Hirst, Grace, 1805-1901

Date: 195-?-1978?

By: Mummery, Betty Grace, 1919-1997

Reference: MS-Papers-1992

Description: A voyage to New Zealand compiled by B Mummery, a descendant of Grace Hirst from typescript copies of letters written on board the `Gwalior' (1851-1852), with details of shipboard life and biographical information; also family tree of descendants of Dr Richard Matthews and wife Alice who arrived in NZ on the `Tuscan' in 1842 Source of title - Supplied Relationship complexity - Original voyage letters located at MS-Papers-0282-04 Quantity: 1 folder(s) (3 pieces). 0.01 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss, typescript and photographs (some photocopies)

Date: 1850-1871

From: Australian Joint Copying Project : Miscellaneous Series microfilm

Reference: Micro-MS-Coll-20-2774

Description: Includes letters by members of the Hirst family describing the voyage of the Gwalior to Auckland in 1852 Quantity: 1 microfilm reel(s).

Date: 1820-1896

By: Hirst family

Reference: MS-Papers-0282

Description: Letters exchanged between members of the Bracken family in England and the Hirst family in New Zealand, including Grace's correspondence to her husband Thomas Hirst, and to her mother and sisters. In letters home to her family Grace discusses business affairs, frequently requesting goods to be sent out for sale in their shop; the breaking in of land at Bell Block, and construction of their home `Brackenhirst'. She records the details of domestic and farm life, and the progress of the war in the 1860s. The family retreated from Bell Block to the safety of New Plymouth from where Grace continued her letters. By May 1860 Grace was writing from Wellington, waiting for a passage to England. On the return voyage to New Zealand the following year, Grace and Thomas' ship the `William Brown' was destroyed by fire in the Bay of Biscay. Grace described the fire and their subsequent rescue. Thomas and Grace returned to England. Thomas made the return voyage to New Zealand on the `Ravenscraig' but Grace remained for a year before setting out for New Zealand on the `Silver Eagle', recording the voyage in a letter-journal up to her arrival in Auckland in January 1863. Grace continued her correspondence to English relations to 1896, her letters being supplemented by those of her daughters Annis, Harriet and Mary, all of whom married and settled in New Plymouth The collection also includes newspaper cuttings, 1886-1896, 1950s; and a family tree of the Appleyard family which provides information about the Hirst family Grace and Thomas Hirst immigrated from West Riding Yorkshire, arriving at Auckland in 1852 with five of their eight children. Their eldest son, James, had come out in 1851 to prepare a place for them at New Plymouth. Two of their children stayed with Grace's sisters in England. They settled at New Plymouth, trading as general merchants and at the same time broke in a farm at Bell Block, where the family home `Brackenhirst' was built. During the Taranaki war they retreated to new Plymouth. Thomas died in 1883 and Grace lived on in New Plymouth until her death. Quantity: 40 folder(s). 0.40 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss and printed matter Finding Aids: Inventory available.

Date: 1897-1901, 1905-1926, nd

By: Hirst family

Reference: MS-Papers-5507

Description: Both correspondents describe in detail the day-to-day events of their lives. However, Hirst's letters are to people to whom she is describing new experiences and a new country while Hamerton's are providing family and local news to a daughter. Includes description of Burnlea, a property in Inglewood in which Annis Bracken Hamerton (1905-1926) resided. Sometimes written as Burn Lea, e.g. by Grace Hirst. Source of title - Supplied Relationship complexity - Hirst family papers at MS-Papers-0282 and typescripts of these at MS-0994-1006 The collection comprises letters from (1) Grace Hirst, daughter of Grace and Thomas Hirst, who came to New Plymouth in 1897 to live with her mother but returned to England in 1902 after her death. Hirst travelled around NZ during her time here and wrote letters to `My dear people' from Westport, Christchurch, Wanganui and various parts of Taranaki; and (2) letters from Annis Bracken Hamerton, sister of Grace Hirst (the elder), who wrote letters to her daughter, Frances, who went to England in 1905 to be a companion to her aunt, Grace Hirst. Quantity: 19 folder(s). 0.39 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Holographs Provenance: Jo Connor is a descendant of Grace Hirst and family and had `several boxes' of Hirst famiily diaries, letters and other papers; these letters are part of that collection

Date: 1820-1896

By: Hirst family

Reference: MS-0994-1006

Description: Letters exchanged between members of the Bracken family in England and the Hirst family, mainly Grace Hirst. Discuss business affairs, day-to-day life in Taranaki, Maori wars in the 1860s, voyages to New Zealand, etc Source of title - Supplied In Dec 1851 Grace, Thomas and five of their children left England in the `Gwalior', arriving in Auckland in Jun 1852. They settled in New Plymouth and traded as general merchants. In Feb 1860, with the outbreak of war in Taranaki, the family retreated from Bell Block to the safety of New Plymouth. In 1861 Thomas & Grace returned to England where Grace remained for a year before returning to NZ on the `Silver Eagle' in 1863. Thomas returned on the Ravenscraig in 1861 Grace frequently assisted neighbouring families as a midwife and nurse, attended at the birth of many of her own grandchildren, and helped lay out the dead. She was also active in fundraising for the Anglican Church Quantity: 13 volume(s). 0.03 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Typescripts (27 cm; red buckram)

Date: 1838-1920

From: Australian Joint Copying Project : Miscellaneous Series microfilm

Reference: Micro-MS-Coll-20-2772

Description: Quantity: 1 microfilm reel(s).

Date: 1852-1896

From: Australian Joint Copying Project : Miscellaneous Series microfilm

Reference: Micro-MS-Coll-20-2773

Description: Letters, exchanged between members of the Bracken family in Yorkshire, but mainly from Grace, describe daily life in Taranaki, the outbreak of war in 1860 and its progress, domestic and farm life. Included are detailed accounts of the voyages to New Zealand on the Gwalior, Ravenscraig and Silver Eagle. Thomas and Grace Hirst emigrated to New Zealand from West Riding, Yorkshire on board the Gwalior in 1851 with five of their eight children. They settled in Taranaki, first in New Plymouth where Thomas and Grace traded as general merchants. In 1854 they moved to a small farm at Bell Block, moving back to New Plymouth when marital law was declared in Feb 1860. Thomas & Grace made a visit to England later that year. On the return voyage their ship the William Brown caught fire and was destroyed. Thomas set sail again on the Ravenscraig and Grace returned in 1863 on the Silver Eagle. On the death of Grace's brother in 1870 the family inherited a substantial amount of money which was invested in land etc.. Grace frequently assisted neighbouring families as a midwife and nurse, attended at the birth of many of her own grandchildren, and helped lay out the dead. She was also active in fundraising for the Anglican Church Quantity: 1 microfilm reel(s). Physical Description: Microfilm of typed transcripts

Date: [1970s]

From: Beach family : Genealogical and personal papers of the Beach and Woodward families

Reference: fMS-Papers-8271-2

Description: Family tree showing descendants of Thomas and Grace Hirst who married in 1829. Quantity: 1 folder(s).

Date: ca 1850

By: Beach, Charles Harold, 1904-1988

Reference: PAColl-4088

Description: Thomas and Grace Hirst, circa 1850. Photograph taken in England prior to their emigration to New Zealand. Photographer unidentified. Quantity: 1 b&w copy negative(s). Physical Description: Film negative