Search

James Little was born on 22 October 1834 into a farming family at Powbeat, Midlothian, Scotland. He was the son of Margaret Tait and her husband, Henry Little, a shepherd descended from early Presbyterian Covenanters…

David Paton Balfour was born on 12 July 1841 at Monikie, Forfarshire, Scotland, the son of David Balfour, a carrier, and his wife, Jane Paton; there were a number of other children. Schooling was encouraged, but David…

Robert Thompson Batley, the son of Jane Thompson and George Batley, a mariner, was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, on 15 November 1849. He was educated in Portsmouth, and at about the age of 13 joined the crew…

Lewis Edward Harris was born in Woodville, Hawke’s Bay, on 25 March 1900, the son of Mabel Eldridge Lewis and her husband, Joseph Henry Harris, a farmer. The family moved to Napier when Lewis was four, and later to…

George Gould was born at Christchurch on 6 April 1865, the son of George Gould and his second wife, Elizabeth Lewis. His father, one of the Canterbury pioneers of 1850, was a leading landowner and businessman, and a…

James Randall Corrigan was born at Woodend, North Canterbury, New Zealand, on 10 July 1865, the son of Samuel Corrigan, a contractor, and his wife, Susan Sanderson (née Randall). Around 1878 the family moved to Tinwald…

Hugh Pearson McIntyre was born on 12 October 1888 at Waikaka Valley, near Gore, Southland. He was one of nine children of John Pearson McIntyre and his wife, Beatrice Nichol, whose farm, Hopetoun, was at Maitland, near…

Henry John Wardell was born at Dunedin on 12 August 1890, the third child of Georgina Wardell and her husband, John Wardell. Harry’s parents were cousins; they had immigrated to New Zealand in 1886 with two of his…

William and John Deans, first and third of four sons of John Deans, a notary, and his wife, Catherine Young, were born in the parish of Kirkstyle, Riccarton, Scotland. William was baptised on 31 January 1817; John was…

Mariano Vela was born probably on 15 February 1855 at Macarsca, Dalmatia. He was the son of Matthaea Miličić and her husband, Andreas Vela, a farmer. Mariano left his home village and became a sailor, voyaging around…

Edward Elworthy was born in Wellington, Somersetshire, England, according to family information in 1836. He was the son of Jane Chorley and her husband, Thomas Elworthy, a woollen mill owner. Edward was educated at…

According to family information Catherine Johnstone was born at Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, on 11 December 1818, the eldest of six children born to Thomas Johnstone and his wife, Jean Bryden. She married John…

Harold Wilfred Youren was born in Auckland on 23 April 1910 to Mary Philpott Pitcher and her husband, David Prinald Youren, a banker. He was educated at Wellington College and gained both Junior and Senior National…

John Morris Ranstead was born at East Ham, Essex, England, on 1 July 1884, the first child of William Ranstead, a bookkeeper, and his wife, Margaret Lyon Loch. His father, a Fabian socialist, brought his family to New…

William Grant was born on Kirkan farm, in the parish of Contin, Ross-shire, Scotland, on 23 September 1843, the son of Ann Tait and her husband, Donald Grant, a shepherd. With an older brother, Andrew, William set out…

Edward Newman was born in Partick, Glasgow, Scotland, on 4 July 1858, the son of a Royal Navy surgeon of the same name and his wife, Annabella Smith. According to his own account, Edward came to New Zealand about 1875,…

According to family tradition, Tame Horomona Rehe, subsequently and better known as Tommy Solomon, was born at Waikaripi on Chatham Island on 7 May 1884. He was the only surviving child of Rangitapua Horomona Rehe and…

John Chapman Andrew was born on 9 March 1822 at Whitby, Yorkshire, England, the son of James Andrew, an Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Jane Chapman. Andrew won a scholarship to University College, Oxford; he…

William Victor McIntyre (better known as Victor or Mac) was born on 24 May 1887 at Pleasant Point, South Canterbury, New Zealand. He was the son of Robert McIntyre, a labourer, and his wife, Eliza Ann Cochrane. McIntyre…

Joseph Ward was born and baptised on 21 August 1817 at Tixall, Staffordshire, England, the son of Anne Redwood and her husband, Joseph Ward, an estate agent and tenant farmer on the Tixall estate. Ward's very broken…