Robert and Matilda POTTS
Carolbea
Robert and Matilda (nee Crombie) Potts arrived in HawkesBay New Zealand on the "Waitara" in 1856 , orginally from Newcastle on Tyne . Their daughter Matilda Potts( born in NZ) married Richard Rogers, son of William Rogers and Eliza Scandlyn, and grandson of Mary Rogers nee Faull who was the first European woman to be murdered in 1854, in the developing New Plymouth settlement in New Zealand. I am descended from this family line.
At some stage, perhaps 1919, a R POTTS was managing a hotel for anglers and tourists at Makuri. Is this the father Robert who came out from the UK or his son Robert?
In 1895,a Miss POTTS was the school teachers at Egmont Vilage School. My assumption is that this maybe the sixteen year Matilda who later married Richard but she would have been very young to be in sole charge of a school th size shown in a photograph of the school in 1895. At this time Robert and Matilda Potts were living in Midhurst.
I am interested in closing any gaps in the life of this POTTS family in New Zealand, but also interested in members of the family members who remained in the UK. A letter to the son Albert Potts from two aunts during the first world war indicates that there were still family members remaining in the UK.
Comments
Carolbea on 2012-02-05 23:39:28Update on Matilda and Robert Potts and queries on Potts in Wanganui 1890- 1911.
As above Matilda and Robert arrived 1876 on " Waitara" from Newcastle on Tyne to Napier and stayed in the Napier area for a number of years.
Their children:
Mary Lilias - born 1876 came to NZ as a 2mth old child
Robert Potts born 1877 Napier Father's occupation is shown as a platlayer
Matilda Potts born 1878 Te Aute Father occupation is a labourer
William George Potts born 1882 Napier
Julia Wilhelmina born 1884 Blackburn , Hawkes Bay
Albert Potts born 1885 possible born Waipukurau
Roberts occupations while in the Hawkes Bay, identified from Electoral rolls, Wises, birth certiifcates were Platelayer, settler at Blackburn /Ongaonga, bushman at Te Aute and possibly Blackburn.
About 1890 they appear to have been in Wanganui and then to moved to Midhurst, Taranaki where Robert and Matilda were farming on Radnor Road.
Interested in the period when the Potts were at Wanganui. A William Potts leased the Netley Lodge in the period 1880-1890's. Robert Potts's children Julia and Albert attended Aromoho School( 1894-1895) as did another child Jeannie Potts( 1891)- who are here parents? not a child of Robert and Matilda. A Robert Potts gained the licence of the Makuri Hotel in 1910 who was ex Wanganui( ref: newspapers advertisement for the hotel c1911.
Vuletich on 2014-04-29 23:29:59My husbands grand dad was Albert Potts, born 1886, his fathers name was Robert, don't know his mums name. My husband never knew of any of his grand fathers siblings. Have you got records, any photos from their time in Wanganui? Albert Potts and Hannah Pruden married and had a daughter Nancy Lynette, she is now aged 94, her memory is not good on past happenings, I have only ever seen one photo of Albert, when he walked Nancy down the aisle at her wedding to Ivan Vuletich.
Carolbea on 2014-04-30 01:38:48Great to make contact with another who shares interest in Potts line. There is a photograph of Albert during time in army that a cousin has , also a copy of a letter from the Potts sisters in Newcastle when Albert was in UK recovering from war injuries, inviting to their home. A copy of the photo you mention is in our family photographs. I remember Albert Potts visiting my grandmother and parents in Mamaku when I was young and he was very old then.
Between several people have an interesting collection of photographs of early years in Taranaki region. We still know little of the family's time in Wanganui, mostly from electoral rolls.
Carolbea on 2014-05-09 22:41:48Checkout the listing on Arthur Frederick PRUDEN and Hannah Elizabeth BLOOMFIELD by ngairedith. Just found it today. Thanks
Love the letter home in 1916 within the posting. Visited the Western Front several years ago and amazing to read his thoughts and to recall the devastation seen in museum murals and photographs.
ngairedith on 2014-05-09 22:52:11Arthur Frederick Pruden with the letter written home from a French village 7 July 1916 (scroll down to Timeline)