Simon Bonnet Silcock

Simon Bonnet Silcock was born in 1824 in Reading, Berkshire, England. His parents were William Silcock and Elizabeth Flowerday who subsequently ran a public house called The Duke of York in London.

Simon arrived in Nelson, New Zealand in August 1842 aboard the ship Sir Charles Forbes which sailed from Gravesend, London. He was First Mate on the ship. Onboard he met 17 year old Susannah Flower who was emigrating with her parents William and Elizabeth Flower and Susannah's sister Rhoda, aged 14.

Simon gave up his sea-going career and joined the settlers at Nelson. He and Susannah married there at the Methodist Church July 8th 1846. Simon worked on farms and in saw mills. He brought in goods from England which he sold for good profit.

By 1860 Simon had purchased the Brightwater Mill and in 1863 the Waimea East Hotel which then became known as the Wairoa Bridge Hotel; and in 1879 the Bridge Hotel, Brightwater.

The Silcocks acquired a farm of their own at Brightwater about 1880. Official records show that Simon held 181 acres in Brightwater on Mt Heslington Road.

Simon and Susannah had 15 children:

Virtue Elizabeth 1845-1892; William John (1846-1913); Sarah Ann (1848-1943); George Johnson (1850-1915); Alfred Thomas (1851-1924); Charles Rowe (1853-1940); Susannah (1854-1932); Frederick (1856-1877); Mary Ann (1858-1930); Joseph Hetherington (1859-1936); Simon Bonnet (1862-1942); ALBERT EDWARD (1863-1936) - our family line; Rhoda (1865-1865); Minnie (1866-1922); Robert Hooker (1867-1910).

Susannah (Flower) Silcock died 8 Mar 1875 at Brightwater, Nelson, aged 50; and Simon Bonnet Silcock died 17 Sep 1883 also at Brightwater, aged 59.

Simon Bonnet SILCOCK was born 25 March 1824 in London England - he was one of the crew on the Sir Charles Forbes (the first ship to sail direct from London to Nelson) However, he visited New Zealand sometime during 1838-1839 with the NZ Land Company

The Sir Charles Forbes left London on 1 May 1842 and arrived in Nelson on 22 August 1842 with 172 passengers

On board was William & Elizabeth (nee CHANDLER) FLOWER with their 2 daughters, Susannah, aged 17 and Rhoda, aged 14 William & Elizabeth were to have a son, Tom FLower in Nelson in 1844 ... Rhoda Flower married Alfred SAUNDERS in Sydney in 1847, returning to NZ in 1850. They returned to Engand in 1866 and returned to NZ in 1872, settling in Christchurch. They had 9 children ... Tom also married ?? and moved to the Manawatu

Maybe Simon and Susannah struck up a friendship during the voyage ... Simon became a Farmer and Settler and was involved with his father in law, William Flower, in Sawmilling

Two years later, on 8 July 1844 they married in the Wesleyan Chapel in Nelson

... They had 15 children: