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Nelson Isaac designed and made some of the most important publicly commissioned silver in New Zealand during the mid twentieth century. He was born Wilfrid Nelson Isaac in Kyneton, Victoria, Australia, on 30 March 1893…

Leonard Monk Isitt was for many years the most prominent prohibition campaigner in New Zealand. He was born in Bedford, England, on 4 January 1855, the son of James Isitt, a butcher, and his wife, Rebecca Catherine Cole…

Leonard Monk Isitt was born on 27 July 1891 at Christchurch, New Zealand, the elder son of Leonard Monk Isitt and his wife, Agnes Martha Caverhill. His father was a Methodist minister, temperance leader and politician.…

Andreas Christian Iversen was born in Janderup, near Varde, Denmark, on 25 February 1834, the son of Iver Christensen, a small farmer and blacksmith, and his wife, Gertrud Jensdatter. A mariner and riverboat pilot…

Joseph Ivess, who was associated with some 40 New Zealand newspapers between 1868 and 1907, was born in Askeaton, County Limerick, Ireland, probably on 8 February 1844. He was the son of John Pope Ivess, a storekeeper,…

William Edward Ivey was born in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), on 26 August 1838, the son of William Edward Ivey, a clerk and landowner, and his wife, Elizabeth Davis. He was educated in England and managed a 600…

Robert Jack was born at Quarter, near Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on 4 November 1877, the son of Janet Park and her husband, Hugh Jack, a schoolmaster. He was educated at the Hamilton Academy and at the University…

Herman Harry Jekeles was born at Dubauti, in the district of Cernauti, Romania (now Chernovtsy, Ukraine), on 5 August 1908. He was the youngest of five children of Jewish parents Mina Rosa Croon (Corne) and her husband…

Gifford Jackson was an important pioneer in the field of industrial design in New Zealand. After training as a naval architect in Glasgow, post-war employment with Fisher & Paykel and 17 years working as a designer…

Ann Fletcher was born on 27 February 1833 at Leigh, Lancashire, England, the eldest of seven children of John Fletcher, a clogger, and his wife, Mary Brown, both of whom were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers…

James Jackson (who later called himself James Hayter Jackson) was born on 24 November 1800, in Putney, London, England, the son of James Jackson, a mariner, and his wife, Sarah Smith.Jackson first came to New Zealand in…

Sarah Elizabeth Jackson was born at Erdington, near Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, on 6 August 1858. She was the second of seven children born to Fanny Brittain Chapman and her husband, James Jackson, an earthenware…

Inger Kathrine Nielsen was born on 5 September 1867, at Tyrsted, near Horsens, Denmark, to Mette Katharine Mikkelsen and her husband, Søren Nielsen, a farmer. Of nine children only Inger and her sister Dagmar survived.…

Ethel May Jacobson was born at Lyttelton, New Zealand, on 6 September 1877, the seventh of fourteen children of Margaret Dougherty and her husband, Howard Charles Jacobson, owner and editor of the Akaroa Mail, and Banks…

Annie Isabella James was born on 22 April 1884 at Otepopo, North Otago, New Zealand, and grew up on a farm at nearby Herbert, in a family of six boys and six girls. Her parents were Elizabeth Morrison and her husband,…

Esther Marion Pretoria James was remarkable for the diversity of her achievements, and in the 1930s became a national celebrity during a sponsored walk of the length of New Zealand. She was born at Pahīatua on 5…

Jimmy James, the man who taught thousands of Wellingtonians the art of ballroom dancing, was born Dimitrios Skafidas in Athens, Greece, on 15 February 1915. He was one of six children of Nickolai Skafidas, a shoemaker,…

James Peter Speid Jamieson was the youngest son and eighth child of Robert Jamieson and his wife, Barbara Laurenson Laing. He was born at the family croft at Cruisdale, near Sandness, Shetland, Scotland, on 9 February…

Matekoraha Te Peehi Rangihika, commonly known as Bessie, was born on 27 February 1902 at Whiritoa, a small Ringatū settlement between Waihī and Whangamatā. Her father was Rangihika Kereopa of Ngāti Maru, whose parents…

Ronald Alexander Jarden was born in Lower Hutt on 14 December 1929. He was the son of a Christchurch horse trainer, Benjamin Alexander Jarden, and Jean Johnston, who was later to be one of the world’s leading croquet…