Catherine Horan

"George born Wandsworth, Surrey, England, the son of Stephen and Elizabeth POTTER enlisted into the 13th Light Dragoons shortly after his father died. He was aged 17yrs, height 5’6”, dark complexion, blue eyes, dark brown hair. The 13th Reg. was at Bangalore, India, in 1822 when he joined, moving to Mysore, Arcot, Arnee and back to Bangalore. The Regiment returned to Kent, England, in 1840. George was discharged at Chatham receiving three good conduct badges. His conduct, a good and efficient soldier, trustworthy and sober. He returned to Wandsworth and labouring work. He married Catherine FLETCHER at Putney, Surry, England on 11th July 1842, moved to Point Pleasant where George b.1843, John b.1845, Elizabeth b.1847 were born. Catherine was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth. They came to NZ in 1849 settled at Onehunga on his two acres at Galway St then called Albert St. They had two more children here. They lived in a double cottage, a stone fence marked the border between the two sections. George kept cows on his property. George was a butcher and was killing an animal when he cut himself badly. He lost a lot of blood. The wound became infected, and despite being admitted to the Provincial Hospital, George died in 1854 and was buried in St Peters Church, Onehunga, his grave now under the front of the church. Some Onehunga properties remained in the Auckram family for several generations. His widow Catherine and 5 children moved to Little Muddy Creek near Huia where there was work. Sadly a daughter was burnt to death. Catherine remarried to William HORNE of Little Muddy Creek in 1862 but by 1870’s she had to apply for charitable aid and she left William. She was living alone when she died" Source: "The Royal New Zealand Fencibles 1847-1852" (1997) (p. 118.).

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28 July 1856: Child burned to Death. Warning to Mothers. — On Wednesday, at the Royal Hotel, Onehunga, an inquest was held before H. J. Andrews, Esq., Coroner, and a Jury, upon the body of Mary Ann Ockrim. aged 7 years. The first evidence was that of William Sheldrake, a boatman, who deposed that, on Monday last, he was at the house of Mrs. Cooley, about 12 miles from Onehunga,when he saw deceased, on fire, running from her mother's house to that of Mrs. Cooley. He extinguished the fire by means of throwing a gunny bag over her, and then conveyed her to Mrs. Cooley's. Catherine Ockrim, the mother of deceased, deposed to having left the house for the purpose of borrowing some sugar at a house half a mile off. She left the deceased and her brother, who was three years younger, within the house, in which at the time there was neither fire, matches, nor candles. On her way home, a boy told her that the child was burned to death. She ran to Cooleys, and saw the child alive. Between six and seven took her in a boat to Onehunga, but she died before reaching there. On going home, the little boy said that his sister had drawn together the ashes, and had applied a piece of raupo, from which a spark fell on her clothes and ignited them. Witness, in reply to a question, could not say whether any one called at the house when she was absent. The boy alluded to, being of such tender years, the Jury decided that he could not be sworn as evidence. William Horn deposed to having assisted in conveying the deceased to town, and to her death on the passage. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidentally burnt." Source: Daily Southern Cross (1 August 1856, p. 2). https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18560801.2.10?query...

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