents Thomas
Addams/Adams and Rebecca Angell MILLS, on ‘Maori’ 23 December 1864. Two of her siblings were
born in South Africa in 1861 and 1863.

She married John REYNOLDS (1843-1918) who had arrived on the Ganges in 1865, who first worked
on road construction before taking up his 10-acre grant in Pukekohe and later trying his hand on the
goldfields at Thames. They married on 9 September 1874 and settled on land at Pukekohe and
brought up their family of 14 children – four daughters and ten sons.

Catherine was to lose a son, Lance Corporal Alfred Edwin Reynolds, killed in action on 1 October
1918 in France and her husband in the same month. John died 29 October and was buried at
Pukekohe cemetery.

Catherine died 18 July 1932 and is buried with John.

Her headstone has Catherine

Sources:
Old newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; BDM – www.dia.govt.nz; Headstone photo – Franklin Branch
NZSG
Researcher: Rosemary Lewis

270

Electoral Roll: Waipa 2299 Surname: REYNOLDS
Given names: Lily Residence: Bombay
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Lily REYNOLDS was born in 1870 to Alfred Reynolds (c1837-1924) and Matilda GREEN (1844-1892).
Lily was the fourth child in a family of nine. Her parents had married in Tasmania in 1865. Her
father was a freehold farmer on Lot 214 Parish of Opaheke, Bombay. By 1893 Alfred was a widower;
his wife had died the previous year at the age of 48.

Albert Ernest GRINDROD was born in Liverpool, England and came to New Zealand on board the
Stracathro in 1880. Shortly after arriving in New Zealand he commenced work for the law firm
Hesketh Richmond in Auckland.

On 27 January 1894, Lily married Albert at her parents’ residence at Bombay.

They were to have one daughter, Amy Beryl born 1896. Sadly, Amy died at the age of 20.

Albert worked all his life at Hesketh Richmond and their successors, first as a law clerk and later in
charge of the accountancy department – a remarkable 58 years for the same company in the same
building. Lily and Albert lived all their married life in Auckland. Albert had an interest in music being
an original member of the Royal Auckland Choral Society. His other interest was horticulture, being
a judge at many daffodil shows.

Albert passed away suddenly on 21
December 1938 at 5 Pencarrow Avenue, Mt
Eden, and aged 72 years. He is buried at
Purewa Cemetery.
Lily passed away in 1961 at the age of 90
years. She was cremated and her ashes
buried with Albert.
Sources:
Newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz;
BDM – www.familysearch.org;
Cemetery records –Purewa;

Researcher: Lynda Muir
Compiler: Joan Taylor

271

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3806 Surname: RIDGLEY
Given names: Elizabeth Residence: Waiuku
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Elizabeth BRIGHT was born on 5 April 1871 and on 16 October 1892 she married Spencer RIDGLEY.

Her sister Jane would later marry Spencer’s brother John [Jack].

Elizabeth and Spencer began their married life at Waipipi and were to have eight children. The
following is from “Waipipi 150 Years of European Settlers” book: “Spencer Ridgley was a son of the
original family and for a time the Manager of the Waipipi Creamery, which was sited near the
Parakau Stream beside Coronation Road”. After the day’s deliveries, Elizabeth cleaned up ready for
the following morning.

They then moved into Waiuku where Spencer had a saddlery business in Queen Street before
moving to a farm at Pukeoware. It was there that their son, Wesley, was shot accidentally while
shooting rabbits. Their next move took them to Mauku where they lived at the corner of Bald Hill
Road and Spencer worked at the local factory.

The family then moved out of the district to Taihape where they had a grocery shop and then again
to New Plymouth to work in the hotel business. It was here that their youngest son used to wander
off exploring and get lost. Elizabeth used her sewing skills to stitch label patches on his shirt backs
with instructions and the address for returning him. Elizabeth was a very hard-working woman. She
did all the domestic chores at the hotel.

Their last move took them to their farm at Arinui in Taranaki, and it was while living here that
Elizabeth passed away on 6 June 1927 aged 56. Some years later Spencer moved to Auckland where
he died on 7 November 1947 aged 76.

They are both buried at Waipipi cemetery.

Sources:
Family information from Nyra Newdick
The Bright Book 1865-1984

272

Electoral Roll: Franklin 4119 Surname: RIDGLEY
Given names: Sarah* Residence: Waipipi
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

*Emily Sarah WILSON born 1837 married Joseph RIDGLEY born 1834 (from Somerset) in Croydon,
England in 1859.

Sarah and Joseph left England for Cape Town where Joseph was a “turnkey” at the prison until they
sailed to New Zealand on the “Alfred”, departing 27 September 1864 and arriving 18 November 1864
with their daughter Emily who was born in Cape Town.

They made their home at Waipipi on the left of Awhitu Road and is now between Ridgley and
Boundary Roads. On their arrival it was too late in the season to plant their potatoes, so they
existed on local shellfish they collected.

Three more children were born: John in 1867, Spencer in 1870 and Mary Eliza in 1875. Sarah was
renowned for her kindness.

She returned to Croydon, England to visit her brother following the death of her husband 25 June
1897 (age 63) from asthma.

Sarah died 22 July 1923 and is buried in the Waipipi cemetery, the inscription on her headstone: A
precious one from us is gone, and though the body lingers here the soul is safe in heaven.

Sources:
Family information from Nyra Newdick
The Bright Book 1865-1984

273

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3810 Surname: RIDGWAY
Given names: Ruth Residence: Pukekohe West
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Her signature on her husband’s probate records 1915

Ruth WESTON was born in Kynnersley, Shropshire, England the daughter of solo mother Emma
Weston. She was baptised on 26 August 1849.

She started work at age seven, according to her obituary and in the 1861 UK census, at age eleven
she was a housemaid in Muckleton for a farmer and his family. In the 1871 census she was a servant
in Ercall and later that year she married James RIDGWAY (1845-1915), an agriculture labourer at
Wellington, Shropshire. Ruth and James had two children, Henry James born 1872 and Elizabeth
Ann in 1881.

On 22 May 1883, Ruth, James, their two children and George Ridgway (probably an older brother of
James) arrived in Sydney aboard the John Elder and by 1885 were settled in Tasmania where Ruth
had purchased 16 acres in her own name for the price of £16. James and George also had land.
After ten years the family shifted to Pukekohe and when Elizabeth was admitted to Pukekohe School
on 22 May 1893, they were farming at Pukekohe West on part Lot 12.

From 1900 to 1919 Ruth gave her address as Pukekohe East and from 1928 until her death she lived
at “The Gables”, Opaheke Road, Papakura with her children Henry and Elizabeth who both remained
single. James had died in 1915 and is buried at Pukekohe and Ruth died 25 April 1942 and is buried
at Papakura cemetery.

Sources:
UK census; Paperspast; NZ electoral rolls: Probate records; Shipping records; Tasmania Land records.
Researcher: Judith Batt Compiler: Heather Maloney

274

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2536 Surname: ROBINSON
Given names: Mary Helen Residence: Pukekohe East
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Mary Helen COMRIE was born on 26 June 1858 the Pukekohe East Presbyterian Ladies Guild
at Titirangi, Auckland to James Comrie and his was inaugurated with the object of raising
wife Helen (nee YOUNG). She was their eldest funds for the improvement of the church.
child and only daughter, with three younger Mary Helen was elected the first president and
brothers. On 15 May 1880 at the age of 31, held office until she died. She also held the
Mary married Watkin ROBINSON who was 39 office of Vice President of the Pukekohe East
and the son of Joshua Robinson and Elizabeth branch of the Women’s Division of the
(nee JONES). Mary’s parents, James and Helen Farmers’ Union, later becoming a life member.
Comrie were among the first settlers in the Watkin died at his home aged 83 on 19 January
district of Pukekohe East. They had come to 1934, followed five years later by Mary Helen
New Zealand on the ship Gertrude as a newly aged 81. Six months after her death a pulpit
married couple in 1857 from Comrie, lamp was unveiled in the Pukekohe East
Perthshire in Scotland. Mary Helen and Watkin Church ‘to perpetuate the memory of one who
were married at the bride’s home, with the was associated with the Church for more than
Reverend James Comrie, her uncle, officiating seventy years’ and was said to be ‘a fitting
and her brother Alexander as witness along memorial to one whose life was a shining
with Elizabeth SHARP, possibly a cousin on her Christian example to all around her’ (Franklin
mother’s side. Two years later their first child, Times). Mary and her husband are buried
Joshua William Robinson was born. He was together in the Pukekohe East Churchyard.
followed by four more children in the next six Their property then passed to their daughter,
years: Archibald James in 1894, Ivan Comrie Helen Lydia, who had lived with them all her
1895, Helen Lydia 1897 and Colin Clifford 1898. life.
Their second son, Archibald James was killed in
action in WW1 in France on 15 June 1917. Sources: Robinsons of Rotherhithe by Joanne Robinson
Mary Helen and Watkin both fully involved ISBN 0-908608-55-1; findagrave.
themselves in their community and served the Compiled by Christine Madsen & Lynda Muir
district in many capacities. Mary Helen
assisted her husband in his church duties and
was organist for a period of time. She helped
re-establish one of the Sunday Schools in the
area with the Rev WEDDERSPOON, taking the
position of Superintendent. On 5 May 1924

275

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2533 Surname: ROBINSON
Given names: Sarah Residence: Pukekohe Hotel
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Sarah BASKIVILLE was born c1851 in England, daughter of Walter Baskiville/Baskerville (1804- 1888)
and Annie Marie McFALL (1828-1872). Walter died in Panmure, aged 84 - he had been a soldier in
the 17th Lancers. This Regiment fought in the Crimean War.

Sarah had at least seven siblings – four sisters and three brothers.

She married Joseph ROBINSON at Panmure in 1879. After arriving from Ireland, he had been a
policeman and a farmer but took up contracting and with his firm Gordon & Robinson, was
responsible for building portions of the Main Trunk Railway line in the Auckland Province. Later they
owned hotels in Auckland and Pukekohe where they also owned 11 acres in the centre of town.

Sarah no doubt had a busy life with the birth of nine children, two of whom died in infancy and a
hotel to help run. Her address on the 1893 electoral roll was Pukekohe Hotel, so they obviously lived
on the premises at that time. In 1895 Joseph transferred the Pukekohe Hotel licence to William
Henry BLEASEL and they went farming in the Waikato.

In 1917 their son Victor was killed in action near Lille, France.
Sarah died 7 February 1919 at Hamilton Hospital, aged 67 and is buried in St Patrick's Cemetery,
Panmure with her parents. Joseph died in Matamata on 17 January 1930, age 76 and is buried with
a daughter at Matamata.

Sources:
Robinson Family Tree – ancestry.co.uk
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz
Old newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Hotel photo - google

Researcher: Rosemary Lewis

276

Electoral Roll: Franklin 4121 Surname: ROBSON
Given names: Amelia Mabel Residence: Awitu
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Amelia Mabel CARVER (Amy) was born 17 August 1870 to Robert
William Carver and Mary Ann Dennis NICHOLAS, in Woodville, New
Zealand. Robert was born in India, the son of Missionaries. The
Church and music formed an important part in Robert’s life and this
was passed on to his children.

Amy married Edmund Henry ROBSON on 17 August 1889 in
Tawanui, Southland. However, NZBDM Historical Records name
Edmund as Edward Hepburn Robson. Hepburn was a middle name
of his grandfather and it was given to one of Amy and Edmund’s
sons. After their marriage Amy and Edmund headed to a new
settlement that was being formed on Sunday Island (Raoul), one of
the Kermadec Group. A group of the settlers hoped to produce
surplus food that they would then be able to on sell.

However, from a newspaper article dated September 1890 it appears the settlement was like many
in early New Zealand, not as the “written description” portrayed. The item headed “A Fraudulent
Paradise”, stated a petition had been lodged for compensation from the Government ‘for the loss
and suffering incurred through trusting to a too flowery description of the capabilities of the island’.
It appears little grew, and general living was extremely hard and shipping irregular to say the least.
Under these difficult conditions Amy and Edmund still managed to bring two sons into the world.

Amy, Edmund and their family returned to mainland New Zealand and headed to Awhitu where
members of Edmund’s family were already settled and farming. They eked out a living at Awhitu
until approximately 1908 and during that time their family grew steadily. Unfortunately, one
daughter, Mary, died 8 June 1900, 6 days old. On leaving Awhitu they headed north to Raupo where
they continued farming for the next 10 years. They now had a family of four boys and 10 girls (plus
Mary deceased).

About 1918 Amy, Edmund and family headed back closer to Auckland and a dairy farm at Whitford.
Unfortunately, the ‘Influenza Pandemic’ was running rampant in New Zealand at that time and
shortly after making the move Edmund succumbed to the disease – 19 November 1918. In two
months, October-November, the Pandemic caused New Zealand to lose about half as many people
to influenza as it had in the whole of the First World War. No event has killed so many New
Zealanders in such a short time.

The 1919 Electoral Roll has Amy living at “Lone Pine”, Whitford, with her son, Frank Hamilton
Robson (Farmer aged 29y) and her daughter, Muriel Clarice Robson (Spinster age 25y).
The 1928 Electoral Roll shows Amy living in Avondale with her son, Rex Hepburn Robson (Motor
Driver 22y) and in 1935 living in Pirongia with her daughter Lucy Nicholas Robson (Spinster 37y).
However, in 1938 Amy is living in Pirongia by herself.

Amy died 21 April 1943 in Kawakawa, Northland, and is buried at Waimate North Cemetery (No.
174).

Sources:
Papers Past – Obituary, “A Fraudulent Paradise”
Google – Influenza Pandemic
NZ Cemetery Records,NZ Electoral Rolls
Ancestry – Jones Family Tree (Photo), Bailey Family Tree (2 Public Trees)
Researcher: Lois Hopping

277

Electoral Roll: Franklin 4124 Surname: ROBSON
Given names: Mary Jane Residence: Awitu
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Mary Jane (known as May) was born 20 September 1866 in Wellington to
John Needes BOWERMAN and Frances FOY. John was a chemist.

On 28 June 1878 Frances passed away aged 33 years and John was left
with a young family, Mary being the eldest. In 1880 John married Mary
Ann O’DONOGHUE and had a daughter Margaret Mary on 19
September1881. Sadly Mary Ann died nine days later on 28 September
1881 and Margaret died aged 4 months on 4 February 1882.

John made a third marriage on 21 April 1887 to Elizabeth MAHON and
three years later on 18 September 1890 Ethel Mary was born. Both
Elizabeth and Ethel kept good health.

By this time May had met Henry Ernest ROBSON (known as Ernest) and they married on 26 August
1889 at the Catholic Church, Waipipi. Henry was born 23 June 1863 at Napier, Hawkes Bay, the son
of Charles Hepburn Robson and Jeanette Maria Lucy NORRIS. Charles had been Assistant lighthouse
keeper of the Manukau Heads lighthouse 1886-1889. Witnesses to the wedding were Kate WELSH
of Waipipi and May’s father John Bowerman now living at Devonport.

May and Ernest lived at Awhitu where Ernest was a farmer and gumdigger. “On 4 March 1890 Mary
Jane leased from the crown, at an annual rental of £4-9-0 the 70 acres of lot 47, a block between J
Irwin Road and Manukau Heads Road”. They had the following children:

• Mary Frances (1890-1972) m George SHORT
• Maud Constance (1892-1984) m James Charles BAILEY
• Isabel Florence (1893-1972) m Alexander Henzell HAMMOND
• Henry John (1895-1966) m Helena Mary O’CALLAGHAN
• Alice Helen (1897-1970) m William LEE
• Winifred Evangeline (1898-1955) did not marry
• Monica Lucille (1900-1975) did not marry
• Herbert Harold (1903-1974) m Eunice WATSON
• Frederick Raymond (1905-1961 did not marry
• Leo Joseph (1908-1972) did not marry.

By 1911 they were at Otaua and Henry described himself as a settler. The family were to move again
– this time to Church Street, Onehunga and Henry was a labourer. It was at home that Mary Jane
passed away.

Leo at this time was farming at
Palmer’s Road, Manurewa and in
1946 Henry and Monica were living
there also. Henry Ernest passed
away on 28 August 1949 at
Manurewa and was laid to rest
beside Mary at Hillsborough
Cemetery.

Sources:
New Zealand Civil Records Indexes 1800-1896 Papers past Photo/Information Bailey Family Tree
www.familysearch.org http://www.newzealandlighthouses.com Census Records “The Robson Story”

Researcher: Penny Prescott

278

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2540 Surname: RODGERS*
Given names: Nelly Residence: West Mauku
Occupation: domestic servant Qualification: residential

Nelly (Nellie) or Ellen RODGERS, mostly known as ROGERS*, was born in 1872, the daughter of
Ambrose ROGERS (1834-1919) and Mary Ann REED (1844-1926). She had at least three sisters and
five brothers. Her father was a carpenter in Auckland. Ellen, (the name on her marriage certificate),
married William Henry WAINHOUSE on 29 December 1896 at the Kingsland Wesleyan Church,
Auckland.

William had come to New Zealand with his family in 1880, his father a draper, settling first in
Taranaki then Auckland. On the marriage certificate William’s occupation was given as mariner.

Nellie and William had five children but sadly two of them died young - Frederic Norman born 1897,
died age 6 and Viola Mary born 1902 died aged 5 months. This left:

• Gladys Leah born 1898, she remained single and died 1941,
• William Henry born 1904 died 1983,
• Eric Norman born 1909 died 1971.

The family shifted around as William was a telegraph linesman, working in Auckland until 1905 when
they were living in Waipu and by 1911 they were in Whangarei. In 1914 Nellie, William and the
children were back in Auckland where they lived at five different addresses, the longest time at
Arnold Street, Mt Eden.

Despite losing three children, Ellen and William lived long lives. Ellen died 17 March 1953, aged 85
and William died in May 1960, aged 91. They are buried together at Waikumete cemetery.

Also at Waikumete but buried together in a separate plot are their three children Frederic, Viola and
Gladys.

Note: No connection has been found between Nelly and Mauku but she is the most likely women by
this name to have been on the 1893 roll.
Sources:
Newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz
Cemetery records – ancestry.co.uk
NZ electoral rolls – ancestry.co.uk

Researcher: Heather Maloney

279

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3815 Surname: ROGERS
Given names: Margaret Residence: Mauku
Occupation: nurse Qualification: residential

Margaret ROGERS was born Margaret FRY on 17 November 1860, the youngest child of John Starkey
FRY and Mary Elizabeth EMETT. Margaret's father was baptised 29 February 1824, Somerset, England.
Her mother, Mary Elizabeth EMETT, was born 1824, in Gloucestershire, England.

Margaret’s parents married at Axbridge in the Parish of Locking, Somerset on 17 July 1851. The family,
John, Mary E., Martha E., Mary L, and Charles immigrated to New Zealand on the 'Caduceus' which
arrived into Auckland on 19 May 1859, and settled at Pokeno on the Waikato River, where Margaret
was born.

Sadly, her father was drowned in the Waikato River 16 November 1868, age 42, along with her brother
Charles James age 11, the day before she turned 8 years old. Her mother remarried in 1870 to Charles
Curtis KING.

Margaret married Solomon Rogers in 1874. Solomon was born in Sithney, Cornwall in 1839, and
arrived with his parents and 7 brothers and sisters into New Plymouth on the 'Essex' in 1842. On her
marriage Margaret would have moved to Solomon's place in Cameron Town, where in the 1881
Electoral Roll, he is a bullock driver.

Her children were Florence Mary b 1875, Charles Starkey b 1877, d 1955, Emily Grace b 1879, Minnie
Amelia b 1881, Ellen Gertrude b 1883, Solomon b 1884, d 1947 and Albert Henry b 1886.
Solomon snr died on 25 November 1887, leaving Margaret, age 27, with 7 children to look after.

She must have found work as a nurse in the Mauku area to make ends meet as she is registered as
such in the 1893 and 1896 rolls. In 1911 and 1925 she is in Raglan. It is noted her brother-in-law John
Rogers also lived (Electoral Rolls 1881 1893, 1896) in South Mauku as a farmer so may have helped.
All her children grew up, most to marry and some to settle in the Franklin District. Margaret died in
Mangatawhiri on 9 June 1928 and is buried at Tuakau cemetery plot 181 near where her daughter
Minnie Amelia THORN lies.

Sources:
NBDM Historical records online, PapersPast NZ,
Shipping records, Settlers Ships, NZ Early Settlers CD,
FindMyPastUK, AncestryUK,
NZSG Marriage, Burials and 5 Electoral Rolls CDs
NZ Cemetery Index, FindAGrave,
Mauku School, centenary map, Return of Freeholders,
Patumahoe and Waiuku old district maps,
geni.com
Researcher, R.H.Eden

280

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2551 Surname: ROOSE
Given names: Elizabeth Mary Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Elizabeth Mary was born to David and Ellen No doubt Mary found the farm her husband
(nee ELLISON) STEVENSON on 21 July 1844, the John Bawden Roose took her to at Pukekohe
eldest of six siblings. Their home was in ‘The rather remote as well. Even starker was the
Diamond’, Londonderry, Ireland where David reality less than a year later of the
was a baker of some renown. Elizabeth’s Government’s July 1863 evacuation edict
upbringing was influenced by her mother’s sending her and their younger 18-year-old
Baptist faith and by her father’s Presbyterian daughter Anna Maria as refugees to Drury at
faith. She was educated at ‘Miss Watson’s and the onset of the Land War. John BAWDEN and
Miss Wallen’s Boarding and Day Seminary’. 20-year-old son Elijah meantime joined other
The Londonderry baking scene had become farmers, twenty armed men in all, garrisoned
very competitive and the colonies were at the Pukekohe East Presbyterian Church
needing immigrants of all skills, so her parents Stockade to watch over the livestock that
took the momentous decision to emigrate remained on their farms. Perilous days
across the globe. In August 1862 the family culminated in the battle of 14 September with
boarded the Ida Zeaglar bound for New a 170-man King Movement raiding party from
Zealand. the Waikato. The stockade defenders held
As chance would have it, a Cornish woman, their attackers at bay all day and survived until
Mary Boney ROOSE, voyaging to join her relieved by Army units, eventually matching
husband John Bawdin Roose and four step- the Kingitanga taua’s numbers later in the day.
children, was a fellow passenger. During the Sadly, John Bawden did not survive the travails
ship’s passage the Stevensons made what of the Land Wars. He perished of pneumonia
grew to be a lifelong friendship with Mary. doing Government Service in Otahuhu.
Mary thought highly of Elizabeth, a well- However, the friendship between the
educated and strong young woman of faith. Stevensons and Mary Boney Roose did bear
On their arrival in New Zealand, David fruit in the union of Elizabeth Mary to Elijah.
Stevenson was dismayed at the stark contrast They married on 26 April 1870 and Elizabeth
between Londonderry’s sophistication and the moved to the Rosemont farm.
primitive frontier outpost Auckland appeared Seven of their children survived to adulthood:
to be. Ellen’s strength guided them to Ellen Matilda (WRIGHT), born 4 April 1871,
establish their home and bakery in Victoria Maria (Addie) Adelaide (BROWNLEE) born 6
Street, where the Sky Tower stands today. November 1872, Mary (May) Elizabeth (ALGIE)
born 15 April 1876, Emily Beatrice born 18
August 1877, Ann (Annie) Jolliffe Langdon born
23 March 1879, Elijah (Len) Leonard born 29
August 1880 and Florence (Florrie) Evelyn born
18 August 1877. For these children, living in a
household with the practicality and business
sense of Elijah, the sophistication and grace of
their city born mother Elizabeth, and the
oversight of Mary Boney their “Granny Grit”,
would have been the soundest of bases on
which to graft any formal education.

Researchers: Tom Brownlee, and Janine Irvine who
wrote "The Pioneer Roose Family Story" (Source)

281

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2552 Surname: ROOSE
Given names: Ellen Matilda Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: dressmaker Qualification: residential

Ellen Matilda Roose was born on 4 dressmaking. Discipline in this, in household
April 1871 to Elijah and Elizabeth Mary Roose. management and in all they did was enhanced
Her parents had met after arriving in New by the presence of their father’s stepmother,
Zealand with their families, Elijah in 1859 and Mary Boney Roose. She was affectionately
Elizabeth Mary in 1862. They had married on known as ‘Granny Grit’.
19 April 1870, with Elijah’s parents being
among the first settlers in the district. The All the Roose sisters were successfully
Roose’s farmed in Valley Road, Pukekohe. engaged in dressmaking by early adulthood.
Ada Elizabeth (Addie) was at one time in
Ellen was the eldest of seven children: Whakatane teaching local women sewing in a
six girls and one boy. Maria Adelaide Roose commercial situation. Two of the sisters had a
was second in the family, born on 6 November dressmaking business in Warkworth and
1872 and she and Ellen were enrolled together another sister, Anne Jolliffe (Annie) was a
at Pukekohe East School. Initially the girls rode tailoress in Auckland for a time. Florence
their ponies accompanied by their father the Evelyn (Florrie) and Emily Beatrice ran a
two miles from their home ‘Rosemont’, across haberdashery and milliner’s shop at one point.
country to the Pukekohe East Presbyterian Ellen herself ran a successful dressmaking
Church where the school was first held. Later, business in Pukekohe.
in 1880, a purpose-built school, was opened
just down the road from the church. The Ellen was married at Rosemont on 17
senior teacher at the time of Ellen Matilda and January 1900 to Adolphus WRIGHT. Dolph, as
Maria Adelaide’s enrolments was Mrs Cecilia he was known, farmed part of his father
Brown SHARP and she played a key role in Captain Joseph Henry Wright’s large holding
shaping the lives of many of the Pukekohe East ‘Boscarne’ on Pitch Fork Road on the south side
children. of Pukekohe Hill. Ellen relinquished her
business in order to assist Dolph on the farm
After a suitable introductory period and mother their children. They had five
with their father guiding them to school, Ellen children: Harold, Myrtle, Doris, Ray and Vera.
Matilda and Maria Adelaide were allowed to
ride to school on their own. They were joined In later life, despite deteriorating sight,
a year later by another sister, Emily Beatrice Ellen enjoyed frequent visitors and engaged
Roose. them with her sharp wit and lively interest. As
a teenager one granddaughter, Mavis Wright,
The Roose girls were learning at home was a regular visitor on Friday evenings when
too. Their mother, Elizabeth Mary, taught she started her first job. She remembers her
them how to sew and this led in time to grandmother saying, “Just slip in beside me
dear and we’ll chatter ourselves to sleep.”
Even when her sight did finally fail, Ellen was
always bright and attentive to her family.

Ellen Matilda passed away in 1957 at
the age of 86. Her sister, Maria Adelaide, with
whom she shared those pony rides across the
farm to school predeceased her by eleven
years.

Talking with her son Gordon in her last
days Addie said, “for devotion to her husband
and family, my sister Ellen will sleep the sleep
of the just!”

Sources: Roose family history records, NZ Historical
bdm, A History of Pukekohe East by Nona Morris.
Researched by Justine Irvine, Gwen Janes and Tom
Brownlee.

282

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2556 Surname: ROSS
Given names: Catherine Residence: Pukekohe
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Catherine (or Catharine) ROSS was the daughter of Donald Ross (1796-1868) and Catherine MacBAIN
(1800-?) who were married in Nova Scotia in 1828. She was born in 1835 in North Earltown, Nova
Scotia and had three sisters and four brothers.

Her brothers Angus M.D.and James both came to New Zealand as did her sister Christina who
married the Rev Donald MORRISON, a missionary in the New Hebrides. The Morrison’s came to New
Zealand when he became ill in 1869, so maybe this is when Catherine arrived to be with her sister.

In 1892 the school records for Pukekohe show that Catherine Ross was the guardian of a young boy
named Charles HOLLIS, then aged seven. In November 1894 Catherine was also named as his
guardian when Charles was admitted to Waharoa School. Catherine’s brother, James, farmed at
Waharoa and was childless so maybe they took the boy in. Both James and his wife Elizabeth died in
1908. It is unconfirmed what the relationship was, if any, but Charles who was killed in action in
1917 named Catherine’s niece and nephew as beneficiaries of his estate.

In 1896 Catherine was living in Stokes Road, Parnell and from 1900 to her death in Edwin St, Rocky
Nook, Auckland.

Catherine died on 26 February 1910 and left her estate to her niece Annie Christina Morrison M.A., a
teacher who died as a single woman in 1953. She is buried in Symonds St cemetery, Auckland

Sources:
NZ electoral rolls – ancestry.co.nz;
School records – NZ Society of Genealogists;
Probate records – www.familysearch.org;
Cameron Morrison Family Tree –ancestry.co.uk;
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz

Researcher: Heather Maloney

283

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3817 Surname: ROSSER
Given names: Jane Residence: Awitu
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Jane and her husband John ROSSER came to New Zealand “from the Old Country”, on 29 October
1872 on board the “Queen Bee”. Their family of four were with them – Arthur (7), Jane (4), Joseph
(2) and William (16). It appears his brother, Thomas, also came with his family.

John and Jane originally settled in Auckland and John worked as a carpenter before starting business
in the city as a builder contractor. However, in 1882, because of John’s failing health they moved to
Awhitu where he had bought a piece of land (Part Lots 17, 18, Awitu) and took up farming. How
much they knew about farming is unknown, but the children were old enough to help, with the
youngest about 12.

Jane and John took an active part in the life of the Church, both in Awhitu and Auckland. John was
also Chairman of the local Road Board for a period while in Awhitu.

About 1900 Jane had a paralytic stroke from which she
never recovered. Although she had a strong constitution,
the end was inevitable, and her health slowly deteriorated
until she peacefully passed away on 19 September 1902,
aged 71.

At that time two sons were working as carpenters in
Auckland and one a millhand in Papakura. Daughter Jane
had continued to live at home and care for her mother and
father.

John left Awhitu in 1904, returning to the city, and lived
with daughter Jane at Haslett Street, Eden Terrace until his
death on 27 November 1910, aged 80. The Trinity
Methodist Church, Kingsland held a memorial service for
John and praised him for services as a local preacher and
class leader.

Jane and John are buried at Awhitu Cemetery.

Sources:
PapersPast – Auckland Star, Vol XXXIII, Issue 224, 20 September 1902
PapersPast - PERSONAL. – Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 283, 29 November 1910
Electoral Roll
Cemetery Records
Researcher: Lois Hopping

284

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3818 Surname: ROSSER
Given names: Jane, junr. Residence: Awitu
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Jane aged 4 came to New Zealand from England on 29 October 1872 on board the “Queen Bee” with
her parents, Jane and John, and her siblings Arthur (7), Joseph (2) and William (16). It appears an
uncle, Thomas, also came with his family.

The family originally settled in Auckland where her father worked as a carpenter before he started
business in the city as a builder contractor. However, in 1882, because of the failing health of her
father, the family moved to Awhitu where he had purchased a piece of land (Part Lots 17, 18, Awitu)
and the family took up farming. The young family worked together and did what they could in
unfamiliar surroundings.

The boys all gradually left home finding work in the city. Jane however remained home caring for
her parents and helping on the farm.

About 1900 Jane’s mother had a paralytic stroke from which she never recovered. Although she had
a strong constitution, the end was inevitable, and her health slowly deteriorated until she peacefully
passed away on 19 September 1902, aged 71. Jane lovingly took care of her as her health failed and
also for a father who was well aware of his wife’s condition.

Jane and her father remained in Awhitu until 1904 when age began to catch up and together they
headed back to the city purchasing a house together at 19 Haslett Street, Eden Terrace. Her father
passed away 27 November 1910, aged 80.

Jane remained in Haslett Street, but not alone. On 14 August 1917 Jane married George DYER, a
widower with two adult children.

George’s first wife, Mary (nee McMORROW) died on 14 October 1916, aged 67. Their children were
Blanche Gertrude (1880 – Mrs WATT) and Henry (1882).

George passed away on 21 March 1930 aged 80, at his home in Haslett Street and was buried with
Mary at O’Neill’s Point Cemetery, Takapuna.

Jane passed away on 13 June 1943 at St George’s Private Hospital in Auckland after a long illness
patiently borne. She was buried at Purewa Cemetery, Meadowbank, Auckland, after a service at
Kingsland Methodist Church.

Sources:

PapersPast – Deaths – Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 139, 14 June 1943
Cemetery Records
NZ BDM Historical Records

Researcher: Lois Hopping

285

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3819 Surname: ROSSITER
Given names: Clara Louisa Residence: Waiuku
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Clara Louisa was the youngest child of John BARRIBALL and Delia (née FEWRY) who was born in
Ireland. Clara was born at Waiuku on 27 September 1866. On 23 March 1887 the BARRIBALL family
came together in the Methodist Church at Waiuku to witness Clara joined in holy matrimony with
Samuel Thomas ROSSITER, a building contractor. Samuel came to Waiuku in 1883 to erect the new
Court House. He moved to Auckland after two years and remained there for six years, during which
time he and Clara married and welcomed two daughters, Ruby and Hazel, into their family. They
returned to Waiuku to live in 1891 and built a home on a hilltop near to the town. It was
appropriately named ‘Bella Vista’, a very fine home. By 1904 Norman, Ethel, Gladys and Lawrence
had arrived to complete the family.

Clara and Sam both committed to district affairs. During
the war years Clara helped in the many women’s
organisations with their war efforts. She later joined
both CWI and WDFF and was a foundation member of
the croquet club becoming its first President. She
supported Sam’s involvement with Waiuku Cavalry,
Oddfellows and Freemasons, and school committees.

A profusion of vegetables, fruit and flowers grew in the
garden. Percy KEANE remembered the happy times at
Christmas when, harking back to their Devon/Cornish
roots, baskets of strawberries were gathered, to be
eaten with clotted scalded cream. Her father lived at
‘Bella Vista’ with Clara in his retirement and supervised
the garden, and her children learned much about
horticulture from him.

Clara had fostered her children’s musical ability and she
was known to be wonderful hostess, so musical evenings happened often. The girls all had good
singing voices and Ruby was a gifted pianist. Clara welcomed friends and family for musical
evenings. A trio consisting of Ruby on piano, her fiancé the violinist and Dick CHANDLER, who was
married to cousin Essie Barriball, on cornet was supplemented by the trained voices of the singing
sisters. The village knew when the Rossiters were entertaining as the sounds of music floated down
the valley from ‘Bella Vista’.

In 1916 the family moved to Epsom and built a home which they named ‘Kin Kora’. Clara became
one of the Carlton Croquet Club’s top players. They built two houses in Sandringham and when all
the children moved from home they sold ‘Kin Kora’ and moved to the smaller house.

When Sam died on 16 October 1936 Clara moved to Pukekohe and lived with her daughter Gladys
MAHON until her death on 13 October 1951. She rests with Samuel in the Waiuku cemetery.

Sources: ‘Werrington to Waiuku’ J. Robinson / T Percy Keane / bdmhistoricalrecords/PapersPast
Compiled by Val Gillanders

286

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2573 Surname: ROUTLY
Given names: Ann Maria Residence: Pukekohe West
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Ann Maria ROOSE was born about 1844 in a
small hamlet named Beeny in East Cornwall.
She was the daughter of John Bawden Roose
and Ann Jolliffe LANGDON. The Roose family
were a long-established family from this area.

Ann Maria had 3 brothers and 2 sisters,
Richard, John, Elizabeth, Elijah and Mary Jane.
As a young child Ann Maria lost her mother,
her sister (Mary Jane) and her brother (John).
In her memoirs she wrote “Many, many times
during my lifetime have I longed to see my
mother and know a mother’s love”.

On 2 December 1858, Ann Maria left Cornwall
with her father, two brothers and a sister,
arriving in Auckland aboard the Excelsior on
12 March 1859.

She married William ROUTLY on 1 July 1867. The wedding took place “at the residence of the bride’s
brother, by the Rev. John WARREN, Mr William Routly, to Ann Maria, youngest daughter of the late
Mr John Bowden Roose, Pukekohe”.

Ann Maria and William lived on their farm on the eastern slopes of Pukekohe Hill and raised three
sons and one daughter (John, Mary Ann, William Henry and Albert Yeo Garlick). She was one of the
first members of the Methodist Church in Pukekohe and was treasurer of the Salvation Army, a
position she had held for 36 years.

In an article entitled “Our Old Identities” Mrs A.M. Routly wrote, ‘I have pleasure in sending you my
name and the name of my brother, Mr Elijah Roose. We arrived in New Zealand on March 12th,
1859, and three weeks afterwards were located here, so that shortly we shall have completed 54
years of life in Pukekohe. I believe we two are the persons longest resident in this district”.

For more information regarding Ann Maria please refer to the book mentioned below, The Pioneer Story of the
Roose Family. Early Settlers in Pukekohe, available at Pukekohe Library.

Sources:
Irvine, Janine: The Pioneer Story of the Roose Family. Early Settlers in Pukekohe. (pg.46)
Desktop Publishing: Jolie Wills, Time of your life. 2011
Paperspast: Marriages: Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX111, Issue 3134, 2 August 1867
OBITUARY., Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 11, 14 January 1930
Paperspast: Pukekohe and Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 97, 30 May 1913

Researcher: Caron Hoverd

287

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2571 Surname: ROUTLY
Given names: Mary Residence: Pukekohe West
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Mary BONE was born in 1816 in North Petherwin, Devon. Her parents were Jenifer and Thomas
BONE. On 14 December 1848 she married Thomas ROUTLY. Thomas’ first wife, Sarah GILBERT,
whom he married on 15 October 1835 in Clawton, died in 1845.

Thomas and Sarah had 5 children:

John (1836-1882), William (1838-1917), Henry (1840-1913), Thomas (1842 -?) Matthew (1845-1915).

Thomas and Mary had 4 more sons and 3 daughters:

Moses Bone (1850-1928), Daniel (1853-1882), Albert J (1875 -?), Emmanuel (1859-?), Elizabeth Ann
(1849-1911, Pukekohe), Mary Jane (1856-1937, Pukekohe), Sarah J (1877-?).

The two families, apart from son William, arrived in Auckland on 1 June 1865 on board the
Lancashire Witch.

Thomas, Mary and the family were living at Luke’s Farm, Karaka on 193 acres. Later they moved to
Abercombe, Karaka.

Thomas died at Karaka on 26 March 1885 and Mary on 3
January 1898. They are both buried in Pukekohe cemetery.

Sources:
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz; paperspast.natlib.govt.nz;
Ancestry; Google; Headstone photo – Franklin Branch NZSG
Researcher; Barbara Raven

288

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2574 Surname: ROUTLY
Given names: Mary Ann Residence: Pukekohe West
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Mary Ann ROUTLY was born in Pukekohe on 1
March 1870. Her parents, Ann Maria Routly
(nee ROOSE) and William Routly were amongst
the early pioneers of Pukekohe.

The Routly children attended the Pukekohe
West School which would have been fairly close
to their residence on Tuakau Road, just a walk
down the hill. With the Education Act 1877,
Central Government became responsible for
schooling in New Zealand and Mary Ann and
John Routly appear on the Pukekohe West
School roll for 1879.

(Left) Mary Ann Routly with niece Grace Delaveau.
(Daughter of Albert Yeo Garlick Routly and Sarah
Beatrice Blackburn)

Mary Ann had three brothers: John, William Henry and Albert Yeo Garlick. Neither Mary Ann nor
John married however John went on to become Mayor of Pukekohe. Mary Ann became a talented
artist and several of her paintings still hang in homes of relatives today.

Mary Ann died on 21 July 1929 aged only 59 years at Beney House, Queen Street, Pukekohe. Her
mother Ann Maria died 6 months later. They are buried together in the Presbyterian section of
Pukekohe Cemetery, Row C-2, plots 82 and 84.

Sources:
Department of Internal Affairs: https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
Walden, Heather. A: The forgotten Settlers Pukekohe 1850-1950. (Pg 121- 124).
Irvine, Janine: The Pioneer Story of the Roose Family. (Pg 46).
Pukekohe Public Cemetery 1870-1985. (Headstones, Records)
Paperspast: DEATHS, New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20314, 23 July 1929
Researcher: Caron Hoverd.

289

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2572 Surname: ROUTLY
Given names: Mary Jane Residence: Pukekohe West
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Mary Jane ROUTLY (or ROUTLEY on her headstone) was born in December 1856 in North Tamerton,
Devon, England. Her parents were Thomas ROUTLY (1815 – 1885) and Mary BONE (1816 – 1898).
She had 6 siblings and 5 half siblings.

Most of the family arrived in Auckland on board the Lancashire Witch on 1 June 1865 and settled in
Karaka. In her father’s will the property was referred to as The Creek, Paerata.

The newspapers of 1867 tell of the ROUTLY family helping to rescue and care for an elderly man near
Drury with Mary Jane nursing him.

Mary Jane never married. She settled in Pukekohe and died at her home in Helvetia Rd on 27
November 1937 and is buried in the Pukekohe Cemetery.

Sources:

BDM – www.dia.govt.nz; Ancestry

NZ Electoral Rolls

Cemetery Records

Old newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

Probate records – www.familysearch.org

Researcher: Barbara Raven

290

Electoral Roll: Franklin 4125 Surname: ROWE
Given names: Mary Residence: Mauku
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Stephen ROWE and his wife Mary sailed from London with 373 other assisted immigrants on the ship
‘Dilharee’ arriving at the port of Auckland on 16 January 1875. Originally from Hampshire, England,
they soon settled on land at Mauku and began a new life on the other side of the world.

Mary and Stephen worked hard to establish their
farm, build a home and bring up their family of six,
all born in New Zealand: Stephen 1875, Henry
William 1877, James 1879, Ernest 1881, Elizabeth
Annie 1884 and Mary Alice 1886. A great tragedy
befell the family in May 1888 when a fire on the
property caused the death of little Alice only 18
months old at the time (NZ Herald 10 May 1888).
What a great sadness for this family.

Mary and Stephen remained on their land for the rest of their lives; as their headstone at St Bride’s
reads “Pioneer settlers of this district”. Their family grew up in the district, went to school there,
participated in sporting and social events, learnt to be farmers (a boon to their parents) and when
married mostly stayed in the Franklin area. Fourth son Ernest survived WW1 but his return home on
the ship ‘Ajana’ on 26 March 1919 came just three weeks after the death of his father. The jubilations
of his homecoming tinged with great sadness. Ernest and his brothers continued to work the family
farm after their father’s death for many years.

When Mary died in 1927 she was buried at St Bride’s
Church Cemetery at Mauku alongside her husband
Stephen. Also buried at St Bride’s are sons James and his
wife Agnes Muriel and Ernest and his wife Louisa.

Researcher: Madeleine Judson
Sources: Papers Past; BMD NZ; Family Search; Ancestry; My Heritage: Auckland Libraries; FreeBMD; NZ Cemeteries Index;
NZSG Burial Locator; NZ Archives. Photograph: “Mary Rowe & her daughter Annie feeding the chooks” from History of Mauku
School, p.63; Obituary Auckland Star 29 Nov 1927

291

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2582 Surname: ROWLEY
Given names: Catherine Residence: Rama Rama
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Catherine was born in 1834, at Inverness, Scotland, the daughter of Catherine and Duncan McNICOL,
a farmer. She married Timothy ROWLEY in Manchester on 4 June 1857, certificate below:

Catherine came to New Zealand with her husband and their oldest child Catherine, arriving in
December 1864, contrary to the date in the obituary, and had three children. Their middle child
Mary born in 1870 married John LOVE, had 4 children and died before Catherine. Timothy died in
1900 and Catherine died on 15 September 1927.

NZ Herald 19 Sept 1927

Sources:
McNicol Family Tree – My Heritage
BDM – www.dia.govt.nz
Old newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

Researcher: Heather Maloney

292

Electoral Roll: Franklin 3820 Surname: RUMBALL*
Given names: Harriet Residence: Waipipi
Occupation: household duties Qualification: residential

Harriet was born on 25 July 1841 in Hackney, Middlesex, England to parents John LEACH and Esther.
She was the third born in a family of nine, four sisters and four brothers.

They lived at Stoke-Newington where they had a livery stable and cows and had servants to help out.

On 11 October 1859 she married Daniel RUMBAL* in Islington. Later that year on 18 November they
sailed on the ship “Lord Burleigh” from St Katherine’s dock London bound for Auckland. With them
was Harriet’s sister Esther.

The voyage took 126 days with 123 passengers on board comprising English, Scots and German with
a crew of 27 including officers, cooks and stewards with Captain A. SMITH the Commander. The ship
was becalmed for several days then had baffling winds to contend with. The ship arrived in
Auckland 22 March 1860.

Harriet and Daniel farmed at Wairoa South (now Clevedon) where they had 8 children, 4 boys and 4
girls.

They lost the farm so moved to Waipipi to what was Creamery Road and is now Kelland Road. This is
where they farmed. Most of the family worked on the farm.

Her husband Daniel died 21 December 1903. Harriet continued at the farm till she moved to Hawkes
Bay to live with one of her children till her death there on 8 August 1923.

She is buried at Waipipi Cemetery with her husband.

Sources
Family Knowledge
Family Ties
Family Search

Researcher Leonard Pye (Great Grandson)

293

Electoral Roll: Franklin 2593 Surname: RUSSELL
Given names: Mary Residence: Pukekohe West
Occupation: domestic duties Qualification: residential

Mary HAGAN was born in Northern Ireland and married William RUSSELL (1835-1924), a farmer of
County Armagh, Ireland on 19 October 1864 (this information came from the birth certificate of their child Mary).

They came to New Zealand on the Ganges, arriving on 14 February 1865 and lived for a short time at
Drury where William was employed building the railway and roads, then at Pokeno and Tuakau
before purchasing some land to farm at Pukekohe in 1866. Mary and William were to live on this
land, Lots 37 & 49, Sub Section 2, Pukekohe, until their deaths. Their property was in Queen Street
and bounded the Pukekohe school where the children were educated.

Mary and William had six children born between 1867 and 1877 – three daughters and three sons.
The oldest son, David, was a school teacher. Two daughters, Margaret and Annie remained single
and their other daughter Mary, known as Minnie, married late in life after running her own business
for many years.

Mary died on 31 August 1922 and William on 10 February 1924. They are buried together at
Pukekohe cemetery.

Sources:
Newspapers – paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; BDM – www.dia.govt.nz; Probate records – www.familysearch.org;
Researcher: Judith Batt Compiler: Heather Maloney

294