John Samuel Edmonds Life S Calender IN Nz

edmondsallan- good morning to all . This journal is a COMPILED BRIEF - by year , on " John's " life . In general you may have read the journals on the whole family . In doing so, it is hard to visualize what was happening in our original ancestor's life , daily, monthly , yearly. By looking at his life, yearly , ( we all understand our daily chores & what he was possibly doing in general, daily, also .)reading a brief notation - we can gather a mental picture ,in small frames , & get to understand " John's ) life better on the major worries/ tasks etc', that were facing him .( ** > I will try & dodge what has already has been told in journals, this might effect the flow on of this journal < ** )
1834 - 7th Feb - Arrives in Kerikeri- Bay of Islands .NZ ( age 33 )
Stone mason work - although very uneducated , trying to do the lord's work for the CMS. Living near the Stone Store in Kerikeri.
1835-1836- 1837- same things ,except the Local CMS Bretheren ,
dislike him & reject his missionary ways and are against his maori land dealings in aquirying land for himself . ( age 36 )
1838 Through bartering of goods , bought( 3,892 Acres ) along the
southern side of the inlet in 4 sections from the Ngai Tahuhu & Ngaati Wai tribes . From his savings he bought ( 70 acres ) off
" Henry Williams"for ( 35 pounds )
1839 John was asked to retire from the CMS By the Rev Williams ,
the church committee , & brethren , with a one off payment of 100 pounds ( age 38 - wife -10 children - one milking cow - horse & cart - some furniture - 320 pounds ( includes the 100 pounds Super )
1840 Started to build the homestead , now known as the " Edmonds
Ruins " The first task was to outline the ( 70 ) acres with a stone wall all around it , then divide by stone walls, the homestead
orchard , paddocks , etc . John ( 39 )himself was working still on the road cutting to Kerikeri to earn some monies . Samuel (,17 ) Arthur (15) William (12 ), gathered the stones on the property , carried them to where they were wanted & built the walls .
1841 John( 40 )was told to cease all work being paid for by CMS. He
was now out of work ,had a fenced in property . a veggy garden . orchard planted , living in a 2 room bach down by the river with his wife & 11 children . The surrounding Maori people , saw that this family was starving and brought food to them for several years.
1842- 1843- John ( 42 ) position was just the same except he & his
three eldest sons had built more of the house from the balsalt rocks around them & cut down local timber for frame work .Much of the furniture was also made by the whole family
1844 -1845 - Hone Heke was angry with exploiting of his people &
their lands and was attacking the settlers around that area .
John ( 43 ) took his whole family to Auckland . John & his 3 eldest boys got work as storeman , They rented a house.
1846 - John ( 45 ) returns to Kerkeri and their partially built
Homestead . Samuel & William stayed in their jobs in Auckland & boarded together . Only 9 children came back to Kerikeri , Arthur now the eldest at home became the leader with responsibilities of his brothers & sisters . A position he did not want or like .
The government Land settlement authority ( decree by Governor Grey )
confiscated , huge tracts of lands from the Settlers ( including John's --- 3,892 Acres ) who had bought the land by bartering with the maoris . He was allowed to keep the ( 70 acres )he bought off Henry Williams .They then allowed John to buy back at ( 10 shillings
an acre ) - approximately in todays value - 50 cents . 400 acres of his previously owned land - allocating 50 acres each for each son - total cost ( 200 pounds)
1847 Arthur leaves home after nasty argument with John ( 48 )now
only 8 children at home
1848-- 1854 John ( 54 ) and sons - Henry ( 23 ) Alfred ( 21 ) John
Tucker ( 19 ) Joseph ( 18 ) Ruben ( 17 ) nearly completed building their homestead , They have managed to grow enough food, crops , make flour & sell some of the overflow to the Europeans & maoris . Joseph at also started doing farm work for monies from the local Farmers .Their 70 acres now being looked at & surveyed for a possible Kerikeri Town ship by the Crown lands & survey department
Henry has severe argument with his father & rebells . & leaves home.
7 children at home
1855 - 1856 - Developing the farm , building outer buildings , Heavy work load over the years , has taken a toll on Johns Health
1857 - John ( 57 ) Then Alfred ( 24 )marries Sarah Ann
Makepeace , Jane ( 19 ) marries George Edward Budlong
Sarah ( 18 ) marries Louis Clifford Goffe . All leave home & only 4 children are still their .
1858- 1859 - John (59 ) is just managing to make ends meet He also is
still converting Local Maori to Christianity causing anger at the CMS mission . Joseph ( 23 )leaves home for Auckland where William has secured him a job as a storeman where he works . Joseph starts going out with his future wife . ( 3 children still at home )
Mary anne is missing all her older children & also thro what she has gone thro ' over the years ,is now starting to secume to ill health off & on .
1860 John ( 60 )says farewell to Ruben ( 23 )who has decided he
needs to see the world . John Tucker ( 25 ) & Matilda ( 15 )are still at home helping their parents who have started to slip Health wise
1861 John & Mary Ann go to Auckland on one of Samuels coastal
vessels free of charge to stay with Samuel & family . Samuel is very concerned over his mother's health and assists her to see medical specialists and makes his father rest up , plenty of food , and get him well again . John Tucker & Matilda are looking after the Homestead & farm back at Kerikeri
1862 Maryann ( 62 ) dies at Samuels home on the 9th of March ,and is
buried at the Symonds street Cemetery AK . John ( 62 ) goes back to " Bellevue " Kerikeri . Their he is informed by the Land Settlement authorites that his 470 acres will be taken for a township to be called " KeriKeri " They make him an offer . He can retain only 7 acres ( the homestead - etc ) they will compensate him approx' 10 shillings an acre ( total 1,160 pounds ).At a later date they are forced at a meeting to make another, better offer They will also allocate him a grant of 548 acres at Kaikohe at 10 shillings an acre plus a further sum of 2,000 pounds in compensation , ( The latter offer came after john said he would not sell and would go to Court to dispute the taking of his lands )
1863 John ( 63 ) goes to Auckland and with the assistance of Samuel
prepares a court case in Auckland . The Land Settlement Authorites ask for another meeting and the offer previously mentioned is agreed upon by John , Samuel & queens Counsel _ ( paid for by Samuel ) Since John has been in Auckland he met HIs future 2nd wife - Ellen Davies
1863 John ( 63 ) marries Ellen Davies ( 29 ) and they both travel
back to " Bellevue " Kerikeri on board one of Samuel's coastal vessels and on the 21st of November 1863 a son was born , John George Petingale .
1864 John ( 64 ) goes back to treating his two remaining chilfren
from his first marriage as if they were servants ,. Both resented his actions towards them while at the same time he was treating his new wife as if she were a queen . It is told that very quickly John Tucker ( 29 ) found work with a farmer, a little further north of Kerikeri & left home for good , Matilda ( 19 ) had been seeing a nice young guy while her father was away . Although her lover , John Wright Hingstone & herself had nothing ,they got married in Kerikeri , with Brother " Henry " giving her away , while her two brother inlaws were witnesses to the marriage Although invited , her father and new wife did not attend . It is said that Her father , once again, was in a towering rage at not being asked permission to marry .
1865 John ( 65 ) Had ,had a second child , a daughter , with Ellen .
Mary Anne .He also only took up 50 acres of the land grant at Kaikohe for the sum of 25 pounds plus keeping his " Bellevue & 7 acres at Kerikeri and the total sum of monies . On the July 15th 1865 ( age 65 ) while staying with his daughter - " Sarah & Louis C Goffe " in Haruru , he collapsed & died . the rest is in the journal on his death
To me personnally , in seeing this short notations & the years dated -- to me he never seemed to be out of the never ending struggle to survive !!! In fact ,I don't know how they could have stayed alive , it must have been very very tough going for them all . Its know wonder Samuel remembered to the end the asistance the Ngati Wai maori people gave to them , without wanting anything in return .Yes , John Samuel Edmonds was certainly " a very suitable man " to take all that , raise his family and be a winner , money wise ,at the very end . till we meet again - regards -edmondsallan