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William Wescombe Corpe (generally known as Wescombe) was born at Stoke St Gregory, Somerset, England, on 29 April 1836, the second child of Ann Wescombe and her husband, Joshua Corpe, a farmer. Following a local…

Violet May Grainger was born in Napier on 17 May 1887. She was the youngest of eight children of Eliza Jane Fleetham and her husband, George William Grainger, a civil engineer who was employed by the Napier Harbour…

Roy Nicolas Courlander was born in London on 6 December 1914. His mother, Edith Cater, married Leonard Henry Courlander, a cinematographer, in London on 4 November 1920. They divorced in 1933 and Roy went to live with…

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…

There was nothing in the early life of Francis Peter Cusack to suggest he would become one of Southland’s most eccentric sons. Sam Cusack, as he was nicknamed, was born at Winton in central Southland on 4 February 1919…

Joseph Wladislas Edmond Potocki de Montalk, known in New Zealand as Edmond de Montalk, was born in Paris, France, on 14 February 1836. His father, Józef Franciszek Jan Potocki, was a Polish émigré of noble descent who…

According to family information, Jane McIlraith was born at Auchenflower, Ayrshire, Scotland, on 21 April 1823, the eldest child of Agnes Caldwell and her husband, James McIlraith. Auchenflower, 'field of flowers', lay…

The matriarch of the Wong Doo clan in Auckland, New Zealand, was born sometime between 1873 and 1875 in Xinhui county, Guangdong province, China. Her given name was Chan Yau-nui, which was later simplified to Unui. She…

Arnold Fielder Downer was born on 4 February 1895 at Alexandra, Victoria, Australia, the son of Edwin Harry Downer, a builder, and his wife, Mary Ann McMinn. The family emigrated to New Zealand in 1899 and settled in…

Mary Manson Bain was born in Dunedin on 31 March 1887, the first of thirteen children of Alexander Manson Bain, a cabinetmaker, and his wife, Hanna Kiely. Her parents, he a Scottish Presbyterian and she an Irish…

Howard Leslie Elliott was born in Maldon, Victoria, Australia, on 10 March 1877, the son of Emma March and her husband, James Elliott, a bootmaker. Although brought up a Methodist, Howard trained for the Baptist…

Margaret Escott is best remembered as the author of the novel Show down. Born Cicely Margaret Escott on 9 July 1908 at Eltham, London, England, and usually known as Peg, she was the daughter of Emily Allen and her…

Hugo Friedländer (Friedlander) was born probably in January 1850 at Kolmar, Prussia (Chodziez, Poland). His father, Jonas Friedländer, and his mother, Röschen Buck, were Jewish. As a teenager Hugo emigrated with his…

Frances Southwell was born probably some time between 1827 and 1829 at Clifton, Gloucestershire, England. Her parents were Martha and John Southwell. On 24 October 1848 at Boyton, Wiltshire, she married Thomas Shayle…

Darcy Clarence Hadfield was born at Awaroa Inlet, Tasman Bay, New Zealand, on 1 December 1889. He was the son of William Welby Hadfield, a farmer, and his wife, Martha Adele Ann Snow. After leaving Awaroa School at the…

Maria Selina Hale was born on 23 May 1864 at Glasgow, Scotland, to Margaret Forrest and her husband, Joseph Hale, both English-born Methodists. There were seven surviving children in the family; Selina, as she was…

Percival Henry Hall Thompson was born at Eling, Hampshire, England, on 5 May 1874, the son of Henry Hall Thompson and his wife, Agnes Spooner. After education at a private school he entered the Royal Navy's training…

Walter Sydney Hammond was typical of many New Zealand police constables who could be selfless when called upon, who relished the camaraderie of their mates, and who made a difficult job more congenial by selectively…

Mary Ann (known as Marion) Hanover was born in Preston, Somersetshire, England, probably on 8 September 1835, the daughter of Elizabeth Stenner and her husband, Robert Hanover, a licensed victualler. She was working as…

Henry John Hayward was born at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, on 11 December 1865, the second son of Harriett Elizabeth Groutage and her husband, William Henry Hayward, a professor of music and formerly a court…