Selina Matilda Lane

Selina Matilda Ashe was born in Chippenham, Wiltshire and was baptised on 7 July 1839.
She was the ninth child of 13? and she went to London to work.
A story, which seems consistent with the facts, says that she worked as a servant for the Lane family in London, and the Lane sons started showing a keen interest in her. Mary Ann Lane however, objected to any entanglements with the servant girl and sent her off to Australia with £100. Sooner or later at different times, three of the sons followed and on 30 April 1861 Richard and Selina Matilda were married at Sandhurst (now Bendigo) Victoria, in the All Saints Church of England.
Witnesses were Henry and Fanny Bailes. Richard described his occupation as Commission Agent.

It is not known how long they stayed in Victoria, but around 1864-5 their eldest daughter Fanny Maria Louisa was born in Parnell, Auckland.

After her husband died in 1909, Selina remained in Onehunga and raised her family, probably helped by her eldest daughter Fanny. They lived in Albert Street and circa 1903 she had a fruit shop next to Watts Bros. grocery in Queen Street. During the 1920's Selina and Fanny lived in Grey Street where they ran a private boarding house - ironing and starching the lodgers' shirts. Described as a short, good natured grandmother, she was a demon with the soap at bathtime. She was very good at sewing and had possibly received some training as a nurse back in London. She is known to have said to her grandchildren "running around on a Sunday, and you, the gentry of London!" In her later years she lived with her daughter Agnes Hyland in Onehunga and son-in-law Willie Watts in Papatoetoe.

She died of bronchitis and old age at Agnes' place on 23 January 1930 and was buried at Waikaraka Cemetery with her daughters Esther and Fanny, Lot 120 Block H Area 1.

- Notes from H H Grant, 1985