Alexander Stevenson (Stephenson) and Euphemia Dawson

Alexander was born on 29 August 1823 in Penston, Scotland and Euphemia born on 2 December 1828.  She was christened on 14 December 1825 in Aberlady, East Lothain Scotland.  They were married South Leith, Midlothian, Scotland on 19 Dec 1851.  In 1861 they were living at the old Manse East Lothian and Alexander was working as a farmer and carter.  He was farming 9 acres.   They came to New Zealand as assisted immigrants with 3 children on the Silistria, A ship of 642 tons.  As they came as assisted immigrants they probably didn’t own their land.    The Silistra sailed from Glasgow on the 4th October, and arrived at Port Chalmers Dunedin on 11 January, 1862, after a reportedly pleasant passage of 99 days.

They may have tried their luck on the gold fields as the next time they appear is in Mosgiel, Otago where they farming 20 years later.  Mosgiel is close to Dunedin and considered a suburb of Dunedin these days.  It is about 10km from the centre of Dunedin.    Alexander is recorded selling a rage of items in 1882 including horses, dairy cows, pigs, farming implements, kitchen and dairy utensils[1].   They didn’t sell the house and move as there is a record of Alexander going Bankrupt in 1883[2].   He appeared in court shortly afterwards charged with stealing a horse.

‘Alleged case of horse stealing   Alexander Stephenson was charged with having, on the 4^th inst.; stolen a filly from the white horse stables the property of Alexander Mollison – Mr Macgregor appeared for the informant, and Mr McDonald for the defendant.  It was agreed to have the case withdrawn – Mr McDonald explained to the bench that the defendant had become insolvent a short time ago and that the horse had been seized by his creditors.  He maintained that the horse belonged to his son and the matter was to be settled in the civil court.

 The background to this bankruptcy was what was called the long depression which was a worldwide depression that began in 1877 an in which the New Zealand economy did no grow for 16 years.  Commodity prices fell and unemployment rose to high levels.   

Alexander is reported selling three cows in 1905[3].     They were living in Mosgiel  in 1896[4] and had moved to Mossburn by  1902 where they  celebrated their golden wedding [5]    The report in Otago witness stated that:

‘On boxing day Mr and Mrs Alexander Stevenson, who have lived 40 years in the Taieri district, celebrated their golden wedding at their residence, Mossburn.  A large number of relations and friends assembled to offer their congratulation to the happy couple.  The company sat down to dinner and during the repast opportunity was taken for presenting Mr and Mrs Stevenson with a purse of sovereigns, the gift of many well-wishers.  During the day many other valuable presents were made to the couple.               

Alexander died on 29 January 1908 of bladder cancer[6].  Euphemia died on 9 April 1911 of cancer of the uterus[7].  Their children were

1.       Alexander who was born in 1855 in Leith Midlothian Scotland.  See separate history

2.        Margret H was born in Leith in 1854

3.        William D Stephenson was born in Leith in 1856

4.       Thomas was born in Leith on 22 April 1857

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[1] Otago Daily Times 8 Nov 1882

[2] Otago Daily Times , Issue 6606, 18 April 1883

[3] Otago Witness livestock report Wednesday May 17 1905

[4] 1895 electoral roll

[5] Otago Witness , Issue 2495, 8 January 1902, Page 29

[6] Death certificate

[7] Death certificate

Alexander Stevenson and Janet Taylor

Alexander and Janet were married on 12 August 1809 in Tranent East Lothian  They lived at Penston a farm near East Lothian   Their children were

1.       Alexander born 12 August 1823  in Penston Scotland.  He was christened on 7 September 1823 and married Euphemia Dawson.  See separate history

William Dawson and Margaret Henderson

William married Margaret on 26 May 1826 in Aberlady East Lothian..  Their children were

Janet was christened on 25 March. 1827 in Aberlady.  She married John  R Whitecross on  28 Oct. 1873, m. North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland.  They  had children,

1.       John born 16 Dec. 1898,

2.        Janet on 25 Dec 1902.

3.       Euphemia born 2 December 1828 who married Alexander Stevenson (see separate history)

John Mandeville and Mary Condon

 John was born in 1810 in the county of Waterford Ireland and likely brought on a farm as his father was a farmer.   Mary was born in Tipperary in 1816.   Mary’s father was a hotel keeper.   John married Mary in about 1835. They lived in Tipperary after they were married.   They came to Australia (Victoria) in 1855, probably attracted by the finding of Gold in 1851.   The brought 6 or possibly 7 children with them.  We do not know if their son Thomas died in Ireland or Australia.  All the other children were sill alive in 1880.    John worked as a Gold miner in Australia.  Mary died on 6 June 1863 at 47 years old[1].  She died in Landsborough, Victoria and was buried in Ararat cemetery.  John died of old age on 1 May 1880 when he lived on Main Road Talbot.    Their children were

Ellen was born 1840

Edward born 1842

Catherine (Kate) born 1839.   She was born in Tipperary.  See separate history

Frances (Fanny) born 1847

Patrick born 1843

Margret born 1853

Thomas who died before 1863

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[1] Mary Condon’s birth certificate

John Chamberlain and Martha Sara Cose

John was born in 1786 in Harbury Co, Warwick.  He married Martha Sara Cose was born in about 1791.  They were married before 1823. They lived in Ettingham in 1825, Upton Bishop in 1827 and Evesham in 1851 based on where their children were born.

John worked in the office of Excise in the Inland Revenue Department.  In 1841 and 1851 he was living in Evesham at Merston Green.    In 1841 John was living in the same house as Frances Chamberlain who was approximately the same age as John.  Martha may have died and John may have married Frances.  Frances died sometime between 1841 and 1851 as John referred to himself as a widower in 1851..  John and Martha had two children,

1)       John was born about 1825 in Ettingham

2)      Eliza was born 1827 in Upton Bishop and married Daniel Bartlett.  Separate history.

Richard Bartlett and Mary Ann Bambrook

Richard was born in Plymouth in 1798.  Plymouth was one of the UK’s major shipping and navel ports at that time.   He married Mary Ann Bambrook on 25 September 1825.   Mary Ann was born in Crediton, Plymouth in 1800.   In 1841 they were living in Teats Hill Cottage in the Parish of Charles the Martyr in Plymouth.  Teats hill ran down to the port area and was the site of one of Plymouth’s rope making businesses.  In the 1841 census Richard is recorded as a rope maker. 

The account of the Bartlett family written by Kathleen Goodwin suggested that the Bartlett’s owned a rope business in Liverpool however it was almost certainly in Plymouth.  This is supported by Richard referring to himself as a rope maker, and his eldest son Edwin refereeing to himself as a self employed rope maker.  As Edwin was self employed he very likely owned or part owned a rope business.  As he was the eldest son he likely inherited it from his father Richard.  Richard, the next oldest brother was also a rope maker and likely working in the family business.

Rope making business used to be called Rope Walks.  Presumably the name rope walk was coined because the rope had to be stretched out over long distances while it was twisted and then tarred.   There was a huge demand for tarred manila rope in the sailing ship era.  The need for them declined with the shift away from sailing ships and the shift to steal and synthetic ropes.

 By 1861 Richard was no longer living with the family and presumably had died.  By that stage he would have been 63 years old.   At this time Mary Ann was living at 47 Treville Street (above), Plymouth with three of her children.  Their children were

1)       Edwin  Bartlett  was born in Plymouth in 1828.  He married Elizabeth Bussell in Newton.  Elizabeth was born in 1831 in Witheridge.  Edwin’s profession was a rope maker like his father   He recorded himself as being self employed suggesting he owned or part owned the rope business.  In 1871 he employed 2 men and 6 boys. Edwin and Elizabeth’s last address to be found was 1 Holborn St Plymouth England.    Edwin died on 19 April 1918 and Elizabeth about 1895.

2)       Richard Bartlett  was born in 1832 in Plymouth.  Richard married Susan Mitchell.   Susan was born in 1830 in Chaniegh.   As with his brother Edwin, Richard was a rope maker working in the family business.  Their last recorded address was 47 Exeter St Plymouth.  Richard died in 1900 and Susan died in about 1895.

3)       Daniel Bartlett was born in 1832 in Plymouth  Daniel married Eliza Chamberlain.    Separate History

4)       Mary Ann Bartlett was born in 1835.  Mary Ann did not marry.  Her profession is recorded as a dressmaker.  Her last recorded address was 1 Holborn St Plymouth England, living with Edwin and Elizabeth.  Mary Ann died on 14 January 1923 and is buried in Ford Park Cemetery.

5)       Reuben Bartlett was born in 1838 in Plymouth.  Reuben’s profession is recorded as a ship Builder.  His last recorded address was 47 Treville Street.

James Porter and Mary ......(G7)

James was baptised on 16 Apr 1758 at St James, Brindle, Lancashire.  His father was John Porter. James lived in Pleasington in the county of Lancashire on Lancaster farm. 

James was born before 1760.   He married Mary and had 5 children including John.  He was friends with John Mitchell who was master of Pleasington School.  He had a brother named John Porter.  As his address was Lancaster Farm and his possessions included cattle he was a farmer.  His will does not specifically mention the disposal of land and buildings, but does talk about other items such as cattle.  It was therefore likely that he leased or rented Lancaster farm rather than owned it.   However, being able to dispose of 100 pounds at his death in 1791 without realising any of his assets he must have been reasonably well off.  He wrote his will on 31st July 1791.  At that stage he was unwell and died 3 years later in 1794.

It is likely that Mary and the children will have had to vacate the farm on James’ death as James didn’t own the farm .  Their children were

1.        Richard who was born on 25 January 1780 and died in Demerara in South America

2.        John  who was born in 1782 and married Mary Bond.  Separate History

3.        Betty  who was  baptised 8 July 1785 In St James Church, Brindle.  She married James Abbott, a Blackburn printer.

4.        Alice who was born on 21 October 1787  and baptised at the Hoghton Chapel, Hoghton, Lancashire

Robert who was born on 4 July 1790 and baptised in the Hoghton Chapel, Hoghton, Lancashire  Robert died 20 August 1796 aged 6 years.