McLeods of Rumsdale: April 2019

To New Zealand

On 9 October 1886 the Taylor family left Plymouth in southwest England to emigrate to New Zealand. The family group included Catherine and James with children Janet age 6, John George age 4, Christina age 2, and baby Margaret Anne age 4 months. The ship they came on was very different to what the other McLeods had travelled to New Zealand on. The SS Arawa was a steamer.

The steamship Awara between 1894 and 1900

The `Arawa' was built in 1884 by W Denny, Dumbarton, Scotland for the Shaw, Savill & Albion Company. She ran in the NZ-England service for a number of years. In 1900 she was purchased by the Elder, Dempster Company and renamed `Lake Megantic'. She was bought and sold under variety of different names until 1915 when she was sunk.

The steamship Awara in 1891

Source: Easter, Theophilus, 1832-1913. Steamship Arawa. Ref:1/4-012547-F Alexander Turnull Library, Wellington, New Zealand

Otago Witness , Issue 1825, 12 November 1886, Page 18

North Otago Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6209, 22 November 1886, Page 2

Notes as recorded by Douglas Lamb

My mother was christened Janet but was always known as Jessie. She was born at Latheron, Scotland on 27 September 1880 and sailed for New Zealand with her parents and other family on the SS Arawa sometime in June 1886. I recall it was shortly after the Tarawera eruption June 10 1886 as word had just reached them as they were about to sail and their friends and relations were concerned about them going to a country so far away where they would be blown up or killed by the Maoris. She was the oldest of a family of three girls and one boy but I believe one infant died on the voyage and was buried at sea. Her sisters were Wilamina, called Minnie, Christina called Teenie, and brother John. They settled in Martinborough on arrival. Mum went to school there and later worked in Ross’s store until marrying. She died in Wellington on 18 February 1948 in her 68^th year and is buried in Martinborough

https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/l/a/m/Leslie-Lamb-Tauranga/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0011.html

Wilhamena

In 1889 Catherine had another baby daughter. Wilhamena Taylor was born 18 March 1889 in Martinborough.

Descendants of Catherine McLeod

1-Catherine McLeod

born: 9 Mar 1846, Rumsdale, Caithness, Scotland

died: 3 Feb 1930, New Zealand

+ James Taylor

born: 11 Jun 1857, Stempster, Latheron, Caithness, Scotland

died: 6 Apr 1920, Martinborough, New Zealand

2-Catherine Taylor - Not confirmed possibly a niece

born: 1872, Latheron, Caithness, Scotland

died:

2-John Taylor

born: 8 Sep 1878, Rangag, Estate of Forse, Caithness, Scotland

died: 29 Feb 1880, Rangag, Latheron, Caithness, Scotland

2-Janet Taylor

born: 28 Sep 1880, Latheron, Caithness, Scotland

died: 18 Feb 1948, Wellington, New Zealand

+ John Lamb

born: 25 Apr 1875, Ashburton, New Zealand

died: 17 May 1943, Martinborough, New Zealand

2-John George Taylor

born: 25 May 1882, Stemster, Forse, Latheron, Scotland

died: 1938, (Martinborough Cemetery, New Zealand)

+ Martha Hawthorne Rickman

born: 1884

died: 1963, (Martinborough Cemetery, New Zealand)

2-Christina Catherine Taylor

born: 9 Nov 1884, Latheronwheel, Caithness, Scotland

died: 7 Mar 1927, Martinborough, New Zealand. Invalid

2-Margaret Ann Taylor

born: 9 Jun 1886, Rangag, Estate of Forse, Caithness, Scotland

died: At sea (probably)

2-Wilhamena Taylor

born: 18 Mar 1889, New Zealand

died: 9 Apr 1941, Martinborough, New Zealand

+ Edward Campbell Jolly

born: 1886

died: 6 Aug 1925, Martinborough, New Zealand

Notes from David McLeod

In the Martinborough Museum (no date given - but it must be years ago) David McLeod, Harington Point Road, RD Dunedin notes the following:

Catherine McLeod and her husband James Taylor and family were the next arrivals in 1886. They lived in a cottage opposite the Presbyterian Church now occupied by Mr J Stewart.

James Taylor operated a carrying and agricultural contracting business from stables immediately behind the residence. Taylor eventually sold the business to James McCarthy and took over a farm at Dry River. James son John was successful in obtaining a section in the Tablelands settlement and he married Martha [sic Tulloch] Hawthorne Rickman and they raised their family there at Spring Grove.

James and Catherine relinquished their Dry River property and built a house in Daniel Street where they lived until their deaths. This house was later owned by H L Griffiths.

One daughter Janet married John Lamb and after farming at Longbush for some years retired to Daniel Street where they built their home next door to the Tylers. This house was later owned by Mr & Mrs Campbell.

Another daughter of James & Catherine Taylor’s Wilhamena married Edward Jolly who established a motor garage in what was the old town hall, later moving to a new modern building in Kitchener Street. The garage was taken over by L A Campbell following the death of Mr Jolly and the business is still operated by the family connections under the name of L A Campbell Ltd.

The 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition Roll

When Governor Glasgow signed the Electoral Bill on 19 September 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing nation in the world where women had won the right to vote. The Bill was the outcome of years of meetings in towns and cities across the country, with women often travelling considerable distances to hear lectures and speeches, pass resolutions and sign petitions. A number of petitions were presented to both Houses of Parliament from the early 1880s till 1893.

In 1891 eight petitions containing more than 9000 signatures were gathered, and in 1892 six petitions containing almost 20,000. These were the culmination of many years work by the Women‘s Christian Temperance Movement and prominent suffragist, Kate Sheppard, among others.

Despite the failures of these petitions, another was organised in 1893. It was described by Kate Sheppard as "a monster petition" demanding the right for women to vote. Petition sheets, circulated throughout New Zealand, were returned to Christchurch where Kate Sheppard pasted each sheet end on end and rolled it around a section of a broom handle.

In the end, 13 petitions were submitted to the House of Representatives in 1893. They contained the signatures of 31,872 women from across the country and across the social spectrum. Twelve of the petitions have not survived, but the "monster" that was pasted together did. This contains 25,519 signatures, including some men

http://archives.govt.nz/provenance-of-power/womens-suffrage-petition/about

I have found the signatures of Catherine Taylor and Jessie McLeod on the Martinborough petition. Their names are close together. I wonder if they went at the same time to sign. I am not sure if the Jessie McLeod was Catherine's sister-in-law or Catherine's niece

Digitised 1893 Women Suffrage Petition Roll - Sheet 281 - Region: Wellington, Martinborough

On the Feilding roll I have found Jane McLeod and Catherine McLeod giving their address as The Palms Makino which we know was the home address of Farquhar and Jane and the family. Sisters Catherine and Jane also look like they have gone together to sign.

Digitised 1892 Women Suffrage Petition Roll - Sheet 333 - Region: Bunnythorpe, Feilding, Taonui