Hi Kerry
My grandmother Esther Lawson Mills was the daughter of Ernest Jesse Mills and Margaret Mills (Best) and sister to Aileen Margaret Mills.
Do you know where Ernest is buried?
I was in Woodville yesterday and visited the old gorge cemetery, saw Elijah Mills grave among others .
My father was Esther's son and he said Margaret Mills had pearl handled pistols that she shot cats out her kitchen window with !
I don't know how she died or where she is buried. I understand that Esther grew up in Porangahau but she was born in Tolega Bay. Her father Ernest was a sawmiller. How Margaret and Ernest ended up in Tolega Bay I have no idea. i don't think it is accurate that he was a coachdriver unless he went to work for his brother ? Margaret Best father was a farmer in Tasmania. Where did you get the information about being a carter and was that in Tasmania or Woodville. Very interested in learning more thanks Merryn

Dear Merryn,

So sorry to take so long with my reply! In answer to your question about the Carter job for Ernest I got that from my mother who's mother was Eileen Margaret Mills, it's possible that Ernest had quite a few jobs in his lifetime and this could have been one of them. She said he worked for his brother so that makes a bit of sense, I just don't know for how long.

I have recently been given some information from another relation in Tasmania and she said the following:

Margaret Mills nee Best went to New Zealand with her elder sister Marion Sturzaker née Best 7 April 1905, their brother William Heaton Best, was working in the Gisborne area
possibly with Ernest Jesse Mills. I think some match making was happening. As Ernest & Margaret were married 26 Jan 1906 at Woodville in the residence of Mr Albert Mills. We also had several other relatives who went to new Zealnd , JohnBlaxter Lawson ,James Waterman Lawson Margaret Archer née Lawson ( Aunt of Margaret Mills) and her husband Frederick Archer came to Greymouth area Sth Island of NZ with 2 children about 1880 and settled in that area and had 10 more children marrying and having families in New Zealand , William Heaton Best worked with Ernest Jesse Mills I between 1913 and 1920 approx ( info from electoral rolls) in the Bay of Plenty area. William Heaton Mills did not marry moved around a bit love to fossick for gold etc and gave his sisters pendants of a gold map of Tasmania with a Ruby set in the town they were born, William moved back down to South Island near The Archer families and died 24 Jan 1949 at Westport and buried at Orowaiti cemetery.
Margaret Daisy Mills possibly lived in the Hawkes Bay Area up to 1938.
She died 29 Nov 1970 at Point Chevalier Auckland NZ aged 88
Usual home add 22 Curran st Ponsonby
Age 84
Wife of Ernest J MIlls
Cremated 1 Dec 1970 Waikumete

Ernest Jesse Mills from the electoral rolls 1906 Hawkes Bay, 1914 -1919 bay of Plenty 1928 Stratford Taranaki
Died 15 Dec 1931 Stratford Taranki NZ
Widower

A bit of a mystery with these two.. Did they separate.. The reason?
Point Chevalier Auckland had a large hospital and At one time was an Institute for mental patients

I have found a Margaret Mills was admitted 1935 and 1945 these records if they have recorded any details as some have been lost or deleted, can be obtained.

Was she nursing, a patient , or did she leave her children for other reasons, perhaps she had another relationship.

So it looks like she's got much more insight into things than me, if you give me your email address I'll give it to her and you might be able to talk with each other. I'll also send you all the family tree I've been able to gather to date as well and maybe we can swap information too.

I hope this is of some help.

Kerry

Hi Kerry
Gosh I've only just read your response!
Thank you. My email is merryn@xtra.co.nz.
I haven't had time to do any more genealogy but finishing job at end of March so will piece some more of the puzzle together!
Kind regards
Merryn