May I suggest that you tell us where Mary and Charles married or lived?What was Mary's maiden name?

This information will help us to help you in your research.

Best wishes in your research.

Mary Agnes Funnell is who I am looking for. I have no idea where or when they were married. They lived in Ashurst, near Palmerston North. He owned a saddlery business.I really know nothing about Mary Agnes at all - this is what I am looking for.

Thank you for your best wishes.

Charles Joseph WYCHERLEY (1870-1907) was born in Weymouth, Dorset, Uk, one of 8 children of Charles Whittingham (1842-1915) & Hannah (1847-1887) Wycherley
- he married Mary Agnes FUNNELL (1868-1916) on Christmas Eve 1892

Charles's business was called C. W. WYCHERLEY & SON of Palmerston North, he being the 'Son'. The business was opened as C. W. WYCHERLEY, Saddle and Harnessmaker and Importer in Willis street Wellington in July 1886, Charles (senior, the 'son' being added at a later date) had, at that time, advertised he had upwards of 20 years experience

Their daughter, Dorothy Mae Wycherley, was born 11 Dec 1899
- she married Ian Mathewson NAIRN (1903-1980) in 1923


Charles Joseph WYCHERLEY died in Dunedin 1 January 1907 and is buried in PLOT 1A, BLOCK 47A at Northern Cemetery Dunedin
... His father, Charles Whittingham, also died in Dunedin, on 13 December 1916 aged 73 but was buried in PLOT 155P at Bolton St cemetery Wellington with his mother Hannah Kezia who had died on 13 March 1887 aged 39


Mary Agnes died on 11 September 1916 aged 48
- her headstone reads:
IN LOVING MEMORY of
MARY AGNES WYCHERLEY
widow of the late
C. J. WYCHERLEY
Ashhurst
WHO FELL ASLEEP
11th SEPT 1916, AGED 48
'TILL HE COME'

there is a foot plague that reads:
.. also her mother
MARGARETHA CARTER
Died May 22 1919, aged 76 years


I have a feeling the families arrived in New Zealand into Otago and so will do further research on Mary Agnes Funnell in this area as soon as I can get some time :)

sorry, Mary Agnes Wycherley above is buried in Terrace End cemetery, Pamerston North with her mother

Thank you very much for that information - it certainly tells me a lot that I didn't know. The daughter's name was actually Dorothea not Dorothy (I have her birth certificate. Dorothea & Ian were divorced in 1931. She remarried, Charles Edmund Kusabs but I don't know when - obviously after that date.
I really appreciate your help & would like to know what happened to Mary Agnes after Charles Wycherley died.
I have also been told that Dorothea was adopted - is there any way that I can find out whether this is true. I believe that Mary Agnes had TB. I have sent for their death certificates.
I saw your name in relation to information regarding the Funnells - are you related or are you a researcher.
Thank you again.

Hi ejc,

yes, I am a researcher and just settled in for a couple of hours of research on your family when I found this very interesting bit of info:

First to recap ...

Dorothea Mae Wycherley married Ian MATHEWSON NAIRN in 1923
- you say they were divorced in 1931 and that she remarried at some stage to Charles Edmund Kusabs (1872-1948)

well, here is something to ponder on ...

at least 2 boys were born:
Ronald MATHEWSON NAIRN Kusabs 23 Oct 1926
Kenrick MATHEWSON Kusabs - 1 September 1928

why would they have been given those middle names ???


by the way, Dorothea is also listed as being born 11 Dec 1901 (I have 11 Dec 1899) which makes her born 9 years after her parents marriage so possible she was adopted as you say

Charles Edmund Kusabs was born (1871-1948) in Ohaupo, Waikato and he and his brother Andrew Ernest Kusabs (1868-1928) were Timber Merchants, Sawmillers, Builders and Contractors up in the Mamakus near Rotorua (started about 1898). Their father was from Memel, Germany

- it is possible, therefore that Dorothea lived in Mamaku or in the Rotorua area and that maybe Mary Agnes lived with them for a time (as happened a lot in those days)

just a thought - still researching

your Suckling connection:

Charles Joseph Wycherley (1870-1907 above), had a sister, Mercy Gertrude Wycherley (1881-1958) who married Ernest Arthur SUCKLING (1884-1983) in 1911. A son, Lester Wycherley Suckling, graduated from Otago Univeristy in 1939 with a M.B. CH.B. Hhe only died December 9th last year (2010) aged 95 and is buried in Plot 10/5/ at Makara Cemetery Wellington

I think I will be writing a journal on this family soon - keeps all the bits of info in one 'story' and hopefully we will find out more on Mary Agnes

The plot thickens! Dorothea had 5 children with Ian Nairn. Denis, Ron, Margaret (Greta), and identical twin boys Selwyn & Kenrick. They were all Ian's children hence the family name of Mathewson. Charles Kusabs took on the 5 children when he married Dorothea (date of marriage unknown to me). Some of the children took on the name Kusabs (whether legally or not I do not know). I had already discovered that Dorothea fudged her age, as we always believed she was born in 1901 but when I got her birth certificate discovered this was incorrect. Dorothea was only 18 when her mother died in 1916 so there is no way Mary Agnes ever lived with Dorothea in Wellington (Nairn marriage) or Rotorua (Kusabs). The Wycherley family are & were Exclusive (Plymouth) Bretheren, so getting information from them is difficult, although I have received some help. I wonder if the Funnells were Bretherens as well. Back in those days leaving the church meant cutting off all ties to the family.
Thank you for the help. You must find it fascinating researching families. I'm finding it interesting trying to work out the stories I heard over the years with the reality. Must be a lot of that.

Dorothea's full name was Dorothea Mae James Wycherley

as you say, she divorced Ian Nairn in 1931
Ian owned a Garage in Auckland. He next married Eleen Philimene CAMPBELL in 1931 (daughter of Gavin Campbell & Mary Agnes Flynn). They divorced in 1934

Dorothea died in Rotorua on 1 June 1992

It's funny the things I do know. Yes, Ian owned the Britomart Garage in Auckland. I met him a few times. Dorothea & Charlie Kusabs adopted two children - I am one of them. I really know very little about her younger life or family & this is mainly what I am trying to find out, although I'm also curious about when she married Charlie. I don't know whether she was secretive or I was too young & not interested - much of what I think I know has been embellished (by me? or her?) The 5 Nairn children are all dead now & because they were all so much older than my sister or I, there wasn't a very close relationship. Whether they'd have been able to tell me more I don't know. There are lots of Nairn grandchildren who also know nothing of her life, so I'm hoping to put together a journal for them as well as for my children who want to know something about the family I was brought up in. Thanks again for your help.

Elaine I am amazed at the depth of your deception, and your self serving disrestful acts of vengeance and the disgrace you bring on the families concerned
Truth time
We are all capable of doing our own research and I have all the links and photgraphs up on facebook for all to see!

Removing Nana?s ashes from her resting place was done by Denise Stewart and Elaine Kusabs as a means to get back and cause the rest of the family emotional pain and stir grief in the hearts of those whom genuinely loved Nana. For the last few days on hearing this horror story I have had to remind my self that Nana?s ashes are only symbolic of her life. Why could you not let her rest in peace respecting her wishes wasa apparently too much to ask.
In Regards to Nana being adopted, what a lot of hooey I have spent a lot of time building the family tree Nana would have said that to Elaine only to ease her pride and pain of feeling like an outsider!

Loma was adopted first and Elaine was actually adopted as a companion for Loma! When Mr Kusabs died, Nana did more for Elaine than she did for any other member of the family Elaine had speech elocutions lessons and her education was well rounded in all aspects of the privileged and well to do! Nan?s weekends were spent with Elaine and her horse the grandchildren mostly took second place! Elaine broke Nana?s heart not once but so many times. Our Grandmother tried to commit suicide in our family home, I was only a kid I can still remember being in Kaitaia, when Elaine adopted her first born out without a care in the world leaving the hospital arm in arm with the new Boyfriend Millar. Nana was beside her self, she wanted to adopt the baby into the family. Then Elaine left the threebeautiful children she had with Millar with him to bring up while they were also very young. She has since had another beautiful daughter in Autraila. If she wants to mend broken fences she would be better served fixing her wrongs with her own children!

We all have our crosses to bear in life we don't want tobe burdened with yours move on. You insulted Marky saying he had no right to the name Kusabs - Wrong again he has every right Mr Kusabs maried Nana because he loved her children they were always his twins, when Mr Ian Nairn was approached regarding the formal adoption of the 5 Nairn children he refused point blank, but from the first day of school they were all registered as Kusabs and have all been known as the Kusabs since. The twins were named after 'Doctor Selwyn Kenrick' because he not only saved the lives of the twins but also the life of Nana with an emergency full Hysterectomy. If anyone else reading this wants the Historical informationaboutthe families please leave a note on here and I will certainly do all I can to help you.....

Dorothea Mae James Wycherley divorced Ian Nairn due to his infidelities and to give his unborn son David Mathewson who died in 1936 at just 7 years old. Yes while she was carring the twins another woman was also pregnant. When She met Ian Nairn he was a respectful gentleman working in a Wellington as a Bank Teller coming from a decent family she thought her future to be secure. She loved him with all her heart but in later years had a saying which went I would rather be a an old man's darling than a young man slaves refering to her marriages as poles apart Nairn /slave Kusabs/darling..

He next married Eleen Philimene CAMPBELL in 1931 (daughter of Gavin Campbell & Mary Agnes Flynn). They divorced in 1934

As you can see he left his second wife in much the same manner as the first with little regard to his the children he sired.
My grandmother was not perfect by a long shot but to uplift her ashes after she had been gone twenty years and all her natural children had also passed on and move them to another town without informing the family and then to slag her off on a message board is unforgivable. I am sure now that you can see that facts speak for themselves.
Elaine and Loma were not sired by the Nairn children as she triedto insinuate but were both loved and accepted by all- except me Loma was good sort but Elaine ????

Wow this is an interesting thread. I am looking for True Male desendants of Ian Nairne, well actually his father, Dr David Mathewson Nairn who was a doctor in Blenheim in the late 1800's early 1900's before moving to Wellington. Sounds like Ian was as I suspected, not the most ideal husband. But am despirately trying to find male desendants to solve a family mystery from Blenheim in the late 1800's. The funny thing is I live in Ohaupo where Mr Kusabs came from. Any information who be very much appreciated.
Cathy.

Elaine: I have the death notice of David Nairn and yes he was conceived in the same year Dorothea your adoptive Mother conceived the twins. She left him moved to Auckland and the twins were born in Auckland New Zealand. Mr Nairn never as much as suggested the twins were not his biological children. He married the other women and his son David died at the tender age of seven like I said I have proof of this! Ian Nairn paid dearly for his indiscretion losing his whole family! In today's world this would not have the stigma attached to it as it did then! nana was only seventeen when her Mother died and at no stage of her life has she ever lived in Mamaku. one of his businesses was there and to the best of my knowledge Loma's biological Mother lived there. Elaine biological mother came from Ohaupo and her Father was from Matamata and was a close friend of Mr Kusabs. Adoptions in the day were more arranged than processed through Govt Depts as they are these days!


ngairedith: Kudos to you you have done a great job in your research of these families. I have tapped a few resources and am extremely please to say that in most cases I can follow the generations back at least 14 generations. David Mathewson Nairn was one of eight children and was only one to immigrate.

cathynz: It seems to me that your Grandmother/ or grandfather must be the one you are implying was sired by Dr David Nairn. Your family mystery seem to be an attempt to discredit David Nairns good name! I have told you via your emails that as the man can not defend himself I really think you need to stop sullying his reputation. I am going to go on to say in those days Doctors adopted children out sometimes the babies would not be a day old when they were in the arms of their loving adoptive parents along the lines of you don't want a baby I will give it to someone who wants a child-your child will go to a good home! Please check all the adoption papers before you run around wanting DNA from strangers. I told you the test cost $1700.00 and my family all know now not to do any DNA test with you! Your motivation is and attitude is highly suspect and questionable! Hint if your Blood is blue your might or might not be one of ours!!!
BTW Ian Nairn and Charles and Dorothea Kusabs ended up quite good friends.