Antonio Roberts

GEDCOM Note

Antonio Roberto was born in 1833 at Palma, on the Island of Majorca. Majorca is one of the Balearic Islands belonging to Spain. We know very little about him except that he was Spanish and was brought up in the Catholic faith. We have no photo of him. It has been handed down that a Catholic priest fired a gun over his head as they wanted him to become a priest and it appears to be that it wasn't long after this episode that he ran away to sea. He had no time for this religion from then on and all his children were brought up in the Church of England faith. His marriage certificate has his occupation down as a mariner. One can surmise therefore that he worked on boats until such a time as he jumped ship in NZ at the port of Nelson, prior to 1858. His death certificate states that he had been in NZ for 57 years when he died. This would make him 11 years old. Although this could be right, there may have been a mistake with the date. One family member seems to think he was about 17 years old. On arriving in Nelson, he seems to have made his way to Riwaka where he probably worked in the bush or perhaps in the building trade. Seamen were very handy at all sorts of jobs and could get work easily. We were told that he could neither read nor write. The name Roberto was changed to Roberts sometime after he arrived in NZ or when he was married. Noone seems to know. On the 13th of December 1858, he married a local girl Martha Tutbury, at the Registry Office at Riwaka. He was 25 years old and she was 21. When first married they lived with Martha's sister Eliza, who lived on the Tutbury farm. Later, a house was built for Antonio and Martha in the same area near the Riwaka Wharf. They reared a family of 11, 8 girls and 2 boys of their own as well as a son born out of wedlock to their second daughter, Augusta. It is interesting to note that on the childrens' birth registrations, Antonio's profession was varied- mariner, labourer, farmer, boatman, seaman etc. depending on who did the registering. He made his mark X on the forms. In a diary kept by Thomas Tutbury, Martha's brother, while he was building his house at Riwaka in 1883, was the following - Nov. 7th Antonio Roberts started digging the well. Nov. 8th Antonio Roberts finished the well. Antonio and Martha lived all their married life at Riwaka, until he died in 1901, aged 68 years, from pneumonia. He is buried in the Tutbury plot at the Riwaka Cemetery.

1869; Notice is hereby given that on and after the 20th February next, the Provisions of the Cattle Trespass Act 1868, will be enforced on my land, Section No. 35. Antonio Roberts, Jan 19th 1869, Riwaka

Country Road Rates; 1871 Antonio Roberts, 2/7 1/2 and arrears 8/4d

Antonio's house was on Section 53, Riwaka Wharf. His death was certified by Henry O'B Deck who last saw him on the 17th July 1901