I also have Elizabeth Lyons on my Howatson tree. She married my great-uncle William Howatson (b abt 1880 New Luce, Wigtown, Scotland; arr. with his parents Auckland NZ 1883/84 having been exiled by the family in Scotland. There were already family in NZ; the McSkimmings/Daltons in Auckland and the Hutchisons nr Southbridge)
William had 3 children:
1. William James Robert (1904 - 1972)
2. Murial Jessie (1906 - )
3. Ian Douglas (1909 - )
William had 10 brothers and sisters of whom two boys died in infancy, one was drowned as a young man leaving no issue and one was killed in WWI leaving no issue.
I am sorry I know nothing about William's three children mentioned above nor anything of their descendants.
Family gossip has it that a William Howatson deserted his family and took off for Australia never to be heard of again.
I have traced my Howatsons in a direct line to one William born 1719, Ochiltree, Scotland. I also have two "probably" generations before him. There are also numerous side branches of which I have quite a few connected, as well as twigs.
My biggest problem has been that my grandmother Howatson (married 1917 Walter Cooper of Temuka) died when my mother was four years old and thereafter contact was poor and along with it oral family history. Will help where I can. Regards Philip Boyle.

I can probably help you with the Bey family of Greytown. The mother was I believe a Porritt. The son farmed a place called Springbank at Gladstone. Springbank adjoined my grandfather's farm. The son died without issue, I think. His only sibling, his sister married a Bunny I believe and there will be descendants. Do you want me to try and find more accurate information? Philip Boyle

Thank you very much. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Hello Philip,

I can remember meeting you at my cousins place in Christchurch and you were looking for family members on the Howatson family.
My grandmother was Elizabeth Howatson formerly Lyon. Her first marriage was to Charles William Goodwillie and then toWilliam Howatson. My father was Williams James Robert Howatson. A few years ago I went to New Luce and visited the farm Darniemow which was for sale.
The house was in a derelict state. The lateEtta Hampton had a lot of imformation on the Howatson family and I do not know where that is now. I also visited the cemetery at New Luce and tried to read the headstones trying to trace the ancestor.
It would be good to catchup on some family tracing sometime
Regards
Judith Burnett

Hi Judith
Both Philip and I are loosely related through the different sides of the Howatson family. Thanks very much for the contact. I had not heard anything for such a long time I had almost forgotten this thread. FamilyTreeCircles is a great search site - if you are patient - as eventually family contact is made.
Regards
Carolyn
great grand daughter of Elizabeth [Lyon] Howatson.

Hi Carolyn
So good to hear from someone on the Goodwillie family.
As a small girl we always received a Christmas present from Aunty Ena who was a Mrs Atkinson and my fathers half sister we never ever
met Aunty Ena.
Are you a great grand daughter of Mrs Atkinson?
Apparently our father had another half sister but do not know her name.
We do not know were William Howatson went to I often wonder if he returned to Scotland were he was born.
Please keep in contact we both had the same grandmother

Regards
Judith

I have sent a private message to you with my email address.
I wish I was young enough to be a great grandaughter of Mrs Atkinson - I am her grandaughter - one of many! - and am several years pre-pension age!
My female cousins will be very excited to know you have made contact.I am the family historian - well there is another cousin who is into genealogy too - but I am the one who decided to take a group of relatives to Stewart Island and Riverton on a Goodwillie family history tour - we had the very best time!And then later I took another cousin to Temuka on the Lyon family search.
Regards
Carolyn