Melvyn & Sharron Pearson |Tandragee|Co Armagh BT62

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KIWI’S WE WERE - THE NEW ZEALAND CONNECTION

Ellen White my Great Grandmother had sailed to New Zealand on the good ship British Queen Ellen was aged 24,  a General Servant from County Kerry sailed on 23 August 1883 and arrived on the on the 11 Oct 1883. She arrived in Dunedin and all passengers bound for Christchurch were brought up by train.

 On arrival in Christchurch, either by arrangement or chance Ellen came into the employ of the spinster Abbott sisters as a Lady Companion, which I take is an upmarket maid more like a lady in waiting only not just quite as ostentatious.

The Abbott Sisters Frances (Fanny) Sheppard Abbott, Cherry Abbott and Sarah Abbott were apparently of a well to-do connection and property owners.  From all three’s will and testaments they all died spinsters. Cherry died on 24th November 1887 and Sarah on March 16TH 1889. Frances enjoyed the most prolonged existence, living to the ripe old age of 80 She died in 1897. Anyhow Ellen must have really been impressed with the Abbott spinsters as she named her first child after them, Isaac Abbott Pearson, and that same Christian name again repeated with my present uncle, my main historic source I mentioned earlier ‘Wee Icky’ (Ellen was the daughter of John & Mary White (nee Shea).

Ellen White was born in the Kingdom of Kerry in Ireland, in the year 1859,a background I am proud of, as indeed being a man from the County of Armagh is also dear to me, as I know for certain I have the Gaelic blood in my veins, which is my justification and rational for my more harebrained moments and my families defence for being of lets say having an aggressive characteristic in our genes. A tall well read woman was the description Wee Icky gave. In later years she was to suffer blindness but still knew her grandchildren by footstep or touch, an extraordinary lady by all accounts. Some say it was reading that led to this disability, but in her case it only served to sharpen her other senses and awareness.

The marriage of Ellen and James took place on June 20th 1891, James was a sprightly 41 year old and Ellen nine years his junior at 32.  The marriage was celebrated at St Saviours Church, Anglican I believe, in Sydenham, Christchurch, New Zealand.  James was cited as being a bachelor and gardener by trade from Sydenham and Ellen as a spinster with no occupation from Opawa, both town lands being in the Christchurch area. The two witnesses were drawn from James’ side of the family; therefore Ellen probably had no relatives in New Zealand at that time but of that I am not sure.  The best man in true Pearson tradition was yes would you believe it another Isaac Pearson. Isaac was listed on the Marriage Certificate as being a clicker, which I think is a cobbler or leather worker, a trade the subsequent Isaac's in our family seemed to excel at as Wee Icky inherited his uncle Isaac Abbott Pearson’s Shoemaking and mending machinery which is all I can describe it as. I can clearly mind the machine in my grandmother Harriet’s shed situated at the back of Number 24 Quality Hill.  I even remember pumping on a large foot pedal to start the rotating brushes and attached accoutrements.  I also remember bits and bobs of the cobbler’s trade and pieces of leather strewn around the work shed.  There was also one of those metal anvil like things for putting the boot over to apply soles, heels, sparbels, tips, studs and the like. Wangs hung on a nail nearby. I am not sure if that is the correct spelling but a description may serve better. They were long very thin pieces of leather, which were used as laces and cut into your instep with prolonged wearing.

I digress, back to the wedding, As I’ve mentioned another Isaac Pearson was the groom’s man and the Bridesmaid was, I am nearly sure of the relationship, Isaac’s sister Mary, although their addresses differed, Mary living in Coleridge Street, Sydenham and Isaac's as just Sydenham.  Having said that they could obviously been one and the same address and probably were.   The officiating minister was the Reverend Henry Bromley Cocks.  A name that could have been the butt for the best man traditional joke, but then do not forget they were Quakers and the whole affair could have been very straight laced.

—– Reverend Henry Bromley Cocks was born on 19 June 1831. He was the son of Reverend Henry  Somers Cocks and Frances Mercy Bromley. He married Harriet Elizabeth Wodehouse, daughter of Colonel Philip Wodehouse and Lydia Lea, on 25 July 1861. He died in 1894.
Reverend Henry Bromley Cocks was the Vicar at Sydenham, Christchurch, New Zealand. —–

The fact that Ellen was at this stage a Quaker is not proven, and James, given his reputation in later life as a man fond of the odd tipple might not have been partaking of the faith but only inherited it from his ancestors.  And they were married in an Anglican Church to boot.  But Ellen was destined to become a Quaker through and through and remained staunch until her dying day and she was afforded a Quaker burial at Monnie Hill, an old Quaker Grave yard at Ballyhegan, Richhill, in fact the oldest Quaker graveyard in Ireland, but then again James was laid to rest in that small copse near Kilmore as well. So the question of how devout they were is questionable. I would like to believe they were at heart, especially Ellen pious Quakers. Their first born Isaac Abbott was also laid to rest in Monnie Hill.

It is worth giving a description of this little graveyard Monnie Hill at this point, although the timing, that is while I am describing my great great grandparents wedding day in New Zealand is not pertinent or appropriate but it is my tale and the visit to that little graveyard is still fresh in my psyche. I had to get directions to the burial site that had always conjured up strange mental pictures in my mind. I had tried on occasions previously to find this out of the way location and botched on the first two attempts to locate it, but a map engraved in my brain drawn by a living Quaker Stephen Loney and a chat with a, dismounted from his quad local Ballyhegan farmer, led me to the location where Ballyhegan Quaker Meeting House had once stood.

Founded by the Lurgan Brownlow family of Master McGrath greyhound fame, all which remains of the Meeting House is the front stonewalls and barred green gate with a stick for a latch.  To the left of this site is another gate and there going off at a 90 degree angle and gradient of one in four, or it certainly gave that impression is a small path, just about the width of a coffin and pall bearers.  The hedge is overgrown on both sides of the path and consisted of Hawthorn and Bramble.  The path itself had been freshly scythed or I suppose strimmered in this day and age is the right phrase.  The cut grass lay un-gathered and added a bouquet that is well known to all country folk, of which I deem myself one by the way.  The path runs for a distance of about  yards and veers neither left nor right for that first assault.  The path then turns to the right at 90 degrees and another quick left through an old barred rusted gate, which matched the gate on the main road.  Did I say main road.  The thoroughfare leading to Monnie Hill was all of seven foot wide, although it was tarmac and bore a grass track up its centre.  The lane way I suppose you could call it also carried the hallmarks of a neighbouring farm’s activity that again added to the country ambience.  On entering through the gate you stumble on the little graveyard that seemed so dark and reverend due to the mature Beech and Oak trees surrounding it casting their long shadows and cutting off most of the light from the outside world.  Appropriate I thought.
 

Just inside the gate to the left was two old summer seats for visiting relatives to sit deliberate and reflect on loved ones now gone or possibly rest after their Everest clamber. The graveyard itself contains a few headstones most of which are very old and un cared for with the nettles and brambles having sprawled over them. The uppermost part of the necropolis was totally overgrown and one or two headstones could be seen peering over the three-foot high nettles.  Alas my ancestors’ graves were not marked and I could only speculate as to where they were laid to rest.  Apparently in earlier times Quaker graves in this particular area were deliberately unmarked to prevent stealing or desecration, but possibly my Great great grandparents kin were not affluent enough to meet the expense of this extravagance, if that is the right word, of a gravestone.

I spent a solemn half hour evaluating what commemorative plaques did exist and drew up pictures in my minds eye of what Ellen and James’ interment must have been like and how many mourners attended, where they had the obligatory wake and who shed tears. I remember thinking, where will I end up, who will shed tears for me and in a hundred years time will a progeny of mine be doing the same thing and wondering what sort of person I was.  This conveyance will aid their study and give my grandchildren a background and heritage they can cite, be proud of and muse over in generations to come, if they so wish of course.

Returning to the wedding of James and Ellen.  Having got the big day over history suggests that they lived in Ensors Road, Opawa, Christchurch as annotated on Lyttleton Electoral Roll for 1893 two years after marriage.  Another fact highlighted by the Marriage Certificate was that James could not write as he signed the marriage entry with his mark, an ‘’X’’. Ellen’s handwriting meanwhile looks assured and confident which adds credibility to her being an intelligent, knowledgeable individual. James I presume continued to follow his horticultural vocation and Ellen her service with the Abbott sisters.

Their first child Isaac Abbot Pearson, my great uncle was born in 1892 in Christchurch followed by my Granddad John James Pearson who came into this world on the 22nd day of December 1893, born in the district of Opawa, Christchurch, New Zealand.  The birth was duly registered on the 7th February 1894. The father was given as James Pearson, Gardener Age 43 and the mother Ellen Pearson formerly White Age 34 originally of County Kerry.  Ellen registered the birth.  The entry number in the Registry was 187.  Other siblings of Grandpa John James (Jack) were Anne Winifred born in 1900 and another brother who died in infancy. Another sibling Kathleen Mary was born in 1895 but died in 1896. The other infant and more him later was Francis Douglas Tenerife Pearson.  born and died 1899

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ABBOTT FAMILY