Jessie
Pearson compiled this history following a re-union of descendants on 2 March
1963. Robert Shaw
edited it in December 2002.
The Shaw Family History website is here
John Shaw, son of David and Janet Shaw, was born at Paisley, Scotland in 1845. He first went to the Argentine where he broke his leg and after a short stay in Chili he returned to Scotland, coming from there in the sailing ship "Viola" to New Zealand.
[These Shaws are from Muirkirk, and before that from Kells (near New Galloway), Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. They can be reliably traced back to 1710. The "Viola" sailed from Glasgow.]
He
landed in Auckland on April 4 1865 and his first home was at Wairoa South now
known as Clevedon. Here his parents and
brothers bought a farm and built a two-storied house by the Wairoa River. Most
of the family later went to Scotchman's Valley, Tamahere, near Cambridge, where
his mother lived until over 90 years of age.
Descendents of his brothers still own properties in the district.
In order to win the hand of Jessie Waddell Walker, who came from Scotland in her infancy and who was the surviving twin daughter and eldest child of James Walker and Mary Hamilton, who emigrated to New Zealand in 1853 and who had settled in Clevedon, John went to seek a fortune on the Thames gold-field. He struck gold but did not work the reef himself owing to the high cost of machinery necessary to extract the gold from the auriferous quartz. He sold his claim - some say at a big price others at a low. But be that as it may, he was married at Clevedon by the Rev. Thomas Norrie, 6 July 1869.
Soon
after this, both John and his wife's people appear to have moved to
Morrinsville where they had a boarding-house and carrying business. John however left Morrinsville and went
farming at Tauwhare where so many other Shaws had settled. Here John and
Jessie's first daughter Mary Isabella was born 2 July 1871, a son
having died at birth 17 April 1870.
Later came David, Janet and Jeannie and then in 1880 John took his
family north to Maungatapere, near Whangarei, his wife's parents having settled
at Maungakaramea a near-by district. They farmed here for eleven years and Lily,
Bella, Leonard, Cathie and Leslie had increased the family to nine.
About 1890, the Government was opening up tracts of land mostly heavily bushed, in other areas. The land was balloted for and John Shaw drew a large section of about 800 acres in Glen Murray and moved there in 1891 - a pioneer settler.
The Murray brothers had taken up land at Bothwell several miles further west, and John's wife's sister, Davina, had married James another Murray and he had won land at Glen Murray. The men-folk cleared some of their bush land, burned off and sowed grass-seed and began to build up herds of run-cattle, and later bought cows to produce milk.
Most horses were what were called "Maori scrubs" a good horse being highly priced, - up to £20 which was a large sum in those days. While transferring to Glen Murray, John found it necessary to take his family to live with his relations at Tauwhare. He, David and possibly Leonard, traveling to Glen Murray by way of the Waikato route up the Opuatia stream and then the last five miles along Maori tracks to their new farm where they erected a spacious whare of nikau palms and punga trunks.
Then it seemed possible for the family to be re-united but as another baby was expected it was arranged for Mary, then 20 years old, to bring through the younger children and in this way she, gained the distinction of being the first white woman to enter the district. Jeannie and possibly Janet or Lily remained with their mother at Tauwhare but unhappily the baby was still-born and the mother died on 16th August, 1892.
When Mary arrived at the Opuatia landing it was dusk and they were wearied by the -long uncomfortable journey. They had come from Rangiriri in two canoes filled with children, provisions, and what sparse furniture could be transported. The canoes were under the charge of Mr. Tumata, a highly respected Maori whose descendants still live in the Opuatia district. Two sons, at least, went to the Glen Murray School with Bella, Leonard, Cathie, and Leslie. Mr. Shaw with David, James Murray and his son Hunter met the travelers and they trudged that night as far as Murray's place. Mary "piggy-backed" Leslie now two years old. Cathie was only four. The men carried the provisions, bags of flour, potatoes etc., enough to provide for a considerable time there they went the" rest of the way - two miles, down hill and up, through fern and manuka and bush, over swampy places, where three small bridges were later built and became known as "The Bridges".
And their new home! We know there was the one-roomed nikau and punga accommodation for the whole family. Some of the furniture was made from packing cases. Beds were probably made from mungi-mungi, a springy type of creeper found in the bush. In later days, mattresses were stuffed with tow, a flax by-product. There was a large fire-place 6' x 8' and at night the dying embers were 'banked over' with ashes so that precious matches were not needed to start a new fire in the morning. Cooking was done in three-legged pots and iron kettles hanging from chains supported by an iron bar. Baking of bread etc was in camp-ovens. The men folk toiled providing firewood, felling the bush to burn, and seeding the clearings and at times taking contracts in bush-cutting or road making thus establishing the family in reasonable comfort and security. As they were able they built a new house enlarging it as circumstances permitted: in fact the nikau whare was burnt down within a year and many possessions were lost. What was saved went into the partly built new home that fortunately was weatherproof. This house was made from split slabs or boards of kahikatea 4 or 5 ft. in length, with widths suited for their practical use, and as John Shaw became a expert, if self-taught, carpenter rooms were added and furniture made. Let us try to picture this gallant pioneer seated at the head of his 12ft. long table with his family about him. There is a sofa in the room, a well-stocked bookshelf, a large fireplace with a corrugated iron chimney and the much prized piano around which they gathered to sing their homely songs, and on Sunday evening their favourite hymns. As time passed the large sitting-room became the rendezvous for other young folk who were growing up in the district. Watch them at their games - musical chairs, blind-man's buff or see them now clearing the room so they can dance to John's fiddle, and the tuneful accordions. There are the Murrays, the Billings, Sorbys, Annandales, a few Maoris, a commercial traveller maybe a "tramp" (or "sun-downer") or perhaps some of the relations are here from Clevedon or Tauwhare. There was always hospitality. In fact it became the established custom for other settlers to direct travelers to Shaw's place, "where you will be given a meal and a bed".
All John's daughters could play the piano although Jeannie was the most accomplished. She had taken lessons in singing and playing while working in Auckland as a lady help to Mrs. Gummer, the wife of a well-known hardware merchant whose descendants still carry on the business.
It was well that there was a family of girls for the men folk were often away all day and there was much to do and few conveniences. The board floors were rough and granddaughters remember their mothers telling of the risks from splinters when they were scrubbing.
In time Mr. Shaw had two square iron tanks each holding 800 gallons and it was Leslie's task to scrape the inside of these tanks when they became corroded by rust which would discolour the water and make it unpleasant for drinking. Summers however were often very dry and there was always the risk of running short of drinking water. Clothes had to be washed at a spring or creek. Keeping food fresh was perhaps the main worry. To help out, mutton was salted, bacon cured and fish (usually eels) was smoked. Stocks of flour, sugar, oatmeal etc. etc. had to be ordered from Auckland in sufficient quantities to last 6 - 12 months. Bread was home made from yeast made from hops. Later a general store and Post Office were opened by Mr. Maloney but even then the bulk of grocery needs were sent by rail and launch from Auckland until 1913 or later. Trading was first done between Mr. Shaw and Mr. Rew whose store was, until recently, opposite the C.P.O. in Queen Street.
Grandchildren however remember when goods came from Hutchinson Bros. whose traveller called every three months or so. This was quite an important link with the outside world and what excitement there was when the big cases arrived. There was no tarrying coming home from school that day. Somewhere among the packing there would be a big bag of lollies - almost the only sweets those children ever had, though grandpa, while he lived, did seem to have a big glass jar hidden somewhere with wonderful sticks of lolly - white sticks with pink stripes! Let me tell you too that older "children" searched for another kind of lolly in Hutchinson's parcel of sweets - those little oblong ones with quotations written on them. These could be passed round at dances, quite innocently of course. You must read aloud what was written and not blush either or mind the laughter when the printing said "To the loveliest girl I know" or "I love you".
During
dry summers, there was always a danger of bush fires. There was a very serious outbreak in 1909 or 1910 and this fire
swept over a large area and threatened complete devastation. Providentially the wind changed and no
homestead was destroyed but a mass of blackened tree-trunks and burning stumps
was left behind some burning away for three weeks.
But there was time for picnics and other recreation. For example, a riding party to the West Coast became almost a yearly event. This was quite a journey through Maori settlements and waste lands. Supplies were taken on packhorses, tents were erected and a week spent in swimming, fishing, and fun with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Each summer too a day's picnic was held at the Whangape Lake and it was to this lake the men folk went duck shooting each season.
Referring again to the flooring - any sawn timber had to be brought from Mercer in paddle-steamer, or if the river was low, loads were brought by stacking the timber on a canoe or on two canoes lashed together or alternately on a barge towed by Mr. Roose, the steamer owner. It was a distance of 40 miles and the return journey sometimes occupied two days. From the landing the timber was drawn on sledges or if the roads or tracks were too muddy and slippery for safety, pack-horses would be used. This journey by launch from Mercer was the one taken by travellers for many years, A stay over-night was necessary on the return journey as the launch left at 7 a.m. arriving at the landing with passengers, mail and goods of all kinds about 11a.m., and then returning in time to catch an express train to Auckland. When home-separating began, this launch also picked up the cream and until transportation was possible by road Tuesdays and Fridays would always see farmers gathered at the landing with their gig or drays or four-wheeled buggies. Here the local news would be discussed and then the "Weekly News" would bring you up-to-date with happenings further afield. There was a large shed at this Opuatia Landing, built high above the usual level of the Opuatia Stream but during the big floods in 1907 it was almost under water. Now-a-days the highway by-passes the place altogether and the whole area is almost unrecognisable.
Because of unsure markets, costly freights and years of depression following the Maori Wars, John Shaw, his sons and later sons-in-law worked on the roads. At times Mr. Shaw took contracts in the Whangape Riding. One of these contracts, the construction of what was known for many years as Shaw's Road, but is now called Morris Road, led from James Murray's place to the homestead, he undertook at a low price, so that there would be a better outlet. He became famous as a quarrier and built what was known locally as the Cutting. To the delight of some of the descendents present at the reunion in 1963, this Cutting had changed but little, and it was easy to recall how they trudged that weary hill on the way to school. Previous to the Cutting being formed (and at first it was but a narrow track) the way led up a still steeper incline and in places steps were cut and boarded up with lengths of punga, but of course no trace of them can now be found. Becoming skilful in blasting the stone faces to obtain metal and to widen roads, Mr. Shaw was again much in demand and he was the principal constructor as roads pushed further west - Bothwell Road, Lowry Road, Annibaldi Road, (particularly troublesome to construct owing to its muddy nature and liability to slip) - his name was associated with these and more.
Thus, through the years round the turn of the century, John Shaw, though never again affluent, was able to keep his family comfortably housed and reasonably content. He was always busy but there came a time, not unnaturally, when he could sense a growing discontent-among the older ones, and a longing to escape the narrowness of their lives and to seek employment in Auckland or in more populous districts of the Waikato or Thames.
Somewhat desperate John realized he was no longer a young man and so that he could have more time at home with his loves ones, he decided to milk cows and produce dairy products. He therefore visited a Mr. Gibbs on the eastern banks of the Waikato River opposite the little district of Churchill, a little north of Rangiriri and from Mr. Gibbs and a near-by neighbour he bought between 9 and 12 dairy cows. To get them across the river was no small undertaking. One cow was chosen to be the leader and she had a rope secured to her horns. That rope was held by a man in a canoe and the cow was compelled to swim while the other animals followed, being herded across by men in two smaller canoes. Then there remained some 10 miles to traverse through tea-tree, fern, bush, in unfenced country. The home-herd gave them a welcome though - Leslie can remember the bellowing, pawing the ground, shaking of heads, showing of fight, almost as if it were yesterday though more than three score years have passed away. After being branded with a large “S” and earmarked, Brindle, Strawberry, Spotty, Geraldine and the others soon made the 40 acres of rich pastureland their home.
Now a two-roomed dairy was built and also further additions to the house, namely a sitting room and new kitchen and it was in this kitchen that John set a "Dover" stove - surrounded by bricks morticised with very sticky clay mixed with ashes. These would eventually dry, if skilfully done, without cracking. This stove is believed to be the first to come to Glen Murray and how proud the girls were of it and how it was made to shine in the galvanized flat-iron chimney. When seen by his sister-in-law Davina Murray, she made an urgent appeal that John build an extention and set in a stove for her. Indeed John's services were continually in demand and it was somewhat of a relief to him when a new carpenter-farmer a Mr. Billings, settled in the district and proved to be proficient in his trade.
In one of the rooms in the new dairy the milk was "set" in galvanized tin pans between 3 and 4 ft. in diameter and 7 or 8 inches deep. After 12 hours or so most of the cream had risen and formed a crust on the surface and this was skimmed off with a skimmer - a round flat tin article with a handle and which had holes in it to allow any milk to run away. The cream was stored a few days until it soured and was then churned into butter. The butter was thoroughly washed, carefully salted and cut in to sections estimated to be a pound in weight, or maybe a butter cutter was used and this made a fancy pound round in shape with a design on top. Surplus butter was sold to near-by settlers, bush-fellers and road-construction gangs but often some was packed on pack-horses or sledged to the Landing and sent by steamer to Mercer and thence to Auckland. This proved somewhat unsatisfactory however as the risk of the butter becoming rancid was very real, so once more our gallant fore-bear had to exercise ingenuity and this time we see him making arrangements to process the milk into cheese, which would be more durable, transport easier and be likely to find a much readier market in Auckland, as indeed it did, John Shaw's cheeses gaining renown and being much in demand. Mr. Rew the grocer, already referred to, held a monopoly for them and in return for supplies, provided this far-off pioneering family with groceries. With pains-taking care, John constructed wooden rectangular receptacles for the milk to. make his cheese. The boards were smoothly planed, had carefully adjusted fittings to prevent leakage and there was a skilfully made plug-hole at the bottom through which the whey was drained off. The milk was still "set" in the pans but only a light skimming of the cream was made, to be converted into butter. The rest of the milk was stirred at intervals to keep some of the cream incorporated in it to give more richness to the cheese, for once on sale it became more and more in demand. The partially-skimmed milk was emptied into the wooden tubs and a carefully measured amount of rennet was added. After being left over-night when "curds" formed, the curdled material was cut into 1 inch blocks with long knives or a hand-made curd-cutter of wire mesh. This most important task John would seldom entrust to others. After the curds had settled again into the necessary firmness and before too much whey had formed and thus some of the nourishing qualities be lost, the plug was withdrawn and the whey drained into kerosene tins to be taken to the pigs. When the whey was sufficiently drained away the curds were ready to be crumbled in the fingers, and transferred to round vats of different sizes. An ingenious presser completed the process of squeezing out any remaining whey and so the palatable cheeses were finished, rich in goodness, firm and even, ready for market.
Having whey as a by-product, pigs were reared, some to be slaughterd for immediate use, some to be processed into bacon and hams both for home use and for sale in the district or in Auckland. Mr. Shaw's recipe for curing bacon was a closely guarded secret and produced such a high quality product that again the demand was in excess of supply.
Mary and some of the older children were taught by a governess but in Glen Murray the school-age children had their first lessons in a shed belonging to James Murray. The first teacher, was a Mr. Willis who was very strict, Leslie remembering having the cane the first day he attended when he was 7 years old. The first school was built in 1896 and at the Jubilee celebrations in 1946, Cathie was present to represent the Shaws. This school was replaced by a modern building about 1948.
And later wedding-bells began to ring and once started they appear to have rung fairly frequently, Mary was married early in 1901 and Cathie in mid 1907 and in between these dates Jeannie, Janet, Lily and David. The first grandson was born at the end of 1901 and called William John Shaw Osborne after his father and grandfather. With the family reduced a hall was built off the end of the living-room, some rooms were removed or partitions taken down to enlarge the bedrooms. The two elder boys had left home. There was little to induce them to stay and both were anxious to study and this they did at night school in Waihi while working as assayists at Waikino. Both Leonard and David gained mining certificates and both became qualified as mine managers. When these boys left home some of the farm was sold to Mr. Henry Sorby and Mr. Shaw carried on with the help of his youngest son, John Leslie", who though little more than a lad did miles of fencing and brought more land under cultivation. But on Feb., 19th., 1907 Mr. Shaw died suddenly. On the day of his death he had been collecting funds for the Presbyterian Church of which he was an Elder. He was buried along side other pioneers in the local cemetery. A headstone erected on his grave also commemorates his son Leonard who was killed in action in World War 1. At this time only Bella and Leslie remained at home besides Cathie whose wedding took place a few months later. Mary and her family lived near-by, Lily and Cathie some miles away but homes were connected by telephone, the primitive lines being put up and maintained by the settlers themselves.
Among the hardships experienced in those early days, there was among other things the anxiety in times of sickness. As far as is known the nearest doctors were at Huntly and Pukekohe and when Jessie, the eldest grand-daughter was critically ill at the age of six months such anxiety was felt that it was judged expedient to get through to Rangiriri to catch a train to reach the doctor at Huntly despite it being winter time and roads being flooded. Mary carried her sick child, grandfather John led the horse while the father walked a little ahead to pick out a safe track through the waters. Many prayers followed that little procession and it was not in vain that the, journey was made. Later in 1906 Mary's second daughter Leura was badly injured when the horse Mary was driving shied and tipped the sulky over the bank. Leura suffered both a broken arm and a broken leg which necessitated her being taken to the Auckland hospital. At this time Mrs. Henry Sorby was honoured throughout the district for her medical skill and she undertook preparations for the long journey - down to the Landing, by launch to Mercer, by train to Auckland; but when the little patient arrived great interest was aroused and great praise given to Mrs. Sorby for she had packed the little girl in a box with bags of sand arranged around her in such a way that the injured limbs made no movement and felt no jolt. Mrs. Sorby was indeed friend arid helper to many. She had been a Miss Annadale and had studied medicine at the Edinburgh University before coming to New Zealand.
MARY
Married William Osborne who come from Campertown, Victoria, Australia in 1892. When married he brought 100 acres from Mr. Henry Sorby formerly part of the Shaw property. Will was an expert shearer with a tally of 160 sheep a day. He was a very hard worker, took bush-felling contracts and road contracts and when home-separating was introduced in 1912 he began dairying. In 1916, the farm was sold back to Mr. Sorby and the family moved to Opuatia where dairying was continued until 1924 when ill-health resulted in retirement to Onehunga.
DAVID
After leaving home and extending his studies, David worked in the Battery at Waikino. He married Mary Hodgson (Tottie). Ill health forced him to give up his work and he came back and took over the old farm and began dairying. In 1917 the old homestead was sold to Mr. Archie Morris who was still living there in 1963. David and Tottie and their adopted son moved to East Tamaki where he remained until his death.
JANET
Married Robert Shaw in 1902 and lived all her married life in Waikino where her husband had a Grocery store. She died when the family were still young and Robert's sister Nellie came and looked after the girls until they were old enough to manage themselves.
Married James Shaw, brother to Robert and most of their life was spent dairying. They retired to live in Hamilton. Their eldest son Hector now owns the very farm once owned by John Shaw - a valuable property on the Hamilton-Cambridge Highway.
LILY
Married Harry Bates in 1906. He arrived from England in November 1889, lived in Pokeno, and first went to Glen Murray in 1894. They had a farm at Naike but in 1913 moved north to Kaitaia and in 1914 to Keri Keri to a farm ' now in the possession of his son, Stanley.
BELLA
Trained as a nurse in the Auckland Hospital and nursed at Thames until World War 1 when she went away with the N.Z.E.F. and worked at the Broken-.hurst Hospital, Bournemouth, England. On her return she did private nursing but it should be recorded that she assisted her relatives in many ways, especially in providing finance for a niece to attend the Auckland Girls' Grammar School where she obtained certificates required to enter the teaching profession. Unfortunately Bella contracted tuberculosis at the Auckland Hospital and died at Onehunga in 1929.
LEONARD
Studied for mining
certificates and after a period in Waihi went to Wellington where he was an
assayist in the Dominion Laboratory.
He went to Gallipoli with the 2nd N.Z.E.F., was wounded, returned home,
became a commissioned officer, went to England and was killed in action in
France.
CATHIE
Married Bruce Murray and lived at Naike for a period, then at the Bay of Islands, but finally settled at Pokoru, Te Awamutu on a dairy farm still in the possession of her second son, Athol.
LESLIE
Carried on the farm for some years after his father's death but
encouraged by the local school-master, Mr. Church, he began studying again, and
when David returned to the farm he began his teaching career at a sole-charge
school at the Manakau Heads, from which he went to Training College. He married
Alice Veale prior to going to World War 1.
On his return at the end of the war, he taught at Morrinsville,
Avondale, at schools in Northland, finally coming to Taupaki where he remained
until his retirement.
All three sons were keen athletes. David was one of the fastest milers in N.Z. and all were keen footballers. David was in both Thames and Ohinemuri reps; Leonard was among the Victoria University (Wellington) reps, when they toured Australia and Leslie played for Rangiriri for two years and was picked among the Lower Waikato reps. He also played in two University teams while at Training College.
SCENE - On board the "Viola"
Families took their own provisions and did their own cooking. Men and Women
had turns and today the men are at work. "Let us make a plum-duff for a
change. Here's a recipe." In goes the flour, fruit, suet etc.. The pot
is baling and according to instructions the pudding is to -be tied securely in
a cloth. But there are no directions about mixing other than "stir well".
Is liquid added or not? The men are puzzled but to ask for advice would never
do. "Maybe it gets wet as it boils, so let's put her in, boys".
Alas, there was no eatable dessert that day!
SCENE - The Homestead
A rather hesitant knock at the door - "I'll go" says Lily to Mary as they do the washing up." Low-voiced conversation and then Lily returns. "Who was that?" inquires Mary "It was Harry Bates" - rather demurely from Lily. "What did he want?" - rather sharply from Mary. "He asked me to go to the dance on Saturday night" "And are you going?" - rather incredulously.
"Of course I'm going!" - very emphatically from Lily ...... and she went.
Mary and Lettie Bates (sister-in-law to Lily) ride along slowly with Jack on the pommel of his mother's saddle. Conversation is terribly wearisome and uninteresting to a small boy and at last he weeps. "What ever is the matter, Jackie" Jackie "I just wants kissing."
ENDNOTES
1 The original was typed on a typewriter that clearly was old for the keys were not reliably aligned.
2 A family tree of 6 pages followed the text that is give above.
3 Re: Jessie Waddell Walker: in 1963 “Waddle” was placed in brackets after her name in the family tree.