Memoirs

Memoirs begun by Searell in Aug 1938, received from the bookbinder on 15 Nov 1939 when she added lists of children, grandchildren etc, and a poem by Thomas Searell and an obituary for him pasted in. An article about the 60-year marriage of Mr and Mrs Edwin Fenwick is pasted in the back. The memoir has been corrected and added to in Searell's hand.

The memoirs are a chronological account of the Searell family, written at the request of the writer's nephews and nieces. She describes their voyage out on the `Canterbury' in 1865, settling in Christchurch, their schooling, moving to Cust in 1873 then to Papanui in 1883. Harriet Searell became a governess, she was also an organist at St Paul's Church, Papanui. Later she became an office clerk, built a small weekend dwelling at South Brighton, lists her winning speeches in competitions from 1912 to 1917. She finishes with `Incidents and accidents' beginning in 1823.

She writes of all her family members, their education - the boys at Christ's College - their occupations, where they lived in New Zealand and their musical activities. Her father was variously engaged in milling and later in the other pursuits.

Quantity: 1 folder(s).