In October 1862 the vessels HANOVER and MATILDA WATTENBACH arrived in Auckland with the first settlers from England. A number of these settlers established themselves at Port Albert, on the Kaipara Coast. They called themselves the Albertlanders, after Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort. They were a "breakaway group from the Anglican Church looking for a new world".

However, not many of the settlers arrived at Port Albert and the ones who did found it difficult to make a living. The majority of the Albertlanders moved inland to more fertile areas in the region.
As a result, Wellsford was founded

... According to local tradition the origin of the name Wellsford is believed to be an acronym based on the surnames of the first families who settled in the region.
These names were:
WATSON, WHITE & WORKER
EDGER - the Reverend Samuel Edger
LESTER
LEVET
STEWART, SCOTT, STARK & SIMPSON
FOSTER
OLDFIELD
RAMSBOTTOM, RUSHBROOK & RISHWORTH
DIBBLE

The LESTER FAMILY tree is tracing the ancestors and descendenets of Charles Bertram LESTER, born in Albertland in 1867, 8km west of WELLSFORD, north Auckland, a son of Robert & Augusta Lester (would like help with this branch please)

It is tracing the ancestors and descendents of Sir William Houston STEWART (1822-1901) a British naval officer who was Controller of the Royal Navy from 1872 to 1881, a son of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Houston Stewart (1791-1875). William Houston Stewart is sometimes referred to as William Houston Shaw-Stewart; his paternal grandfather was Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart, 6th Baronet (1766-1825)
- this line has traced back to Robert the Bruce

It is also tracing the ancestors and descendents of an early Australian convict, 18 year old Andrew Snowden, who was transported to NSW in 1791 to serve a 7 year sentence for stealing teaspoons. His son Henry John Davis ("Rewiti") Snowden was to move to New Zealand and marry (as his 2nd wife) a daughter of the Maori chief of Whangaroa, Te Ururoa.
Three of Henrys sister-in-law Reta FLAVELL (nee Ururoa)'s children married 3 of his children ...