Bridget Scott

Emigrated to NZ 1876 on the "Rangitiki" sponsored by her uncle Andrew Lysaght.

Bridget was the eldest of 11 children of John and Mary O'Connell (nee Lysaght) of Ennistymon, County Clare. She had 7 sisters and 3 brothers - Mary, who married a man named William Farnham; Kathleen and Annie who died of tuberculosis; Nellie who owned a shop in Boston; Maggie, who kept house for her brother Pat, a farmer; Jeannie who worked with Nellie in the shop; John, a riverboat captain on the St Lawrence; Frank, a teacher; and Nonie who died at the age of 12. [check this information: US census records show Frank was a farmer, Jeannie a teacher. John, Nellie, Jeannie, Maggie and Frank lived together] In 1875 at the age of 17 Bridget went to London to join the sailing ship "Rangitiki" a vessel of 1225 tons carrying 320 passengers bound for New Zealand. There were 68 teenage girls on board under the supervision of a matron. In the early part of the voyage there was a dispute between the girls and the matron about deficient rations but this was resolved satisfactorily by the intervention of the doctor. The "Rangitiki" was regarded as a good ship to travel on with well organised entertainment during the voyage. It left London on 17 September and passed the Cape of Good Hope on 30 October. It then ran into heavy storms, losing a mast and having the mainsail ripped. Stewart Island was sighted on 9 December and Lyttelton was reached on 11 December. During the 3 month voyage, 4 babies were born and there were 8 deaths, all but one being children. On her arrival, Bridget went to Pleasant Valley to live with her uncle Andrew Lysaght, who had sponsored her emigration to New Zealand. Bridget had intended returning to Ireland after 12 months, but her parents decided to go to America before the end of the year. They stayed in Montreal for a year and then moved south to New Hampshire where they made their home in Lancaster. The younger members of the family were born in America and Bridget never met them although she corresponded regularly with them. After her marriage she established her home and family with John at Orari. In 1900, when the Pareora Estate was subdivided she successfully drew a farm at Lyalldale. She and John shifted their family there and Bridget lived the rest of her life on this farm until her death at the age of 98.

RECOLLECTIONS OF GRANDMOTHER

It would be hard for Bridget O'Connell to imagine the life that lay before her as she stood in the doorway of her uncle's home in Pleasant Valley, dressed in her wedding gown, waiting for the rain to ease off. Flattened gorse branches had been laid on the muddy path to save her shoes from being dirtied. The hansom cab was waiting in the yard. Her marriage at Geraldine later that day was to be the beginning of a long life shared with John Scott, living first at Orari then at Lyalldale. Out of our shared memories, documents and facts, we would like to present a picture of her life and times.

Of her 10 brothers and sisters who went to live in America, there is not one living descendant, while Bridget has some 410 bloodline descendants. Having read some of the historical background of the immigrant families of the west of Ireland and visited that bleak and inhospitable country, I am amazed that we are here to tell the tale. The land is poor and often a pocket handkerchief-sized piece of rocky land was the sole support of quite large families.

Bridget was regarded as the centre and holding place for her family of 11 children, who called her "Mom" from infancy to old age. She was seen as a practical, intelligent and hardworking woman of faith. Grandchildren can recall their parents remembering the first-class bread she made in the 'colonial oven' and how she used to make them beautifully hand-knitted socks. As Grandmother, in all the years, she didn't seem to change that much - at least to us. Ever alert, with an eye for everyone and a care for what we as grandchildren were doing. She had, without claiming it, a very special place that commanded love and respect from all her kin. She was not one for emotional displays but she formed her family into a close-knit group - loyal and supportive of each other. Her sons worked as a team, slogging it out as agricultural contractors, ploughing many a 'backface' as they used to say. They often lived on the job, bringing their accommodation with them, - the 'A1' residence - "THE HUT". The girls were often there, loyally helping with the cooking and cleaning.

Life and circumstances, in those days, especially for the women, made them interdependent as they established their homes and families. They cared for each other in their sicknesses, pregnancies and at childbirth. They shared their joys and sorrows and enduring friendships blossomed. Many a good yarn was told as visitors were walked to the gate and it was even known that a neighbour was sometimes walked all the way home and then back again to finish the tale. Some can recall the special lilt to the laughter when those Irish ladies got together to share local and family gossip. Homes were meeting places, and songs around the piano and suppers were part of the life. Nothing extraordinary, but as we reflect, we wonder, would we have been so courageous and retained our dignity, self-respect and sense of humour as they did?

Although Grandmother lived to the age of 98, she remained physically and mentally alert, retaining an interest in the family around her and her visitors. She died at her home in 1957 after a short illness.

- written by Betty Scott (taken from 'The Scotts' - The Narrative of John and Bridget Scott of Lyalldale, South Canterbury and their Descendants.)

LYALLDALE

The Scott family's past is deeply rooted in Lyalldale. The district, however, has a history going back far beyonjd their arrival. Before the coming of the European the Maoris camped at various spots in the district as they passed through it on their journeys. Evidence of camp fires and tools have been found bearing this out. The land at that time was dotted with small swamps and the vegetation was tussock and cabbage trees (there are still some there).

Permanent European settlement was started when David Innes was granted a pastoral lease of 25,000 acres on the south side of the Pareora River on 1 November 1853. In 1864 Innes and Edward Elworthy, his partner at the time, divided the Pareora Estate between them, Innes taking the eastern area. A year later David Innes sold his portion to the estate to the company which later became the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. Under the progressive policies of this company the Pareora Estate was developed into one of the most productive areas in the country. Root and grain crops were grown and pastures sown in English grasses while sheep numbers were increased. Trees were planted and drainage work in the swamps carried out. The company had many able managers, the last being Mr Lyall, after whom the district was named.

The dream of land ownership had tremendous appeal to large numbers of immigrants especially the Scottish and Irish. The government took note of this for its own good reasons and in the late 1800s there was a strong political movement to break up the large estates. The Seddon government passed a series of acts call the 'Land for Settlement Acts'. They introduced the concept of "Lease in Perpetuity'; the famous 999 year lease. By the way of putting these 'Acts' into operation the government bought up large tracts of land from the big estates and then divided them into small farms for ballotting. In these ballots both husbands and wives could apply and when the Pareora Estate was split up it was Bridget Scott who drew the farm at Lyalldale. Twenty-five others also applied for the same Section 26 of 184 acres which, according to the prospectus, had a bluegum plantation of 5 1/4 acres and 132 1/2 chain of fencing; total value of the improvements was L46 2/6 ($92.25). The ballot took place in Timaru on 30 March 1900 and possession was almost immediate.

This was quite an event and curiously enough many other Irish families drew similar blocks, such as the Stacks, Dalys, Sheehans and Scannells to name a few. When the would-be settlers took over their holdings they had to observe certain conditions laid down by the Land and Survey Department (acting for the Crown). On application for a ballot, in order to prove they had finance, they had to pay a deposit equal to half the first year's rent plus a deposit on the improvements. A successful applicant was required to take up permanent residence and to carry out improvements worth 2.5% of the value of the land, within a year. Within six years the value of the improvements excluding the house were expected to be equal to 1 per acre of the property. All boundary fences were to be completed within two years. Strict conditions about the rotation of crops and the sowing of permanent pastures were demanded. Trees other than for personal use were not to be cut down without the permission of the Commissioner of Crown Lands and even then they had to be replaced the following year. Failure to comply made one liable to forfeiture of the lease. The rent was fixed at 4/6 (45c) an acre per year and was to remain unchanged for the term of the lease (999 years). The period of the lease was changed in 1907 to 33 year renewable leases on new undertakings.

Bridget paid this rent for 50 years until, in 1950 she passed the land onto Leo Austin who received it by right of tenure. In 1964, John Joseph, Leo's son, took over the lease and expanded the acreage. By 1984 the government decided L.I.P. was a failure partly because the cost of collecting the rent was greater than the rent itself. The Scotts purchased the land and thus, Bridget and John Scott's dream of the family owning the land became a reality.

REFERENCE: Closer Settlement on the Pareora Estate by Mervyn Palmer.

MANY YEARS AGO

When Mamie Brosnahan's husband Peter came back from the war they drew a farm in the ballot of the Blair estate. While visiting Grandmother Bridget at Lyalldale they told her about it and she said that was one place she would like to go to before she died. This she did later and she told them that Grandfather contracted on the land on top of the hill just behind the bush at the back of the house Mamie and Peter lived in for twenty years. Grandmother used to take him up to the Blairs each Monday morning and come back for him on Saturday evening. The distance would be about sixteen miles. Joe, who was just a baby would be wrapped up in a blanket in the gig. She showed us where the horses were fed and we could almost imagine we could see the furrows all those many years later.

- Mamie Brosnahan (grand- daughter of Bridget)

From the Scott Book - The Narrative of John and Bridget Scott of Lyalldale, South Canterbury and their Descendants. Researched and compiled by members of the second generation, 125 after John arrived in New Zealand 1987.

Bridget was the eldest of 11 children of John and Mary O'Connell (nee Lysaght) of Ennistymon, County Clare. She had 7 sisters and 3 brothers - Mary, who married a man named William Farnham; Kathleen and Annie who died of tuberculosis; Nellie who owned a shop in Boston; Maggie, who kept house for her brother Pat, a farmer; Jeannie who worked with Nellie in the shop; John, a riverboat captain on the St Lawrence; Frank, a teacher; and Nonie who died at the age of 12. [check this information: US census records show Frank was a farmer, Jeannie a teacher. John, Nellie, Jeannie, Maggie and Frank lived together] In 1875 at the age of 17 Bridget went to London to join the sailing ship "Rangitiki" a vessel of 1225 tons carrying 320 passengers bound for New Zealand. There were 68 teenage girls on board under the supervision of a matron. In the early part of the voyage there was a dispute between the girls and the matron about deficient rations but this was resolved satisfactorily by the intervention of the doctor. The "Rangitiki" was regarded as a good ship to travel on with well organised entertainment during the voyage. It left London on 17 September and passed the Cape of Good Hope on 30 October. It then ran into heavy storms, losing a mast and having the mainsail ripped. Stewart Island was sighted on 9 December and Lyttelton was reached on 11 December. During the 3 month voyage, 4 babies were born and there were 8 deaths, all but one being children. On her arrival, Bridget went to Pleasant Valley to live with her uncle Andrew Lysaght, who had sponsored her emigration to New Zealand. Bridget had intended returning to Ireland after 12 months, but her parents decided to go to America before the end of the year. They stayed in Montreal for a year and then moved south to New Hampshire where they made their home in Lancaster. The younger members of the family were born in America and Bridget never met them although she corresponded regularly with them. After her marriage she established her home and family with John at Orari. In 1900, when the Pareora Estate was subdivided she successfully drew a farm at Lyalldale. She and John shifted their family there and Bridget lived the rest of her life on this farm until her death at the age of 98.

RECOLLECTIONS OF GRANDMOTHER

It would be hard for Bridget O'Connell to imagine the life that lay before her as she stood in the doorway of her uncle's home in Pleasant Valley, dressed in her wedding gown, waiting for the rain to ease off. Flattened gorse branches had been laid on the muddy path to save her shoes from being dirtied. The hansom cab was waiting in the yard. Her marriage at Geraldine later that day was to be the beginning of a long life shared with John Scott, living first at Orari then at Lyalldale. Out of our shared memories, documents and facts, we would like to present a picture of her life and times.

Of her 10 brothers and sisters who went to live in America, there is not one living descendant, while Bridget has some 410 bloodline descendants. Having read some of the historical background of the immigrant families of the west of Ireland and visited that bleak and inhospitable country, I am amazed that we are here to tell the tale. The land is poor and often a pocket handkerchief-sized piece of rocky land was the sole support of quite large families.

Bridget was regarded as the centre and holding place for her family of 11 children, who called her "Mom" from infancy to old age. She was seen as a practical, intelligent and hardworking woman of faith. Grandchildren can recall their parents remembering the first-class bread she made in the 'colonial oven' and how she used to make them beautifully hand-knitted socks. As Grandmother, in all the years, she didn't seem to change that much - at least to us. Ever alert, with an eye for everyone and a care for what we as grandchildren were doing. She had, without claiming it, a very special place that commanded love and respect from all her kin. She was not one for emotional displays but she formed her family into a close-knit group - loyal and supportive of each other. Her sons worked as a team, slogging it out as agricultural contractors, ploughing many a 'backface' as they used to say. They often lived on the job, bringing their accommodation with them, - the 'A1' residence - "THE HUT". The girls were often there, loyally helping with the cooking and cleaning.

Life and circumstances, in those days, especially for the women, made them interdependent as they established their homes and families. They cared for each other in their sicknesses, pregnancies and at childbirth. They shared their joys and sorrows and enduring friendships blossomed. Many a good yarn was told as visitors were walked to the gate and it was even known that a neighbour was sometimes walked all the way home and then back again to finish the tale. Some can recall the special lilt to the laughter when those Irish ladies got together to share local and family gossip. Homes were meeting places, and songs around the piano and suppers were part of the life. Nothing extraordinary, but as we reflect, we wonder, would we have been so courageous and retained our dignity, self-respect and sense of humour as they did?

Although Grandmother lived to the age of 98, she remained physically and mentally alert, retaining an interest in the family around her and her visitors. She died at her home in 1957 after a short illness.

- written by Betty Scott (taken from 'The Scotts' - The Narrative of John and Bridget Scott of Lyalldale, South Canterbury and their Descendants.)

LYALLDALE

The Scott family's past is deeply rooted in Lyalldale. The district, however, has a history going back far beyonjd their arrival. Before the coming of the European the Maoris camped at various spots in the district as they passed through it on their journeys. Evidence of camp fires and tools have been found bearing this out. The land at that time was dotted with small swamps and the vegetation was tussock and cabbage trees (there are still some there).

Permanent European settlement was started when David Innes was granted a pastoral lease of 25,000 acres on the south side of the Pareora River on 1 November 1853. In 1864 Innes and Edward Elworthy, his partner at the time, divided the Pareora Estate between them, Innes taking the eastern area. A year later David Innes sold his portion to the estate to the company which later became the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. Under the progressive policies of this company the Pareora Estate was developed into one of the most productive areas in the country. Root and grain crops were grown and pastures sown in English grasses while sheep numbers were increased. Trees were planted and drainage work in the swamps carried out. The company had many able managers, the last being Mr Lyall, after whom the district was named.

The dream of land ownership had tremendous appeal to large numbers of immigrants especially the Scottish and Irish. The government took note of this for its own good reasons and in the late 1800s there was a strong political movement to break up the large estates. The Seddon government passed a series of acts call the 'Land for Settlement Acts'. They introduced the concept of "Lease in Perpetuity'; the famous 999 year lease. By the way of putting these 'Acts' into operation the government bought up large tracts of land from the big estates and then divided them into small farms for ballotting. In these ballots both husbands and wives could apply and when the Pareora Estate was split up it was Bridget Scott who drew the farm at Lyalldale. Twenty-five others also applied for the same Section 26 of 184 acres which, according to the prospectus, had a bluegum plantation of 5 1/4 acres and 132 1/2 chain of fencing; total value of the improvements was L46 2/6 ($92.25). The ballot took place in Timaru on 30 March 1900 and possession was almost immediate.

This was quite an event and curiously enough many other Irish families drew similar blocks, such as the Stacks, Dalys, Sheehans and Scannells to name a few. When the would-be settlers took over their holdings they had to observe certain conditions laid down by the Land and Survey Department (acting for the Crown). On application for a ballot, in order to prove they had finance, they had to pay a deposit equal to half the first year's rent plus a deposit on the improvements. A successful applicant was required to take up permanent residence and to carry out improvements worth 2.5% of the value of the land, within a year. Within six years the value of the improvements excluding the house were expected to be equal to 1 per acre of the property. All boundary fences were to be completed within two years. Strict conditions about the rotation of crops and the sowing of permanent pastures were demanded. Trees other than for personal use were not to be cut down without the permission of the Commissioner of Crown Lands and even then they had to be replaced the following year. Failure to comply made one liable to forfeiture of the lease. The rent was fixed at 4/6 (45c) an acre per year and was to remain unchanged for the term of the lease (999 years). The period of the lease was changed in 1907 to 33 year renewable leases on new undertakings.

Bridget paid this rent for 50 years until, in 1950 she passed the land onto Leo Austin who received it by right of tenure. In 1964, John Joseph, Leo's son, took over the lease and expanded the acreage. By 1984 the government decided L.I.P. was a failure partly because the cost of collecting the rent was greater than the rent itself. The Scotts purchased the land and thus, Bridget and John Scott's dream of the family owning the land became a reality.

REFERENCE: Closer Settlement on the Pareora Estate by Mervyn Palmer.

MANY YEARS AGO

When Mamie Brosnahan's husband Peter came back from the war they drew a farm in the ballot of the Blair estate. While visiting Grandmother Bridget at Lyalldale they told her about it and she said that was one place she would like to go to before she died. This she did later and she told them that Grandfather contracted on the land on top of the hill just behind the bush at the back of the house Mamie and Peter lived in for twenty years. Grandmother used to take him up to the Blairs each Monday morning and come back for him on Saturday evening. The distance would be about sixteen miles. Joe, who was just a baby would be wrapped up in a blanket in the gig. She showed us where the horses were fed and we could almost imagine we could see the furrows all those many years later.

- Mamie Brosnahan (grand- daughter of Bridget)

From the Scott Book - The Narrative of John and Bridget Scott of Lyalldale, South Canterbury and their Descendants. Researched and compiled by members of the second generation, 125 after John arrived in New Zealand 1987.