Frederick James Bracegirdle

Frederick James Bracegirdle was born on 23rd September, 1860 to William George Bracegirdle and Mary Ann Elizabeth Carrington. He was born in the town of Grimsby where both his parents had moved to in the early 1850s. Frederick was the forth of five children born to William and Mary.

The Census records of 1861 show William and Mary living in Church St, Grimsby at the time with four children, with Frederick, then only 6 months old, being the youngest.

At some point during the early 1860s, Frederick's father, William was killed at sea during a storm off the coast of Grimsby. Some years later in 1866, Mary Ann, a widow with five children, re-married Edward McCormick a farm labourer from Donegal.

In the 1871 Census the now-remarried Mary and her family are listed as living at 30 New Market St with Edward now Frederick's step-father and head of the household. The 1871 census shows the Bracegirdle children as retaining their father's surname.

Four years later, in 1875, Mary Ann and Edward, along with the three youngest children, Susannah Helen (18), Frederick James (15) and Walter George (13), emigrated to New Zealand on board the Collingwood (which would ironically become Frederick's first child's married name). Frederick's brother and sister, William Thomas and Mary Ann Elizabeth (Jnr) chose to remain behind in Grimsby.

The journey to New Zealand was not a pleasant one, with an outbreak of disease breaking out on board, but finally Frederick and his family arrived in New Plymouth.

At some time during his early life in New Plymouth Frederick met Amelia Ann Welham. They were married on 13th July, 1882 at St Mary's Anglican Church, New Plymouth. Eight months after their wedding they gave birth to their first child, Lily Rebecca. Nine more children followed.

Upon first entering the workforce in New Plymouth, Frederick worked on the new railway line between Inglewood and Stratford, and also on the farm at Kaimata, where he was one of the original pioneer settlers.

On the 21st January, 1893, he purchased 73 acres 1 rood and 32 perches of land at Kaimata for £89.12.2, and in October of the same year a further 41 acres were acquired for £86. Eleven years after, in 1904, 11 acres were purchased for £110. In 1919 this land passed to the hands of his sons, Norman and Arthur.

Frederick James was a director of the Moa Dairy Company for a number of years at the turn of the century, and when the first cheese factory was built at Kaimata in 1912 he was a provisional director of that company.

In 1908, Frederick, his wife Amelia, daughter Marjorie and mother Mary returned to England for a visit.

Frederick's wife, Amelia died on 31" March, 1919. Less than a year later, Frederick married his second wife, Alice Maud Shaw on 5 February, 1920 at St Mary's Church, New Plymouth. They had no children.

Frederick died on 2nd August, 1930 in New Plymouth.

• Reference: BillionGraves - SmartCopy: Apr 10 2019, 6:48:50 UTC