hi dennie, this is the obituary for their son John McKenzie who died in Blenheim 22 May 1939 aged 90. It tells a bit about his father William McKenzie who, as you said above, arrived into Nelson on the Theresa 3 April 1844 with his future wife Mary Ann Davis and they married 14 days later.
You will probably find more on them by reading the old newspapers of the day via Papers Past (a link follows)
The Obituary was taken from The Press, 23 May 1939 Mr John McKenzie of Blenheim, who was one of the few remaining survivors of the first generation of New Zealand-born pioneers, died this morning. Mr McKenzie was in his ninety-first year. He was extremely well known throughout the Marlborough district and was regarded as one of the best informed residents upon the history of pioneering in the province. He was born in Wellington in 1848. His father was William McKenzie, of Aberdeen, a shipwright, who married Mary Anne Davis, a fellow passenger to Nelson in the New Zealand Company's ship Theresa, which left the Thames on November 27, 1843, for Nelson. The first 10 years of his life Mr McKenzie spent with his parents in Wellington. His father's death occurred at the wheel of the schooner "Wairarapa" which he had built for trading between Wellington and the Heathcote river. Soon afterwards Mr McKenzie's mother accepted a position as housekeeper to Mr George McRae, the original owner of the Blairich station in the Upper Awatere. With her two sons, Alexander and John, she arrived at Boulder Bank, at the mouth of the Wairau river, by the schooner "Shepherdess" in 1858, the next day the family setting off by bullock dray for Awatere. This journey, which occupied two days, was a history-making one, for the dray was the first vehicle to penetrate the Awatere.
Mr McKenzie was educated at Nelson. By 1863, when he was a lad barely 15 years, he set out in search for work, then beginning a long experience with live stock, which he carried on without a break for close on 70 years. His first job was at Richmond Brook in the capacity of cowboy-gardener, at £20 a year. The place was then managed by Mr John Haycock for Major Richmond. After three months however, he went to the adjoining station of Upton Downs, which was owned by Mr H. H. Stafford and in January 1865, he helped with the first horse-drawn waggon which brought wool from Awatere to Blenheim by the newly-constructed Taylor Pass road. Before this, all Awatere wool had to be brought to the mouth of the Wairau by bullock dray or waggon, running the gauntlet of Vernon Bluff at low tide. Mr McKenzie left Upton Downs and returned to Richmond Brook in the capacity of head stockman. He held this position for three years, when he secured a new job on a station near Napier, but later returned to the Marlborough district to fill a position as head shepherd on the Tytler run in the inner Clarence.
Mr McKenzie married at Blue Glen, near Tophouse, in 1882, Miss Agnes Elizabeth Kerr and there is a large family, Messrs John McKenzie (Blenheim) and Ernest McKenzie (Ward), Mesdames S. R. Jordan (Blenheim), H. L. Kinzett (Blenheim), V. Holdaway (Turua), Arthur Hills (Blenheim) and Arthur Peat (Turua). During the last seven or so years, Mr McKenzie, who enjoyed remarkably good health, lived in retirement, his time being spent with relatives in Blenheim
NOTE the children of John & Agnes
1883 - 1960 Margaret Ann McKenzie married Vincent Stanley Holdaway in 1907
1884 - 1963 Janet Theresa McKenzie married Arthur Peat in 1912
1886 - Ellen Amy McKenzie married Hedley Leonard Kinzett in 1910
1887 - 1955 John David McKenzie
1889 - 1968 Ernest William McKenzie
1892 - 1951 Bertha May McKenzie married Stewart Wilson Jordan in 1916
1896 - 1946 Ethel Isabel McKenzie married Arthur William Hills in 1925
Thanks for the info but i still don't know anything about William and he is the puzzel in all of this if you hhave any info regarding when he was born and who his parents were then that would be wonderful i appreciate the help
hi dennie,
this is the obituary for their son John McKenzie who died in Blenheim 22 May 1939 aged 90. It tells a bit about his father William McKenzie who, as you said above, arrived into Nelson on the Theresa 3 April 1844 with his future wife Mary Ann Davis and they married 14 days later.
You will probably find more on them by reading the old newspapers of the day via Papers Past (a link follows)
The Obituary was taken from The Press, 23 May 1939
Mr John McKenzie of Blenheim, who was one of the few remaining survivors of the first generation of New Zealand-born pioneers, died this morning. Mr McKenzie was in his ninety-first year. He was extremely well known throughout the Marlborough district and was regarded as one of the best informed residents upon the history of pioneering in the province.
He was born in Wellington in 1848. His father was William McKenzie, of Aberdeen, a shipwright, who married Mary Anne Davis, a fellow passenger to Nelson in the New Zealand Company's ship Theresa, which left the Thames on November 27, 1843, for Nelson.
The first 10 years of his life Mr McKenzie spent with his parents in Wellington. His father's death occurred at the wheel of the schooner "Wairarapa" which he had built for trading between Wellington and the Heathcote river.
Soon afterwards Mr McKenzie's mother accepted a position as housekeeper to Mr George McRae, the original owner of the Blairich station in the Upper Awatere. With her two sons, Alexander and John, she arrived at Boulder Bank, at the mouth of the Wairau river, by the schooner "Shepherdess" in 1858, the next day the family setting off by bullock dray for Awatere. This journey, which occupied two days, was a history-making one, for the dray was the first vehicle to penetrate the Awatere.
Mr McKenzie was educated at Nelson. By 1863, when he was a lad barely 15 years, he set out in search for work, then beginning a long experience with live stock, which he carried on without a break for close on 70 years. His first job was at Richmond Brook in the capacity of cowboy-gardener, at £20 a year. The place was then managed by Mr John Haycock for Major Richmond. After three months however, he went to the adjoining station of Upton Downs, which was owned by Mr H. H. Stafford and in January 1865, he helped with the first horse-drawn waggon which brought wool from Awatere to Blenheim by the newly-constructed Taylor Pass road. Before this, all Awatere wool had to be brought to the mouth of the Wairau by bullock dray or waggon, running the gauntlet of Vernon Bluff at low tide.
Mr McKenzie left Upton Downs and returned to Richmond Brook in the capacity of head stockman. He held this position for three years, when he secured a new job on a station near Napier, but later returned to the Marlborough district to fill a position as head shepherd on the Tytler run in the inner Clarence.
Mr McKenzie married at Blue Glen, near Tophouse, in 1882, Miss Agnes Elizabeth Kerr and there is a large family, Messrs John McKenzie (Blenheim) and Ernest McKenzie (Ward), Mesdames S. R. Jordan (Blenheim), H. L. Kinzett (Blenheim), V. Holdaway (Turua), Arthur Hills (Blenheim) and Arthur Peat (Turua).
During the last seven or so years, Mr McKenzie, who enjoyed remarkably good health, lived in retirement, his time being spent with relatives in Blenheim
NOTE the children of John & Agnes
Thanks for the info but i still don't know anything about William and he is the puzzel in all of this if you hhave any info regarding when he was born and who his parents were then that would be wonderful i appreciate the help