20 Ancestors in 20 weeks–Number 8–A Blended Family–The SImpsons

 

 

 

When Scotsman Duncan McGregor Simpson’s wife Annie tragically died in childbirth in 1900 she not only left him widowed, but a single father with 6 children to care for, the youngest of whom was only 2 years old .  It was a necessity to remarry, and Duncan found a wife in Jane Elizabeth McRae ( known frequently as Jennie), daughter of Jane Thompson McRae . It is not known how the two met, but they  were married in 1902 at the home of Jane Elizabeth's mother.   For Jane, quite young at 22 when she married, it must have been quite a challenge to step in and take on a mothering role for children, some of whom were only a few years younger than herself.  Additionally , very soon she was expecting a child herself and within a year the blended family had begun taking shape.  Jane went on to have 11 children of her own to give Duncan a total of 17 children! The age gap between the eldest Jonnie (John Robert Simpson) and the youngest Clyde McGregor Simpson being 37 years. 

We know though that despite the closeness in age of Jane to her adopted children some did view her as a mother as evidenced by the postcard sent to her from England during WW1  by a wounded Charles Duncan Simpson, and a photo from another stepson, both addressed to “Dear Mother”. 
Family get togethers must have been quite an undertaking with such a large group as shown in the photo to the right. 

Family of Jane Thompson Middlebrook

 

As part of my family reunion in January I hope to create not only a book with stories but a book with pictures – of as many descendants as I can lay my hands on.

 

Here are the pages I created on Jane Thompson Middlebrook and her family. I mainly have photographs from only 2 of Janes Children – Jane Elizabeth, and Mary, with just one or two relating to  other children .

20 Ancestors in 20 Weeks–Number 7 - Elizabeth Middlebrook

 

     Elizabeth  was the third daughter of Ellen and John Middlebrook, born in December 1851 in Millbridge Yorkshire. She was at least the third generation of Elizabeth Middlebrooks, being named after an Aunt, and a Great Aunt . Elizabeth was 11 when she along with her parents and siblings left England and made the long journey to New Zealand aboard the Shalimar, arriving in December 1862.
Just 6 years later in 1868 she married George Douglas Hardy, and soon after they made their home in Duke Street ( later called Karaka Street), the same street her family had lived in since soon after her fathers death in 1866. Elizabeth was to give birth to at least 11 children, however tragically 5 of them died as infants or young children.  In addition to her  own 6 remaining children she also bought up her Grandson Frank Leslie ( Son of daughter Ellen Hardy) as her own child. By the late 1870s her husband George became a warder (and later chief attendant) at the Whau Lunatic Asylum. This may have prompted the family to move first to Bellwood Mt Eden and later to New Lynn and finally to Bollard Street Avondale where she lived for over 20 years .In later life George ( and probably Elizabeth) became members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church., her funeral was held at the Blockhouse Bay Seventh day Adventist Church after her death on March 8th 1943 at the grand age of 93.

20 Ancestors in 20 weeks–week 6 Nelson Valentine Middlebrook

 

Journalling once again by John McBain to whom I am hugely indebted for all the info on the Te Awamutu Middlebrook Family

Nelson Valentine  Middlebrook was the 9th. child of John and Mary Anne Middlebrook. He was born on February 14th 1894 (hence his middle name. Nelson’s schooling was in Te Awamutu , but in those days it was usual to start work at an early age. Nelson left school at age 13 and immediately went help in his father’s Butchery.   In 1911 he went to work for Titus Rickit (C.T. Rickit who was the father of Sid Rickit that married Ettie Middlebrook) . Nelson enlisted for service in the First World War and served in France. When he returned from the war in 1919 he married  May (Marion Elizabeth) Crawford and they bought a farm at nearby Korokanui .
He was the first in the area to install a milking machine (1922) it would most likely have been driven by a petrol engine.
  In 1933, the family butchery business was growing and it was in need of an extra helper.  Nelson took on a role as part time butcher (3 days a week) and the other 4 days on the farm.
Nelson and May had four children (two boys and two girls). In 1936 when his father John retired from the business, Nelson came into the Butchery full time to support John T.   The farm at Korakonui was sold and Nelson and May bought a house in Frazer Street. When John T. left the business in 1941, Nelson took over the Butchery and continued in the business for a further 20 Years. In 1961 he suffered a serious stroke which meant he could no longer carry on. Nelson died in 1963.

20 Ancestors in 20 Weeks–Number 5–George Douglas Hardy Sr

 

OBITUARY
MR  GEORGE HARDY SR
We tender our sympathy to Councillor G.D.Hardy of the Borough Council ( Devon-port) on the death of his father, Mr George Douglas Hardy, who died at his residence, Bollard Avenue, Avondale at the age  of 88 years.
Mr. Hardy was born at Troon, Scotland, and came to New Zealand in 1865 on the ship Armstrong. For two years after his arrival he served in ships trading between Australia and New Zealand, and he then settled permanently in Auckland and became an attendant at the Avondale Mental Hospital . There was no resident doctor in those days and after a few years Mr Hardy was appointed head attendant. A doctor called daily for about an hour or two, but apart from that Mr Hardy and no supervision of his administration.
After 20 years at the hospital, Mr Hardy entered business , from which he eventually retired about 25 years ago. Mr Hardy was married in Auckland in 1868, and when he and his wife first settled in the Avondale district there were very few houses in the neighbourhood, and the only means of getting to the city was by foot or on horseback along a rough track. Mr and Mrs Hardy celebrated their diamond wedding in 1928.
In earlier days, Mr Hardy was a prominent Mason and was a past grand master of the Newton Mark Lodge and of Lodge Eden. Among his greatest treasures were presentations in the form of medallions from both of these institutions.
Mrs Hardy survives her husband, and in addition to Cr. Hardy there is a family of three sons and three daughters as follows :- Mr Ben Hardy of Mt Eden, Mr Robert Hardy Wellington, Mr Frank Hardy of Newton, Mrs J B Cooper of Otorohanga, Mrs E Miller of Grey Lynn, Mrs W Ill of Remuera. There are also 18 grandchildren and 16 great  greandchildren.
NorthShore Gazette Devonport  October 1933.

Middlebrook Reunion Newsletter 11 August 2014

Early Reunion Registration Discount Ends Soon

Early registration discount ends August 30
The reunion will be held on January 24th and 25th 2015 at Fairway Lodge, Silverfield, Takapuna in Auckland.
We have negotiated what we feel is the best  price and format for our needs and we are able to offer
several options in our aim to have as many attend as possible. We hope to make  this event pleasurable and enjoyable as possible while making it as affordable as we can.
To that end we have formatted the two days as follows:
Saturday 24th January
11am - 4pm
The day will begin with check in where you will be issued with name tags denoting which branch of the family you belong to . This will make it easy for you to recognise those who descend from the same branch of the family as yourself.
From 12 noon we will have our photographer taking formal group photos of each branch of the family and of the whole group, along with roaming candid photos throughout the day.
These photographs will be available in an inexpensive  book form, after the reunion. Orders to be taken on the day or beforehand  via a form which will be included in a later newsletter.
Leading up to the reunion we will announce the price of  a photographic family history book which will be available for pre-purchase and pick up at the reunion.
Finger food and tea and coffee will be supplied throughout the day and a cash bar will also be available for those who wish to make use of it.
There will be photographic and informational displays and a large family tree available for viewing.
Saturday primarily though is a mix and mingle event where we can all get to know each other.
Feel free to bring along any photos or copies, along with family mementos you wish to share or display.
Saturday Evening
This is at your leisure. We have suggestions for local restaurants for those interested.
Sunday 25th January
12 noon - 3:00pm
Buffet Luncheon
Sit down lunch with presentations and speakers (descendants) and cutting of the Reunion Cake
REGISTRATION CAN BE MADE ONLINE BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK
Middlebrook Reunion Registration Form
If you prefer to print and fill in a paper form you can download it here

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SUBSCRIBERS

This newsletter now goes out to 61 separate email addresses. Its great that there is so much interest in the Middlebrook Family.
For those who have only recently joined us - you can find past newsletters online
CLICK  HERE to read them

FURTHER FAMILY CONNECTIONS-
James Bailey Cooper and John Thompson Middlebrook

Above is a copy of a page of the will of James Bailey Cooper who was married to Susan Jane Hardy, daughter of Elizabeth ( nee Middlebrook) and George Douglas Hardy.
In it, named as executor was James Thompson Middlebrook, son of John and Mary Ann Middlebrook of Te Awamutu.
John states in the will he had been a personal friend of James Bailey Cooper for  "about 45 years up until his death" - this would have made them friends before the turn of the century.
They could well also have been neighbours of a sort, with the Coopers having a farm a few miles out of Otorohanga and John Thompson running a farm in Korakanui - the two districts being very close in location, however it would appear that they had been friends well before this, as the Middlebrook family did not move to Te Awamutu until after the turn of the century.

John Middlebrook and Jane Thompson McRae (nee Middlebrook)

This photo of siblings Jane McRae and John Middlebrook was proportedly taken before both embarked on a cruise on the ship Mononwai to the Pacific Islands  in 1935.
Currently I have confirmed that John Middlebrook was in fact a passenger on this cruise in July of that year but I have not managed to confirm Jane accompanied him .
Its also unknown where this photo was taken . We have several other photographs which appear to be taken in the same garden.

John Middlebrook and Samuel Middlebrook

This photo , taken in 1933 at Korakanui  shows brothers Samuel and John Middlebrook. It could possibly have been taken at the funeral of Johns son Walter in that year.

WEDDINGS

Wedding photos can give us some of the best clues as to the family dynamics and relationships between siblings and cousins. Often we get to see people we would never have a photo of otherwise. They form a great basis for research as,there are frequently group shots taken that include all of the guests or family members present

This wedding photo shows Olive Rush ( granddaughter of Jane Thompson Middlebrook and daughter of Mary Rush, nee McRae) along with 3 of her  4 brothers and her sister Phyllis on the left

This wedding photo of Lily Hardy ( daughter of George and Elizabeth Hardy (nee Middlebrook) includes some of our only photos of some of the other Hardy children, including Susan Jane Cooper ( nee Hardy)  seated on the far left Ellen Hardy, ( second from left standing) and possibly Robert Farrer Hardy ( far left ) and Benjamin Hardy ( 3rd from left back row)

This photo of guests present at the wedding of John Thompson Middlebrook and Susannah Frost includes all of the children of John Middlebrook and more, and most have been identified.

This is the wedding of Cis (Margaret Matlida) Rea. Cis was the youngest sister of Mary Jane Rea- wife of Samuel Middlebrook. She was 16 years younger than Mary Jane and only a few years older than Margaret ( Dot) and Ellie, MaryJanes older daughters. It appears that Cis was bought up for some time by Mary Jane along with her  children . Its not surprising then that Dot and Ellie were bridesmaids for Cis when she married Alexander Stanaway

Cis also appears  on the far right in this photo of Samuel with his children ( Dot Ellie Bert Bess and Maisie) The occasion of this gathering was the daughter of Valerie Middlebrook, Berts eldest daughter .
If you have any wedding photos to add to our collection, please send them to Lauren for inclusion in the reunion book

WHERE DOES THE THOMPSON NAME COME FROM?
There are at least three members of the family who carry the name Thompson as their middle name.
Jane Thompson Middlebrook, James Thompson Middlebrook and John Thompson Middlebrook.
The Thompson name comes from Ellen's branch of the family.
Ellen's mother  was Ellen Thompson of Fairburn Yorkshire.The Thompson family have a long history in the small village of Fairburn Yorkshire.
Ellens father was Publican James Thompson.

James Thompson was born in 1758 in Fairburn Yorkshire.
The family been residents  in Fairburn for hundreds of years.Son of William Thompson of Fairburn .
He was baptiised on July 23rd of that year at Ledsham  Parish Church.
  Nothing is known of James’ life until his marriage at Ledsham to Elizabeth Whittaker. In 12 March 1798, James, along with Edward Williamson and Thomas  Jackson purchased a property described as two dwelling houses, a blacksmith and outbuildings.
At what point James decided to create a public house on the premises is unknown but the Baines's Directory and Gazetteer Directory of 1822 lists James Thompson as Victualer of the 3 Horse Shoes  .
James and Elizabeth had 6 children, a son, and 5 daughters.  Son, James, born in 1784  became a chemist and moved to Stonegate York.
Ellen Thompson, born 1787 married Benjamin Farrer, a successful watch and clock maker from nearby Pontefract.
The other daughters were Elizabeth born 1793, Sarah born 1795, Ann, born 1800 and Hannah born 1802 . Hannah married Thomas Elliot a farmer from Wakefield Yorkshire in 1831
James  remained in Fairburn as publican at the Three Horseshoes until his death in September 1841 aged 80 where he resided with his 3 unmarried daughters, Elizabeth Sarah and Ann.  His will was very specific. He left the pub and its surrounding property to his unmarried daughters, as long as they remained unmarried.  Elizabeth and Sarah went on to become the publicans at the Three Horse Shoes until their deaths in 1866 and 1867 respectively.  Ann remained living in the pub until after 1851 (aged 51) but her whereabouts after this date are unknown .

The Last Will and Testament of me
James Thompson of Fairburn in the County of York, Gentleman, made this Eighteenth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty one. First I direct that all my just debts and funeral and testamentary expenses and the charges of proving and registering this, my will be fully paid out of  my property by my Executor, which I here appoint my Son Mr James Thompson of York, Druggist into whose hands I entrust the whole of  my property for the use of Elizabeth my wife and Daughters as follows. I Will that my said wife Elizabeth Thompson shall have the whole of whatever property I may have for her and by Daughters who remain unmarried/Sole use and benefit during the term of my said wife’s natural life and at my said wife’s death I will that those my daughters, who may remain unmarried shall have a house genteely furnished out of the house which I now reside then I will that the property now consisting of Three dwelling houses, with the premises thereto belonging situate about the centre of the Village of Fairburn, near the crofts be given to my daughters for there support while they remain unmarried  . Should any of them marry or die, the said property to be held by the single daughter or daughters so continuing unmarried and then I will that the completion of this part of my will that the remainder of the furniture with the house in which I now reside together with the land belonging thereto be valued and disposed of according to the judgment of those my son and daughters concerned to do as they may think proper and if the parties concerned agree to sell the property I will that it be so sold and the money equally divided amount them, share and share alike and then I will that at the marriage or death of my daughters, now single, the said property which haws held by them shall with all the residue of my property be disposed of to the best advantage for the use and benefit of those my Son and Daughters concerned and should my Son or any of them my daughters die before the execution of this my will leaving lawful issue such children to have the parents share equally divided amongst them share and share alike And I hereby revoke all my former wills In witness whereof I the said James Thompson have to this my last will and Testament set my and and seal the day and year bore written
Signed sealed published and declared by the said James Thompson the testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us, who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.

LOOKING FOR....

We are seeking contact with descendants of Mary (Maisie)  Lucinda Wishart Middlebrook
She married Joseph Johnson and then Charles (Mac) Edwards.
She had three daughters Glenda, Ngaire and Ruth, and one son, Raymond  who died as an infant
Glenda died in 1940, Ngaire married Warwick Harvey and had 2 children that we know of -  Warwick and Jennifer Harvey.- both would be in their late 60s or early 70s
Ruth married Wilfred Henry Pool. We have no information on their children if any.
We would love to get in contact with Maisies descendants to include them in the reunion.
If anyone has any ideas on where to look for them please let us know.

Middlebrook Family History Website is now Live

The first stage of the Middlebrook Family History Website is now up and viewable.

The Stories page is regularly updated so feel free to check for new images and stories .
Lauren will be adding to the next generation  pages as time permits

We are still looking for further photographs to include in the Pictorial book which will be available at the reunion - please email Lauren if you have anything at all which may be of interest. This includes not just photographs from the 19th century but also 20th century photographs pertaining to the Middlebrook family.
If you do not have any way of scanning the photographs we may be able to organise someone to visit .

WHO AM I?

It is possible this is Ellen Middlebrook. We have one image of her as a young woman ( below) and a few as a much older woman There are great similarities especially around the nose , and the hairline but the eye line is less similar.
If anyone else  has a copy of this photo we would appreciate a scan of it, especially if it has any identifying writing on the back or if it is a larger version

Your Stories Urgently Required

We are still urgently requiring stories for the newsletter and also for the reunion book. Without your help there are most certainly going to be gaps in the research. This could be as simple as jotting down your memories of your parents, grandparents, or any stories you have been told relating to all branches  the family. 

Remember to fill in a Family Group Sheet Form here if you havent already

Copyright © 2014 Middlebrook Reunion Project, All rights reserved

20 Ancestors in 20 Weeks–number - John Thompson Middlebrook

 

 

Thanks to John McBain for the journalling in this layout . He is a wonderful story teller

John Thompson Middlebrook was born in Auckland in 1883 , and he seems to have grown up mainly in Ponsonby. His father having a butchery business in St Marys Bay Road.  There were stories of him delivering meat before school in the mornings. Leaving school he entered into an apprenticeship with A.& T. Burt in Auckland to train as a plumber. One story that comes from that time was that he was working on the “Clansman” that was a coastal steamer. It operated a regular service between Auckland and Whangaroa , he had some pipework to attend to on the ship. But come sailing time and the job wasn’t yet completed! So John had an unscheduled voyage to Whangaroa and return.  He had leave owing at Christmas/ New year (probably 1904/5) and so spent it in Te Awamutu , with  the family after they moved there.  Fate took a hand here in two ways (1) there was sickness in the staff at the butchery. , so John T. was called upon to do duty in the shop and (2) he had met a girl (Susie Frost) that he rather fancied , who lived at Te Rahu, close to town. The two things must have combined to persuade him to contact A. & T. Burt and terminate
his apprenticeship. So he was now an apprentice butcher, though it probably wasn’t exactly new to him anyway. He continued to court Susie Frost and in 1906 they were married .They lived on the outskirts of town on Te Rahu Road. Their daughter Thelma was born in Oct.1907 and was an only child. In 1918 John T. was “called up” to go to War and entered Training Camp, but happily the war ended , so he was released from duty and he returned to the butchery to work with his Dad . When brothers Nelson and Victor returned from the war , the Government had some scheme to settle Returned Soldiers on the land. Nelson and wife May acquired a farm at Korokonui and ran dairy cows on it. Meanwhile John T. continued to work with his Dad in the butchery. Sometime around 1920, John T. bought land at Korokonui , on Happy Valley Road (the same road as Nelson was on).  It was in a rather rough state with a lot of clearing still to be done. But there must have been quite a good house and there were outbuildings.

But of course John senior still needed John T. in the shop, the more so now as he was aging. Its hard to contemplate now, butKorokonui was quite distant from Te Awamutu in those days .  Monday mornings early, John T. rode a horse down to the Main South Road, and left the horse grazing for the week in a paddock. There he would catch a bus which took him into Te Awamutu. He would work the week in the shop, lodging with his parents and then on Saturday afternoons after the shop closed he would return to the farm. Meantime on the farm Charlie (a Maori farmworker )and Susie would milk the few cows (by hand) (and Thelma helped a bit too!). Charlie did some clearing and the usual farm chores. At a later period , probably around 1926/7, James Mc Bain (who went on to marry Thelma) was engaged to work on the farm  . He took over from Charlie, who I presume was aging. But things were changing, Electricity  was now coming to town and refrigeration was revolutionising the butchery business,. Things had to change. Already things had changed .John T. now had a car , probably early in the 1930’s. Which would have made things easier. So although John T. was still on the farm ,most of his interest had now switched back to the butchery. Somewhere around 1935-36 the farm must have been sold . Thelma  and John McBain  married in 1928 and they had been running the farm in the main somce tjem .  John T. and Susie had a new house built in Teasdale St. It was wartime by 1939 and John Sr. had passed away.  John T. was having some health issues  himself . The doctor was treating him, but said that really his occupation wasn’t helping, as he was in and out of chillers constantly. He said that his health would continue to suffer unless he changed his occupation and even better moved to somewhere warmer. So in 1941 they left Te Awamutu and moved onto a small farm  of 15 acres at Manurewa. But 15 acres is a problem, a hobby farm really, too small to be profitable and yet you are tied to milking cows to the same degree that a larger farm requires. So after a year they sold it and bought 100 acres at Whitford. Again milking cows, but profitably this time.  They needed assistance though and with it being wartime, labour was hard to find. There was a 16 year old lad that worked for them but  after a year they decided to enllist the support of Thelma and James McBain. With 2 houses on the property it was the obvious answer.  By1947, the war had ended and  John T. and Susie had a house built in Howick to which they retired. Unfortunately soon after that Susie was diagnosed as having cancer, but she died quite suddenly one night  John sold the new house it had no happy memories for him, and he had a room at his sister-in-laws apartments in Auckland city. He had his meals with them , so it really was quite good. He could no longer drive (he’d had a stroke some years earlier) I had a license so had taken over the driving of his car. But Health problems returned and he came back to the farm where he was diagnosed as having cancer. He died at the farm in 1950