Aunt Cis and Dorothy

Cis married Piers Townsend who, in order to inherit a country estate called Whitehall in County Cork had changed his name from Hughes.  During the Civil War in Ireland they went with their family to live on the Isle of Man.  Piers Townsend died there in 1926. While they were in the Isle of Man, their daughter, Dorothy married Maurice Neligan and when they went back to Dublin, Cis went with them.  She lived a very quiet life in Dublin and later went to live with Dorothy and Maurice in Mount Mellick where Maurice managed a business for his sister whose husband had died suddenly. They had three children, Anne Maurice and Mollie.

Cis’s son, George studied medicine against his father’s wishes who considered medicine an unsuitable occupation for a gentleman.  George later became Medical Officer for Health for Buckingshire and lived in Aylesbury with his wife Molly and their daughter Sally.

My grandfather, Jack commenced studying medicine at Guys Hospital, but had to give up because he had such poor eyesight.  He also suffered from asthma.  When he was about 20, he went to British Guiana for a while where he had a position as an overseer on a sugar plantation.  In 1898, he left England and went to live in New Zealand.  At first he worked on a farm near Wanganui and later had his own farm in the Manawatu region. 

In 1906 Mary also left London and went out to New Zealand to live with Jack.  Jack married Beatrice Annie Hallett (Bee) in 1908.  Her family had come out to New Zealand around 1850 and had settled in Hawkes Bay.  Jack and Bee had two daughter, Kathleen Mary (Molly) and Caroline Margaret (Peggy).  Jack had inherited his father’s charm and wit, but unfortunately was also hopeless with money. Over the years, he inherited, at various times, some quite substantial amounts, but just couldn’t keep it.  When he died in 1938, his farm had to be sold to pay for debts.

Mary lived the rest of her days with Jack, Bee and their two daughters on the farm in the Pohangina Valley in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. 

She did, however, see her sister, Fanny, again.  Fanny’s two children, Oswald and Hilda both lived in New Zealand and when Fanny and Kenric visited them, would also stay with Mary and her family.  Kenric eventually retired to New Zealand and lived with Hilda, but died in South Africa while on one of his frequent travels. Mary died in 1918 and is buried in the Terrace End Cemetary in Palmerston North.

John Teignnmouth William Shore 1878-1938

Mary (Adamthwaite) Shore (1847-1918)

In 1926, Jack was advised by his doctor to move north and nearer the sea as it would help his asthma.  He bought a farm at Mahurangi Heads, not far from Warkworth and the family moved. Unfortunately, some of their belongings were lost along the way, including all their papers and family memorabilia.  Molly (my mother) married Edward Styak Wynyard (Ted) in 1936. Ted went to work on the farm and loved country life, although he had been brought up in Auckland.  It was not long before he had his own farm.  They had four children.   Peggy married Alley Langridge in 1940 and they had 3 children.

Mary would have had 11 great grandchildren 26 great great grandchildren and more than 20 great great great grandchildren, living in many parts of the world including England, Ireland, United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. Not many, but all good people who have experienced the ups and downs of life, just as Mary herself endured.

EBC

New Zealand

March 2008

return to Miscellany Index