to help Keitha and her query Looking for Coe family Pahiatua
* please note this is a work in progress, call back from time to time for any updates or amendments

WILLIAM ROBERT COE (1850-1943)
- born in Lambeth, London
- 2nd of 5 children of George Thomas COE (1919-1904) & his 1st wife Harriet Caroline CONWAY. Harriet died in England before 1874. George emigrated to Wellington in August 1874 with his son James and daughter Florence. George remarried at his home in Wellington in 1880 to Mary Ann BARKER (1827-1896). Mary Ann died in Featherston aged 69. George moved up to Pongaroa and kept a boarding house. He died 20 December 1904 aged 86 in Pahiatua and is buried in Grave 24 - Plot 6 - Block 3 at Mangatainoka (it is unmarked, no headstone)
... (see at end of this journal for George's other children)

William married 9 April 1871 in Saint Marylebone, London to:
EMMA SWADDLING (1852-1925)
- (sometimes seen as SWADLING)
- born 5 Doris Street East, Lambeth, London, England
- a daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Swaddling
- Emma died 11 August 1925 aged 72 in Whangarei
- buried Plot 236 - Old Portion Block One at Maunu Cemetery

* in 1917 they were living in Whauwhau Valley, Whangarei
William Robert Coe died on Xmas Day 1943 in Whangarei aged 92
- buried in Plot 1594 - Old Portion Block Seven at Maunu Cemetery

they had 13 children
NOTE this is a separate journal to concentrate on the direct descendants of the 1st of the 13 children, Emma Coe and her husband James Edward Lawrence

- the list of all 13 children can be seen at this journal:
the COE family of Wairarapa

.. 1 ..
1873 - 1922 EMMA COE
- born in Marylebone, London
- married **JAMES EDWARD LAWRENCE in 1890
- see ** below for James's family line
- Emma died 18 July 1922

- their 4 known children were:
1891 - 1909 Sidney Lawrence
- born 14 October 1891
- Sidney died on 22 August 1909 aged 17
- he was a Carpenter in Pahiatua
- he is buried in Grave 28 - Plot 7 - Block 3 at Mangatainoka with his 6 year old brother Eric William Lawrence (1905-1911)
- his HEADSTONE READS: In loving memory of Sidney Lawrence, who died Aug. 22, 1909, aged 18 (sic) years. "We loved him well, but Jesus loved him best". Also Eric Lawrence, who died Oct. 25, 1911, aged 6 years.

1893 - 1895 Holly Maud Lawrence
- born 23 August 1893
- Holly died on 12 February 1895 aged 18 months
- she is buried Grave 35 - Plot 1 - Block 3 at Mangatainoka, unmarked grave, no headstone

1900 - 1963 Leslie James Lawrence
- born 14 November 1900 - he died in Wairoa

NOTE ... order of marriages may not be correct

Leslie married Inez Bernardine SMITH
- Inez was born in 1903, 1 of 2 daughters of Robert Stephen SMITH & Alice Garthu(e) PEARCE. Her sister was Lorna Jean Smith
- Leslie & Inez had a daughter in 1924 they named Inez Bernadine who died aged 1 week
- They also had at least 4 other children
Leslie married Hariata PARETIPUA
- they had at least 7 children
Leslie married May LEWIS & had 5 children
- May was a daughter of William David LEWIS (1867-1955) & Heni Iriwaho SMITH (1885-1965)
Leslie married Lena CARR
- they had ? children

1905 - 1911 Eric William Lawrence
- born 18 June 1905
- Eric died 25 October 1911 aged 6
- he is buried in Grave 27 - Plot 7 - Block 3 at Mangatainoka with his 18 year old brother Sidney Lawrence

his grandchildren tell me:
" ... bringing our family fishing boat back from Napier, both granddad and boat lost. Only one gumboot was found. 'Jimmy' was Wairoa's Freemasonary member/businessman - Lawrence Motors/buses and taxi services and Mayor of Wairoa.
Lawrence Motors was sited in North Cyde near the Wairoa River.
Lawrence Park was to be sited in McLean Street, the Park named after him. His first wife was a chieftainess called Hariata my grandmother, both married in the forest of TaneMahuta, the old Maori way. The Lawrence family is related to the Gregories family from Scotland as Gregories uncle was Arthur Lawrence of Pahiatua"...

... "he was married to A HARIATA IN THE fOREST OF TANE MAHUTA and then to my grandmother May, maiden name Lewis from Nuhaka Wairoa" ...

... granddad never spoke of his life much, there may only been a very few times he said anything. What I know abount him is he was a Wairoa Taxi driver for many years. The day of the drowning he had brought the tug boat from Napier. On the boat was my father, Rex Lawrence and a granduncle I think. It happened comming into the Wairoa Mouth. Granddad and the granduncle drowned. They have never recovered their bodies to this day. My Father Rex was about 16/17 years old at the time, is now 63. I also hear that Granddad Leslie also went by the name Jim/Jimmy. He also had many partners and children. I have been told a story that granddad had been barred from the family because he married a Maori ...

... granddad's wife, my grandmother, May Lewis Lawrence, was from Mohaka or Nuhaka, Wairoa, Hawkes Bay. They had 6 children but all in total there's about 26 children that have been spoken about and they are supposed to be of Leslie James Lawrence ...

... this is my grandmother, May LAWRENCE (nee LEWIS) parents:
Heni Ruihi SMITH (17 March 1885-14 March 1965) & William David LEWIS (2 Feb 1867-26 Feb 1955)
my grandprents Leslie James LAWRENCE & May LEWIS children:
RONALD JAMES Lawrence
REX Lawrence
JEAN Lawrence
JOSEPHINE MAY Lawrence
BRIAN PAKU Lawrence (he has not made any contact since leaving home)
- My grandmother May 2nd married to a Ben Ropitine. They had 1 son ...

- none of them mention the above Inez Bernardine SMITH although the Jane Smith is interesting (last comment)
- his next 2 wives may have been common law and I hope his descendants can provide the children of these unions
- Leslie 'James, Jimmy' Lawrence died on 14 August 1963 in a boating accident in Wairoa. He was 65 (sic ??). The 'granduncle' mentioned as drowning with Leslie was Walter Henry Coe (1881-1963), 1 of 2 sons of Thomas Lewis Coe (1855-1933) & Rachael/Rachel MARSHALL (1856-1942) who married in 1878, lived in Wellington where Thomas was a Saddler and both buried in Karori
- (Walter Henry Coe married Florence Annie EDWARDS in 1907)


** JAMES EDWARD LAWRENCE
- was the 5th of 11 children of William LAWRENCE & Mary Ann ROBINSON who married in Wellington in 1861 and settled in Carterton
- his father William was born in 1836 in the parish of St Andrew, Holborn, London. He arrived into Wellington 21 Sep 1857 and died in Dec 1913 (read his bio below). He was the first of at least 8 children to James LAWRENCE & Caroline FEASEY of London

- the children of William Lawrence & Mary Ann Robinson were:
1862 - 1918 Harriet Lawrence
- she married Daniel HERCOCK (1864-1932) in 1886
- a son of William (1833-1902) & Catherine Micklejohn (1843-1918) Hercock. Daniel was a brother of Harry who married Caroline Lawrence below. The Hercock were living in Masterton in at least 1884 when a sister, Eliza, died (her brother mentioned was Thomas James )
- they had at least 3 children:
1887 - 1953 Frank Frederick Hercock
1889 - 1965 Thomas William Hercock (m Bertha Ellen WILLIS 1910)
1895 - 1956 Clarence Charles Hercock (m Marjorie Francis PINE 1914)

1864 - 1932 John Robinson Lawrence (sometimes recorded John Robert)
- he married Emily WENHAM (1867-1960) in 1887
- they had had least 2 children:
1888 - 1971 Ellen Lawrence
1890 - 1855 John William Lawrence
- John Robinson Lawrence died 1 January 1932 aged 68 in Carterton
- he is buried in Plot 49 - Block NEW SUR A at Clareville

1865 - 1949 William Henry Lawrence
- married Rose Young LETT (1872-1945) in 1887
- (sister of William Lett who married her sister Laura below)
- they lived for a time in Lansdowne Masterton
- they had at least 2 children:
1892 Daisy Lawrence
1894 Edward William Henry Lawrence

1867 - 1939 James Edward Lawrence
- sometimes known as Edward or as James or combinations of
- James married Emma COE in 1890 (Emma's brother Sydney Coe had a daughter Olive May Coe who married Charles Edward TORSTENSON)
- James and Emma had at least 4 children as above
1891 - 1909 Sidney Lawrence (died aged 18)
1893 - 1895 Olive 'Holly' Maud Lawrence (died aged 2)
1901 - 1963 Leslie James Lawrence (died aged 62)
- married 4 times and about 26 children
1905 - 1911 Eric William Lawrence (died aged 6)

1869 - 1933 Caroline Eliza Lawrence
- she married Harry HERCOCK (1863-1931) in 1891
- a son of William & Catherine Hercock. A brother of Daniel who married Harriet Lawrence above
- they had at least 6 children:
1892 - 1980 Ethel Mary/Marion Eliza Hercock (m Frederick Ethelbert SEDCOLE 1910)
1894 - 1954 Mary Ann Hercock
1896 - 1969 Olive 'Ollie' Harriet Hercock (m William Henry NAGEL 1916)
1898 Doris Hercock (m Robert Henry HAINES 1922)
1902 Eva Kathleen/Katherine Hercock (m Jack WENHAM 1925)
1905 - 1967 Francis William Hercock (m Ada Eose CLEMENT 1927)

1870 - 1954 Charles Lawrence
- he married Mary Ethel ROBINSON (1878-1956) in 1897
- they had at least 3 children:
1898 - 1899 Douglas Charles Lawrence (died aged 14 months)
1900 - 1986 Kenneth Edward William Lawrence
1904 - ???? Norma Phyllis Mary Lawrence

1873 - 1875 Ellen Lawrence
- died aged 2

1875 - Elizabeth Lawrence
- she married Frederick William ENSON (1865-1932) in 1893
- no children found

1877 - 1959 Laura Lawrence
- she married William LETT (1869-1953) in Manukau on 25 April 1894 (brother of Rose Young Lett who married her brother William above). In 1944 they were living at 58 Kamo Rd Whangarei
- they had at least 2 children:
1895 - 1962 William Harold Lett
1904 - 1974 Donald Vincent Lett
- William died 12 September 1953 aged 84
- he is buried Plot 334 - Forest Lawn at Maunu Cemetery Whangarei
- Laura died 2 May 1959 aged 66, she is buried with William
- William was a son of Charles Lett (1837-1918) & Sarah Jane WATSON (1849-1917) who had 12 sons & at least 4 known daughters in Wellington & Masterton)
- NOTE: Charles Lett died March 1918

1878 - 1933 Frederick Lawrence
- he married Jane Mary ROHDE in 1905
- they had a son
1905 - 1979 Cecil Frederick Lawrence
- Jane was born 1887 to Ferdinand & Hannah/Johanna ROHDE (Te Kuiti)
- Frederick died on 7 Aril 1933 aged 54
- he is buried in Plot 107 - Block NEW SUR A at Clareville, Carterton

1883 - 1962 Ellen Lawrence
- she married Harold HODDER (1875-1960) in 1903
- they had at least 2 children:
1904 Emily Olive May Hodder
1907 Thelma Doreen Hodder
- Harold died 28 April 1960 aged 85
- he is buried Plot 30 at Clareville Cemetery Carterton
- Ellen died 24 September 1962 aged 78
- she is buried in Plot 157 - Block 1 - Area Lawn A at Clareville

MARY ANN LAWRENCE died 4 May 1899 aged 55
- she is buried in Plot 58 at Clareille Cemetery, Carterton
WILLIAM LAWRENCE died on 30 December 1913
- he is buried in Plot 59 at Clareville Cemetery, Carterton
BIO of WILLIAM LAWRENCE
... Dominion, 2 January 1914 ...
News reached Carterton on Tuesday evening of the death at Mangamaire (between Pahiatua and Eketahuna) of Mr William Lawrence, after a lengthy illness. Deceased was a very old resident of the Wairarapa, and was born in the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, London, and was a Crimean War veteran, having seen service when he was twenty years of age. He arrived in Wellington in 1857, in the sailing ship Southern Cross, and was later married at the Upper Hutt to Miss Mary Ann Robinson. His wife pre-deceased him by some eight or nine years. The late Mr Lawrence was a sawmiller by occupation, but for some time past had lived a retired life at Mangamaire. He leaves a grown-up family of five sons and five daughters

Related Journals

• the COE family of Wairarapa & Manawatu