Pioneer life - New Zealand - Manawatū-Whanganui Region

Date: 1904, 1999

By: McDonald, Alexander, 1829-1905

Reference: MS-Papers-6628

Description: Transcription of MacDonald's reminiscences of life and times in New Zealand from his arrival at Wellington in 1840 on the `Blenheim' until 1904 when he recorded `My story'. He focuses particularly on relations with Maori, Maori-European land dealings, the politics and politicians of the times and related matters. Source of title - Transcribed Relationship complexity - Another typescript copy at MS-1167 Quantity: 1 folder(s) (one volume, spiral bound). 0.02 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescript

Date: 1840-1904, 1951

By: McDonald, Alexander, 1829-1905

Reference: MS-1167

Description: A summary of the history of NZ rather than a personal record Source of title - Supplied Quantity: 1 volume(s) (137 pages). 0.02 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescript (25 cm; blue buckram)

Date: [ca 1950?]

By: Lyon, John Holt, 1872-1956

Reference: MS-Papers-2135

Description: Historical articles chiefly concerning central North Island, based on personal pioneer experiences at Utiku [ca 1890-1908]. Also articles on miscellaneous topics of New Zealand interest Farmer at Utiku, Matiere and Inglewood Quantity: 4 folder(s). 0.04 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescripts Processing information: Not yet described to folder level.

Date: 1873-1894

By: Thomson family

Reference: MS-Papers-5174

Description: Contains photocopies of original and handwritten transcripts of letters to Jane (Mrs Scott) from her father John Thomson, dated Catslackburn 1873 and 1878, giving news of his decision to give up the farms and emigrate, family news and comments on an illness he was experiencing; letters to Jane from her brother Basil Thomson, dated London 1879, on the sea 1879, Marlborough 1880 and Awahuri 1894 describing his time in London waiting to leave, comments on the voyage, giving his first impressions of Aotearoa, news of various people and farming news; letters to Deloraine from his brother Bazil Thomson, dated 1879 from London and on board the Bebington; a letter to Jane from her brother John Thomson, dated Marlborough 1880, giving farming news, commenting on price of smoking, drinking habits and family matters and a letter to Jane from her brother James Thomson, dated Awahuri 1885, also mainly commenting on farming activities. Also contains words to a song about life on the Bebington titled `Right little tight little island'. Source of title - supplied title Accompanying material - Biographical information supplied by donor in backfile James, Bazil and John (also known as Jack) Thomson were brothers who emigrated in 1879. Their father, John Thomson, and sister, Jane Scott, remained in Scotland. Quantity: 1 folder(s) (13 pieces). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss and holograph transcripts (photocopies) Provenance: The donor is the great-grandson of Bazil Thomson. These letters were kept by Jane Scott's descendants and passed on to James Thomson's daughters when they visited Scotland in the 1950s. They in turn passed them on to the donor. Donor/Lender/Vendor - Donated by Mr P Thomson, Palmerston North, 1995

Date: 1882-1887

From: Anderson family : Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-10737-1

Description: These are a series of letters from New Zealand by William Forster Mills and Helen Mills (nee Anderson) covering the period 1882-1887 and dealing mainly with the setting up and farming of a block of land in Rangitikei near Marton named Sudbury station by Helen and William Mills Accompanying material - Notes, `The Mills letters - 1991', by donor, accompany the folder Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: 1874,1948

From: McArthur & Company Ltd: Smoke and water damaged manuscripts and printed items

Reference: 84-251-2/05

Description: Copy of account of William Gilbert Puckey senior, apparently copied from the original held by the London Missionary Society, accompanied by a letter from G L Lockley to Gilbert H Mair thanking him for the outline of Puckey's life, 1948; and an account of a walk from Wellington to Wanganui in 1854 by a young man named Yorick. Written in 1874 by an unknown author, the original apparently held by the Wanganui Regional Museum. Relationship complexity - Final version of draft text at qMS-1159 Quantity: 1 folder(s). Provenance: Possibly George Conrad Petersen collection.

Date: 1903-1921

By: Furniss, John, 1852-1922

Reference: MS-Papers-1552

Description: Comprises letters written by John Furniss and his wife Mary, of Rangiwahia, via Feilding, and Huntly, to George and Elizabeth Pearson of Totley, Sheffield, England, in which he describes breaking in the land, small farming, other rural activities, living conditions and finances at Rangiwahia and after 1907, near Huntly. He also describes the difficulties of travel to Auckland for balloting of land, 1906. Also includes a biographical note compiled by Jack Furniss, and reminiscences of Grace Boshier (nee Furniss). Accompanying material - See backfile for family history research papers relating to Furniss Family, including family tree - 'John Furniss Family' and 'John Furniss Early Sheffield Socialist'. Quantity: 1 folder(s) (12 pieces). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss and typescript

Date: 1849-1851

Reference: MS-Papers-2801

Description: From Governor in Chief to the Lieutenant Governor of New Munster, 27/9/49, from the Lieutenant governor of New Ulster to the Governor in Chief 1/5/51, from Earl Grey to the Governor in Chief 27/9/50, 19/2/51; re claims of settlers fror compensation for buildings destroyed by troops for the defence of Wanganui Quantity: 1 folder(s). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss

Date: 1848-1904

By: Parkes, Samuel, 1790-1863

Reference: qMS-1627

Description: Letters from Samuel Parkes written from Wellington and Wanganui comment on the voyage to New Zealand and life in Wellington and Wanganui. Also letters from Susan Weller, Woolwich to her grandchildren, 1865-1869 Quantity: 1 volume(s) (9 items). Physical Description: Typescript (27 cm; blue pamphlet case)

Date: [ca 1910]

By: Hyndes, James, active 1910

Reference: MS-Papers-9913

Description: Comprises saga recounting the disappearance of Chan Yin in bush near Ohakune, the local people's search and finding of him, and thoughts on Chinese, King George and local matters Title taken from item. Quantity: 1 folder(s). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescript (photocopy) Provenance: Donor/Lender/Vendor - Donated by Ms Christine Chan, Newlands, Dec 1974

Date: 1882-1887

From: Anderson family : Papers

Reference: MS-Papers-4412-1

Description: The letters are written during the period October 1882 to January 1887 by both William Forster and Helen Mills to their parents and family in England. The letters deal mainly with their life at Sudbury, although the earlier ones deal with William Forster's time in Wanganui looking for land. William Forster Mills emigrated to New Zealand in 1880. He married Helen Anderson, whom he met here. They set and farmed a block of land near Marton in Rangitikei, named Sudbury. Quantity: 1 folder(s). Physical Description: Holographs

Date: 1992

By: Anderson, Joan Marion, active 1947-1992

Reference: MS-Papers-4524

Description: Contains notes and articles relating to `Overton', the property and house which features greatly in the Mills letters. Also includes a sketch of `Overton' house. Source of title - supplied title Quantity: 1 folder(s) (3 pieces). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescript, sketch and printed matter (some photocopies)

Date: 1947

By: Hood, Mary Ann, 1861?-

Reference: MS-Papers-10937

Description: Outline of the talk given by Mr H L Chapple to a meeting of the Wanganui Rotary Club on the Wakefield family's connections with Wanganui, prepared by Mary A Hood, 1947 Quantity: 1 folder(s) (3 leaves). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescript Provenance: Donor/Lender/Vendor - Unknown, 1983

Date: 1841 - 1967

By: Avon Fine Prints

Reference: B-076-008

Description: View of first settlers' houses, the river and the opposite bank. Shows men in the foreground adding thatch to the roof of a house. Quantity: 1 colour photo-mechanical print(s). Physical Description: Coloured photolithograph 233 x 380 mm on sheet 413 x 495 mm

Date: 1988-2000

By: Boyden, Ian Hamilton William, 1915-2001

Reference: MS-Group-0995

Description: Three histories of the Boyden family compiled by Boyden, and Boyden's reminiscences, `Rua Roa; one man's memories' in which he describes the pioneering settlement of Ruaroa and its development from the time his father, William Boyden, settled there in 1908 up till 2000 when the memoirs were completed. Source of title - Supplied Quantity: 2 folder(s). 0.03 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescripts

Date: 1862-1866

Reference: MS-Papers-1039

Description: Letters from the McWilliam family, Matarawa (Wanganui), describing aspects of early farming in New Zealand; also the effects of the Maori Wars in the area; family tree showing descent from Aiken family, and explanatory letter included. Quantity: 1 folder(s) (9 pieces). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss and typed transcripts Provenance: Donor/Lender/Vendor - Donated by Mr A Aiken, 48 Merrycrest Avenue, Giffnock, Glasgow, 1972

Date: 1860 - 1875 - 1865 - 1881

By: Crawford, James Coutts, 1817-1889; Willis, Janet, 1845-1932

Reference: E-926

Description: Contains copies of James Coutts Crawford's sketches from other sketchbooks, of the Ruapehu, Whanganui River, Rangitikei, Taupo, Ngaruawahia areas. Also contains copies of a few sketches by Samuel Deighton, a Wanganui magistrate. The Library holds other versions of several of these images, in other sketchbooks. These copies may have been made by Crawford himself, as a compilation for his daughter. It is also possible that they have been drawn by Henry Duncan Crawford, son of the original artist. Accompanied by a newsclippings from the Wairarapa times-age, 9 August 1972: "Coutts Crawford made early journeys into the Wairarapa". The original sketches of these images were made in the early 1860s. Pages [2-3] is titled "Frontispeice" [sic], which may refer to the fact that the image was used as a frontispiece to Crawford's "Recollections of travel in New Zealand and Australia ...", London, Trubner, 1880. Janet Crawford, the previous (and possibly original) owner whose married name appears inside the front cover, married Armine Willis in about 1880. This album may therefore date at around 1880, or the 1870s. Some pages have numbers inscribed in blue pencil on the centre of the image. It is not know to what these numbers refer. Quantity: 1 sketchbook(s). Physical Description: Hardbound volume, 71 pages, 145 x 235 mm of dull green embossed paper over board, with dark green leather spine, and looped cord for holding closed Provenance: Previously sold as Lot no. 901 in an unnamed auction. Inscription inside front cover indicates that it was at one time owned by Mrs Armine Willis, 24 West End Terrace, Winchester. Mrs Willis was James Coutts Crawford's daughter Janet.

Date: 1882-1940

By: Anderson family; Anderson, Howard Pellew, 1920-; Anderson, Joan Marion, active 1947-1992

Reference: MS-Papers-10737

Description: The papers consist of a history of the Kawhia district written by William Edward Anderson, an account of a visit to New Zealand in 1884-1885 written by Georgina G Anderson and a series of letters written by William Forster Mills and Helen Mills (nee Anderson). These letters cover the period 1882-1887 and deal mainly with the setting up and farming of a block of land in Rangitikei near Marton named Sudbury station by Helen and William Mills. Source of title - Supplied Accompanying material - Notes on contents of each folder with folders Helen Mills and Georgina Anderson were sisters and William Edward Anderson was their nephew (oldest son of their brother William Donald Anderson). Quantity: 3 folder(s). 0.05 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescripts (photocopies)

Date: 1871-1881

By: Dalrymple family

Reference: MS-Papers-1467

Description: Letters written to William Dalrymple, Port Chalmers, by his son, J T Dalrymple, by his daughter Annie, and her husband, Peter Stewart, all three living in the Manawatu region, 1871-1881; reference to farming, progress of settlement and railway construction in the Manawatu. Also account between Miss L W Dalrymple and C R Chapman, solicitor, Dunedin, re leases; Mrs Tobin's notes re family Source of title - Supplied Relationship complexity - See also MS-Papers-7089 Quantity: 1 folder(s) (14 pieces). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss and typescripts (photocopies)

Date: 1871-1880, [2000]

By: Dalrymple, William, -1882

Reference: MS-Papers-7089

Description: Letters mostly from Annie Dalrymple (later Stewart) to her father, William Dalrymple, written from Wellington, Te Matia [?], Burnside, Palmerston North and Awahuri. She describes her intention to marry Peter Stewart, their various living situations, their move to Palmerston North, her domestic situation, her children and other personal concerns. Four letters were written by Peter Stewart. Source of title - Supplied Relationship complexity - An earlier collection of Dalrymple family letters is at MS-Papers-1467 Quantity: 1 folder(s) (14 leaves). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescript