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the family of DOROTHEA MAE JAMES WYCHERLEY

Journal by ngairedith

DOROTHEA MAE JAMES WYCHERLEY
was born 3rd quarter 1899. Her birth was registered in Gore, Otago (archives #3283/65) and her birth certificate shows her name as Dorothea, NOT Dorothy as some think.
She was a (adopted) daughter of Charles Joseph WYCHERLEY & Mary Agnes nee SCHONBOHM, formerly FUNNELL
see:
the story of her father CHARLES JOSEPH WYCHERLEY (died 30 Dec 1906)
the story of her mother MARY AGNES SCHONBOHM (died 11 Sep 1916)

Dorothea's middle name 'James' came from her step great grandmother, Mary JAMES, wife of JOHN LASKEY, parents of Phillis James Laskey who married John CARTER, in laws of Margaretha Catharina Schonbohm who married William Edward Laskey Carter, who was Dorothea's mother & step father

Dorothea was just 7 when her father Charles Wycherley died on 30 Dec 1906
She was just 17 when her mother Mary Agnes Wycherley died on 11 Sep 1916
She was (apparently) then sent to live with maiden aunts, from the Wycherley side, in Wellington after her mother's death.

Dorothea married IAN MATHEWSON NAIRN (1903-1980) on 22 March 1923 in Wellington when she was 23, Ian was 20
Ian was born in Jan 1903, 1 of 4 sons of his father's 2nd marriage (his 1st wife was Margaret Hood MENZIE (1860-1893) & they had 4 daughters.

His father, Dr David Mathewson NAIRN (1863-1924) was born in Angus, Dundee, Scotland, 1 of 8 children of William NAIRN & Elizabeth MATTHEWSON and the only one to come to NZ. Ian's mother was Hannah Maria 'Annie' FARMAR (1869-1949), born in Blenheim, NZ to Frederick Thomas FARMAR (1833-1913) & Ellen CHANT (1841-1934)
Ian later owned a service station near Auckland

Ian's half siblings & siblings
... (Dr David Nairn & Margaret Menzie)
... 1 1886 - 1935 Winifred Mildred Nairn
Winifred married Winifred married William Henry Pickard (1877-1921) in 1909

... 2 1888 - 1932 Beatrice Constance Nairn
Beatrice marriage not found

... 3 1891 - 1966 Dora Nairn
Dora attended Blenheim school
Beatrice marriage not found

... 4 1892 - 1980 Vera Nairn
Vera attended Blenheim school
Vera married Robert Campbell Raikes (1893-1928) in 1919

... (Dr David Nairn & Annie Farmar)
... 5 1894 - 1968 Norman Nairn OBE 1929, CBE 1945
Norman joined the British Army in 1914 serving with Allenby in Palestine.
THE STORY
Norman married Elsie MacDonald BARCLAY (1897-1990) 1923 in England and had 2 children
Norman next married Varina STONE in 1945
Norman next married Muriel ? in 1960. They lived in Beirut, Lebanon
Norman, with his brother Gerald formed the Nairn Transport Company's Beirtu to Baghdad passenger, mail and freight service from 1923 - 1946.
Norman died 30 Sep 1968 at at Mount Alvernia Hospital, Guildford, Surrey

... 6 1897 - 1980 Gerald Nairn
Gerald, with Norman, founded the Nairn Transport Company in 1923
* he served in WWI as 58135
Gerald married Rea Catherine FOLEY (1900-1967) in Sydney in 1925. They had 2 sons, Gerald Nairn who lived in Australia & Philip Nairn who lived in Auckland
* Rea died suddenly on 9 Dec 1967 at her residence, 1 Nobs Line, New Plymouth aged 67
Gerald next married Nellie Violet COKER. Nellie was born in Blenheim. She died in 1990. Her Probate is held in Wellington. Nothing else known
Gerald died in Nelson, NZ 28 July 1980 aged 83. His Probate was in Blenheim

... 7 1900 - 1959 William Mathewson Nairn
William was born 21 May 1900
William married Hazel Lesley MANN (1901-1993) in 1925 at St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington. A daughter of Charles Burgess MANN (1861-1943) & Minnie Ursula COLE (1863-1937). She had a brother Leo Durham Hardbattle Mann born in 1896-?
at various times William was a Bank Manager & the Manager of the Criterion Hotel in New Plymouth. He was also a Hotelkeeper in Hamilton where he died 27 Nov 1959 aged 59. His ashes were scattered in Purewa, Auckland. His Probate was in Hamilton & the file held in Auckland

... 8 1903 - 1980 Ian Mathewson Nairn
Ian was born was 10 Jan 1903 and married Dorothea Wycherley as above
Dorothea & Ian had 5 children in 5 years
(the 1st born when she was 23, the last when she was 28)
... 1
21 Nov 1923 - 1983 Dennis Ian Mathewson Nairn

... 2
1924 - ? Greta 'Margaret' Nairn
* Greta married Albert STEWART
* Greta died in Napier

... 3
23 Oct 1926 - 2011 Ronald Mathewson 'Ron' Nairn
* Ronald later became Mathewson/Kusabs
* He died 13 Feb 2011 aged 84, 1 MONTH after brother Kenrick

... 4
1 Sept 1928 - 2011 Kenrick Mathewson Nairn
* twin with Selwyn, he later became Mathewson/Kusabs
* Kenrick died on 12 Jan 2011 aged 82, 1 MONTH before brother RONALD

... 5
1 Sept 1928 - Selwyn Nairn
* twin with Kenrick

Dorothea & Ian divorced in 1931
Ian remarried in 1931 to Eileen Philimene Campbell aka Payne in 1931, although they had a son, David Mathewson Nairn in 1929 (much the same time as his twins with Dorothea) who died aged 7 in 1936. They divorced in 1934 in Auckland.
Ian remarried in 1935 to Sybil Florence Robinson. They divorced in 1950 in Auckland
He may have remarried
Ian owned the Britomart Garage in Auckland. He died 22 Feb 1980 aged 77 and is buried at Purewa Cemetery. His probate was in Auckland

Dorothea remarried to Charles Edmund KUSABS (1872-1948) 13 April 1934
Charles Edmund Kusabs was born in Ohaupo, Waikato, a son of Henry KUSABS & Emily PRENTICE
Charles and his brother, Andrew Ernest Kusabs (1868-1928) were Timber Merchants, Sawmillers, Builders and Contractors up in the Mamakus near Rotorua (started about 1898)
Charles first married Cora Amelia Penn (1874-1928) 18 Aug 1896 in Ashburton
Hot Lakes Chronicle, 16 Sep 1896
KUSABS-PENN
- On August 18th, at St. Stephen's Church, Ashburton, by the Rev Mr Thomas, Charles Edmund Kusabs, third and youngest son of Mr Henry Kusabs, of Uhaupo to Cora A. Penn, second daughter of Mr Henry Penn, Inspector Permanent Way, N.Z.R., Ashburton
the children of Charles & Cora
1897 - 1974 Prentice Arthur Kusabs
Cora died 4 Nov 1928 and she is buried Plot 14, Block 3, Section 2 in Rotorua Cemetery. Her probate was held at the Hamilton High Court

* Charles Kusabs 'took on' Dorothea's 5 children (some taking the name Kusabs as above) and they adopted two girls:
* Elaine Kusabs
* Loma Kusabs

* Charles's father, Henry Kusabs (1832-1914), was from the Baltic Port of Memel, Lithuania

from the Cyclopedia of New Zealand on Ohaupo written about 1902
* KUSABS, Henry, Farmer, Ohaupo. Mr Kusabs, who served for some time as a Member of the Waipa County Council, and was for six years on the Waikato Hospital Board, was born in Prussia, in 1832. He was brought up to country life, but went to sea at the age of twenty, and served before the mast for eight years. Mr Kusabs visited Auckland in 1858 for the first time, and, after trading for a year or two on the coast, left the sea. For two years he engaged in building at the Thames, and bought the first portion of his holding in Ohaupo in 1872. Mr Kusabs has 400 acres of land, and milks from fifty to sixty cows. He took an active part in connection with the foundation of the Anglican Church at Ohaupo, and has been a clergyman's warden for twenty-seven years. Mr Kusabs was married, in 1865, to a daughter of the late Mr Prentice, of London, and has three sons
from the bio of George Frederick Mellars who died at Taupiri in 1904
* George Frederick Mellars, who died at Taupiri a few days ago, was a typical pioneer colonist. He was one of the best known figures in the central part of this province for a period of thirty-five years, and did more hard work than most men. When he was running the timber industry at Ohaupo in the early days, his neighbour and afterwards competitor, was Henry KUSABS. Henry is a Prussian from the Baltic port of Memel and George Mellars was a Nottin'am man, with the most pronounced version of the difficult dialect of his native country. When these two got into an argument, therefore, the rest of the company had all the fun they wanted by simply listening. Two good, honest old fellows they were, and the colony would be all the better if it had more of their sort
from the OBSERVER, 1 July 1905
* Henry Kusabs is a native of Memel, in the extreme north-east of the Prussian Kingdom, on a tongue of land that Russia somehow forgot to annex. But Mr Kusabs, while he retains kindly memories of his birthplace, has no time for the Kaiser and Prussian institutions in general. He is one of the sturdiest Britons in New Zealand, and the King has no more loyal or enthusiastic subject. Mr Kusabs has played an important part in the development of the Waikato, as farmer, sawmiller and member of local governing bodies, and, until laid aside by a serious accident about three years ago, whereby he lost his leg and very nearly his life, he was one of the most active and hardworking men in the district. His enterprising qualities have been inherited by his sons, who are well-known in the timber business in the Rotorua district

in 1895 (at least) the Kusabs brothers operated a mill in the Mamaku area and had a steam re-cutting mill at their yard in central Rotorua
in 1898 (at least) Charles Kusabs was the Manager of the Mountain Rimu Timber Company Ltd in Mamaku
in 1899 he was gazetted a Justice of the Peace in November
in 1902 he bought 2 sections in Rotorua (at the same time as L.D. Nathan who also purchased 2 sections)
in 1912 he was 1 of 15 candidates (for the 5 seats) to serve on the Tauranga Licensing Committee
Charles was a enthusiastic sportsman, playing Championship Golf, a member of the Rotorua Gun Club of which he was one of the founders, played croquet and cricket

Charles Edmund Kusabs died of a heart attack on 25 March 1948 aged 76
He is buried Plot 6, Block 2, Section 49 at Rotorua Cemetery, Sala street.
Dorothea Mae died in Rotorua on 1 June 1992 aged 90
Her ashes are interred with Charles

NOTES
the KUSABS BUILDING 1924
Architects - Edgecumbe & White
Specifications at Hamilton Library

The Landmark at 1 Meade Street was constructed from Kauri around 1900, by Charles Kusabs, a saw miller, as a home of a local doctor.

from Rotorua Historic Buildings .. In the ensuing years the Landmark has served a number of functions ranging from its first as a family home to being a private hotel, flats, motel, restaurant and finally back to a family home. Steve and Wendy Fraser purchased the property in 2000 and, in conjunction with the Historic Places Trust, set about lovingly restoring the Category II wooden building back to pristine condition.

Still a most attractive building, the Landmark is approximately 260 square metres and boasts some of the best fittings available at the time of construction including decorative plaster ceilings imported from England and a number of stained glass windows. Perhaps the most strikingly attractive interior feature is the newel post carved from heart rimu. Viewed from the outside, the most noticeable feature is the turret. Ornamental wooden shingles are a focal point of the gables.

Rotorua Historian DON STAFFORD (1927-2010)
* Donald Murray 'Don' Stafford MBE, CBE was regarded as Rotorua's Pakeha kaumatua

by koosh 13 April 2019 .. Dorothea Mae name is totally incorrect as she was adopted
her Birth Mother was Annie James 25 years old from England
No Birth father Details
Her Birth Mother gave her the birth Name of Dorothy May (Correct spelling)
She was born on the 11th December 1899 at the Alexandra Home in Wellington
The Registration Number of her Birth Document is 1900003797
The order of the Adoption was signed on the 16th of September 1905 but she was taken from the Alexandra Home on the 23 December 1899 by her adoptive parents Charles Joseph Wycherley and Mary Anges Wycherley (nee Funnel) not to sure what the delay was about maybe her Mother really wanted to keep/fought for her - or the Wycherleys waited until after Dorothy May Cleft Palate had been operated and fixed on.
I am not judgemental about this but it is a shame that the lies and deception have clouded the truth and perhaps the details of her Father could have been resolved. DNA could solve it

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by ngairedith Profile | Research | Contact | Subscribe | Block this user
on 2011-10-11 05:06:45

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Comments

by ru4real on 2012-12-25 21:27:59

Charles Edmund Kusabs has a well documented life with writing by Don Stafford Rotorua local Historian. While Don Stafford not make mention of the fact that Mr Kusabs married Dorothea Mae Nairn nee WYCHERLEY he has provided some interesting facts about the Kusabs family and the acheivements and respect the man earned during his life time. He was a shrewd business man and had an eye for investments owning land in Kaitia, Tauranga Wharf 2 farms in Rotorua, ownded a huge portion of the inner city . He also built the Historial Rotorua 'Land Mark ' Building for his first wife his second wife would have nothing to do with it,refused to live in it saying it was haunted. He had a beach property in Ohope near Whakatane. He was not a man who believed in insurance and it did have it setbacks, to the best of my knowlede his hughly sucessful Local Bus services business was sold to the city Council. His land and assets mainly went to his natural children from his first mariage and Dorothea Kusabs divided and sub sectioned the summer stock farm now known as Kusabs Road, Edmund Road, Nairn Road, and Kenrick Road the names of Charles and Selwyn Roads had already been established in the township. Mr Charles Kusabs died on the Golf Course from a massive heart attack. Mr Selwyn Nairn sold his home in Auckland and died on the 11 May 1996 in Surfers Paradise Austraila of Lung Cancer . Margaret Greta Nairn was born 3rd or 4th May 1928.
The head of the Nairn/Kusabs family is now Gerald Nairn first born son of Dennis Nairn.

by ru4real on 2012-12-27 15:08:52

Dorothea was not born in Palmerton North she was born in Wellington in 1903 possible 1901 On all her natural children Birth Certificates she was 3 years older than Ian Nairn. She also lived with an Aunt and Uncle after her Mother died until she married not some furlong spinster Aunts
In her own words she was not adopted because nobody in their right mind would have adopted her. She was born to a particularly beautiful Mother and was a source of shame due to the fact she was born with Cleft Palate this was surgically corrected when it was the right time to do so. Elaine was not a child when her mother died in fact she was 49 years old- all this woe is me is a little hard to take when having fisrt hand knowledge of the full history. Nana was an extremely well educated woman a great cook, did amazing needlework and was also an accomplished Pianist- Everyone in her hometown called her Mum or Nana she was much loved but suffered from Lupus which has come down in the following generations.
Mr Kusabs birthplace is also wrong but I am sure we can verify that shortly.
Thank you for putting the NOTES into place after my last post much appreciated!
Selwyn is the 4th child Kendrick is the 5th Sel always reminded Ken who was the oldest by that whole hour respect was sought but mostly denied!
I went to some of Nana?s family Do?s. They were tea total in Nana?s words but good people some of Nana?s relations were Plymouth Brethren but in actually fact she was Church of England. One thing is for sure I am definately going to do a Journal the facts need to be righted.

by shon26 on 2016-12-08 05:12:27

Margarets correct name was Margaret Joyce Nairn. Born 12 May. Margaret married a ministers son John Laughton from Havelock North HB and her second marriage was to Albert Cyril Edward Stewart from Dunedin. They adopted Margarets younger brother Kenderick Mathison Nairn illigitimate child to Margaret Pearl Martin in 1951. Childs name was Denise Maree Stewart. In1952 their first born, a son Ronald Thomas Stewart then 1955 daughter Dorathea Kaye Stewart was born.

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