The Patersons Arrive in New Zealand

The Patersons in New Zealand

Anthony Paterson and Jane Grecian’s two children that are of major interest to us are their second son, Andrew and third son, John, as some of their families ended up in New Zealand. John is our direct ancestor, but firstly I will mention Andrew’s family.

Andrew Paterson’s Family

Andrew Paterson was born on the 30th of June, 1798 at Beanley, Egglingham, Northumberland to Anthony Paterson and Jane Grecian, and was baptised on the 12th of July, 1798 at the Presbyterian church, Branton, Northumberland. He married Isabella (Bell) Rose Stevenson on the 26th of February 1826 in Tongue, Sutherland, northwest Highland Scotland. Isabella was born during 1809 in Tongue. She died as a widow on the 31st of August, 1867, in Dunedin, New Zealand. She is buried in Plot 44, Block 6, of the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin. I can find no confirmation of Andrew Paterson’s death in neither New Zealand nor anywhere else, to date. Some sources suggest Andrew died in 1856 in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland and there is an Andrew Paterson who died in 1856 and is buried at St Columba’s churchyard, Burntisland, Fife in Scotland. This date would match the fact that Bell died as a widow in 1867. I believe after her husband Andrew’s death she came to New Zealand with one or all of her children who immigrated here (Anthony, Mary Ann, James and Alexandrina all certainly ended up in NZ), however, I can find no record on any passenger lists to date.

Andrew and Isabella had at least ten children, many of whom were born in Sutherland and Caithness in Highland Scotland;

1. Anthony - born on the 10th of April, 1827, in Tongue; married Jane Douglas; they lived at Hamiltons, Maniototo, Otago, where Anthony was a shepherd, and died on the 18th of March and interred on the 20th of March, 1892, at age 60 in Naseby, Central Otago; Jane died on the 8th of May, 1905 aged 72 years; they are buried together in Naseby Cemetery, in Block 1 X 0003
   

Anthony and Jane’s headstone at Naseby Cemetery, Central Otago.

Jane and Anthony’s daughter was Eleanor Georgina Douglas Paterson who married Alexander McGilvary Paterson (son of George Paterson and Ann McLeod; and cousin of our descendent John Paterson, who came to NZ in 1862) on the 15th of November, 1887, in the Mount Ida Parish, Maniototo; she was 22 and he was 41; they were distant relatives; their children included

• Ann Jane - born during 1888 in Hamiltons, Maniototo

• Eleanor - born during 1888 in Hamiltons, Maniototo and died in 1894; buried at Hamiltons cemetery, Waipiata

• Mary - born in 1892

• Georgina Sarah - twin, born during 1894, Hamiltons, Maniototo

• Andrew - twin, born in 1894, Hamiltons, Maniototo and died in 1894; buried at Hamiltons cemetery, Waipiata

• Anthony - born during 1897, Hamiltons or Pukepouri, Maniototo and died in 1920

• Charlie - birth and death unknown

Eleanor Georgina Douglas Paterson died in 1947, at the age of 81 and is buried with her husband Alexander McGilvary Paterson, who died in April 1926, in Burial Area 1, Lot B Plot 5 in Naseby.

Alexander McGilvary and Eleanor Georgina Douglas Paterson’s headstone at Burial Area 1, Lot B, Plot 0005 in Naseby

2. Jane - born on the 24th of June, 1831, in Tongue, Sutherland

3. William - born on the 28th of June, 1901, in Wick, Caithness

4. Hellen / Helen Henderson - christened on the 19th of November, 1835, in Farr, Sutherland and apparently died on the 19th of October, 1892, in Naseby, Central Otago - I have not been able to find evidence of Helen being in Naseby and there are no Hendersons buried in Naseby cemetery

5. Mary Ann Milne - born on the 26th of January, 1837 in Farr, Sutherland; married Thomas Malcolm Milne in Dunedin during 1865 when she was 26 and he was 30; their children included

• Annie - born in 1865

• Isabella - born in 1867, died at 2 months old on the 1st of January, 1868

• Mary Jane - born in 1869

• Lilly - born in 1872

• George Henry - born in 1874

• William Robert - born in 1875, in Tunanui, died at 2 years old, 7 months, on the 20th of May, 1878, at Taradale, buried in Napier

• Thomas Andrew - born in 1877

• Robert William - born in 1881 and died at 14 weeks old

Mary Ann Milne died on the 10th of January, 1887, aged 47, in Napier, Hawkes Bay. She had been in NZ for 20 years. Thomas Milne had been in New Zealand for 30 years when he died on the 5th of December, 1885, at age 49. Thomas was a station manager, and was the son of George and Annie Milne. Mary Ann and Thomas and their three infant children are buried at SE Block 4, plot 1237, in the old Napier cemetery.

Mary Ann,Thomas and their three infant children’s plot at SE Block 4, plot 1237, in the old Napier cemetery (right and below)

6. James - born on the 7th of May, 1840, in Tongue, Sutherland and died on the 30th of July, 1894, in Hakataramea, South Canterbury; more about him in the following section

7. Sarah Cameron - born on the 4th of August, 1842, in Dounreay, Caithness, and was christened the next day on the 5th of August, in Reay, Caithness

8. Andrew - born on the 8th of June, 1847, and was christened on the 30th of June, in Reay, Caithness

9. Isabella Elizabeth Cornelius - born in 1849, in Bothwell, Scotland and died on the 12th of March, 1880

10. Alexandrina Elizabeth Wright Hill - born on the 16th of November, 1851 in Dounreay, Caithness, and was christened in Reay on the 9th of December. She married Benjamin Joseph Hill on the 8th of March 1871, at Knox Church in Dunedin. Benjamin had been born in London on the 27th of September in 1841, and was christened in Rotherhithe, Surrey, England on the 19th of December 1841. Alexandrina and Benjamin’s children included

• Richard Benjamin - born on the 27th of December, 1871, in Dunedin and died on the 24th of April, 1956, in Dunedin

• Andrew Charles - born on the 7th of September, 1873 in Dunedin and died on the 18th of March, 1874, in Dunedin

• Elizabeth Sarah - born on the 19th of September, 1874 in Dunedin and died on the 16th of July, 1896, in Dunedin

• Charles Thomas Henry - born during 1876, in Dunedin and died on the 28th of January, 1877, in Dunedin

• Isabella Eleanor - born on the 3rd of January, 1877 in Dunedin and died on the 13th of August, 1896, in Dunedin

• Benjamin Charles - born on the 30th of June, 1879 in Dunedin and died on the 9th of June, 1881, in Dunedin, buried at the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin

Alexandrina died on the 12th of March 1880. She was interred on the 14th of March at Southern Cemetery, Dunedin in Block 5P, Plot 69. Her name on the cemetery records is Elizabeth Hill. Benjamin died on the 29th of September 1896 and is buried alongside Alexandrina in in Block 5P, Plot 69 in the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.

11. Grace Stirling - no details known

James Paterson - Penticotico Cob cottage

Andrew Paterson and Isabella (Bell) Rose Stevensons’ son James was born on the 7th May 1840 at Leitir Mhor, Tongue, Sutherland. Possibly some of James’s siblings had been born here too. Leitir Mhor is situated south of Tongue alongside the west side of Loch Loyal and is described as a deserted township comprising of five 'longhouses' and two corn-drying kilns within a head dyke. In 1874 Leitir Mhor was described as a graveyard which had been disused for many years by Prebble (1963). This area was part of 'Lord Reay's Country' which was bought by the Duke of Sutherland in 1829. The ‘Clearances’ of the Highlands no doubt was a major influence on all the Paterson’s seeking a new life in New Zealand.

James came to Otago, New Zealand on the sailing ship, Jura in 1862. The original passenger list is partially missing, however, interestingly known passengers include George (christened 19 December, 1810 in Reay) and Ann Paterson nee McLeod, who were married 18 February 1835 in Tongue, Sutherland, in the Scottish Highlands. These Patersons went on to live at Gimmerburn Central Otago, and are Alexander McGilvary Paterson’s parents, in other words, James’s niece’s future husband’s parents. The aforementioned George is the uncle of John Paterson, our direct ancestor.

It is very likely that James built the Penticotico Cob cottage (a.k.a. Paterson’s Accommodation House) where his family definitely lived, east of Hakataramea, near Kurow. Although James’s name is not on the original survey map of the area, James purchased the property shortly after arriving in New Zealand.

The Penticotico Cob cottage (a.k.a Paterson’s Accommodation House) east of Hakataramea

James’s family history has been well documented in “A History and family tree of the descendants of the late James and Margaret Paterson of Papakaio, Waihao, Penticotico, 1840-1988” written by R. J. H. Wilson in 1988, which is available to view at the MacNab Collection at Dunedin Public Library. I am no going to repeat all that information here.

James is the nephew of John Paterson, our direct ancestor.