New Zealand
Bell
Thomas BELL, born in Yorkshire, Frederica his wife and 6 children settled on Sunday Island in the South Pacific in 1878. It was an uninhabited, volcanic island not really on the trade routes and a challenge for this restless Yorkshire man. The family worked hard to provide for themselves, Frederica's female companions were her two older daughters. In 1883 Tom brought from New Zealand several long-woolled sheep which didn't do so well in the tropical heat, also some cattle. In 1889 20 men, women and children tried settling on Sunday but left within the year. The Bells owned cows, pigs, sheep, poultry and turkeys. They grew oranges, lemons, cooking bananas, yams, tea and coffee. They had planted 12 Norfolk pines, which are still standing today. In 1910 a violent cyclone hit the island and destroyed much of Bell's property. Some of the older children had moved to civilization. Tom and his remaining family were moved away for safety to New Zealand. Their youngest daughter married and emigrated to Canada. Several other families tried to settle on Sunday Island but left after a shorth time, only Tom and his family lived there for over 30 years. Thomas missed the Island very much and always wanted to go back. He died in New Zealand in 1929 aged 90. Frederica died in Auckland, New Zealand in 1933 aged 81. Read More »
Cockerline
Matthew Robert Cockerline, a farmer, occupied The Poplars, Kihikihi for 35 years. The 232 acre farm, all in grass and was devoted chiefly to dairying purposes, about forty-five cows being milked and supplies disposed of at the local creamery. Mr. Cockerline, a native of Roos near Hull, was born in 1835 and was brought up as a farmer.
The son of William COCKERLINE and his wife Mary (Nee Ellarby), the Cockerlines had lived in East Yorkshire for several generations. Robert's older brother, William Thomas, born 1825, emigrated to Canada where he died 1889 in Barrie, Ontario.
He never married.
He went to New Zealand in 1860, landing in Auckland, and shortly afterwards leased 1500 acres at the Bay of Islands. In 1862 he was attracted to the Coromandel goldfields, but after a short stay there joined the 2nd Waikato Regiment, and for his services in the war received a grant of land at Paterangi. At the conclusion of hostilities Mr. Cockerline kept the Alpha hotel at Kihikihi for some years, but took up his permanent residence on his farm in 1865.
Source: New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
Earnshaw
Jonathan and Elizabeth EARNSHAW emigrated to New Zealand by the paid passage programme run by the New Zealand government. In 1862 they boarded the Chrysolite with their 6 children, the youngest being John Frederick born 1861 South Osset, Yorkshire. One of Elizabeth's sister's, Hannah ELLIS born 1843 travelled with them and they were all bound for Lyttleton. They arrived in November, 1862, which is summer time in New Zealand, and faced a long trek across the Cashmere Hills to Christchurch. Jonathan opened and began trading in a saddlery shop in Market Place, Christchurch. In 1868 he ran into financial problems, many due to over extending credit and in 1869, after the birth of their last child Elizabeth Haigh Earnshaw, he voluntarily declared bankruptcy. Jonathan was charged with giving misleading information at the bankruptcy hearings. He pleaded not guilty but was sentenced to 2 years hard labour. His wife and children worked very hard while Jonathan was away and were able to purchase a section of land at Addington. The Post Office Directory shows that Jonathan had re-established a saddlery business called Earnshaw Bros. he retired in 1892 and died in 1912. Young Hannah Ellis married Yorkshireman, Thomas Sharpe ASQUITH of Ovenden. They had 11 children.E J Eyre
Edward John EYRE (1815-1901) born in Hornsea, Yorkshire, son of Anthony Wm. Eyre, incumbent of Hornsea and Long Riston. Signs of a weak chest kept Edward out of the army - so he decided to farm in one of the colonies. With 400 pounds he arrived in Sydney in 1833 and went to live with a settler in order to learn how to farm. He bought a farm on Hunter River. When South Australia was founded he drove 1,000 sheep and 600 cattle from Monaro, New South Wales to Adelaide, this becoming the first of the "Overlanders". After that adventure, he became an explorer throughout Australia. He took up land near the Murray River and was appointed Resident Magistrate and Protector of Aborigines.
In 1845 he returned to England, where he wrote about his explorations. Eyre was commissioned in 1846 as Lt. Gov. of New Zealand. He thought too highly of himself and was very unpopular. He returned to England in 1853. He eventually retired to Yorkshire, where he died in 1901.
L J Eyre
Laura Jane EYRE was born 1840 in Greasbrough, Rotherham, Yorkshire, the only child of Abel Eyre, a plumber and his wife Mary (Lee). Laura travelled to NZ in 1862, settling in Dunedin, where she met and married James Samuel Suisted in 1864. James became a successful business man and Laura became a writer. She had several stories and poems published. She was also a parliamentary note-taker in Wellington. In 1891 she became the first woman to be admitted as a member of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists. She wrote and had published books about her travels in Britain and Europe. She died in New Zealand in 1903 after a stroke.Heald
George HEALD, b.1835 Braithwell son of James and Christiana (married Stainton). In 1851 he was a stable boy in Wadworth, aged 16. He joined the 65th. Yorkshire Regt. and was sent with them to New Zealand to fight in the land wars between the settlers and the Maoris. After his discharge, in New Zealand, in 1865 he decided to stay there, where he now has many descendants. 1,000 other discharged soldiers stayed on in New Zealand too. In 1881 the 65th became the 1st. Battalion of the Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment.Hebden
Mary Jane Hebden (1816-1885) born in Yorkshire, went to New Zealand as a domestic servant with the New Zealand Company in 1839. She married George White Bennett 1840 in Wellington, he became lighthouse keeper of the Pencarrow Lighthouse near Wellington, NZ. He drowned in 1855 but Mary Jane took on his duties and became the first full time woman lighthouse keeper in New Zealand. Ten years later she returned to England with her 3 sons. When they were older, her sons returned to New Zealand and one of them became a lighthouse keeperHoyland
Annie Maria HOYLAND, born 1842 in Bramley, West Riding, Yorkshire and christened in Greasbrough, daughter of James Hoyland and wife Mary (Nee Hall), who had been married in Ecclesfield. Annie married Stephen Boothby White in 1873 and they had 5 children. She died 1918 in New Plymouth, New Zealand.Mitchell
William Mitchell, bricklayer born in Halifax Yorkshire in 1820, son of John and Mary(Nee Nicholson) of Northowram Halifax. The family sailed to New Zealand in 1841 arriving in Wellington. Along with his brothers William established a brickyard in Wellington. He married Catherine Suter in 1850 . Read More »Moorhouse
William Sefton MOORHOUSE (1825-1881) was born in Knottingley, Yorkshire, son of William and Anne Moorhouse (Carter). His father was the owner of coal ships and William received his sea legs from working on these ships. A friend of the well-to-do family persuaded William to enter the legal profession, by 1849 he was called to the bar at the Middle Temple, London. But then, with two younger brothers, Thomas Carter and Benjamin Michael Moorhouse, he sailed in 1851 on the ship Cornwall to Lyttleton, New Zealand. The brothers had planned to become farmers but decided against it. William, in 1852, took the oath in the Supreme Court of Wellington and was admitted to the New Zealand bar, and as an attorney. In 1853, William married his younger sisters governess, Jane Ann Collins of Kent, who sailed out to join him. He practiced his profession as a lawyer and also owned the sailing brig Gratitude trading between New Zealand and Melbourne carrying produce for the Victoria gold miners. While serving as Superintendent of Province of Canterbury he advised the building of a railway tunnel between the Port of Lyttleton through the hills to the Canterbury Plains where Christchurch had been built. It became known as the 'Moorhouse Tunnel' and was opened by William in 1867. When he died in 1881 he was given a Public Funeral and a bronzr statue was erected to him in a Christchurch park in 1885.Shipley
Burton SHIPLEY born 1837 in Foston, East Riding of Yorkshire. He married Ann MILNER, a farmer's daughter and in the summer of 1863, he gave up his farm and with Ann and their small son they sailed on the Lancashire Witch from Gravesend to Lyttleton, New Zealand. Their sea voyage was not an easy one, the passengers prepared their own food, sometimes in a communal boiler. From a passing ship they heard news of the battle at Gettysburg. The voyage lasted for 104 days, there had been 28 deaths, (including their 6 year old daughter, Rose) and 12 births. They finally berthed at Lyttleton in October, 1863. At first, Burton was employed as a shepherd at the vast Snowden (sheep) Station in Rakaia Gorge. Later, he owned his own small farm at West Melton. Medical aid was difficult to obtain. In 1868, Burton walked for miles to obtain medicine for his wife and daughter, to no avail, as his wife and daughter died. Burton became manager of the Kirwee Estate for Col. Brett, who had been an officer in the Indian Army. Brett saw the need for irrigation on the dry plains. He advocated and brought to pass a system of water races to provide drinking water for the stock. Burton Shipley married Martha Thompson and they had 3 daughters. In 1877 he was granted 200 acres of "waste lands" in the area known as Charing Cross. He resigned his position with Col. Brett and with his son, William set out to build a home for the family. There was no timber available, it had to be brought in and other building material was made from the abundance of tussock, which surrounded them. Burton and 19 year old, William built a simple cob house of 2 rooms, with an attic on top and a lean-to at the back. Cob was made by puddling tussock in mud, then it was packed into the space between the timber double walls. The first 2 rooms stood for 77 years until they were pulled down in 1954. Burton died in 1911 at the age of 74.Soury
Joseph Soury born Leeds, Yorkshire in 1837, went to New Zealand in 1862 on the ship "Zealandia", landing at Lyttleton. A builder and an architect he spent some time on the South Island and at Wellington before moving to Waipawa in 1871 to supervise the building of the first station buildings on the railwayline from Napier. He was elected Mayor of Woodville in 1887 and held the post until 1889. He died in 1904 at the age of 66.
