Hester Mary Wise – our dear mother We did a story on Hester last year, mostly because we love the name. But couldn’t find out much about her. And we…
Victoria Howe
The first name on this headstone is Victoria Howe, who died in 1896 aged 47, after a long and painful illness. Victoria was born (according to family record) on a…
John Priest
accident prone? John’s arrival in New Zealand was not the most auspicious start. He and his wife Catherine Sinclair, both emigrants from The Shetland Islands were passengers on the immigrant…
John & Grace Twist
Old residents of Oriental Bay John was born at Prescot, Lancashire in 1840, the son of a labourer. In 1861 he was working as a joiner in Salford. He arrived…
Frank Batchelor
Francis Raymond Batchelor (Frankie) died 1924 age 2 ½ . He was the only child of Major Francis Roy Batchelor and his wife Helena. Frankie’s father, Frank, was a member…
Ethel Ulrika Adelaide Beu
Sometimes this research is just triggered by an interesting name. Ethel was the only surviving daughter of John Charles Frederick Beu and his wife Mathilda Nilson. John was born in…
Violet King
Haining Street. We recently shared the story of Yen Yep, a gardener in Haining Street. Today is the story of Violet King who died Haining Street in 1906, aged 32….
Beaman Buckland Mark Hooper
For such a long name, there is only a short amount that can be found out about ‘Mark’. Mark died aged 27 at Wellington Hospital. His funeral left the Hospital…
Harriet Hair
An interesting name is always an invitation to research. Harriet wasn’t born Hair, or Uridge, or Clark (her three married names), but Harriet Elizabeth Wond. Her parents were John and…
Margaret Brickley
The woman who married two brothers … or did she? Margaret McNeash McKenzie married Thomas Brickley in Glasgow in 1863. They emigrated with their three young children to Lyttelton on…