Looking for ancestors in very early New Zealand? Perhaps they were in Nelson

NELSON, is the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island. Itwas proclaimed a city by royal charter in 1858. It was named in honour of the Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated both the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Many roads and public areas around the city are named after people and ships associated with that battle. Trafalgar Street is the main shopping axis of the city. Nelson's Maori name, Whakatu, means 'build' 'raise' or 'establish'

* The names are written as seen on the original list and spelling may not be as you know it. Use this is as a search guide only

...Code to abbreviations
C.B. = Companionship of the Order of the Bath
J.P. = Justice of the Peace
M.G.A. = Member of the General Assembly
M.P.C. = Member of the Provincial Council

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 28 January 1854
...Superintendent's Office, Nelson,
...23rd January, 1854
His Honor the Superintendent has much gratification in directing that the following correspondence be published for general information
...By his Honor's command,
...ALFRED GREENFIELD,
...Clerk in Superintendent's Office

To his Honor the Superintendent,
Sir - We have the honour to enclose to you a letter addressed to Major Richmond by a considerable number of the inhabitants of this Province. We would request, if your Honor sees no objections to it, that they may be published in the Government Gazette of the Province.

TO MAJOR RICHMOND (Matthew Richmond, C.B. 1801-1887)
SIR - We, the undersigned inhabitants of the settlement of Nelson, are desirous of addressing you upon the occasion of your retiring from the position of Superintendent of the Province.
... more here
Your faithful and obedient Servants:
* Henry ADAMS, M.P.C.
* Montagu Burman ADAMS (1826-1911), farmer at Waimea east
* George AIKEN, storekeeper
* James ALISON (1826-1891)
* Benjamin ALLEN, senior (1798-1874)
* Benjamin ALLEN, junior
* Joseph ANDREWS, yeoman of Waimea south
* James ARNOLD, labourer of Waimea west
* William ASKEW
* Thomas ATKINS
* William ATKINSON
* William AUTY (1817-1907)
* James AVIS (1816-1876), publican at Waimea west

* John Wallis BARNICOAT, M.P.C. (1815-1905), surveyor
* Thomas Charles BATCHELOR (1823-1877), shoemaker
* James BEAMSLEY
* James Palmer BLACK (1806-1889), draper
* F. H. BLUNDELL, J.P.
* Mark BLYTHE, malster
* Charles BONNINGTON, music master
* James BRADLEY
* William BREWERTON, farmer
* John BROUGHAM
* Thomas BROWN
* William BRYDON
* Michael BUSCHE, farmer
* Michael BUSCHL (1834-1900), farmer
* Henry F. BUTT, Clerk

* J. P. CALDWELL
* A. L. G. CAMPBELL
* Matthew CAMPBELL, miller
* W. O. CAUTLEY, M.G.A.
* Thomas CHAPMAN, labourer
* Charles CHRISTIE, gentleman
* James CLARK
* Giles COATES, watchmaker
* Thomas COLEMAN, senior, farmer
* Thomas COLEMAN, junior, farmer
* A. S. COLLINS
* William COLLINS, M.P.C., esquire
* William COPPINS
* J. R. COUPER
* George COWARD, printer
* Benjamin CRISP, carter
* F. CUNDY

* William DALE, clerk
* William DARTNALL
* John DAVIES, yeoman
* James DeBLOIS
* Andrew DEVANEY, farmer
* George DUPPA, J.P., esquire

* Nathaniel EDWARDS, merchant
* Charles ELLIOTT, M.P.C., printer
* Charles EMPSON
* William EVES, farmer
* William EYLES

* Edward FEARON
* Alfred FELL
* Alexander FISHER, sawyer
* Henry FIVEN, farmer
* William FLEMING, yeoman
* Charles FORD, labourer
* Charles Henry FORD, labourer
* Thomas FORD, labourer
* W. FOX
* J. FRANCOIS
* Robert FRANKLIN
* John FRAZER
* Walter FUNNELL

* J. B. GALLOWAY
* Henry GARNETT, labourer
* Charles GAUKRODGER
* Thomas GAUKRODGER, carpenter
* John GAY
* Edmund GIBSON
* John GILLETT
* John GODFREY
* James Gilbert GORE, farmer
* Thomas GOULD
* George GRANTHAM
* Edward GREEN
* J. D. GREENWOOD, J.P.

* Amos HAMMOND, labourer
* William HAMMOND, labourer
* William HARDING
* Henry HARGREAVES, butcher
* James HARGREAVES, labourer
* Josephus HARGREAVES
* Laurence HARGREAVES, carpenter
* William HARKNESS, farmer
* James HARRIS, shoemaker
* Charles HARLEY
* Stephen HEGGINTON
* William HEGGINTON
* Rev John William Christopher HEINE (1805-1900)
Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 18 August 1849 On Sunday last, the ordination of Mr Heine, as a German Lutheran clergyman, took place in the chapel belonging to that body. Nearly all the Germans in the settlement were present, many having come a considerable distance on the occasion.
* John HEWITT, farmer
* V. HEWITT
* William HIGGINS, labourer
* William HILDRETH, farmer
* Edward HILL
* Thomas HILL, publican
* James Lee HODGSON
* George HOOPER
* Thomas HOPGOOD, farmer
* H. HUMPHREYS
* Gardener HUNTER
* James HYDE, LABOURER
* Richard HYLAND, LABOURER
* James HYNES

* Samuel IRONSIDE
* William IVES, SHOEMAKER

* Samuel JEFFRIES, farmer
* Alfred George JENKINS, grazier
* William JENKINS, baker
* William JENNINGS, baker
* Francis JOLLIE, J.P.
* William Richardson JONES (1818-1876), writing-clerk
* W. H. JONES

* Charles Peter KEARNS, farmer
* James KERR, farmer
* John KERR, butcher
* Thomas KINZETT, farmer
* William KITE
* James KNAPP, labourer
* A. R. KNYVETT, music-master

* F. A. LAKING
* Edward LANEY, baker
* W. LECHNER
* Charles LUCAS, storekeeper
* A. LYFORD
* George LYFORD
* John LYFORD
* William Lawrence LYNE, farmer

* Thomas MADDOCK
* Benjamin MARSHALL
* Thomas MARSHALL
* John MATTHEWS
* John McARTNEY, tinworker
* D. S. McDIARMID
* Alexander McGEE
* Robert McNAB
* D. MONRO, M.G.A.
* D. MOORE
* William MOORE
* James MORRISON, sawyer

* John NEAME, carpenter
* William NEELD
* Richard Kindersley NEWCOME, J.P., esquire
* Mark NEWTH, senior, farmer
* Mark NEWTH, junior, farmer
* John NEWMAN, whitesmith
* William NEWMAN
* John NICHOLLS
* Thomas D. NICHOLSON
* W. R. NICHOLSON
* John NODEN

* Thomas OVENDON

* Alexander PAINTER
* John PALMER, storekeeper
* Samuel PEARSE, landowner
* John PERCY, clerk
* H. PIKE
* John POYNTER
* Thomas PRICE, farmer
* Joseph PRIMMER, farmer

* Sandy RANKIN, junior
* George RATT, carpenter
* Henry REDWOOD, junior, farmer
* Edward George RENNELL (1810-1865), schoolmaster
* T. RENWICK. M.D., M.P.C.
* James RICHARDSON, brewer
* R. RICHARDSON, M.G.A.
* George RIDGETT
* James ROBINSON
* Willilam ROBINSON, flockowner
* Thomas ROCHE, farmer
* Robert ROSS
* Richard ROTHWELL
* James ROWBOTHAM, farmer at Suburban south
* George RUTHERFORD, labourer

* J. W. SAXTON, M.P.C.
* Alexander SCOTT, stable keeper
* Charles SEWELL, teacher
* A. P. SEYMOUR
* G. F. SCHRODER
* S. SCLANDERS, J.P.
* H. SEYMOUR, M.G.A.
* John SHARP
* Robert SHARP, labourer
* W. L. SHEPHERD
* George SHERBURNE
* Joshua SIGLEY, brickmaker
* Simon Bonnet SILCOCK, farmer
* Robert SIMPSON, blacksmith
* D. SINCLAIR, Speaker of Provincial Council
* James SMALL, labourer
* Edwin SNOW, tailor
* Edward SOLLY, labourer
* W. SOTHERLY
* Edward William STAFFORD, Supertinendent
...SIR EDWARD WILLIAM STAFFORD, who was three times Premier of New Zealand, and twice Superintendent of the province of Nelson, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1820, and reached New Zealand soon after the Wairau massacre in 1843. In 1846 he married a daughter of Colonel Wakefield, and was thus brought into close connection with the New Zealand Company. Sir Edward William Stafford went to England to spend the evening of his life in retirement in that country, where he died on the 14th of February, 1901, and was buried at Kensal Green, London
* Charles STAGG, sawyer
* James STAGG, sawyer
* Edward STANTON, carter
* William Moses STANTON, storekeeper
* John STAPLES, farmer
* Samuel STONE, blacksmith
* Charles STRATFORD
* Thomas SULLIVAN, builder
* R. SUTCLIFFE
* E. D. SWEET

* Richard TANNANT
* George TAYLOR, carpenter
* John P. TAYLOR
* Joseph TAYLOR, cutler
* Robert TAYLOR
* John THOMAS, farmer
* Charles THORP, J.P.
* John TINLINE (1821-1907)
Nelson Evening Mail, 26 February 1907 Death of Mr John Tinline Mr John Tinline, whose name has been a household word in Nelson and throughout the colony in connection with his scholastic benefactions, died at Warwick House this morning, at the age of 87... The late Mr John Tinline was born in Jedburgh, Scotland, in 1821... The relatives of the late Mr John Tinline consist of a sister, Mrs Murray, of South Australia, a nephew and niece in Great Britain (Teignmouth), son and daughter of his brother George, and a nephew, Mr J. G. R. Murray, his sister's son, now on his way to Nelson from Sydney
* Richard TOMLINSON, farmer
* W. T. Locke TRAVERS
* Rev Thomas Lloyd TUDOR, (1821-1900) first vicar of Motueka, was serving in Wanganui 1870s-80s

* Francis Longbourne VICKERMAN (1821-1873)

* Thomas WAGSTAFF, labourer
* George WALKER
* Charles WAN
* Joseph WARD, M.P.C.
* C. F. WATTS
* John WATTS
* John A. WATTS
* F. A. WELD, M.G.A.
* William WELLS, farmer
* Charles WHITE, storekeeper
* David WHITE
* W. T. WHITE
* John WILSON
* J. F. WILSON
* Thomas WINSETT
* David WOOTTEN, carpenter
* W. L. WREY


see also Nelson Justices of the Peace 1864


PAINTING
surrounded by trees at the top of a cliff in Nelson, this house is believed to be the home of Major MATTHEW RICHMOND
Painted in watercolours 7 Sep 1878 by Katherine McLean Holmes (1849-1925)