Family tree sites on the web are a wonderfully valuable resource for those of us who are searching and researching our ancestors. The astonishment of coming across someone else who has done all the hard work in finding and documenting the same ancestor you have been looking for for years is, at times, pure joy

Some sites are 'locked' for privacy reasons but others are open for all to see and read and learn from
If the webmasters of these sites give freely of their time and information we need to treat this with the respect that is due

Any information obtained from any family trees needs to be gratefully acknowledged and, at the very LEAST, linked back to so everyone can view the tree in its entirety as originally intended, anything less (eg, scoure of John Smith family tree) is an insult and borders on Plagiarism


the following names were taken from the family tree site of Gil Gurney:
Gurney Whanau of Aotearoa New Zealand who writes:

... Our Maori connections come to us thru our great great great grandmother, Haerehau Hinepounamu NGAROPI, who came from the Ngati Ruanui Iwi of the Taranaki area and their Hapu (sub tribes) of,
Ngati Tanewai and Ngati Tupaea. Thru her marriage to Mukai Te PAENGA of the Arawa Iwi, we get his Hapu of Ngati Rangiwewehi and Ngati Tapuika of the greater Waikato/Rotorua areas

So we are, Taranaki and Arawa, and by capture we are Ngapuhi, which is a story in itself

Their daughter, our great great grandmother, Iritana Te Mukai Paenga, married ex British soldier, Oliver Edward SHELFORD, while Iritana's cousin, Roka Mataura (whose ancestry begins with the great Maori navigator, Turi) married the whaler, William ROBINSON (with photo of the Robinson whanau)

Iritana and Oliver's daughter, Maraea, married Roka and Williams son, James, who in turn gave us our Grandmother, Jane Robinson (Jane was the 1st of 13 children)

There appears to be no positive proof, but most of us believe that Iritana and Roka were either sisters or cousins, they were at the very least of the same Iwi (Maori tribe) living in the Taranaki area.

Older Genealogists of the Shelford/Robinson connection, tell us that the girls were part of a large group that were captured (as above) by the pillaging and plundering Ngapuhi people (as they were
want to do on the odd occassion!) from the Hokianga Northland area, and taken back to live in that tribes northern lands, at the time the girls were approx 14yrs of age ...

As at 22 Dec 2010 there are 49 SHELFORD on Gil's family tree:

1. Shelford, Celia, 1894 (b.1894)
- names connected: REPIA, NORDSTRAND, JACOMB,

2. Shelford, Charles (b.1918)
- born in Te Kaha, Bay of Plenty on 22 August 1921. He was the son of Tame Shelford and Te Owaina Kirikiri Puihi of Tikitiki. Raised by Atareta and Paratene of Tikitiki
- a great and often noted member of the Maori Battlion (WW11)
- Iwi: Ngati Porou, Nga Puhi, Te Arawa, Te Whakatohea
- also known as 'Charlie' served as Private #39159 with the 28 (Maori) Battalion, D Company
- his Military Awards were:
& Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM)
* 1939-45 Star
* Africa Star (8th Army clasp)
* Italy Star
* Defence Medal
* War Medal 1939-1945
* New Zealand War Service Medal
- he married Lilas May BEAZLEY in 1948 in Auckland
- Charlie was Killed as a pedestrian in a hit and run road accident on 7 May 1984 in Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland,aged 62. He is buried in Mangere Public Cemetery, Auckland
- a biography for Charlie on Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

3. Shelford, Charlotte, 1892 (b.1892)
- names connected: NEILSON, HENDERSON,

4. Shelford, David, 1873 (b.1873)
- born in Rawhia, Hokianga

5. Shelford, Edward, 1790 (b.1790)
- married Susan BROOKES, parents of Oliver Edward Shelford
- however, please read this on RootsChat Forum Edward Shelford saying that Edward married Elizabeth HOWE and emigrated to Australia with 5 children (Oliver then aged 8)

6. Shelford, Edward, 1826 (b.1826)
- a brother of Oliver

7. Shelford, Edward (Ned), 1865 (b.1865)
- some names connected: MATENGA,WINIATA,MERETENE,PEPENE,

8. Shelford, Ellen, 1901 (b.1901)
- names connected: KINGI,HENARE,KUKU,HAPETA,ANIHANA,

9. Shelford, George
- George 'Eruera' married Emi Arena Te AWA in 1924

10. Shelford, Haami
- names connected: NEHUA,

11. Shelford, Hone
- names connected: HUNIA, BIDOIS,

12. Shelford, Jacob (???? - 1964)
- born in 1927, married Bessie DAYMOND

13. Shelford, James
- son of Thomas Shelford & Miria Hone HAU

14. Shelford, Jane, 1836 (b.1836)
- daughter of Edward Shelford & Susan Brookes

15. Shelford, Janie
- married Mahi ALLEN

16. Shelford, Katarina
- daughter of Thomas Shelford & Miria Hone HAU

17. Shelford, Lucy, 1833 (b.1833)
- daughter of Edward Shelford & Susan Brookes

18. Shelford, Manga Ivy, 1887 (b.1887)
- daughter of Edward 'Ned' Shelford & Caroline MATENGA

19. Shelford, Maraea (Maria), 1868 (1865 - 1947)
- Maraea was born on 10 Feb 1865 in waihou, Hokianga
- from the Ngaruahine subtribe. Her photo is at that link. She married James ROBINSON & Te Rata HEREWAKA. Some of the names of her (14) childrens spouces: MURLAND, KATENE, OGLE, PARKES, BENNETT, WILSON,
- she died on 16 Aug 1948 in Manaia, Waimate West aged 83

20. Shelford, Mate, 1906 (b.1906)
- married John Bowman YATES. She died in 1982 aged 75

21. Shelford, Mere
- names connected: NGAPERA, JOYCE,

22. Shelford, Mereana (Mary Ann), 1866 (b.1866)
- a daughter of hers Mereaira Mapi is described as ... known to all as Aunty Eily - Aunty was the first genealogist in "the family" dedicated to the gathering of all things Shelford and Robinson - along with her second husband John Portanger they collected and recorded all of our connections ...
- some of the names connected with Mereana: MAPI,HARE,WIPERI,TIATOA,TIWINI,ERUERA,OTENE,YORKE,HONEHAU,PORTANGER,Te WHATA,

23. Shelford, Mukai
- nothing known (maybe you could help)

24. Shelford, Ned
- married Alma Phoebe BIRCH (1911-1994)

25. Shelford, Oliver Edward, 1833 (1833 - 1906)
- Oliver was born on 6 Jan 1837 in Great Chesterford, Essex
- he died on 22 April 1906 in Rawene, Hokianga aged 69
- he 'married' Iritana Te PAENGA in Waima, Hokianga South, although no marriage record has ever been found. Oliver was her 3d 'husband. Read the story under Iritana and those of their children and their children's children
- some of the names connected with Oliver & Iritana: NUI, RUSSELL, INIATA, BAKER, HEREWAKA, HAU, FALWASSER, HADDON, TUTARI, OLUFSEN, RAPANA, WHITTAKER, WILLIAMS,
- Olive Edward Shelford apparently arrived in NZ in 1859 on the "EGMONT" with William Robinson with the 58th Regiment of Foot

26. Shelford, Peter
- married Pou, Te Aurere

27. Shelford, Pita (Peter Te Hei Hei), 1874 (1874 - 1926)
- married Ani PAIKARAHE & Ramari TUKARIRI
- some names connected: ALLEN, JOYCE, DAY, ANIHANA, KINGI,HENARE, KUKU, HAPETA, HEEMI,JOBE, NEHUA,

28. Shelford, Puti, 1914 (b.1914)
- names connected: HEEMI, CULHAN,

29. Shelford, Rawinia Tamoe, 1924 (1924 - 1993)
- married Manapouri Langley SHAW

30. Shelford, Reremoana
- names connected; TAYLOR

31. Shelford, Reubin
- nothing known (maybe you could help)

32. Shelford, Rihi
- married Henare KINGI

33. Shelford, Rihirora (Elizabeth), 1877 (1877 - 1901)
- married John William BAILDON

34. Shelford, Rita, 1870 (1870 - 1912)
- born in 1898 to Wiremu Shelford & Catherine BAKER, Rita died on New Years Eve 1912 aged 14

35. Shelford, Roma
- married William JOBE

36. Shelford, Susan, 1831 (b.1831)
- daughter of Edward b.1790 (see above)

37. Shelford, Susan Kare (Huihana) Haerehau, 1875 (1875 - 1932)
- married Robert HADDON in 1896

38. Shelford, Te Hiwi, 1885 (b.1885)
- names connected: MERETENE

39. Shelford, Te Omiraka
- married John MYERS

40. Shelford, Thomas, 1918 (1918 - 1920)
- son of Pita Shelford & Ani Paikaraihe

41. Shelford, Thomas Tame, 1867 (b.1867)
- names connected: PUIHI, HAU

42. Shelford, Waiapurukamu
- nothing known (maybe you could help)

43. Shelford, Waikeria
- 1 of at least 14 siblings of Waiapurukamu above

44. Shelford, Whare
- 1 of at least 14 siblings of Waiapurukamu above

45. Shelford, William, 1840 (b.1840)
- son of Edward Shelford & Susan Brookes

46. Shelford, William, 1890 (b.1890)
- married Rangi Topenga PEPENE in 1914

47. Shelford, William Edward, 1899 (1899 - 1905)
- son of William Shelford & Catherine Baker, William died aged 5 in Rawhia, Rangiahua

48. Shelford, William (Wiremu) Paratene, 1871 (1871 - 1900)
- Wiiliam was born 24 MAY 1873 in Waihou, Hokianga ti Oliver & Iritana
- he married Catherine BAKER in 1895
- a daughter of John BAKER (1834-1859) & Maria BOWYER (1836-1909)

49. Shelford, Witana, 1901 (b.1901)
- married Daisy DAY in 1928

- there are also many wonderful stories and old photos that accompany those names, a real treasure chest of info for anyone researching the Shelford name and its many branches.

I wrote this journal to honour all their hard work and to give them the credit due in making their tree because I understand all the long hours of research that it entails

Please pay a visit to all the above links at Gil's tree if you are researching SHELFORD (and over 5000 relatives) - they made this family tree for your enjoyment and knowledge

Other websites and/or forums that are researching Oliver Edward Shelford and New Zealand descendants are:

the Whakapapa Club

At GenForum - Edward Oliver Shelford NZ

At RootsChat - Shelford

Oliver Edward Shelford ia on the - HIKU family tree

mentioned on - Te REO August 2004

a famous Shelford was WAYNE THOMAS 'Buck' SHELFORD a former rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained the All Blacks in the late 1980s. He is also credited with bringing about the improved performance of the All Blacks traditional "Ka Mate" haka

In April 2010 Charlum10 wrote this journal on this site; The Hori (George) & Amy Shelford Whanau of NZ

And again in April 2010 Charlum10 requested info Looking for SHELFORD of Pakotai NZ

... (despiste what he wrote on 22-11-2010: .. "I might be wrong but I think that if one finds something from anywhere, you can rearrange (!!) it into a journal. I think that is acceptable. Copying & pasting is a No! No! I apologize to whom it may concern. We learn from our mistakes") ... the following were copied from Gil Guerney's tree in Dec 2010:

MATARAU - ROKA - ( LATE OF HOKIANGA ) NORTHLAND .NZ -1832

SHELFORD - OLIVER -EDWARD - HOKIANGA - NORTHLAND-NZ - 1833

SHELFORD - THOMAS -TAME - WAIHOU - NORTHLAND -NZ -1867

SHELFORD - EDWARD - HOKIANGA - NORTHLAND -NZ - 1790

PAIKARAIHE-ANI- ( SHELFORD ) HOKIANGA- NORTHLAND -NZ-1886

SHELFORD - PITA - ( PETER - TE HEI HEI ) HOKIANGA - NZ - 1874----- 1926

HANSEN - OLE - CHRISTIAN -- HOKI ANGA -NZ - 1882 ---- 1943

PUIHI - TE O WAINA- KIRIKIRI - ( SHELFORD ) -.NZ - 1868

ROBINSON - WILLIAM - HOKIANGA - NZ- 1828 -- 1881