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1885–1916Journalist, soldier, convicted mutineer
John (Jack) Braithwaite was born at Dunedin, New Zealand, one of at least 16 children of bookseller Joseph Braithwaite, a mayor of Dunedin, and his wife, Mary Ann Bellett. He was probably registered as Cecil James and born on 3 January 1885. He attended Arthur Street School and later worked...
Story: Braithwaite, John
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1870–1937Military leader
William Garnett Braithwaite, a senior officer in the New Zealand Division in the First World War, was born on 21 October 1870 at Kendal, Westmorland, England. He was the son of Garnett Braithwaite, gentleman, and his wife, Elizabeth Mary Kay. Educated at Marlborough College and the Royal...
Story: Braithwaite, William Garnett
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1883–1974Lawyer, military aviator
Alfred de Bathe Brandon was born on 21 July 1883 in Wellington, New Zealand, the son of Alfred de Bathe Brandon, a solicitor, and his wife, Louisa Kebbell. His father was mayor of Wellington from 1893 to 1894 and his grandfather, also named Alfred de Bathe Brandon, was an early Wellington...
Story: Brandon, Alfred de Bathe
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1823/1824?–1873Police commissioner
St John Branigan was born probably in 1823 or 1824 into a humble Catholic family in King's County, Ireland. He joined the 45th (1st Nottinghamshire) Regiment, which was sent to Cape Colony in 1845. Anticipating more rapid advancement, he entered the Cape police and saw active service during...
Story: Branigan, St John
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1909–1973Poet, editor, teacher, translator, lecturer
Charles Orwell Brasch was born in Dunedin on 27 July 1909 into an affluent commercial family. His father, Hyam Brasch, was a lawyer of Jewish origin; sensitive to prejudice, he later changed his name to Henry Brash. Charles’s German-born mother, Helene Mary Fels, was related to the Hallensteins...
Story: Brasch, Charles Orwell
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1874–1957Dairy factory manager, dairy board administrator, Presbyterian layman
Thomas Cuddie Brash was the son of William Brash and his wife, Jane (Jeanie) Parkinson Cuddie, descendants of Scottish settlers in Dunedin. He was born on 29 November 1874 at Saddle Hill, near Dunedin. Later the Brashes bought Harwood, a farm of 400 acres at Mataura Island, Southland. Thomas...
Story: Brash, Thomas Cuddie
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1840–1905Stonemason, builder, sculptor
William Brassington, Canterbury's most notable early stonemason and craftsman, was born at Nottingham, England, in 1840 according to family information, the son of Mary Walker and her husband, mason William Brassington. After apprenticeship to a stonemason in Nottingham, he married Ellen...
Story: Brassington, William
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1809/1810?–1865Artist, surveyor, engineer
Samuel Charles Brees was born probably in Great Britain in 1809 or 1810. There is no record of his parents' names. He married Ann Taylor; the date and place of their marriage are unknown. They had two sons and two daughters.
Apart from the fact that the name Brees is of Dutch origin,...
Story: Brees, Samuel Charles
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1809–1889Soldier, farmer, politician
De Renzie James Brett was born at Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland, probably on 11 April 1809, the second of 24 children of James Brett, a barrister, and his wife, Barbara de Renzie. He may have been educated at the royal school at Portora, near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.
Brett...
Story: Brett, De Renzie James
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1843–1927Journalist, newspaper proprietor, publisher, writer, politician
Henry Brett was born at St Mary Magdalen, near Hastings in Sussex, England, on 25 February 1843, the son of Henry Brett, a tailor, and his wife, Mary Ann Elizabeth Hallows. Henry was initiated into publishing in his home town by his uncle, T. R. Brett, a newspaper proprietor and stationer, and...
Story: Brett, Henry
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1922–2013Speech therapist, birth campaigner and educator, actor, documentary filmmaker
Helen Brew was an indefatigable campaigner for the rights of women and children. She fought for women to have control over the process of giving birth, founded the Parents Centre movement, undertook political campaigns and made documentary films. She also raised five children and had a career...
Story: Brew, Helen Jean
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1909–1972Hardware merchant, swimmer, naval officer, farmer
Gordon Bridson was born on 2 December 1909 in Wellington, the son of Agnes Jessie Gordon and her husband, William John Bridson, a company manager. The family later moved to Auckland, where Gordon attended Auckland Grammar School. Leaving after the sixth form, he worked as a sales...
Story: Bridson, Gordon
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1892–1961Show‑ring rider
Although Maggie Briggs's deeds as a show-jumper have been exaggerated and romanticised by her biographers, she was undoubtedly an outstanding horsewoman. Born Margaret Jane Briggs on 17 April 1892 at Ōtākeho, near Manaia in South Taranaki, New Zealand, she was the only child of Lydia Elsie...
Story: Briggs, Margaret Jane
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1884–1965Labourer, auctioneer, pacifist, socialist, politician
Mark Briggs was born at Londesborough, Yorkshire, England, on 6 April 1884, the son of Albert Briggs, a shepherd, and his wife, Clara Dooks. After a rudimentary village schooling he was apprenticed in his early teens to a local farmer and treated harshly. He ran away but was returned under...
Story: Briggs, Mark
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1794–1850Master mariner, whaler
William Darby Brind was born in England, the eldest child of William Brind and his wife, Elizabeth. According to family information he was born in 1794. He was baptised on 28 July that year at St Philip's parish, Birmingham. He went to sea on whaling ships at an early age.
Between 1819...
Story: Brind, William Darby
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1828–1879Goldfields administrator, magistrate
Charles Broad was born on 23 September 1828 in London, England, the eldest of 15 children of Elizabeth Brooker and her husband, John Broad, a Baptist minister. Charles Broad received a good education and was well versed in English literature. His scholarly interests later led him to found...
Story: Broad, Charles
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1870–1937Policeman
Charles Robert Broberg, one of the first New Zealand-born policemen to reach commissioned rank, was born at Auckland on 22 May 1870, the son of Charles Gustav Broberg, a mariner, and his wife, Felicia Bowden. Broberg was working as a blacksmith when he joined the Permanent Artillery in...
Story: Broberg, Charles Robert
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1855–1931Surveyor, public servant
Thomas Noel Brodrick (known as Noel) was born to Mary Anne Potts and her husband, Thomas Brodrick, a stock and share broker, at Islington, London, England, on 25 December 1855. He came to New Zealand with his family on the Nimroud in 1860. After settling in Auckland the Brodrick family moved to...
Story: Brodrick, Thomas Noel
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1840–1900Police officer
Thomas Broham is said to have been born on 20 July 1840 into a Roman Catholic family in County Limerick, Ireland, the son of Bridget Corney and her husband, William Broham, a farmer. After a good education he emigrated to Victoria, Australia, where in March 1859 he joined the renowned police...
Story: Broham, Thomas
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1879–1962Civilian and military nurse, matron
Evelyn Gertrude Brooke, usually called Eva, was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on 13 September 1879, the daughter of Thomas William Brooke, a carpenter, and his wife, Kate Theresa Coad. Her father died, probably in May 1891, and her mother moved to Wellington, where she married Engelbert...
Story: Brooke, Evelyn Gertrude