RANDOM MEANDERINGS

Photo taken 1938, Christchurch, NZ Dads mum Edna who would have been 100 on 26 December [Boxing day] 2009. She died 24 October 1993. That's my dad in the cane pram aged about a year, he's 73 next June. She married on 2 April 1934, St Peters Church Manse, Woolston, Christchurch to grandad John William  who was born 7 December 1908, Craichmore, Leswalt, Wigtownshire, Scotland.  He emigrated to NZ on board the Tainui with his mother and brother - 1925 and died 23 May 1986. Edna's mother Eva TURNBULL nee HAMILTON [control F when on page to find], was born in Christchurch on 27 December 1877 and married in 1899, in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Henry [Harry] Fitzroy TURNBULL.  Henry had an untimely death in 1902 in his early 20's. She had two children to him Henry Alexander born c 1900 and Annie Rose Elizabeth born c 1902. After Henry's death, Eva came back to New Zealand and had 4 more children - fathers unknown. Leslie Frederick born...

I have recently discovered the demise of my G G Grandparents Anthony [aka John] and Mary KENNEDY nee MCCOOK. Mary MCCOOK was born in Armoy, Co. Antrim, Ireland in 1849, to William and Lilly MCCOOK [nee MCLEAN] and was the eldest of 6 children. Anthony John KENNEDY's trade was listed as a carpenter. He was born in Co. Antrim, Ireland and was the son of William KENNEDY, a blacksmith. They married 20 November 1873 at the Balleymoney Registry office, Balleymoney, Co. Antrim, Ireland. Mary was 6 months pregnant and gave birth to their son Thomas Veruna Rowe KENNEDY on 20 February 1874 [he married Helen SELBIE] and within days the three of them were on board 'Varuna' via Glasgow heading to New Zealand. They settled in Christchurch and went on to have another 10 children William , Mary, Margaret Moore, John, Anthony, James, Arthur, Hugh, John William [my g grandfather] and Lena Theresa. Mary and Anthony had been an enigma to me for decades. From previous ...

Thomas Seth LODGE, 2nd husband of Rosannah b c1833-1898 and Rosannah LODGE [nee WORT/WERT] 1831-1916 with 2 of their HAMILTON grandchildren With Temperance and Suffragist movement anniversaries this weekend, it only seems appropriate to write a bit about my great great great grandmother. So begins the story of my Rosannah. Great Great Great Great grandma Jane WORT nee WHEELER Mother of Rosannah born 1803 Berkshire, Eng -  died 1876 Christchurch, NZ She was born in London 6 April 1831, to George WORT/WERT, a hay salesman and Jane nee WHEELER. One of at least 4 daughters and I know nothing of her childhood. She was a loud voice in Christchurch for both the Temperance cause and the Women's suffrage movement, was an artificial flower maker and businesswoman. She married firstly William Henry MACE at the age of 18 on 14 October 1849 at St Mary’s Parish Church, Lambeth, Surrey, England. Three children were born of this union. 1 Susa...

The powers of " Paperspast " via the National Library New Zealand's website showed through again earlier this year when in continuing my usual trawlings of Christchurch's newspaper 'Star' online, I came across an entry for one of Canterbury's colourful colonial females - Annie Quayle TOWNEND nee MOORE c1845 - 1914. She bought 'Karewa' in Fendalton and renamed it 'Mona Vale' which still bears this name today; bequeathed the large conservatory now at the Christchurch Botanical Gardens to the city after her death; donated thousands of pounds to build a church and vicarage in Glenmark, Canterbury amongst many other notable charitable acts. Several photos of Karewa/Mona Vale are on National Library's website here Townend conservatory December 2005 with Santa :-) Photo: (C) Sarndra Lees On her death, she left many people including her servants something in her Will. Amongst these servants was my Great Great Uncle Percy Carr ROBINSON, he was...

Ohhh no this is terrible :-( St Pauls, Cnr Cashel and Madras Street, Christchurch. The beautiful $800,000 organ is ruined. A news item including video of the damage http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/2721692/Fire-at-St-Pauls-Trinity-church/ A still from a family video of St Paul's [to the left with columns] on the day of my parents marriage 1959 On October 17th 2009 it will be 50 years since my parents married here. It had just received funding for future strengthening work. http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=1&t=97&id=38616 Tragic. Update on the church: 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake obliterated the church.  It was under repair from the 4 September 2010 quake at the time. http://tinyurl.com/9stze6t

Me - c1965 How lucky am I! I had an uncle who in the 1950's and 60's had a movie camera... a rarity in those days for the masses. A few weeks back my daughter bought a DVD with her when she came to visit and there on it were some of the home movies that my uncle took way back then including my parents as teenagers before marriage; their wedding [at St Paul's Presbyterian Church...since obliterated in the February 2011 earthquake ]; me as a toddler being chased by my dad. Very precious...especially as i got to see my great grandmother as a moving person! She died before i was born. As it is mum and dads 50th wedding anniversary on 17 October 2009 this is now especially timely :-) and i only had black and white photos of their wedding. It was wonderful to see the moving footage. These are only stills, but hopefully i will be able to rip parts of the DVD off to add to this post. Mum and dad late teens - early 20's - c1957 Mum entering St Paul's...