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Filter biographies using dates, occupations and places related to people's lives.
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1833/1834?–1912Brewer, benefactor
Thomas George Macarthy was born in London, England, probably in 1833 or 1834, the son of Thomas Bernard Macarthy, a florist, and his wife, Ann Elizabeth Grout. Nothing is known about his early life. In the 1850s he went to the goldfields in Victoria, Australia, and in the 1860s, Otago, New...
Story: Macarthy, Thomas George
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1927–2007Chemist, scientistEarly life
Alan Graham MacDiarmid, New Zealand’s third Nobel Laureate, was born in Masterton on 14 April 1927, the youngest of five children of Archibald Campbell MacDiarmid and his wife, Ruby Noel Willis Graham. Alan’s father, a marine engineer, came from New Plymouth, and the MacDiarmids...
Story: MacDiarmid, Alan Graham
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1921–1982Naval officer, civil engineer, inventor
Jim Macdonald, known to his navy colleagues as ‘Mac’, was the most decorated New Zealand naval officer of the Second World War and went on to become a successful city engineer in Wellington. Of medium height with dark hair, a fair complexion and strong physique, he was the son of Amy Grace...
Story: Macdonald, George James
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1891–1967Farmer, historian
George Ranald Macdonald, the son of Gertrude Gould and her husband, Ranald Macintosh Macdonald, was born at St Albans, Christchurch, on 4 October 1891. His maternal grandfather, George Gould, had been a leading merchant; his father, the son of a runholder, owned farm machinery and tramway...
Story: Macdonald, George Ranald
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1886–1966Nurse, community leader
Sadie Murn was born in Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia, on 3 July 1886. She was subsequently registered as Sarah, but always known as Sadie. Her parents were Sarah Jane Stuart and her husband, John Murn, a miner. Little is known about her early years, but she eventually trained as a nurse...
Story: Macdonald, Sadie
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1847–1914Businessman, politician
Thomas Macdonald, later known as Thomas Kennedy Macdonald and familiarly as 'Kennedy Mac', was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, on 6 April 1847, the son of Scottish parents Thomas Rhine Macdonald, a flax-dresser, and his wife, Jean Aitken. He was educated in Dundee, Scotland, and at Hare's...
Story: Macdonald, Thomas Kennedy
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1898–1980Farmer, politician, high commissioner
Thomas Lachlan Macdonald was born in Invercargill on 14 December 1898, the son of Thomas Forsaith Macdonald, a farmer, and his wife, Margaret Ann Matheson. Tom took great pride in his Scottish descent: one of his great-grandfathers, Alexander Macdonald, had sailed from Wester Ross, Scotland, to...
Story: Macdonald, Thomas Lachlan
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1827–1903Grocer, merchant, government agent, farmer, magistrate
Duncan Macfarlane was born on 15 January 1827 in Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. He was the son of John Macfarlane, a carpenter, and his wife, Margaret McLauchlan. Nothing is known of his early life, although it is probable that he received a thorough education.
Around 1847...
Story: Macfarlane, Duncan
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1871–1948Community worker
Edith Mary Durrieu was born at Torquay, Devonshire, England, on 20 May 1871. She was the daughter of Marianne Feltham and her husband, Louis Adolphus Durrieu, an accountant. Edith travelled to New Zealand with her family when she was about two years old and received her education at Auckland...
Story: Macfarlane, Edith Mary
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1900–1981Driver, trade unionist, politician
Robert Mafeking Haynes was born in Christchurch on 17 May 1900, the son of Emma Rose King Haynes. His mother married Hugh Macfarlane, a labourer, in 1904, and Bob took his stepfather's family name. He was, however, brought up by his grandmother, Mary Haynes, an unregistered nurse. Bob attended...
Story: Macfarlane, Robert Mafeking
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1843–1906University professor, public servant, health administrator
Duncan MacGregor was born at Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland, on 14 December 1843, the son of Isabella MacGregor and her husband, James MacGregor, a mason. Educated first at Breadalbane Academy, where he trained as a pupil-teacher, MacGregor was later a highly successful scholar in Classics and...
Story: MacGregor, Duncan
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1829–1894Presbyterian minister, theologian
James MacGregor was born on 6 January 1829 in Callander, in the Gaelic-speaking area of Perthshire, Scotland. He and his twin brother were the last of 10 children born to Duncan MacGregor, a builder, and his wife, Helen Macpherson. After attending the parish school, he was educated at the...
Story: MacGregor, James
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1849/1850?–1936Lawyer, politician, writer
John MacGregor was born, probably in 1849 or 1850, at Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland, the son of James MacGregor, a stonemason, and his wife, Isabella MacGregor. After receiving his primary education at the Breadalbane Academy, Perthshire, he enrolled at the University of Edinburgh, graduating...
Story: MacGregor, John
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1915–2001Politician, farmer, soldier
Duncan MacIntyre was an important figure in the National Party governments that held power for all but three of the 24 years between 1960 and 1984, serving as a cabinet minister for 15 years and as deputy prime minister from 1981. A tall, lean man with sandy hair, a moustache and (in later life...
Story: MacIntyre, Duncan
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1867–1951Railway worker, trade unionist
Matthew Joseph Mack was born at Wellington, New Zealand, on 3 March 1867, the son of Barbara Wilkinson and her husband, Thomas Mack, who farmed in the Ohariu Valley. About two years later the family moved to Auckland, where Joe (as he was generally known) attended St Paul's School and Wellesley...
Story: Mack, Matthew Joseph
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1833–1909Farmer, explorer, linguist, magistrate, land court judge
Alexander Mackay was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, probably on 11 May 1833. His father was Alexander Mackay, a lawyer; his mother's name is unknown. At the age of five he left Scotland to attend school at Southsea, in England. In 1844 he sailed on the Slains Castle with his uncle, James Mackay,...
Story: Mackay, Alexander
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1864–1944Journalist, cook
Catherine Julia Bilston was born at Merino, in western Victoria, Australia, on 12 November 1864. Later known as Katrine, she was the fifth of the nine children of Ellen Augustine McElligott and her husband, George Yarra Bilston, an innkeeper who was later a grazier. Although Katrine had no...
Story: Mackay, Catherine Julia
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1875–1929Lawyer, local politician, mayor
Charles Ewing Mackay (later known as Charles Evan Mackay) was born in Nelson, New Zealand, on 29 June 1875, the son of Joseph Mackay and his wife, Jessie Wilkie. Joseph taught mathematics at Nelson College, and from 1881 to 1891 was headmaster of Wellington College. Charles was a pupil there...
Story: Mackay, Charles Ewing
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1842–1847?–1897Homemaker
Elizabeth Ormiston was born in Scotland, probably in Sutherland between 1842 and 1847, the daughter of Mary McKenzie and Walter Ormiston, a shepherd. She married Robert Mackay, a shepherd, at Dalharald, Strathnaver, Sutherland, on 29 August 1862; they were to have at least nine children. In...
Story: Mackay, Elizabeth
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1843–1908Farmer, feminist, community leader, inventor
Elizabeth Ann Budge (the Louisa was added later) was born on 23 January 1843 at Godmanchester, Huntingdonshire, England, the daughter of Matthew Budge, a labourer, and his wife, Ann Church. Nothing is known about her childhood. In October 1863 she left Gravesend aboard the Anne Dymes bound for...
Story: Mackay, Elizabeth Ann Louisa