William McClelland Secombe was born in Scotland (bapitsed on 14 April 1833), a son of Thomas Secombe (1809-1862) & Isabella McClelland (1810-1877) who married in Stranraer, Scotland on 9 Nov 1832. Isabella was the daughter of William McClelland and Elizabeth Stewart.

Thomas Secombe (the father) was born in Cornwall. He was the 9th of 13 children of James Secombe & Mary Thomas. In 1829 at the age of 22, Thomas joined the Royal Navy in Fowey, Cornwall. He joined the crew of the Coastguard cutter, Revenue Cruizer 'Diligence'. He is on the ships muster book as mariner (later changed to seaman), joining the ship 19 Nov 1831. At the time of his marriage to Isabella McClelland in 1832, he was still serving on the 'Diligence'. Sometime after their marriage he left the Navy and joined a shore based Coastguard. Thomas died 24 Mar 1862 aged 53 at Rodden, Donaghadee, Ireland & buried at Church of Ireland, Balligan, with daughter Elizabeth (1843-1862). Isabella died 6 June 1877 (apparently in The Workhouse), at Newtownards, County Down aged 66

William, like his father and brothers, was a mariner/sailor.
* brother Alexander Secombe (1840-1885) didn't follow the sea. He went to the goldfields in Australia, married Malvina Rachel Vincent (1846-1925) in 1862, had 9 children, ran a number of hotels in Queensland. He suicided aged 45. Malvina died 40 years later and is buried Old Ingham cemetery
* brother Mark Secombe (1842-1889) was on the 1st Cruise round the World of the Flying Squadron, June 1869 - Nov 1870, joined many ships, the Ajax, Edgar, Blenheim, Excellent, Pearl, Duke of Wellington & Penelope, married Elizabeth Mulholland in Dunwich, Suffolk in 1875 & had 10 girls. He retired from the Coastguard and had a Greengrocer's shop in Walton, Suffolk until his death at the early age of 47.
* brother Andrew Secombe (1846-1884), born Ireland, joined the Royal Navy 6 Oct 1864 as Able Seaman (Diver) also with the Coastguard, like his brothers, joined the Ajax, married Emma Chaston in Scotland in 1875. Died very early age of 38
* brother Lewis Secombe (1852-1905), born in County Down also served on many ships, his mother writing in support of his application on 9 Oct 1867 when he was 15. He served on Scout, Chameleon, Pembroke, Fox & Royal Adelaide. Was an inmate in Wakefield Prison, serving 7 days hard labour for drunkenness and was also in Bodman prison at one time.

* In Nov 1860 William joined up for 10 years on the the HMS 'Ajax' and was a Coastguard in the Kingstown District, coast of Ireland. Encountered may storms, one of which killed the captain
* He then served on coastal traders in Australia.
* On 27 Aug 1873 he was shipwrecked on the 'Fairy Queen' at Caroline Bay, near Timaru during a cyclone. Actually she was 1 of 3 vessels stranded that day: the Duke of Edinburgh (schooner carrying 40,000 feet of timber, refloated and renamed the Euphrosyne), the Wanderer (which struck the Fairy Queen & wrecked) & the Fairy Queen ..
* The Fairy Queen was a 175 ton Brig, carrying coal from Australia, She parted her cable and was driven ashore. She struck the beach opposite Strathallan street. A barrel of pitch was set alight on the rocks above to give direction in rescuing the crew. She was sold on the beach for £135 and wrecked.
After being shipwrecked, William gave up the sea, stayed in town, taking board with John & Elizabeth Lennie and their family at Pleasant Point. It appears that William changed his surname not long after this. It is McClellan on his intention to marry on 15 Jan 1877.

. About Elizabeth Lennie .
Elizabeth Taylor 'Betsy' Brodie was born 5 March 1837, in Stronsay, the 1st of 6 children of John Brodie (1803-1881) & Eliza Folsetter Buchanan (1809-1869).
Elizabeth first married John Lennie (1834-1876), a blacksmith, (son of a master blacksmith), in the United Protestant Church in Milltown, Stronsay, Orkney, Scotland on 14 July 1864. They had 3 children, then on 29 July 1870 they embarked at London on the Merope to emigrate to New Zealand. They arrived in Lyttleton on 27 Oct 1870. They had another 2 daughters and settled in Pleasant Point, Timaru. They were staunch members of the Independent Order of Templars (a temperance society) and the Salvation Army.
their children
. born Stronsay .
1865 - 1949 David Lennie (+Peake +Wise)
. married 1st in Timaru, married 2nd in Tasmania, used the name McClellan in Australia, died NSW
1866 - 1883 John Gorrie Lennie (age 17 Timaru)
. died of consumption
1868 - 1904 Catherine Lennie (+Hughes)
. married James Hughes in Timaru 1885, died in Canterbury, leaving 11 children
. born Canterbury .
1871 - 1937 Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Lennie (+Gjording)
. married Pater Gjording in Wellington 1911, had 2 sons, buried with her mother at Karori
1875 - 1958 Letitia 'Louisa' McClellan Lennie (+Olsen)
. married Albert Thomas Olaf Olsen in Wellington 1911, died Dannevirke

Husband John Lennie died in Pleasant Point on 13 March 1876 and Elizabeth was left a widow 3 days after her 39th birthday, with 5 young children to bring up.

Timaru Herald, 4 May 1876
Pleasant Point Public School A meeting of the Committee .. it was proposed that the services of Caroline Gerker for cleaning the school-room be dispensed with and that the Chairman see Mrs Lennie re school cleaning and the matter be left entirely to the Chairman, Mr Klee, to arrange.

Elizabeth Lennie next married the boarder, William McClellan, at Pleasant Point, Timaru on 10 Feb 1877
they had a son
1877 - 1965 William McClellan (+Grant)

Elizabeth's son John Gorries Lennie died of comsumption in Timaru in 1883, aged 17
Timaru Herald, 10 Nov 1883 The Funeral of the late John Lennie will leave the residence of Mr McClellan, Pleasant Point, on Sunday, at half-past 3 p.m. A Meeting of the Anchor of Hope Lodge will be held in the Lodge Room on Sunday at 3 o'clock, to follow the remains of the late Bro. John Lennie, to the Pleasant Point Cemetery.
Expression of Gratitude - To the Editor of the Timaru Herald. Sir, - Kindly allow me through you journal to express my heartfelt thanks to the Good Templars, neighbors and other friends for the help and sympathy afforded to us in our time of trouble and bereavement by the death of our son John Lennie. By inserting the above, you will oblige yours truly, William McClellan, Pleasant Point, Nov 12th

Some time after this, William & Elizabeth moved north to Woodville, the two youngest daughters also moving up. They ran the Post Office Temperance Hotel. Elizabeth signed page 501 of the the suffrage petition in Woodville in 1893.

Woodville Examiner, 9 March 1894
Woodville Horticultural and Industrial Show The show was held in the Drill Hall on Wednesday and was a great success. The judging at this Show gave great satisfaction all round and with good cause. The object of the Society is to encourage competition
* The show of fruit was the feature of the exhibition and of this the entries in apples exceeded anything ever before seen at Woodville, or we believe, anywhere else in the colony. Mr Blomquist (Johannes 'John' 1850-1929) of Carterton added greatly to the attractiveness of this feature. He had on exhibition alone a fine lot of 90 varieties..
* A feature of the wall display was a ship designed by Mr McClellan in needlework. It contained 134,724 stitches and was a remarkable result of patience and ingenuity. It was shown at the Christchurch Exhibition where it was awarded a prize.

Woodville Examiner, 14 Dec 1894
We regret to record the death of Mr McClellan, of the Post Office Temperance Hotel. Deceased was for many years a seafaring man. About six months ago his health began to fail and it was ascertained that he suffered from cancer of the stomach, the disease gaining headway till resulting in his death yesterday afternoon. Deceased leaves a widow and son. The funeral will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Woodville Examiner, 19 Dec 1894
Thanks Mrs McClellan and family wish to express their heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the friends in Woodville for their great kindness and sympathy in their time of trouble and bereavement.

Woodville Examiner, 24 Dec 1894
Raffle Drawing For Picture - By Late Mr McClellan
As the list of Members for the Raffle for the large picture worked in wool, is now filled up, all interested in same will please attend at the Masonic Hotel, on Wednesday, the 26th inst., at 8 p.m., when the said picture will be raffled for.

Woodville Examiner, 26 June 1896
The Paikakariki Train Derailment Woodville Residents Experiences
A letter from Mr Sowry, who was on his way to Wellington in the train that derailed just beyond Paikakariki, says that there was a sudden slip of earth, large rocks and stones "The engine driver saw the danger when going into the tunnel, which was a short one. He put on the brakes, shut off stea and opened the escape valve, which, no doubt, saved us all from going over on the beach amongst those fearful rocks .. Besides Mr Sowry there were Messrs S. Hutching, F. Greenaway and Miss Lennie, daughter of Mrs McClellan of the Post Office Temperance Hotel

Elizabeth remained in Woodville until about 1898 when she moved to Wellington, ran a number of boarding houses and helped take care of grandchildren. By 1914, due to failing eyesight, she was living with daughter Elizabeth Gjording in Karori. She died there on 14 Jan 1924


PHOTO
The shipwrecked 'Fairy Queen' at Caroline Bay, Timaru 27 Aug 1873 on which William arrived in NZ.