Saturday, April 14, 2012

Thames (NZ): Thames Residents in the Old Colonists Register

The Old Colonists Association register is available via Auckland Library
"The Old Colonists' Association developed out of the reunion gatherings of those settlers who were passengers aboard the first two immigrant ships into Auckland - the Duchess of Argyle and the Jane Gifford. Membership was confined to colonists of fifty years' standing and their descendants.


It lists members of the association, including information relating to joining date, badge number, address at time of joining, when and where born, date of arrival in New Zealand, name of ship, and some miscellaneous remarks. It covers the period from 10 October 1919 to 16 November 1934.

It has a list of 13 early vessels with their arrival dates pasted on the register's front end paper, covering the period 1840-1842"

It can be downloaded for you to view at leisure. Arranged alphabetically, you need to search each page in the "letter" as there are additions, that mean the list is not always alpha sorted.
On the surface, there doesn't appear many Thames names, but remember...so many of these people will have spent some time living in Thames during the early boom years.

Here is an example from the register for JOSEPH ROBERTS:
Section from Old Colonists Register
It reads: Joined 1-10-31, Joseph ROBERTS, Edward St, Thames. Born Gt Barrier in NZ, Born 17/12/1856. Mother arr in Wellington 1839 ex "Bolton" Father arr in Wellington ex Duke of Roxburg
Above: View from Edward Street Thames 2009: