William Waterson

DEATH: Wairarapa Age Volume XXXI, Issue 3041, 11 November 1908 "The death is reported of Mr William Waterson, an old resident of Dalefield, aged 74. The late Mr Waterson, who was an invalid for ten years, leaves a widow, one son. (Mr Donald Waterson, of Dalefield) and three daughters (two of whom, are Mrs Albert Peters, of Waihakeke, and Mrs Walter Knowles, of Dalefield)".

BURIAL: Evening Post Volume LXXVI, Issue 116, 12 November 1908. DISTRICT NEWS, CARTERTON ITEMS. "The funeral of Mr. William Waterson, of Dalefield, took place yesterday, and was followed to Greytown cemetery by a long procession of relatives and settlers from all parts of the district. Deceased, who was 74 years of age, was an old resident, and- much respected by all who knew him."

"The late Mr William Waterson, who died the other day at Dalefield (Wairarapa), aged about 73 years, was one oi the earliest of the pioneers who landed in the Wellington province. With his parents, he arrived at Wellington, in the Lady Nugent, in 1841, and resided at Hutt during nearly the whole of the period when the Maoris were making themselves troublesome in that district. On one occasion, the family nearly met a tragic end at the hands of the natives, William Waterson, his brother John and his father being chased for some distance by infuriated Maoris. The two boys, they were 10 and 13 years old respectively, got clean away, but the father, who was old and rather, infirm, was forced to hide in the bush until he was rescued by the militia. Shortly after this there occurred the Gillespie murder and the Bolcott Camp massacre, and then the Waterson family removed into Wellington. In later years, William Waterson worked with the Rimutaka road survey parties, after which he went to Kaiapoi and engaged in pit-sawing, and later proceeded to the goldfields, in Otago and at Hokitika, between which times he was rafting timber on Lake Wanaka. He then returned to the Wairarapa, married, and brought up a large family, the sons of which were well-known athletes in their youthful days."