James (Jim) Corrigall and Rose May Drake - my generation’s great grand uncle and aunt

James (Jim) Corrigall was born sometime during 1884 in Omakau (Registration number 1884/8735). He was the oldest son of Jean and James Corrigall and was born a few months after his family arrived in New Zealand. His mother, Jean had been pregnant with him during the voyage to New Zealand at the latter half of 1883. He attended Blacks school, beginning there in 1889. Curiously before the was the year before his older sister, Bess, who began school in 1890.

Jim right, with his older sister Bess (standing) and younger sister Janet (on lap) circa December, 1886 or early 1887

In March 1896 when he was 12 years old, Jim along with Josiah Jones, and some other friends, was witness to poachers apparently stealing 82 trout from Spottis Creek. Jim had to appear in the Magistrate's Court at Blacks. Three men were accused of ‘guddling’ or catching the trout by hand. Jim was one of five boys sitting on the creek bank in their Sunday clothes near the accused men. Jim said he and the four other boys had only been at the site four or five minutes when Constable Leece arrived around 3pm on Sunday the 15th of March. The three defendants had just come out of the creek where Jim had seen them swimming and catching an eel. His friends corroborated Jim’s version of events. It seems that in the end there was not enough evidence to convict the three men, despite a bag of trout found nearby. Isn’t it amazing that 82 trout could be caught in the creek at that time?!

Jim married Rose May Drake on the 10th of January, 1912 at the Presbyterian Church in Ophir (Registration number 1912/1873). Rose was the sister of Charlie Drake who went onto marry Polly Corrigall, Jim’s sister. Rose had been born on the 29th of September, 1889. Jim and Rose had the following children:

1. Margaret (known as Peg) Myrtle Rose who was born on the 3rd of October 1914 at Nurse Clayton’s Private Maternity Home, 188 Queen Street, Dunedin (Registration number 1914/28282).

2. Ivan James who was born on the 31st of March 1917 at Nurse Clayton’s Private Maternity Home, 188 Queen Street, Dunedin (Registration number 1917/18406).

3. James Edward (known as Jim, and to avoid confusion I will refer to him as Jim junior) who was born on the 9th September 1923 at Nurse Clayton’s Private Maternity Home, 188 Queen Street, Dunedin.

In August 1918 Jim was working as a farm labourer when he was recruited to serve in the military as part of the World War One. Apart from the mention of Jim being called to service, I have not found any more about Jim in regards to WW1. There are no war records, so I can only conclude that Jim did not end up serving. Possibly the fact that he was a father to two small children gave him reason to stay at home? It is also possible that it was him or maybe it was his brother Jock who was with the Returned Soldiers’ Association from at least 1935. He was probably the J. Corrigall involved in the Omakau Miniature Rifle Club along with his oldest son Ivan, and he was mentioned several times in 1935 and 1936 in regard to this group.

The family lived at Moutere, and presumably Jim worked as a farm labourer on Moutere Station. They were definitely at Moutere when some friends and neighbours arrived for a surprise party for them in June 1923. According to the newspaper report ‘a pleasant surprise was sprung upon Mr and Mrs J. Corrigall of Moutere on Wednesday evening last, when a number of neighbours and friends visited their home for the purpose of spending the evening. A very enjoyable evening was spent, mainly in song, dance and story.’

The male members of the family competed successfully with their dogs at the Central Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Shows held at Omakau. Jim won first prize with his rough bearded collie in 1928 and again in 1930. Ivan won first prize for his rough beardy in 1931 and I wonder if these prizes were won by the one and same dog? Ivan won second for his smooth coated collie and Jim junior won second for his rough beardy in 1932.

Like many of the Corrigall men, Jim and his boys were keen cricket players. As discussed elsewhere, often only the surname is used when referring to team members so it is difficult to discern which Corrigall is meant. However in 1938, it was definitely Ivan playing cricket for the Omakau team along with J. Corrigall, probably his brother Jim junior, and Ivan was the cricket club captain in 1940.

Jim was also involved with the Vincent Jockey club and was a committee member in 1925, 1928 and 1929. He was probably involved during other years as well, but I have not found any hard evidence of that to date. A Mr J. Corrigall junior that may have been Jim, or possibly his son, was a prize winner at the fortnightly Chatto creek euchre and dance in 1943.

Rose competed successfully at the 1913, 1921, 1922, 1929, 1931 and 1939 Central Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Shows held at Omakau with her baking, and probably many years in between and either side. Again, however, there are numerous prizes awarded to Mrs J. Corrigall or just Mrs Corrigall, so it is often impossible to distinguish between Jean a.k.a. Grandma Corrigall, Rose (Jim’s wife) or Sophie (Jock’s wife). Likewise this was true for many events, committees and clubs. It was definitely Rose, however, who was the Mrs J. Corrigall junior that was involved in the ‘Ladies Committee’ to organise and no doubt cater for the Welcome Home to WW1 soldiers in 1919. It was also Rose that wore green satin and gold lace to the Omakau Golf Ball in 1931 and black crepe de chine to the same event in September 1933. The Dunstan Times clearly states it was Mrs James Corrigall junior, Miss Webster and Mr Stan Drake (Charlie’s brother) that ‘motored through from Central Otago to Dunedin for four days’ in June 1933.

It was also Rose who wore black lace to the Football Ball in 1937 and attended the Military Ball also in 1937. Possibly it was Rose who was the Mrs R. Corrigall in tennis final at the Dunedin Easter Tournament in 1939. And it was certainly Rose that won the ‘ladies prize’ at Chatto Creek euchre in 1943.

Jim and his family were generous, donating 5 shillings to the Dunstan Hospital in Clyde in 1917 and 1922, 1942 and probably the years in between as well. His son Jim junior also donated to the Dunstan Hospital in 1942.

Gwen Rowley nee Huddleston, Jim’s niece wrote about Jim in Grant Barrett’s unpublished book (2008) ‘Joseph Barrett and Mary Dodd and the descendants of Richard James Barrett.’ On page 95 she said she didn’t know Jim that well but thought as a young man he drove his father, James's butchers cart. Gwen remembered him as a tallish, thin man with a large moustache and a gentle personality.

Jim died at 62 in Clyde Hospital on the 15th of November, 1946 (Registration number 1946/29831). Rose passed away on the 5th of April 1970, at age 70 in Clyde. They are buried in Omakau Cemetery Lot VIII, plot 13.

Rose & Jim's headstone at Omakau cemetery

In Memoriam placed in the Otago Daily Times on the 15th of November 1947 for Jim

More About Jim and Rose’s Children

Peg was 5 and a half years old in 1920 when she was a flower girl for her aunty Maud Drake. Peg attended Spottis Creek school and she was in the same class as Jean Paterson, my great aunt. They were both in Standard 1 in 1924 when they won school prizes. She wore black georgette and lace to the Omakau Golf Ball in 1931. Other information I have found about Peg is that she came third in a swimming race at the Alexandra Coronation Swimming and Life Saving Club’s second carnival in February 1933 and that she was in attendance at the Higgins White wedding in Omakau during 1935. At the Omakau Rifle Club ball held in September 1936 it was likely that Peg was the Miss Corrigall who won the lucky spot waltz with her dance partner, Mr Webster. Peg went on marry to Charles (Crombie) Webster in 1940 in Ophir and they lived at Moa Creek. Peg and Crombie went onto have their own family, Bryan, Vyonne (named after my mother) and Ivan. Peg died on the 2nd of October, 1986 and is buried with Crombie who had died on the 11th of August, 1954 in Block VII, plot 13 at Omakau Cemetery.

Peg Corrigall and Crombie Webster’s marriage, 1940

Ivan also attended Spottis Creek school where at ten years old he read ‘A Boy’s Lament’ at the 1927 Spottis Creek School concert. Ivan passed his ‘Competency Exam’ in 1930 and his ‘Proficiency Exam’ in 1931. Ivan was a skilled marksman, participating regularly in the Omakau Miniature Rifle Club meetings during the 1930s and winning a cup in 1937. He was also a member of the Loyal Vincent lodge where he presided in 1940. Ivan was a soldier with the New Zealand Engineers as part of the Second N.Z. Expeditionary Force during World War 2. His service number was WWII 82647. The only other details I have been able to find out about Ivan’s time at war was that he was a temporary Lance Corporal, like his uncle Samuel, who had died during WW1. Ivan was given a special party in Omakau with gifts and presentations in January 1943. Presumably this was his send off, as he was welcomed home in August 1946. Ivan was great friends with his Aunty Polly and Charlie Drake. When Charlie and Polly moved to Oamaru, they would often stay with Ivan on their visits to Omakau. Ivan remained unmarried and farmed in Omakau. Ivan died on the 24th of September, 1977 (Registration number 1977/42549) and is buried in Block IX, Plot 21B of Omakau cemetery.

Jim junior attended Spottis Creek school like his older siblings. There is a photo of him with others from the school in the Omakau and District School Jubilee booklet from 1985. He played football in 1937 and probably was involved with cricket too. Jim junior was highly likely the Mr J. Corrigall who enjoyed euchre in 1946. Jim junior married Joyce Nikau Hollows during July 1946 in Dunedin. Joyce was from Clyde and the newspapers reported that she spent a weekend there with her parents in October 1946. Jim junior and Joyce’s children were Allan and Ngaire, who went on to have their own families.

Curiously my grandparents on my father’s side Elsie and Jock McLean were driving in their old Buick car with my father, Ian, sometime in the 1950s in the Omakau area. Possibly they were on a fishing trip. They found a pig on the side of the road that had escaped from a nearby farm. They caught the pig and on returning it to the nearest house, found it was Jim’s pig!

I remember meeting Jim junior. I was driving to Omakau with my mother probably around 2005 and we saw Jim in the sheep yards working with his sheep. This was at his yards on the corner of Corrigall Road and the Chatto Creek - Omakau Road at the Alexandra end. We stopped and had a cup of tea with him and I recall he was wearing his distinctive hat and overalls.

Jim junior (back row right at the end) in 1985 at the Omakau and District School Jubilee with others who attended Spottis Creek school including his cousins Dulcie Robinson nee Paterson and Jean Robertson nee Paterson (second row fourth and fifth from the left) and Wilma McLeod nee Corrigall and Edna Thomson nee Corrigall (front row third and fourth from the left)

Jim junior died on the 18th of May 2015 at 91 years old. He is buried in Block XXII, plot 21 at Omakau Cemetery.