RANDOM MEANDERINGS

This is my Great grandma Lucy 1891 - 1961 She was born in Swannanoa, North Canterbury to James and Frances EVANS nee STEVENSON.  The third eldest of 9.  It's fair to say that she didn't make some good choices in life but then life was [in my opinion] a lot harder back then for females. Her father James [family lore has it] wanted sons - he did get one - James George [known as George] who arrived as child number 6 of the 9 in 1899.  James (senior) was harsh on his daughters and I have been told that often Lucy's sister Lillian was banished to the stairs as a child to eat her dinner. Not sure if Lucy or the other daughters were.  Photos I have of her do not show her smiling much at all. She was married in April 1911 at her fathers house in Kaiapoi to great grandad John KENNEDY [1888-1963 his parents story HERE ] and my grandfather duly appeared on the scene in September of that year.  A distant relative informed me that Lucy had done the obvi...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/porkynz/2515222283/ ©2010 Sarndra Lees

Last weekend my partner and I toddled off to Rotorua for the weekend. On the way, we stopped at Paeroa and did the circuit of many and varied antique stores. At 'Arkwrights Antiques', I happened upon a small Holy Communion book [scroll down for photos] that was inscribed to Grace CLULEE on the occasion of her confirmation on 15 April 1894 at St Paul's [cathedral], Dunedin from [Reverend] J W A Melville* [interestingly enough he performed the marriage ceremony 2 months later for well known NZ barrister Alfred Charles Hanlon and his wife]. A nice thing to happen also tonight after getting it out to photograph, I thumbed through carefully and found the page for Holy Communion and there was a tiny pressed flower - what a delight! I'd like to think that this was put there on the day she was given it, but of course cannot be sure of that. Grace CLULEE's family, if you are out there I'd love to give you this wee token of her life if she is on your family tree. ...

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 ...