A Porteous family of Dunedin New Zealand

.. (there were a number of different Porteous families living in Dunedin around the same time. I have concentrated on this one for the moment)

William Peter PORTEOUS (1848-1910) was born on 11th May 1848 in St Cuthberts, Midlothian, Scotland
- he was a son of Alexander PORTEOUS & Margaret THOMSON
- some of his known siblings were:
10 Sept 1846 Alexander Porteous
12 May 1850 John Murray Porteous
23 Oct 1852 Archibald Porteous
27 Apirl 1857 Margaret Jane Porteous
- William married Elizabeth Emma NICOLL (1850-1933) in Scotland in 1873

- William was about 26 at time of immigration, therefore emigration was about 1874 (yet to find ship)
- they lived in a house in South Dunedin which was destroyed by fire in 1908
- they were living in 71 Glasgow St South Dunedin in 1910

... William died as a result of a fractured skull obtained in a railway accident when he tried to alight from the train at St Leonard's Station before the train stopped
- he is buried in Plot 53, Block 16 at Andersons Bay Cemetery
... Elizabeth Emma died on 11th February 1933
- she was living in Benton St Dunedin
- she is buried with William

- they had 1 daughter prior to immigration:
7th December 1873 Annie Harriet Porteous born in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Their 6 New Zealand born children were:

23 July 1875 - Alexander William PORTEOUS
- born in Sawyers Bay, Dunedin
- he married Catherine Agnes GRIFFIN (1880-1936) on 24 Dec 1904
- they had 1 daughter, Mary Agnes Porteous in 1906 in Marton
- Alexander and Catherine lived at Itchen Street, Oamaru
- he enlisted with the Otago Infantry Battalion and embarked from Port Chalmers on 1st Oct 1914 as Company Sergeant Major #8/1048A
- he was KILLED IN ACTION 9th Aug 1915 at Gallipoli, TURKEY
- he was awarded a Military Cross for gallantry in action and was Mentioned in Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton's despatch of 20 May 1915

- From the Auckland Weekly News 8th July 1915 PORTEOUS, Sergeant Major A W, OIB, Military Cross. NOK: Mrs A W Porteous, St Leonard?s, Dunedin. Awarded for gallantry on April 26 and bravery on the nights of May 2 and 3. When all the officers of his company were killed and wounded, he organized and led his company, continually exposing himself for four hours and showing fine military spirit and powers of military leadership

he is commemorated on Chunuk Bair Memorial to the Missing Panel 14

NOTE: I received an email (May 29 2010) stating that Alexander's medals are missing, presumed stolen, from the National Army Museum in Waiouru (possibly taken as long ago as 1990). Michael Parkin a ONE News reporter with TVNZ in Wellington would really like to get hold of Alexander's family members in New Zealand regarding this - can you help?

- In the 1922 Electoral Roll his wife Catherine was a widow living at 265 Melbourne St. At the same address was Abraham James Sellars SMITH (1888-1979), an Ironmonger and his wife Mary (nee GRIFFIN). Mary was possibly related to Alexander's wife Catherine Agnes Griffin (above)
- In the 1925 Electoral Roll Catherine was a widow living at 265 Melbourne St. At the same address was William George CHRISTIE (1865-1940) a Confectioner and his wife Jeannie (nee RENWICK)
- In the 1928 Electoral Roll Catherine was a widow living at 265 Melbourne St. At the same address was her spinster daughter Mary Agnes Porteous
- In the 1931 Electoral Roll Catherine was a widow living at 265 Melbourne St. At the same address was her spinster daughter Mary Agnes Porteous
- In the 1935 Electoral Roll Catherine was a widow living at 265 Melbourne St. She was alone at this time

- Catherine died on 11th january 1936 in the Cromwell Hospital, she was 56
- she is buried in the Andersons Bay Cemetery Plot 20, Block 78 with John Griffin (1883-1935), Mary Griffin (1852-1942) and Lawrence Griffin (1841-1921) - born in Ireland and living in St Leonards, Lawrence is believed to be the father of John Griffin and the husband of Mary

... Their daughter Mary Agnes PORTEOUS (26-1-1906 - 11-6-1992)
- married a Mr WILSON about 1935
- their known children were:
1935 Douglas WILSON
1936 Evelyn WILSON
1937 John WILSON

3 April 1878 Margaret Agnes Porteous
- married George Albert Gibson ALLAN in 1902
- George was a Tailor, the 2nd of 10 children of William & Mary Allan
- they lived in 3 Bunhar St Dunedin
- no children yet found
- Margaret died aged 75 on 28 August 1953, 8 years before George
- George died on 18 September 1961 aged 84
- they were both cremated and their ashes scatterd

11 July 1881 Archibald Porteous
- he was a builder
- he married Annie PICKFORD in 1911
- from the Electoral Rolls of 1925 to 1931 they lived at 129 Glen Avenue, Nornington Dunedin. In the 1935 Roll they lived at 7 Valley Rd and in 1938 they were at 49 Fawcett St which is where they were still living at time of death
- in the 1938 Roll Harry Endicott Davies and Elsie Ada Porteous (spinster) were at their address
- he died 18th April 1970 aged 88, 5 years before Annie who died aged 92 in 1975
- they were both cremated and ther ashes scattered

2 November 1883 Elizabeth Emma Porteous
- Elizabeth married James BLACK (1876-1943) in 1908
- James was a carpenter, born in Ireland he arrived in New Zealand when he was about 17
- their known children were born at Riversdale, Southland which is 180km west of Dunedin:
1909 Robert Arthur Black
25-2-1910 Phyllis May Black
- Phyllis died on 3-4-1910 aged 6 days
- Elizabeth died aged 82 on 6th Dec 1964, 21 years after James. She was still living in their home of at least 21 years at 68 Fitzroy St Dunedin
- they are buried together at Andersons Bay Cemetery Plot 51, Block 16 with 6 day old Phyllis, also with them is a 3 day old baby Black born in June 1924 at 3 Kensington St Dunedin

20 June 1886 John Clarke McJannet Porteous
- John worked for the NZ Railways
- he married Isabella Gall BRAID (1887-1945) on 17th December 1913 in the Tainui Parish, Musselburgh
- Isabella was the 3rd of 8 children of John BRAID & Sarah Ann HODGES
- John and Isabella were living at 10 Laing St Dunedin in all the Electoral Rolls from 1928 to 1938 and still there when Isabella died in 1945
- also living with them during the 1925-1928 Rolls was John and Katherine O'CONNOR (John was a Linesman)
- in the 1935 and 1938 Roll Doria Amelia Porteous, a spinster, was living with them and also a John CURRIE another Railway Employee
- John Porteous died on 5th February 1971 aged 84, 25 years after Isabella. He was living at 3 Nile St Dunedin at that time
- they are buried together at Andersons Bay Cemetery Plot 56, Block 64 - also with the ashes of John William Porteous (1919-1983) a possible son who died at the Mosgiel Hospital

25 February 1890 Alice May Porteous
- Alice married John Nicholas HUNT (1894-1980) in 1917
- he was the eldest of 5 children (2 boys, 3 girls) of John & Mary Hunt
- she died in 1979 aged 89 (unknown burial)
- her husband John died aged 86 the following year

NOTES
Edward PORTEOUS, a Baker from Peebles, arrived in Port Chalmers on 20th April 1875 on the WILLIAM DAVIE which left Greenock on 10th January 1875

Richard PORTEOUS and his wife Annie, both aged 24 from Lanark Scotland, arrived in Otago on 25th July 1875 on the ALDEGROVE which left Glasgow on the 30th April 1875

A Porteous Research Project is a very informative site about Porteous family members from all over the world, with History of Emigration, where they settled, Porteous at War, their decorations, memorials & cemeteries, Porteous DNA project and many photos of family members