Emma Carter

EMMA GEORGE was born 1 January 1848 in Wellington, the 3rd of 11 children of:
Thomas GEORGE & Mary WALL who married 26 October 1841 at the Cheltenham Parish Church in the County of Gloucestershire just 10 days before emigrating on the Martha Ridgway, arriving into Nelson 7 April 1842.
Their first 2 children were born in Nelson then Thomas & Mary travelled on the cutter 'Johnnie Walker' to Wellington where they permanently settled. The family lived in Willis Street and then a short time later at Tinakori Road, opposite where the present botanical gardens are. Thomas was the Turnkey at the Terrace Gaol for 22 years. Mary ran a Tea Garden called "The Cream Horn Garden".
Their 11th child, Rebecca George (1863-1918) married Joseph Japhet Cottle.

Evening Post 15 Dec 1931

A FINE COLONIST
Mrs George P. Carter, who celebrated her 84th birthday on Saturday at the residence of her eldest daughter, Mrs Jeffs, Palm Grove, holds a unique family record (says a correspondent). She herself bore a family of ten girls and four boys, two of whom died in infancy. She is now the grandmother of sixty, the great grandmother of forty, and the mother of twelve, while sixteen grandchildren are deceased. Mrs Carter was formerly Miss George, of Tinakori road. She was born on 31st December 1847, but, for the purposes of convenience, celebrated the event on Saturday last, the 12th, in the presence of over 100 of her descendants. It has been the old pioneer's custom for years to give each of her descendants a Christmas present, and Saturday's birthday function was thus a happy opportunity for the custom to be carried out, as well as an opportunity for the large family of descendants to pay their birthday respects to a revered old lady. Mrs Carter was married in 1865 to Mr George Petone Carter, son of the late Mr Joseph Carter, who landed in New Zealand in 1840, and worked in the Customs office, his demise occurring in 1873. His son was born in Petone in November 1840, the first white child to be born there. He went gold digging in 1859, and in 1861 started the pit sawmills at Karori cemetery. At the celebrations on Saturday Mrs Carter was surrounded by her descendants, young and old, and from a Christmas tree came the first present, a gift from her family. A birthday cake was a feature, and the honoured guest also received a handsome bouquet from the hands of a greatgrandchild. Mrs Carter confesses to having been a constant reader of the "Post" ever since its inception.

Evening Post 19 Aug 1939

- DEATH OF EMMA

The death occurred recently of one of Wellington's very old residents, Mrs Emma Carter. In the past eight years Mrs Carter had lived with one of her daughters, Mrs Jeffs, 12 Palm Grove, Berhampore. Mrs Carter was born at Willis Street in 1847. Her parents, Mr and Mrs Thomas George arrived at Nelson by the Martha Ridgway in the early forties, later crossing to Wellington, and eventually settling in Tinakori Road, where they lived for many years. Mrs Carter's late husband, Mr George Petone Carter, was born at Petone in 1840, his parents, Mr and Mrs Joseph Carter, having arrived there in September of the same year by the sailing Aurora. In spite of her great age Mrs Carter had a wonderful memory and interested many of the younger generation with her tales of old Wellington. Of the 153 descendants of Mrs Carter 140 are still living.