George Green BUCK (1818-1895) was born 1 April 1818 in Somerset, England, a son of Robert Buck & Alice Gregory (1795-1871)

George married Mary Ann Seldon SALMON (1817-1867) in 1840
He married Rebecca MONTEITH (formerly WHITEWOOD 1819-1903) in 1877

George, with his wife Mary arrived on the BIRMAN which had departed Gravesend on the 13th October 1841 and arrived in Wellington on 1st March 1842
He and Mary had 7 children, the last one, Edwin, born in 1860 - Mary died 7 years later.

George next married Rebecca Monteith - he was then 59 and she was 58, she was his son's mother-in-law .. her daughter Mary Ann Whitehead, (from her 1st marriage to William Whitehead), married George's son Alfred, from his 1st marriage to Mary Ann Salmon

12 October 1894
Mr George Green Buck, a very old resident at the Taita, died at his residence at 9 o'clock last night, after an illness of five months, at the age of 76 years. Mr Buck arrived at Wellington in 1842 in the ship Birman, and after residing for some time in Wellington, settled at the Taita, where he ultimately purchased the hotel, which he kept until 1869, at which time he retired, and he has since been living on his means. Mr Buck was looked up to at the Hutt as being practically the father of the settlement. To the assistance received from him in the early days many people owe the prosperous positions they now occupy and his death will be very widely mourned. Deceased had seven sons and daughters, five of whom survive him. He leaves a widow (his second wife). Mr Buck was a member of the first party who were lost for 15 days in the Rimutaka forest, from which they emerged at the Wairarapa Lake and were succoured and by the Maori brought round in canoes. Deceased is to be buried at 1p.m. on Sunday

12 October 1894
The Friends of the late George Green Buck, are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral, which will leave his late residence, Taita, for the Taita Cemetery, on Sunday, the 14th, at 1 p.m. - COLLETT BROS., Undertakers

13 October 1894
The time of the funeral of the late Mr Buck has been altered to 3 o'clock

15 October 1894
The funeral of the late Mr. George Green Buck took place at the Taita yesterday afternoon, and the remains were followed to their last resting place in the village churchyard by a very large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends from all parts of the district.

The pall bearers were:
THREE GRANDSONS:
* William Seldon Pike
* Ernest Seldon Pike, who married Winifred Mary BROWN in 1907
* Arthur Seldon Pike, who married isabella FINCH in 1897
and
* Mr. W. NOLER(?), who had been in Mr. Buck's employ for about a quarter of a century

The chief mourners were:
THE 3 SONS:
* William Seldon Buck, who married Ngaiwikau HAUTU
* Alfred James Seldon Buck, who married Mary Ann WHITEHEAD
and
* Edwin Douglas Seldon Buck, who married Janet Ann FOX in 1888

2 SONS-IN-LAW:
* William Henry Reynolds DALE who had married Julia Mary Ann Seldon Buck in 1876
and
* George Hale PIKE who had married Elizabeth Seldon BUCK

* Cyril Seldon Pike (grandson) who married Mary Ann HARRIS in 1910

RELATIVES:
* T. W. McKenzie
* F Cohen
* J. Buck
* E. Buck (assuming this was Eli Buck who married Caroline DAYSH in 1868)
and
* Townsend

Dr. PURDY - Physician and Surgeon, Lower Hutt, practised at Oulton, Yorkshire, for seven years before coming to the Colony per s.s. 'Coptic' in 1891. On arrival he bought out Dr. Wilford's interest in the partnership with the late Dr. Whitehead, since whose death he has practised solely at Lower Hutt. Dr. Purdy is sole referee in the district for the Australian Mutual Provident Society and for the Government Life Office; he is also health officer for the Hutt County
and IMMEDIATE FRIENDS:
* Brandon
* C. Kemble
* A. R. Hislop
* R. Kemble and
* George Ross

and amongst the visitors from town we noticed the
* Mayor of Wellington, (the Hon. Alfred de Bathe Brandon)
* Dr. A. K. Newman, M.H.R (who was also the vice president of the Wellington Rugby Football Union)
* Rev. Herman Van Staveren - Rabbi of the Hebrew community, who has been in charge of the Wellington district for eighteen years
Messrs.
* J. M. Richardson
* J. G. Wilson, M.H.R.
* C. T. Richardson
* J. Plimmer
* S. Waters
* R. Mowatt

There were a number of Maori (by whom the deceased was held in high esteem) and a gathering of old identities, amongst whom were:
Messrs
* Russell
* James Read Welch, who married Isabella Whitewood HARPER in Taita 1866
* H. Pitt
* Mellow
* Death
* Peck - or any or all of the Pecks in Taita at that time
* Futter
* Avery - any or all of the Averys at that time
* Mabey - any of this family
* J. Brown
* Benge - any or all of this family
* Stewart
* D. Ross
* Daysh
* Meagher
* James William Fox - any or all of this family
* Charles Cudby
* Wilkins
* Heyward
* T. Allen
* William Dew, who married Annie Rebecca DAVIS

The Rev Mr. HARRISON conducted the burial service. The scene was a most impressive one as the cortege wound its way beneath the trees along the country road, which was flanked by the settlers from all parts, the bell from the village church meanwhile sending forth its minute tolls.

Mr Buck was laid to rest beside his former partner, Mr Kemble, with whom he had borne the heat and burden of the troublous times of the first settlement of the Hutt Valley.

Thus ends the history of one of our sturdiest and most generous pioneers - of whom, alas, not a great many now remain to tell of the trails incidental to the settlement of the district

PHOTO
PLOT 38 at Christ Church Taita
has the following 13 people:
* 1866 - Evelyn Pike - an infant
1867 - her grandmother Mary Ann Buck (nee Salmon) aged 50
1874 - her brother Cecil Pike - an infant
1894 - her grandfather George Green Buck aged 76
1901 - her mother Elizabeth (nee Buck) aged 56
1902 - her father George Hale Pike aged 62
1909 - her brother Gordon Seldon Pike aged 24
1919 - her uncle Willim Buck, her mother's brother aged 73
1929 - her brother William Seldon Pike aged 63
1932 - her sister Julia Catherine Pike aged 70
1957 - her cousin Percy Buck - her mother's brother William's son aged 67
Also Robert & Henrietta Kemble - friends and business partners of her parents