John Richard Bland I
(19 December 1836 - 31 March 1918)
John's parents & ancestors
John Richard Bland was born on 19 December 1836 in Stepney, East London and was christened in St George in the East on 18 August the following year. His parents were Robert John Bland (11 May 1800 - unknown) and his wife Margaret Ann Arnott (c1800 - 1868) who were both born in Shadwell, Middlesex, London.
Robert John Bland was the son of Henry Bland (1762 - 1833) and his wife Esther (1765 - 1833) (surname unknown), and was born and raised in Shadwell, Middlesex, London.
Robert's wife, Margaret Ann Arnott, was the daughter of Scotsman, John Arnott (c1758 - ?) who was a turner, and his wife Margaret Harraden (dates unknown).
Robert Bland and Margaret Harraden were married at St Mary's Church, Whitechapel, in London on 5 September 1822. Family records suggest that Robert worked as a cordwainer (a bootmaker) and later as a labourer, and resided in his family home on Philips Street, Shadwell (East London).
Robert and Margaret Bland had at least seven children, although it appears that many of them died in early childhood or infancy:
Marriage and family
John (22) married Mary Jane Curtis (c1841 - 1867), possibly a maid, aged 18, on 28 August 1858 at St Philip's Church, Stepney, Mile End, Old Town, London.
John is listed on the marriage register as being a 'printer'. His father, Robert, is employed as a 'broker', while Mary's father, Charles Curtis, is listed as an 'engineer'.
John and Mary had four children:
It is unclear where the Bland family first lived in Auckland but we assume that they lived in central Auckland. After they were there one year, Stephen and Sarah Curtis moved down to Wellington and became pioneer settlers in the Petone area.
Shortly after Robert was born, John took his family to live in Northland. The 1880-81 Electoral Roll records John (carpenter) as living in Mangawhare, Marsden District. The Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory 1883-84 gives the location for Mangawhare as being inland, in Hobson county, 118 miles by rail and steamer from Auckland city. Passengers would have taken a train to Helensville, then a steamer would have taken them into the Kaipara Harbour and up the Wairoa River. In the town there was one branch of the bank of New Zealand and two churches, a Wesleyan Church and a Roman Catholic church. The directory listed 25 other European men who also lived in Mangawhare. The main industries in the area were initially saw-milling and gum digging. Although John is listed on the Wise's Directory as working as a carpenter, he may also have worked at a sawmill as he had prior experience as a 'machine sawyer'. At the time a lot of kauri timber was milled from the native forests in the Hokianga area. The tall, straight trees were in demand to be used as masts for British navy ships, and the timber was exported around New Zealand and also to Australia, for house building. In the 1880s the Australian-owned Kauri Timber Company bought up the smaller saw-mills in the Hokianga area and set up others. and eventually the region was stripped of its trees.
The four youngest of John and Annie's children were born at Mangawhare. Ted was born in 1879, the year after they arrived in Northland. Susie in 1880, Jack in 1882, and Sarah in 1883.
In early 1884, Annie returned to Auckland and was living in Wellington Street in the central city. It is unknown why she returned to the city but it was at this home that baby Sarah became ill and died on 17 July 1884, just shy of her first birthday. Sarah had suffered from lung congestion and apnoea. She was buried in Auckland, witnessed by Reverend Shenahan, a Church of England minister.
John's sister-in-law, Sarah Curtis died. She was 33 years old and living in Wellington.
On 21 April 1890, John's son Steve (a son from his first wife Mary) died. He was aged 23. Steve died at his residence in Dargaville after suffering from tuberculosis for two years. Sadly, Steve was destitute and living on charity when he died. He was buried at the Mount Wesley Cemetery, in Dargarville. More information about Steve can be found here.
Just prior to Steve's death, John won a ballot for the 'perpetual lease' of some land at Motukaraka, Hokianga, Northland. The name 'Motukaraka' means 'a clump of [native New Zealand] karaka trees'. Motukaraka was initially Maori-owned land but had been bought by Europeans. The following notice, published in the Auckland Star, indicated that John's land was situated in the Mangamuka Survey District:
The Mangamuka district was a remote, inland area of Northland with some untouched forests in which some large kauri trees grew. The first European settlers arrived in the area in 1870s and immediately cleared some land to plant orchards and grain crops. Later, a fruit-canning and jam-making factory was established in the area but it no longer exists. We have no information about what John did while living in this area.
During the new year holidays of 1888, Annie took the younger children to a community picnic at the former residence of the late Judge Manning, at Onoke. It appears that she went there from Motukaraka, but we are unsure if the family were living there at the time or had travelled down from Mangamuka. It is not known where John was, but perhaps he had to work.
On 29 January 1892, the Bland family probably attended the annual picnic on a farm near the Wairupe Creek. About 200 settlers and their friends attended the picnic. Races and activities were organised for the day, and a concert was held in the school in the evening.
At the monthly Band of Hope meeting in February 1892, John and Annie's daughter, Annie II, who was about 17 years old at the time, sang a solo entitled, 'The Cottage by the Sea'. She also sang at the April meeting. (The Band of Hope was a church-run programme for young people which educated them about the dangers of alcohol, and encouraged them to abstein from it.
Family records state that the family returned to live in Auckland in 1892.
In 1894, John and Annie's daughter, also named Annie, became an unwed, teenage mother. Her son was named Edward John. It appears that he was adopted by Annie's parents. Sadly, he died aged 8 months. The cause of his death and place of his burial are unknown. In 1896, Annie, now 21 and still unmarried, gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Susannah Daisy (known as Daisy). Susannah was the name of John's grandmother, so it was a special name. Daisy was adopted and raised by her grandparents.
Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory for 1894-95 gives John Bland's address as Norfolk Street, Ponsonby. The house was on the right hand side going down from Ponsonby Road, and was the third house after the intersection with Mira Street, probably number 33.
John and Annie Bland lived in the following locations:
John's final years
Sometime between 1914 and early 1917, John and Annie moved to a wooden dwelling at 108 Grey Street (formally numbered 163?). The house was the second house on the left going down from the intersection of Grey and Pitt Streets. Grey Street was one of the main thoroughfares in the central city, and was situated on a hill overlooking the Auckland harbour. The view from the home would have been fully or partially obscured by 60 plane trees which had been planted on each side of the street forty years before (in 1873). Down the hill, where Grey Street met Cook and Queen Streets there was a market garden operated by Chinese farmers. It was common to see the farmers travelling up and down Grey Street with their produce. By the 1920s there were several Chinese businesses on Grey Street and the buildings became a bit run-down.Apparently the police were often raiding the gambling halls and opium dens there. Local Europeans often felt apprehensive about travelling through this area and tended to avoid it if possible. [It is interesting to note that Grey Street was renamed Greys Avenue in 1927 in an attempt to improve people's perception of the street.] The houses at the top end of Greys Avenue, including the home that the Blands lived in, were in a more respectable area. The Bland's home was a double storey timber home. It had a varandeh on the front and a little garden with cacti in it. Some were mauve in colour. The homes on upper Grey Street would have been demolished around 1947, to make way for new state houses. The Chinatown shops on Greys Avenue were demolished in the 1960s.
On 14 April 1917, John and Annie's seven year old grand-daughter Hazel Tonson (Susie's daughter), was accidentally killed when she was hit by a taxi when crossing Queen Street in Auckland. At the time, Hazel and her family were living at the Bland's homestead at 108 Greys Street. Her sudden and unexpected death must have come as a great shock to the extended family. Hazel's funeral was held on Tuesday 17 April.
John and Annie's son Robert enlisted for war on 14 June 1917. By November Private Bland was headed to front line duties with G Company, 31st reinforcements Canterbury Battalion. Robert was at the front line in Somme, France, by March 1918.
Maurice, John's grandson, remembered seeing his grandfather as an old white-haired man with a big beard, sitting in a chair at his Grey Streen home. He remembered the dark hallway inside the house. Maurice also recalled that his grandmother Annie wove cane chairs.
John died, aged 81, after a long and painful illness (cancer). He was buried at Purewa Cemetery on 2 April 1918. Block A Row 15, Plot 64.
Notes:
* Both the 1851 and 1861 England Census document Robert's birthplace as Stillwell, London.
Sources:
(19 December 1836 - 31 March 1918)
John's parents & ancestors
John Richard Bland was born on 19 December 1836 in Stepney, East London and was christened in St George in the East on 18 August the following year. His parents were Robert John Bland (11 May 1800 - unknown) and his wife Margaret Ann Arnott (c1800 - 1868) who were both born in Shadwell, Middlesex, London.
 |
A restored St George's in the East Church, London
Photo taken by C Murphy, 2015.
(Photo courtesy of C Murphy)
|
Robert John Bland was the son of Henry Bland (1762 - 1833) and his wife Esther (1765 - 1833) (surname unknown), and was born and raised in Shadwell, Middlesex, London.
Robert's wife, Margaret Ann Arnott, was the daughter of Scotsman, John Arnott (c1758 - ?) who was a turner, and his wife Margaret Harraden (dates unknown).
Robert Bland and Margaret Harraden were married at St Mary's Church, Whitechapel, in London on 5 September 1822. Family records suggest that Robert worked as a cordwainer (a bootmaker) and later as a labourer, and resided in his family home on Philips Street, Shadwell (East London).
Robert and Margaret Bland had at least seven children, although it appears that many of them died in early childhood or infancy:
- Ann Mary Bland (20 January 1826 - ?)
- She was baptised at Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets, East London, on 22 February 1826, according to family records.
- There is no mention of Ann in the 1841 England Census, so she may have died.
- Elizabeth Margaret Bland (25 July 1827 - 20 June 1957)
- Elizabeth was baptised at St George's in the East, East London, in 1828, according to family records. She is recorded as being 12 years old in the 1841 UK Census.
- Elizabeth married Thomas Richard Benton (1820-18 October 1853). They had a son, Thomas Benton (15 September 1853 - 18 December 1858) who died aged five, shortly after both parents passed away.
- Robert George Bland (13 February 1831 - unknown)
- He was baptised at St George's in the East, East London.
- There is no mention of Robert in the 1841 England Census, so he may have died.
- Margaret Bland (c18 February 1834 - unknown)
- Family records state that she was baptised at Lady Huntington's Sion Chapel, Union Street, Nile End, Old Town, Stepney, London.
- There is no mention of Margaret in the 1841 England Census, so she may have died.
- John Richard Bland (19 December 1836 - 31 March 1918)
- Born in Stepney, London and christened in St George in the East, Tower Hamlets, East London quite some time later, on 18 August 1837.
- Caroline Bland (15 September 1839 - unknown, possibly 4th quarter 1841)
- Was one year old in 1841 England Census (which was taken 6 June). There is no mention of Caroline in the 1851 England Census, so may have died.
- Jane Mary Bland (28 March 1842 - unknown)
- Born in St George in the East.
- She was listed in the 1851 and 1861 censuses but nothing further is known of her.
The 1841 England Census (which was taken on the evening of 6 June) shows that Robert (39, a labourer) and Margaret (40) were living on Tarling Street, Tower Hamlets, East London, with their three children: Elizabeth (12), John (4) and Caroline (1). Also living on the same street was Margaret's older brother John Arnott (50, a carpenter) and his wife Eliza (50), with their four children- Robert (20, a carpenter), Mary (15), Caroline (14), and John (10).
The 1851 England Census shows that Robert (50, a labourer) and Margaret (50, a tailor) were living at 4 John Street, in the parish of St George in the East, Tower Hamlets. Also living there was 9 year old daughter, Jane Mary Bland who was listed as a scholar.
The 1861 England Census shows the Robert (60, a labourer) and Margaret (60, a trousers maker) were living at 5 Chapel Street, in the parish of St George in the East, Tower Hamlets. Also living there was 19 year old daughter Jane Mary Bland who was also listed as a trousers maker.
The 1851 England Census shows that Robert (50, a labourer) and Margaret (50, a tailor) were living at 4 John Street, in the parish of St George in the East, Tower Hamlets. Also living there was 9 year old daughter, Jane Mary Bland who was listed as a scholar.
The 1861 England Census shows the Robert (60, a labourer) and Margaret (60, a trousers maker) were living at 5 Chapel Street, in the parish of St George in the East, Tower Hamlets. Also living there was 19 year old daughter Jane Mary Bland who was also listed as a trousers maker.
John's childhood
The 1841 England Census shows that John (4) was living on Tarling Street, Tower Hamlets, East London with his parents and two sisters - Elizabeth (12) and Caroline (1). On the same street lived his uncle, John Curtis (50) and his wife, Eliza (50). There were four older Arnott cousins to spend time with too: Robert (20), John (10), Mary (15), and Caroline (14). Uncle John Arnott and his son, Robert were carpenters, so it seems possible that little John Bland could have been taught his first carpentry skills by them.
It appears that John's younger sister, Caroline, died before the next England Census was taken because her name doesn't appear in it. The All England & Wales, Free BMD Death Index, 1837-1915 shows that a Caroline Bland died in the 4th quarter of 1841. It this is our Caroline, she would have been just two years old when she passed away.
On 28 March 1842, John became the older brother of Jane Mary Bland.
John's name is not listed with his parents' names on the 1851 and 1861 England Censuses. It seems likely that he got a job when he was about 12 or 13 years old and worked as an errand boy or such like, for another family. Likewise, John's older sister, Elizabeth, was off working elsewhere.
The 1841 England Census shows that John (4) was living on Tarling Street, Tower Hamlets, East London with his parents and two sisters - Elizabeth (12) and Caroline (1). On the same street lived his uncle, John Curtis (50) and his wife, Eliza (50). There were four older Arnott cousins to spend time with too: Robert (20), John (10), Mary (15), and Caroline (14). Uncle John Arnott and his son, Robert were carpenters, so it seems possible that little John Bland could have been taught his first carpentry skills by them.
It appears that John's younger sister, Caroline, died before the next England Census was taken because her name doesn't appear in it. The All England & Wales, Free BMD Death Index, 1837-1915 shows that a Caroline Bland died in the 4th quarter of 1841. It this is our Caroline, she would have been just two years old when she passed away.
On 28 March 1842, John became the older brother of Jane Mary Bland.
John's name is not listed with his parents' names on the 1851 and 1861 England Censuses. It seems likely that he got a job when he was about 12 or 13 years old and worked as an errand boy or such like, for another family. Likewise, John's older sister, Elizabeth, was off working elsewhere.
Marriage and family
 |
| Mary Jane Bland, nee Curtis Unknown photographer and date, but c1867. (Photo courtesy of S Houston.) |
 |
| The record of the marriage of John and Mary 1858. |
 |
| The marriage certificate was signed by John and Mary in 1858. |
- Frederick William Bland (4th quarter 1860? - 1st quarter of 1872)
- Alfred (Alf) John Bland (June 1863 - 1956) Died aged 94.
- Charles (Charlie) Robert Bland (17 August 1864 - 13 February 1931)
- Stephen (Steve) Bland (June 1866 - 1890)
 | ||
| This photo, once owned by Sylvia Anderson, was labelled as 'Grandma Bland' so is likely to be Mary Jane Curtis with herfirstborn son. Date unknown, but around 1862. (Photo courtesy of K J Bland)
|
Family records state that Stephen was crippled after being dropped by a nurse, when a baby. He suffered hip damage, but learned to get around using crutches.
Sadly, Mary died of a heart attack in 1867, while at a wedding. She was just 26 years old. It appears she died in the 2nd quarter and that her death was registered at the district of St Olave, Southwark, London. No burial details are known at present. Looking after four little boys, must have been most challenging for John and no doubt he was eager to seek the help of a woman to help him raise his children.
Mary's father, Charles Curtis, died on 21 December 1867, and her mother, Esther, died in January 1869.
John's mother died in the second quarter 1868.
According to England and Wales Free BMD Marriage Index 1837-1915 it appears that John remarried a woman named Emma (surname unknown at present) in the 2nd quarter of 1869. The marriage was registered in Stepney. Emma was 23 years old when they married. The 1871 England Census stated that she was formally a seamstress and was born in Sheffield. She would have been born around 1846.
The 1871 England census was taken on the evening of 2 April and gives the Bland's address as being 58 North Street, Poplar, which was within the parish of All Saints Church (Church of England), East London. John is listed as a 'machine sawyer' and is married to Emma. Four children are listed: Frederick (10), Alfred (8), Charles (6), and Stephen (4). Several other people also lived in the home, including two widows, the son (aged 8) of one of the widows, and the Griffin family (parents with three young children, aged 5, 3, and 2).
Frederick passed away in the 1st quarter of 1872. He was only 10 years old. Nothing is known of the circumstances surrounding his death, or where he is buried. It appears that Emma also passed away shortly afterward.
John married his much younger third wife, Anne (known as Annie) Maria Horne (c17 April 1852 - 25 December 1958) on 20 December 1873. He was 37 years old and she was 21. Their marriage was registered in Stepney, East London. It is believed that Annie was of Spanish descent.* Unverified family records note that Annie was living at 7 Dodd Street, Limehouse, at the time of her marriage. A few houses away, at number 4, was where John's parents, Robert and Margaret, lived. So if this is correct, it appears that John's and Annie's families were well acquainted.
In January 1874, Sarah Rebecca Horne (1852 - 1885), married Stephen Charles Curtis (5 October 1845 - 22 February 1936). Stephen was one of Mary Jane's younger brothers. It is possible that Sarah was one of Sarah's relatives.
A new life in New Zealand
Together, John and Annie Bland, with Stephen and Sarah Curtis, decided to make a new start in New Zealand. They became government assisted passengers on the ship Rooparell which sailed from London on 23 February 1874. The ship's passenger list recorded their names amongst the 367 immigrants on board: Stephen Curtis (28), a joiner, and Sarah (the ship's roll lists her age as 30 but she was actually 20), John Bland (33), a machine sawyer, Ann (22), and children, Alfred (10), Charles (9) and Stephen (7). The voyage to New Zealand took 95 days. A newspaper report printed on the day of the ships arrival in New Zealand stated that this ship brought the largest number of immigrants to Auckland to date. Also on board the Rooparell was 20 year old servant, Elizabeth Lanfear whose daughter would later marry John's son Charlie in 1902!
A copy of the newspaper article announcing the arrival of the Rooparell, is shown below:
On arrival in Auckland, John, Annie and the boys went to live at the Immigration Barracks on Howe Street, in central Auckland. It is likely to have been full of passengers from the Rooparell. Shortly after arriving at the barracks (perhaps the following day), immigration officers would have advertised the date on which the able-bodied were available to start work. A kind of trade fair ensued with prospective employers or their agents coming to the barracks to find willing workers. Contracts were made under the watchful eyes of immigration officers. This is probably how John found his first job in Auckland. It was likely to be a carpentry job.
The children of John and Annie Bland were all born in New Zealand. The first two, in Auckland, and the last four, in Northland:
Sadly, Mary died of a heart attack in 1867, while at a wedding. She was just 26 years old. It appears she died in the 2nd quarter and that her death was registered at the district of St Olave, Southwark, London. No burial details are known at present. Looking after four little boys, must have been most challenging for John and no doubt he was eager to seek the help of a woman to help him raise his children.
Mary's father, Charles Curtis, died on 21 December 1867, and her mother, Esther, died in January 1869.
John's mother died in the second quarter 1868.
According to England and Wales Free BMD Marriage Index 1837-1915 it appears that John remarried a woman named Emma (surname unknown at present) in the 2nd quarter of 1869. The marriage was registered in Stepney. Emma was 23 years old when they married. The 1871 England Census stated that she was formally a seamstress and was born in Sheffield. She would have been born around 1846.
 |
| The 1871 England Census with the names of John and Emma Bland and his four boys. Notice that the Horne family are listed directly above the Blands. Photo by K Bland |
 |
| Close up of the Bland family names in the 1871 England Census. Photo by K Bland |
Frederick passed away in the 1st quarter of 1872. He was only 10 years old. Nothing is known of the circumstances surrounding his death, or where he is buried. It appears that Emma also passed away shortly afterward.
John married his much younger third wife, Anne (known as Annie) Maria Horne (c17 April 1852 - 25 December 1958) on 20 December 1873. He was 37 years old and she was 21. Their marriage was registered in Stepney, East London. It is believed that Annie was of Spanish descent.* Unverified family records note that Annie was living at 7 Dodd Street, Limehouse, at the time of her marriage. A few houses away, at number 4, was where John's parents, Robert and Margaret, lived. So if this is correct, it appears that John's and Annie's families were well acquainted.
 |
| We believe this is a portrait of John and Annie Bland. Photographer unknown. Possibly taken in Auckland in the late 1870s. (Photo courtesy of K J Bland) |
In January 1874, Sarah Rebecca Horne (1852 - 1885), married Stephen Charles Curtis (5 October 1845 - 22 February 1936). Stephen was one of Mary Jane's younger brothers. It is possible that Sarah was one of Sarah's relatives.
A new life in New Zealand
Together, John and Annie Bland, with Stephen and Sarah Curtis, decided to make a new start in New Zealand. They became government assisted passengers on the ship Rooparell which sailed from London on 23 February 1874. The ship's passenger list recorded their names amongst the 367 immigrants on board: Stephen Curtis (28), a joiner, and Sarah (the ship's roll lists her age as 30 but she was actually 20), John Bland (33), a machine sawyer, Ann (22), and children, Alfred (10), Charles (9) and Stephen (7). The voyage to New Zealand took 95 days. A newspaper report printed on the day of the ships arrival in New Zealand stated that this ship brought the largest number of immigrants to Auckland to date. Also on board the Rooparell was 20 year old servant, Elizabeth Lanfear whose daughter would later marry John's son Charlie in 1902!
A copy of the newspaper article announcing the arrival of the Rooparell, is shown below:
 |
 |
 |
The children of John and Annie Bland were all born in New Zealand. The first two, in Auckland, and the last four, in Northland:
- Annie Maria Bland (25 July 1875 - 25 December 1958)
- Robert (Bob) William Bland (28 August 1877 - 7 September 1918)
- Edward (Ted) Bland (19 March 1879 - 1965)
- Susannah (Susie/Sue) Margaret Bland (27 June 1880 - 5 January 1972)
- John (Jack) Richard Bland (29 March 1882 - 28 February 1966)
- Sarah Bland (August 1883 - 17 July 1884)
Shortly after Robert was born, John took his family to live in Northland. The 1880-81 Electoral Roll records John (carpenter) as living in Mangawhare, Marsden District. The Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory 1883-84 gives the location for Mangawhare as being inland, in Hobson county, 118 miles by rail and steamer from Auckland city. Passengers would have taken a train to Helensville, then a steamer would have taken them into the Kaipara Harbour and up the Wairoa River. In the town there was one branch of the bank of New Zealand and two churches, a Wesleyan Church and a Roman Catholic church. The directory listed 25 other European men who also lived in Mangawhare. The main industries in the area were initially saw-milling and gum digging. Although John is listed on the Wise's Directory as working as a carpenter, he may also have worked at a sawmill as he had prior experience as a 'machine sawyer'. At the time a lot of kauri timber was milled from the native forests in the Hokianga area. The tall, straight trees were in demand to be used as masts for British navy ships, and the timber was exported around New Zealand and also to Australia, for house building. In the 1880s the Australian-owned Kauri Timber Company bought up the smaller saw-mills in the Hokianga area and set up others. and eventually the region was stripped of its trees.
The four youngest of John and Annie's children were born at Mangawhare. Ted was born in 1879, the year after they arrived in Northland. Susie in 1880, Jack in 1882, and Sarah in 1883.
In early 1884, Annie returned to Auckland and was living in Wellington Street in the central city. It is unknown why she returned to the city but it was at this home that baby Sarah became ill and died on 17 July 1884, just shy of her first birthday. Sarah had suffered from lung congestion and apnoea. She was buried in Auckland, witnessed by Reverend Shenahan, a Church of England minister.
 |
| Annie Bland with her children. Left back to front: Bob, Ted & John II. Right back to front: Annie II & Susie. Photo taken 1884, probably just after John and Annie's youngest daughter, Sarah, died. Photographer unknown. (Photo courtesy of C Murphy) |
John's sister-in-law, Sarah Curtis died. She was 33 years old and living in Wellington.
On 21 April 1890, John's son Steve (a son from his first wife Mary) died. He was aged 23. Steve died at his residence in Dargaville after suffering from tuberculosis for two years. Sadly, Steve was destitute and living on charity when he died. He was buried at the Mount Wesley Cemetery, in Dargarville. More information about Steve can be found here.
Just prior to Steve's death, John won a ballot for the 'perpetual lease' of some land at Motukaraka, Hokianga, Northland. The name 'Motukaraka' means 'a clump of [native New Zealand] karaka trees'. Motukaraka was initially Maori-owned land but had been bought by Europeans. The following notice, published in the Auckland Star, indicated that John's land was situated in the Mangamuka Survey District:
 |
During the new year holidays of 1888, Annie took the younger children to a community picnic at the former residence of the late Judge Manning, at Onoke. It appears that she went there from Motukaraka, but we are unsure if the family were living there at the time or had travelled down from Mangamuka. It is not known where John was, but perhaps he had to work.
On 29 January 1892, the Bland family probably attended the annual picnic on a farm near the Wairupe Creek. About 200 settlers and their friends attended the picnic. Races and activities were organised for the day, and a concert was held in the school in the evening.
At the monthly Band of Hope meeting in February 1892, John and Annie's daughter, Annie II, who was about 17 years old at the time, sang a solo entitled, 'The Cottage by the Sea'. She also sang at the April meeting. (The Band of Hope was a church-run programme for young people which educated them about the dangers of alcohol, and encouraged them to abstein from it.
Family records state that the family returned to live in Auckland in 1892.
In 1894, John and Annie's daughter, also named Annie, became an unwed, teenage mother. Her son was named Edward John. It appears that he was adopted by Annie's parents. Sadly, he died aged 8 months. The cause of his death and place of his burial are unknown. In 1896, Annie, now 21 and still unmarried, gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Susannah Daisy (known as Daisy). Susannah was the name of John's grandmother, so it was a special name. Daisy was adopted and raised by her grandparents.
Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory for 1894-95 gives John Bland's address as Norfolk Street, Ponsonby. The house was on the right hand side going down from Ponsonby Road, and was the third house after the intersection with Mira Street, probably number 33.
John and Annie Bland lived in the following locations:
- 1895 - Norfolk Street, Ponsonby
- Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory doesn't give John's occupation but indicates that the house was on the right hand side from the Ponsonby Road end and was three houses after the Mira Street intersection.
- 1896-97, 1998-99 - Fitzroy Street, Ponsonby, Auckland.
- The Electoral Roll of 1896 lists Annie as performing domestic duties, while Richard worked as a carpenter. According to the Wises New Zealand Post Office Directory of 1896-97 and 1898-99, the Blands lived at the second house in the street, from the Richmond Road end.
- 1900 - Howe Street, Central Auckland.
- The Electoral Roll shows that both John and Annie lived there along with Charlie who was working as a carpenter. Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory gives the residence's location as being on the right hand side from the Wellington Street end, and just before the intersection with Somerset Place. [Note: Somerset Place is no longer, so the location would be where Whitson Terrace rejoins Howe Street, at the Hopetoun Road end.]
- 1901, 1902, 1903 - Wakefield Street, Central Auckland
- The Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directories give the house location on the left hand side of the road, from the Queen Street end and in the middle of the block.
- 1904 - Alexandra Street, Central Auckland
- Wises, New Zealand Post Office Directory indicates that the house was on the left hand side from the Upper Queen Street end, and four houses away from the Primitive Methodist Church.
- 1905-06 - 15 Marmion Street, Central Auckland
- The Electoral Roll shows John, Annie, John R Bland Jnr (Jack) and his wife Flora (Flo) also living there. Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory shows that Jack (sugar worker) was living at this address in 1907, so this indicates that this was the year his parents moved house.
- 1907, 1910 - 8 Alexander Street, Central Auckland
- Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory indicates that the residence was on the right hand side of the street from Upper Queen Street. Robert (Bob) is also living at this address in 1910. this home was two doors away from the Primitive Methodist Church.
- 1911 - 8 Alexander Street, Kingsland.
- The Electoral Roll shows that John and Annie were living there with sons, Bob and Edward (Ted).
- 1913 - 33 Wakefield Street.
- Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory describes their residence as being on the right hand side of the road from Queen Street. John's occupation is listed as 'carter'.
- 1914 - 163 Grey Street (later Greys Avenue), Auckland Central.
- The Electoral Roll indicates that John was still working as a carpenter.
John's final years
Sometime between 1914 and early 1917, John and Annie moved to a wooden dwelling at 108 Grey Street (formally numbered 163?). The house was the second house on the left going down from the intersection of Grey and Pitt Streets. Grey Street was one of the main thoroughfares in the central city, and was situated on a hill overlooking the Auckland harbour. The view from the home would have been fully or partially obscured by 60 plane trees which had been planted on each side of the street forty years before (in 1873). Down the hill, where Grey Street met Cook and Queen Streets there was a market garden operated by Chinese farmers. It was common to see the farmers travelling up and down Grey Street with their produce. By the 1920s there were several Chinese businesses on Grey Street and the buildings became a bit run-down.Apparently the police were often raiding the gambling halls and opium dens there. Local Europeans often felt apprehensive about travelling through this area and tended to avoid it if possible. [It is interesting to note that Grey Street was renamed Greys Avenue in 1927 in an attempt to improve people's perception of the street.] The houses at the top end of Greys Avenue, including the home that the Blands lived in, were in a more respectable area. The Bland's home was a double storey timber home. It had a varandeh on the front and a little garden with cacti in it. Some were mauve in colour. The homes on upper Grey Street would have been demolished around 1947, to make way for new state houses. The Chinatown shops on Greys Avenue were demolished in the 1960s.
 |
| Queen Street on the left, and Grey Street on the right. 23 August 1915 Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries 1-W1356 |
 |
| The old houses along Grey Street looking down from Pitt Street. 19 September 1928 Sir George Grey Special Collection, Auckland Libraries 4-2292 |
On 14 April 1917, John and Annie's seven year old grand-daughter Hazel Tonson (Susie's daughter), was accidentally killed when she was hit by a taxi when crossing Queen Street in Auckland. At the time, Hazel and her family were living at the Bland's homestead at 108 Greys Street. Her sudden and unexpected death must have come as a great shock to the extended family. Hazel's funeral was held on Tuesday 17 April.
John and Annie's son Robert enlisted for war on 14 June 1917. By November Private Bland was headed to front line duties with G Company, 31st reinforcements Canterbury Battalion. Robert was at the front line in Somme, France, by March 1918.
Maurice, John's grandson, remembered seeing his grandfather as an old white-haired man with a big beard, sitting in a chair at his Grey Streen home. He remembered the dark hallway inside the house. Maurice also recalled that his grandmother Annie wove cane chairs.
John died, aged 81, after a long and painful illness (cancer). He was buried at Purewa Cemetery on 2 April 1918. Block A Row 15, Plot 64.
 |
| The grave of John and Annie Bland. Purewa Cemetery, Auckland. (Photo by K Bland 2016) |
 |
| The grave of John and Annie Bland. Purewa Cemetery, Auckland. (Photo by K Bland 2016) |
 |
| Gravestones on John and Annie Bland's grave. (Photo by K Bland 2016) |
 |
| In loving memory of John Richard, beloved husband of Annie M Bland, died 31 Mar 1918 aged 81 years. Until the day breaks. Also his beloved wife Annie Maria died 18th April 1933 aged 81 years. (Photo by K Bland 2016) |
 |
| Robert William, beloved son of J R and A M Bland Killed in action in France, 7 Sept 1918, aged 41 years. (Photo by K Bland 2016) |
 |
| John and Annie's grave lies in a peaceful section of the old cemetery. (Photo by K Bland 2016) |
Notes:
* Both the 1851 and 1861 England Census document Robert's birthplace as Stillwell, London.
Sources:
- Arnott research by Dr Paul Tonson
- Arnold, Rollo The Farthest Promised Land - English Villagers, New Zealand Immigrants of the 1870s, chapter 11 The Transformation of the Immigrant Victoria University Press, 1981, Wellington. Accessed 11 May 2016
- FreeBMD England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USE Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006
- Free BMD England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USE Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006
- Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census [data base on-line]. Provo, UT, USE Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004
- "New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSB5-7ZG : accessed 21 May 2016), John Bland, 30 May 1874; citing Rooparell, Ship, Arrival Port Auckland, National Archives, Wellington; FHL microfilm 004412040.
- Ancestry.com - NZ Electoral Rolls
- Ancestry.com - Murphy Bentley family tree
- Ancestry.com - Davis/Grubner family tree
- Wiki Tree - Emily Barnett and Annie Maria Pettett
- Ancestry.com. New Zealand, City and Area Directories, 1866-1954 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. This collection was indexed by Ancestry Wold Archives Project contributoers.
- Recollections from Maurice Bland (courtesy of K J Bland)
- *Recollections from Sylvia Anderson nee Bland (courtesy of K J Bland)
- Auckland City Council - Cemetery Search - West
- Purewa Cemetery Search
- Papers Past
- Chinese Digital Community - History of Auckland Chinese Community
- Chinese Digital Community - Greys Avenue and the Auckland Chinese scene from 1890 to 1960s
- The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District] - Hobson County
- Wikipedia - Mangamuku
- Photographs: K J Bland, K Bland, S Houston, & Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries
- Auckland Council 1908 City of Auckland Map (specifically G11)
Last updated 27 December 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment