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Matthew
Shirley Aug 8, 1825 Templecombe, Horsington,
Somerset, England, died May 8, 1886 Wyndham, NZ. Married Jane Whiteman
July 16, 1846, The Hutt, Wellington, NZ. She was chr: Oct23rd, 1831
in Winchelsea, Sussex, England and arrived in Wellington, NZ with her
family on the "Gertrude" on 1841. She died Apr 8th, 1891 at
Wyndham, Southland, NZ.
children:
(1). James
born Jun 30th, 1847 in Wellington, NZ and died Nov 22nd, 1930 in Colac
Bay, Southland, NZ. He married 1st Mary Ann Chibbett in Invercargill in
1871. She was born abt. 1849 in Australia and she died Apr 21st, 1877 in
Riverton, Southland, NZ. He married 2nd Eliza Ann Scott in Invercargill
in 1878. She was born abt. 1860 in Dublin, Ireland and she died Apr 9th,
1940 in Riverton, Southland, NZ. obituary
children by first
marriage to Mary Ann Chibbert:
(1). James Francis born
1871 in Invercargill, Southland, NZ. Died and buried Jul 25th, 1885 in
Invercargill.
(2). Elizabeth Jane born
May 30th, 1873 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died Sep 29th, 1959 in
Timaru, South Canterbury, NZ. She married Robert Jenkins Dec 30th,
1898 in Invercargill, Southland, NZ.
(3). Walter Matthew
McArthur born Feb 1875 in Riverton, Southland, NZ and died Sep 13th,
1875 in Riverton.
(4). Percy Chibbert born
Sep 26th, 1876 in Riverton, Southland, NZ and died about 1962. He
married Catherine Theresa Cockroft May 29th, 1901 in Invercargill,
Southland, NZ. She was born abt. 1872 and died abt. 1949. See Canterbury
for this family.
children by second
marriage to Eliza Ann Scott:
(5). John Matthew born
1879 in Invercargill, Southland, NZ and died 1890 in Wyndham,
Southland, NZ.
(6). Thomas William born
1880 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died 1958.
(7). George Henry born
1882 in Wyndham, Southland, NZ and died Feb 15th, 1956 in
Invercargill, Southland, NZ. He married Sarah Ellen Johnstone 1905 who
was born 1884 and died Jul 25th, 1953 in Invercargill, NZ.
children:
(A). William George
Henry born 1906 in Taieri East, Southland, NZ and died Apr 30th,
1985 in Invercagill, NZ.
(B). Ellen Mavis born
1908 in Invercargill, NZ and died Dec 1952. She married William
Robert Pirie about 1938
(8). Arthur Edward born
1884 in Wyndham, Southland, NZ and died May 6th, 1945 in Riverton,
Southland, NZ.
(9). Albert Francis born
1887 and died Jan 17th, 1975 in Riverton, Southland, NZ.
(10). Mary Jane born
1889 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died abt. 1967. She married Albert
George Devore 1917
(11). Ernest Victor born
1890 and died 1974. He married Barbara Ethel Sarah Crow 1915
Invercargill, Southland, NZ. She was born 1895 in Pahia, NZ and died
Jan 17th, 1982 in Ashburton, Canterbury and was buried in Timaru,
South Canterbury, NZ. See Canterbury for this family.
(12). Louisa Gertrude
born 1893 Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died 1949. She married Robert
Stanley Young 1919.
(13). Grace Maud born
1895 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died 1911 in Invercargill, NZ.
(14). Robert McNab born
1897 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died Jun 16th, 1969 in
Invercargill, NZ. He married Isabell Winifred White 1928. She was born
in Invercargill abt. 1902.
They had 2 boys and 2 girls.
(15). Rose Annie born
1900 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died 1970. She married Victor
Clarence Broad abt. 1926.
(2). Mary
Jane born Jun 16th, 1849 in Wellington, NZ and died Oct 4th, 1931
at "Chalsworth", Greenmeadows, Napier, NZ. She married John
Bennett in Puketapu, Napier in 1871.
(3). Ann born
Aug 21st, 1851 in Wellington, NZ and died Oct 10th, 1888 in Okaiawa,
Taranaki, NZ. She married James Sinclair Oughton in 1875 at her father's
residence at Mataura, Southland, NZ.
(4). Frank
born May 21st 1853 in Wellington, NZ and died Sep 25th, 1853 in
Wellington, NZ.
(5). William
born Dec 29th, 1858 in Wellington, NZ and buried Sep 25th, 1947 in
Fortrose, Southland, NZ. He married Annie Jane Tunstall in 1878. She was
born abt. 1859 and died Nov 15th, 1943 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ.
children:
(1). George born Mar
5th, 1879 in Wyndham, Southland, NZ.
(2). Emily Jane born Jun
23rd, 1880 in Fortrose, Southland, Nz and died Jul 12th, 1880 in
Fortrose.
(3). William born Aug
28th, 1881 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died Sep 18th, 1980 in
Fortrose, NZ. He married Emily May Gilbee Mar 13th, 1917 in Gore,
Southland, NZ.
children:
(A). William Charles
born 1918 in Fortrose, NZ and died 1989 in Invercargill, NZ. He
married Ruby Margarite Lamond and they had at least 2 children.
(B). Another boy.
(4). Arthur Ernest born
Jul 23rd, 1883 in Wyndham, Southland, NZ and died Jul 3rd, 1966 in
Invercargill, NZ. He married Sarah ???? in 1903.
(5). Albert Edward born
Sep 12th, 1885 in Wyndham, Southland, NZ and died abt. 1930.
(6). Frank born Oct
16th, 1887 in Wyndham, Southland, NZ and died Dec 17th, 1944 in
Fortrose, NZ. He married Emma Brown.
(7). Ada Amelia born Jan
16th, 1890 in Gore, Southland, NZ. She married William Dawson Muir in
1915.
(8). Rose Emily born Jun
8th, 1892 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ. She married James Robson.
(9). Gordon Victor born
Jun 5th, 1894 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ and died Mar 10th, 1967 in
Invercargill, NZ. He married Euphemia Grant in 1930.
(10). Victoria May born
May 16th, 1897 in Fortrose, Southland, NZ. She married Hubert Gregg in
1920.
(6). Thomas
Matthew born Jun 30th, 1860 in Wellington, NZ and died Jan 4th,
1921 in Orepuki, Southland, NZ. He married Alice Hannah Crowe in 1884 in
Wyndham, Southland, NZ. She was born abt. 1869 at Hinds, Canterbury, NZ
and died Sep 12th, 1955 at Southland Hospital, Kew, NZ.
children:
(1). Thomas Albert born
1885 in Lumsden, Southland, NZ and died Apr 26th, 1933 in Waitati,
Southland, NZ. He married Eileen Elizabeth Welsh in 1909. She was born
in 1888 and died in Auckland, NZ in 1968.
children:
(A). Vernon Leslie
born Nov 6th, 1910 in Invercargill, NZ and died Nov 23rd, 1971 in
Hamilton, Waikato, NZ. He married and had 4 boys and 3 girls.
(B). Also a daughter.
(2). Matthew Sydney born
Nov 24th, 1887 in Lumsden, Southland, NZ and died Sep 19th, 1966 in
Invercargill, NZ. He married Florence Eveline Carlaw in 1913 in
Waimahaka, NZ. She was born 1895 in Invercargill, Nz and died Oct
30th, 1966 in Invercargill, NZ.
They had 7 boys and 1 girl.
(3). Vernon Willis born
1891 in Athol, Southland, NZ and died 1983 in Adelaide, South
Australia. He married Beatrice Loisa ???? abt. 1923 in Adelaide, South
Australia. She was born 1901 and died 1961. See South Australia
for this Family.
(4). George Wilfred
Clifford born 1893 in Richmond, Victoria, Australia and died 1977 in
Oamaru, South Canterbury, NZ. He married Myrtle Uanita Alice Garard
1919 in Oamaru, South Canterbury.
(5). Lennord born and
died 1895 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
(6). Raymond Fraser Reid
born 1903 in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia and died Nov 2nd, 1990 in
Riverton, Southland, NZ. He married and had 2 boys and 2 girls.
(7). Alfred
George born abt. 1865 in Invercargill, Southland, NZ and died abt.
1922 in Auckland, NZ. He married Agnes Davidson Ferguson Nov 19th, 1894
in Wyndham, Southland, NZ. She was born abt. 1873 in Milton, Southland,
NZ and died Nov 25th, 1944 in Auckland, NZ.
children:
(1). Rosena Jane born
Sep 1st, 1895 in Edendale, Wyndham, Southland, NZ and died Jun 23rd,
1971 in Auckland, NZ. She married Stanley Cyril Gilfillan Feb 25th,
1917 in Hamilton, NZ.
(8). Frank
born abt. 1866 at Oaklands, Mataura Island, NZ and died Nov 29th, 1948
in Dunedin, Otago, NZ. He married Agnes Ellesbeth Lejefsky May 20th,
1908 in Port Chalmers, Otago, NZ. She was born abt. 1860 and died Sep
21th 1961 in Dunedin. See Otago.
(9). Rosina
born abt. 1867 in Southland, NZ and died Apr 25th, 1942 in Auckland, NZ.
She married Daniel Joseph McGowan Oct 20th, 1892 in Gore, Southland, NZ.
(10). Albert
Edward born Dec 1st, 1869 in Invercargill, Southland, NZ and died
Apr 21st, 1958 in Greymouth, West Coast, NZ. He married 1st Harriett
McLellan Mar 17th, 1897 in Charlton, Southland, NZ. She was born Jul
25th, 1874 in Tuapeka, Otago, NZ and died Apr 21st, 1905 in Edendale,
Southland, NZ. He married 2nd Janet Ross abt. 1915. She was born Jun
29th, 1881 Kaitangata, Southland, NZ and died abt. 1958 in Greymouth,
West Coast, NZ.
children by first wife
Harriett McLellan:
(1). Mary Jane born Mar
6th, 1900 in Waikaka, Gore, Southland, NZ and died May 25th, 1990 in
Dunedin, NZ. She married Albert Sherwood.
(2). Albert Edward born
Aug 4th, 1901 in Waikaka, Gore, Southland, NZ and died Feb 26th, 1989
in Warkworth, Northland, NZ. He married Mary McClymont 1929. She was
born Mar 8th, 1911 in Thornbury, Otautau, NZ and died May 13th, 1995
in Whangarei, Northland, NZ. They had 3 boys and 1 girl.
(3). Islay John born Oct
19th, 1903 in Waikaka, Gore, Southland, NZ. He married Eileen Muriel
Daphne Mullaney Aug 15th, 1926 in Invercargill, NZ. She was born Jan
2nd, 1903 in Lyttleton, Canterbury, NZ and died Nov 3rd, 1980 in
Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, NZ. They had 2 girls.
children by second wife
Janet Ross:
(4). Another son.
(11). Amelia
born Aug 4th, 1875 in Mataura, Southland, NZ and died abt. 1876.
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James Shirley
Obituary
In the passing of Mr.James
Shirley at his residence, Colac Bay, recently, Southland has lost another
worthy pioneer who enacted a great part in her early history. His career
was a long and interesting one and in to his 83 year were crowded many
varied and noteworthy experiences.
The late Mr. Shirley was born at the Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand on June
30, 1847...his father, Matthew Shirley arriving in the colony by the
second and his mother by the third ship under the New Zealand company. He
received his early education at The Hutt an at age 13 left Wellington with
his parents for Dunedin where he worked at the time when Hasties, Barnes,
Jones, and MacAndrew were prominent figures. At the time of the Lindis
gold rush, they moved to Oamaru and afterwards went with Gabriel's Gully
rush and returned to Dunedin. James worked the claim with his father.He
was 14 at the time. The size of a claim was 12 ft. X 12 ft., so their area
was 24 ft. X 12 ft. It was situated just below the famous Blue Spur and
adjoining the hut of the well known character, "Hobart Town
Jack," familiar to all early miners at the Gully.
As all the claims having been taken up, they had to content themselves
with the one on the sloping side of the Gully.
Mr. Shirley related that a shaft of 20 ft. was made and driven out from
the 1 ft. X 1 ft. 3 in. of "wash dirt" from this 24 ft. X 12 ft.
claim. In four months they secured gold to the value of 1600 pounds of
sterling.
It was the sight of a life time to climb Slaughter-house Hill and view
that two and a half miles of gully and its moving industrious mass of
humanity,all striving for gold and yet more gold. the clatter of shovel,
picks, buckets andl ong toms and the vast array of tents of the thousands
of miners was a scene not to be forgotten. In Gabriels, Weatherstones and
Munro's Gullies there were about 13,000 human beings, all within a radious
of 5 miles.
After leaving Gabriel's Gully, he and his father walked a distance of 51
miles from there to London St. Dunedin, in a day. They followed the
Waipori road and on through West Taieri. A few months later his father
decided to travel to Southland. They left with a six-horse dray containing
all their worldly possessions. All went well until the Poputuna Gorge was
reached. Here a stoppage had to be made and some shots fired by the gang
of men working there. A track was thus made and the journey continued
after a halt of a few hours. That night was spent at the residence of Mr.
Thomas Trumble and the next night with Mr. MacGibbon at Dacre. The
following day they reached Half-way Bush and stayed with Mr. McIntosh -
all settlers having passed away many years ago.
Mr. Shirley and his father then engaged in waggoning with both bullock and
horse teams, between Invercargil land the Lakes District. In crossing
flooded rivers and negotiating almost
impassable portions of the route, they had many hair-breadth escapes.
After the waggoning days, they started farming in Wyndham district, where
some years later Mr. Shirley's father died.
Mr. Shirley having experienced the difficulties and trials of traveling on
poor roads of the early days, was one of the first to enter into work of
road contracting and bridge construction to facilitate travel to different
parts of the province
One of the first bridges was the Burwood-Mararoa, for which he held the
contract. His next construction of the rail way line from Edendale to
Wyndham and Menzies Ferry bridge across the Mataura River. In both of
these latter works, Mr. Shirley had large numbers of men employed. At
various times he owned saw mills and flax mills at Tokanui Goirge, Waikawa,
and Niagara.
He was proprietor of the mail coach from Wyndham to Fortrose and
Chaselands to Waikawa.Proior to this he was owner of two accommodation
houses at Fortrose.
His attention then turned to farming pursuits in Waikawa Valley and
Niagara. It may be said that Mr. Shirley made Niagara. It was through his
energy and foresight that the church and school was built there. He was
looked upon as being the "father" of the community, acting the
role of doctor, lawyer and adviser.
The well-known Bridge Inn at One Tree Point was once owned by Mr. Shirley.
The gas mains at Invercargill was carried out by Mr. Howell and Mr.
Shirley.
This sketch would not be complete without reference to his musical
ability, prowess as an athlete and exponent of as well as judge of
Step-dancing, and above all, the generous disposition of the deceased, who
passing will be mourned by a wide circle of friends.
He is survived by his widow, seven sons, and five daughters.
The funeral took place at the Riverton cemetery on Monday afternoon.
from: SOUTHLAND DAILY NEW, Invercargill November 28, 1930
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Mathew
Shirley of Invercargill