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Jean Baptiste François Pompallier was born in Lyons, France, on 11 December 1801, the third son of Françoise Pompallier and her husband, Pierre Pompallier, who died 8½ months after the birth. François, as he was called…

Billie Nicholl believed he was 10 when he arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1862. This would put the date of his birth at 1851 or 1852, but it may have been as late as 1856. He was born William Sharman Crawford…

Josiah Firth, later known as Josiah Clifton Firth, is said to have been born at Clifton, near Bradford, Yorkshire, England, on 27 October 1826. He was the son of Mary Bateman and her husband, the Reverend Benjamin Firth…

George Thomas Murray, the son of Agnes Currie and her husband, George Murray, a farmer, was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 4 November 1859. The family farmed at Green Island Bush. Murray attended Oamaru Grammar School…

Frederick George Young was born in the East End of London, England, on 9 June 1888, the son of Emily Judge and her husband, William Young, a police constable. Fred arrived in New Zealand around 1905 and found work as a…

Cora Mildred Maris Clark was born at Auckland, New Zealand, on 3 March 1885 to Cora Juliett Meurant and her husband, Richard Maris Clark, an insurance manager. From about 1890 the family lived in Dunedin. With her…

Jane Annie Collier was born on 28 September 1869 at Springston, Canterbury, New Zealand, the daughter of Mary Ann Nankervis and her husband, Titus Close Collier, a clerk. From 1875 Jane was educated at a small private…

Nora Mary Parker was born in Hāwera, Taranaki, on 25 June 1917, one of three daughters of Kate Maria Ride and her husband, Walter Vincent Parker, a farmer. She went to Ararata School, but later, when her father became…

Born in New Brighton, Christchurch, on 10 September 1902, Edward (Ted) George Sayers grew up in straitened circumstances. He was the son of Henry Hind Sayers, a carpenter, and his wife, Amelia Ruth Blandford, who was…

The son of Ada Mary Hopkinson Pearce and her husband, Astley Hector Cheesman, a painter, Oswald Astley Cheesman was born in Christchurch on 13 September 1913. He was educated at Elmwood School, Christchurch Boys’ High…

Edith Mary Statham was born on 13 April 1853 at Bootle, Lancashire, England, the daughter of William Statham, a solicitor, and his wife, Ellen Allen Hadfield. Edith came to New Zealand with her parents and her two…

William Garden Cowie was born on 8 January 1831 at St John's Wood, London, England. His parents were Alexander Cowie, an advocate, and his wife, Elizabeth Garden, both originally from Aberdeenshire, Scotland. William…

Agnes TuiSamoa spent a lifetime supporting and campaigning for the rights of her fellow Pacific Islanders in Auckland, both new migrants and their New Zealand-born children. She was a leading figure in many community…

Harry Warner Farnall was born at Burley Park, Hampshire, England, on 18 December 1838, the son of Mary Warner and her husband, George Rooke Farnall, a wealthy landowner and justice of the peace. Details of his early…

New Zealand's most celebrated and energetic confidence trickster was born on 18 May 1859 at Hobart, Tasmania, the eldest child of Mary Ann Parkinson and her husband, Alfred Bock, and christened Amy Maud. Between her…

Henry Colin Balneavis was born at Ghent, Belgium, probably some time between 1817 and 1819. His birthplace is not altogether surprising, since his father, Lieutenant General Henry Balneavis, a career officer, Peninsular…

Thomas Brown (known as Broun) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 15 July 1838, the son of John Brown, a soldier, and his wife, Margaret Stewart. Both his father and an uncle were naturalists of considerable repute.…

Eliza Ellen (known as Ellen) Melville was born on 13 May 1882 at Tokatoka, Northern Wairoa, New Zealand, the third of seven children of Alexander Melville, a boatbuilder and farmer, and his wife, Eliza Annand Fogerty,…

John Logan Campbell is said to have been born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 3 November 1817, the only son of John Campbell and his wife, Catherine Logan, of Ayrshire. His father, as a younger son of Sir James Campbell,…

Richard Cockburn Maclaurin was born at Lindean railway station, Galashiels, Selkirkshire, Scotland, on 5 June 1870, the son of Robert Campbell Maclaurin, the resident stationmaster, previously a clergyman, and his wife…