...... the family of
William ABSOLUM (1822-1900) of Berkshire England
...........and of
Catherine 'Kate' LESLIE (1833-1899) of County Sligio, Ireland

William Absolum was a sailor (especially whaling boats) and had been to New Zealand a number of times.
As he married in Auckland in 1850 he was a settler prior to that date ..

Catherine 'Kate' Leslie was a daughter of William LESLIE and Ann CORRIGAN of Ireland who emigrated into Auckland on the ANN, leaving Gravesend 5 Oct 1847, Belfast Xmas Day 1847, and arriving 18 May 1848

William and Kate married in Otahuhu in 1850 - making them very early settlers
Their children, all born in Otahuhu, were:
... 1
1851 - 1905 Sarah Anne Absolum
- married Henry James BELL in 1872
their known children:
* 1873 - Clara Elizabeth Bell
* 1876 - William James Bell
* 1878 - Walter Henry Bell
* 1880 - Harold Leslie Bell
* 1881 - Kate Bell
* 1884 - Alice Bell
* 1886 - Frank Norman Bell
* 1887 - Ernest Bell
SARAH ANNE Bell died in Mangapiko, Te Awamutu aged 54
- she is buried in Pirongia

... 2
1852 - 1852 Robert Absolum
- died an infant

... 3
1855 - 1924 Annie Absolum
- married John William SOMMER in 1884
their known children:
* 1891 - Carl William Leslie Sommer
- they moved to Sydney, Australia
ANNIE Sommer died in St Peters, Sydney 7 June 1924 aged 69

... 4
1857 - 1924 Abraham Absolum
- married Georgina BAKER in 1882
their known children:
* 1887 - Harry Hunt Absolum (+ Eileen Annie Perrin Owens)
* 1889 - 1952 Adelaide Margaret Absolum (+ William Platt)
* 1892 - 1985 Dorothy Georgina Absolum (+ Benjamin Bousfield Creagh)
ABRAHAM Absolum died in Otahuhu 19 June 1924 aged 67

... 5
1859 - 1945 William Absolum
- married Mary HASLETT in 1887
their known children:
* 1889 - Walter Russell Absolum
* 1893 - 1973 William Leonard Absolum
* 1899 - 1985 Nellie Mildred Absolum (+ Frank Leslie Kneebone)
WILLIAM Absolum died in Otahuhu 7 October 1945 aged 86

... 6
1862 - 1940 Kate Absolum
- married John HUNT in 1882
their known children:
* 1891 - Henry Farley Hunt
* 1893 - Marjorie Christina Hunt
* 1897 - Marianne Yvonne Hunt
* 1901 - Farley John Hunt
KATE Hunt died 1940 aged 78

... 7
1864 - 1933 Robert Leslie Absolum
- married Charlotte Mary HUXTABLE in 1884
- daughter of John Reid Huxtable & Charlotte Mary JEWILL
their known children:
* 1885 - 1957 Reginald Oswald Absolum
* 1887 - 1943 Olive Kate Absolum
* 1889 - 1890 Fanny Gertrude Absolum (aged 11 months)
* 1890 - 1959 William John Absolum
* 1893 - 1974 Hilda Gertrude Absolum
* 1900 - 1924 Alice Roberta Absolum
* 1902 - 1953 Rita Leslie Absolum
* 1905 - 1987 Clarice Elva Absolum
* 1908 - 109 Elsie Jewel Absolum (aged 3 months)
ROBERT LESLIE Absolum died in Otahuhu 19 December 1933 aged 69

... 8
1867 - 1960 George Latimer Absolum
- married Ida Violet LENNARD (1877-1938) in 1903
their known children:
* 1906 - 1906 Ida Absolum (aged 12 days)
* 1908 - Iris Tangiwai Absolum
* 1910 - 1920 John Lennard Absolum
* 1914 - 1978 Arthur Absolum
GEORGE LATIMER Absolum died 7 June 1960 in Otahuhu aged 93

... 9
1868 - 1869 Fanny Gertrude Absolum
FANNY GERTRUDE Absolum died in Otahuhu 12 April 1869 aged 9 months

... 10
1870 - 1920 Walter Ernest Absolum
- married Kathleen Agaha GILLIES in 1898
their known children:
* 1899 - 1969 Leslie Hubert Absolum
* 1901 - Kathleen Marjorie Mary Absolum
* 1903 - 1980 Walter Ernest Absolum
* 1906 - 1996 Raymond Gillies Absolum
WALTER ERNEST Absolum died aged 2 weeks from 50

... 11
1872 - 1955 Nellie Christina Absolum
- married Harry Woodward WILLIAMS in 1901
NELLIE CHRISTINA Williams died 11 October 1955 aged 82

... 12
1875 - 1963 Hubert Graham Absolum
- married Violet Beatrice May BENSON in 1911
their known children:
1912 - 1941 Graham Absolum
Graham served in WWII as Private 29480, 24 Infantry Battalion, 2nd NZEF. He enlisted from Mercer/Hamilton. His next of kin was his mother at 12 Queens Avenue, Frankton, Hamilton. Graham was killed in action on 24 Nov 1941 aged 29 at Sidi Rezegh, Western Desert during enemy counter attack. Graham was orderly to Captain Henry Hall McDonald (23612), who was also killed in the skirmish
HUBERT GRAHAM Absolum died 23 March 1963 in Papakura aged 88

TIMELINE
DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 8th February 1859
IMPOUNDED at the Public Pound Otahuhu, by W. Absolum, for trespass in his Grass Paddock at Otahuhu, 1 Yellow Poley Cow, Grey Face, White Belly. Branded EL off ribbs, R (in diamond) near Rump x near Ribs. Owner unknown. No damages claimed. If not claimed within 11 days after the date of this notice, application will be made to a Justice of the Peace for an order for the Sale of the above mentioned Cow, agreeably to the provisions of the Impounding Act, 1856J. HALL, Pound Keeper

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 27 August 1862
10s REWARD
STRAYED, from Flat Bush, and last seen at Scotch Church, four EWES and three LAMBS - Apply to MR ABSOLUM, Otahuhu

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 7 March 1863
TO CARPENTERS AND BUILDERS
TENDERS will be received on SATURDAY next and until WEDNESDAY, the 11th inst., for the ERECTION of a DWELLING-HOUSE, at Otahuhu for Mr W. Absolum.
Plans and pecifications can be seen at Mr W. McCAUL'S, High-street
R.S. ANDERSON, Architect. N.B.- Not bound to receive the lowest tender

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 1 September 1863
LOST, a Chestnut PONY, about 14? hands high - marked on the near shoulder black, like an N - on the 21st August, at Papakura, the property of Sergeant MAXWELL, C.T.C.. - ?1 reward will be given to any one who will leave the same with Mr WM. ABSOLUM, Otahuhu

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 15 September 1863
PROVINCIAL GAZETTE
An Auckland Provincial Gazette was published yesterday. There is a proclamation setting apart land for immigrants expected to arrive. There is a notification declaring the Highways Act to be in full force in the North Tamaki district. Sailing directions for entering the port of Invercargill are published. The Supreme Court is to sit on the 29th inst. under the Debtors and Creditors' Act for the hearing of petition in the matters of William Pritchard; Sir Samuel Osborne Gibbes; and Richard Jame Hunt. The following accepted tenders are published:-
Carting scoria ash to Otahuhu, William Absolum 3s 8d per cubic yard
cutting bush road (six miles), Great North Road, Burns and Chaplin, 5s per chain
erecting toll house at Newmarket, John Booth, ?187 15s ($18,587 in Sept 2009)
working and keeping repair in the Panmure punt and boat from the 1st September till 31st December, Robert Robertson, ?15 10s per month

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 15 November 1866
The following are the names of the ratepayers, with the assessed value of property and amount of rate
W. Absolum ?810 - ?1 13s 9d
(In November 2009) this was: property value $76,784 - annual rates of $107

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 11 January 1868
A PUBLIC MEETING of COUNTRY SETTLERS of the Electoral Districts of Raglan and Franklin will be held at 4 o'clock on TUESDAY, the 14th instant, at the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu, for the purpose of taking into consideration the working of Provincial Government, so far as regards the Country InteresT of the Province
signed
John Scott
William Absolum
Mathew Fleming
H. S. Andrews
Richard McGee
J. Gordon
C. A. Bowden
W. T. Bassett
H. W. Vercoe
Charles Shepherd
William Hall
Samuel Luke
E. P. Donnelly
John Wallace

DAILY SOUTHREN CROSS 28 November 1868
THE TRIANGLE For sale on Tuesday, December, at two o'clock, unless previously disposed of, 20 ACRES of MOWING GRASS, in one or more lots (a heavy crop), now growing on Mr J. W. Hall's Farm at Mangere. - Apply to Mr WILLIAM ABSOLUM, or to ALFRED BUCKLAND

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 29 December 1869
OTAHUHU - BOXING DAY
In common with the other country villages, Otahuhu held out sport and entertainments of no mean order on Monday to all who willed to visit the charming village of the South ... the various events were duly announced and successflly carried out under the able and energetic management of Messrs. C. Goodwill, W. Absolum, H. Scurrah and T. Rogers, in the ground known as the Village Green, situated between the Star and Criterion Hotels. Seldom has Otahuhu been graced with so much beauty and fashion as on this occasion ...

DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS 11 February 1871
AUCKLAND BOILING DOWN COMPANY, OTAHUHU
The first attempt at boiling down in this province took place at the company's establishment on Tuesday last. .. The mustering-yards and killing-house are so arranged and situated that there is no time lost, or unnecessary labour employed, in placing the meat in the boiling-down vat ... the building is well ventilated to allow the fat to cool as quickly as possible ... the company have entered into an agreement with Mr W. Absolum to take all the hind legs, at 2? per lb ...


NOTE
see also Pirongia Bells posted 21 Jan 2014 by David Bell, includes photo of William