The following 'Roll Call' names were of those who attended the Old Taita School Reunion (1859-1962) in October 1962 and the years they first attended the school
1875-1900 Taita School Roll Call
1901-1910 Taita School Roll Call
1911-1915 Taita School Roll Call
1916-1920 Taita School Roll Call
1921-1925 Taita School Roll Call
1926-1930 Taita School Roll Call
1931-1936 Taita School Roll Call
1937-1951 Taita School Roll Call

Roll Call for the TAITA SCHOOL 1875 - 1900:

* Leslie Gainsford Sealy ADAMS (1894-1977)
. son of Captain Joseph Tyndall Adams & Catherine Thomas Bacon. Leslie married Olive Evelyn Gaskin (1895-1947) in Carterton in 1916. He next married class-mate Grace Anne Knapp (nee Milne 1895-1977) in 1950 (see Milne below)

* William Gilbert ALEXANDER (1882-1964)
. son of Duncan William Alexander (1853-1947) & Ellen Styles (1852-1950). He married Florence Adamson (1884-1964) in 1907. William was buried at sea. Florence is buried Taita Old cemetery

* Robert Maskell AUGUST (1894-1970)
. 4th of 9 known children of Robert Maskell August (1857-1942) & Mary Anne Gigger (1860-1930). He married Alma Searle (1910-1940) in 1935. Alma had first married Gerald Lionel Carter (1905-1930) in 1928

* Ida Mary BUCK (1888-1965)
. daughter of Edwin Douglas Seldon Buck (1860-1932) & Janet Ann Fox (1866-1942). She married Leonard David Balls (1892-1943) in 1918, all buried Christ Church, Taita
* William Matson Whitewood BUCK (1881-1965)
. a son of Alfred James Seldon BUCK & Mary Ann WHITEWOOD, Grandson of George Green BUCK & Mary Ann SALMON. He married Winifred Morgan James (below) in 1910 & buried Te Kuiti
* Ida & William's fathers were brothers

* Ann Elizabeth DOULL (1886-1986)
. Ann married Leonard William SANDERS in 1919
* Catherine DOULL (1884-1974)
. Catherine married William Albert COTTLE in 1905
. 2 daughters of Alexander Doull (1840-1924) & Catherine Sinclair (1848-1926)

* Ernest Herbert Whitworth HAYWOOD (1892-1962)
. baseborn son of Emma Haywood. He married his classmate, Bessie Rosella Westbury (1893-1978 below) in 1914
* In 1925 he was a Gardener of Copeland St., Lower Hutt

* Winifred Morgan JAMES (1884-1976)
. daughter of Isaac & Ada JAMES, married William Matson Whitewood BUCK (1881-1965). Buried Te Kuiti

* Mabel KILMISTER (1888-1963)
. daughter of William Kilmister (1860-1943) & Harriett Charlotte Avery (1863-1934). She married Frederick William Kitchener (1883-1957) on 15 Aug 1906. Son of James Kitchener (1846-1905) & Emily Steer (1853-1924), Buried Christ Church Taita.

* Ivy KING (1896-1986)
. daughter of Reuben King (1829-1929) & Emily Ellen White (nee Williams 1861-1902). She married her classmate Philip WALTERS (1886-1972 below) in 1912 & had 6 children. Two of whom were dux of the school.

* James Richmond MABEY (1870-1965)
. married Frances Eleanor York (1877-1943) in 1894
* Ellen MABEY (1876-1963)
. married James Alfred Short (1876-1950) 23 Dec 1896
. 2 children of David James Mabey & Esther Daysh

* Grace Ann MILNE (1895-1977)
. Grace was a daughter of John Scott Milne & Hannah Auton (next). She married Sydney Herbert Knapp (1894-1944) in 1918. She next married Leslie Gainsford Sealy Adams (1894-1977) in 1950. Leslie had first married Olive Evelyn Gaskin in Carterton in 1916. Grace is buried with Sydney at Greytown.
* John Scott MILNE (1871-1969)
. 1 of 8 known children of William Scott Milne (1824-1913) & Ann Margaret Grace Yule (1830-1916), buried Old Taita, John married Hannah AUTON (1868-1955) in 1893. Buried Paraparaumu

* Esther Etheline NEILL (1886-1968)
. daughter of John Neill (1856-1939) & Harriet Elizabeth Elliott (1865-1918). Married Ernest William Booth (1887-1960) of Carterton in 1909 & had at least 2 sons

* Mazzini PESCINI (1889-1975)
. son of Tommaso 'Thomas' Pescini (1839-1902) & Johanna Augusta Diderikka Meyer (1851-1918). Mazzini was a Gardener of Main Road, Lower Hutt. He served as Corporal 10/1171A, 1st NZEF. He married Doris Isobel Howse (1898-1986) in 1925. They are buried Levin

* Charles Frederick PILCHER (1888-1965)
. Charles married Emily Caroline 'Emmie' England (1890-1978) on 25 Jan 1911. Cremated Karori
* Henry PILCHER (1881-1967)
. Henry married Sarah Jane 'Jennie' SMITH (1996-1976) on 9 Oct 1903 & had 9 children. Sarah next married (or not) Frank McDavitt (1905-1941) who was killed in Action in Crete
. 2 of 13 children of John George Pilcher (1829-1895) & Ellen Peck (1844-1906)

* Mary Teresa REA (1894-1969)
. daughter of Thomas Rea (1859-1938) & Mary Ann Hayes (1873-1961). She married Walter Reginald Riggs (1894-1963) on 4 Jan 1921 in the Cathedral, Christchurch. They divorced. She is buried Taita Lawn

* Albert John TILBURY (1877-1969)
. son of John Tilbury (1845-1916) & the 1st of his 3 wives, Jane Temperance Hancock (1852-1878). He married Louisa 'Lydia' Walters (1882-1908) in 1905. A daughter of Alfred Wallace Walters & Emma Barney, she was a sister of all the Walters below. Lydia was killed whilst holidaying in Nelson (read her link). Albert next married Jeanie Rumgay (1877-1951) on 5 Aug 1909

* Reginald Rudolph Morden TRUE (1896-1973)
. son of Otta Edward True & Priscilla Charlotte Shergold. He married Flora Bertha HOLLAND (1898-1967) in 1920

* Alice Amelia WALTERS (1879-1964)
. married Athol Moore Carter (1878-1958) in 1900
* Laura WALTERS (1891-1974)
. married Victor Jubilee Pemberton (1887-1960) in 1912
* Lucy WALTERS (1893-1973)
. married Cecil Barry Hodgins (1900-1989) in 1925
* Phillip 'Phil' WALTERS (1886-1972)
. Phil was the next door neighbour of, & married in 1912 to, Ivy KING above
* the above were 4 of 12 children of:
Alfred Wallace WALTERS (1858-1933) & Emma BARNEY (1859-1945). Also see their sister above who married Albert Tilbury

* Ethel Jane WHITE (1887-1975)
. daughter of Albert White (1854-1893) & Emily Ellen Williams (1861-1902), half sister of Ivy King below. She married Frederick William Hancock (1883-1927) in Feilding, 20 May 1908

* Annie Emeline WESTBURY (1886-1962)
. married Frederick Seymour Hewer in 1907. Buried Old Taita
* Bessie WESTBURY (1893-1978)
. married her classmate Ernest Herbert Whitworth Haywood (above) in 1914. Died in Horowhenua Hospital
* 2 daughters of Frederick Westbury & Ann Maria Marshall (1869-1938)
Of Note Frederick & Ann also adopted a son in 1903, Clifford James Gray (1895-1950), who sometimes went by the name Westbury. He was 1 of 6 children of Mary Hannah Marshall (1871-1938, possibly related to Ann) & her 1st husband John Gray (1869-1903) who married in Johnsonville 30 March 1892. Her 2nd husband, Percy Leopold Swan (1871-1956), not wanting the responsibility of all her Gray children. Clifford married Winnifred Mary Rose in 1916 & had a daughter in Johnsonville, born June Olwyn Westbury (1922-2005). He left Winnifred & June, moved to Hamilton, married (or not) Dulcie Isabella Fricker (1911-1949) & had 8 children born Gray

* Ida May WILLIAMSON (1897-)
. daughter of James Williamson & Margaret Sims

* Lena May WILSON (1894-1986)
. daughter of William Wilson & Elizabeth Peck, granddaughter of Richard Peck & Elizabeth Gaskin, she married Albert Hugh Peck (1875-1941) as his 2nd wife. Albert was a grandson of Daniel Peck & Elizabeth Gaskin

School News during this time frame ..
Evening Post, 25 April 1877 Mr Sinclair, the master of the Taita school, was in attendance for the purpose of making certain statements with reference to the Inspector”s report on his school. Having come into the room he said that he had given a written statement of his complaint to Mr Pharazyn. This complaint, which he now repeated, was to the effect that on various occasions his wife, son and daughter had been unfairly treated by Mr Lee. His son for instance, had been told by Mr Lee that he was not fit to be a pupil teacher because he could not manipulate a paper fastener. He (Mr Sinclair) said that if he were to describe some of Mr C. C. Graham's statements in connection with this matter he would have to use some of the strongest expressions in the English language. Mr Graham asked Mr Sinclair to explain what he meant. Mr Sinclair said that he meant that Mr Graham”s statement that he (Mr Sinclair) had told him that he had boxed his wife's ears in the school-room, was false. Mr Graham said that his statement was founded on what Mr Sinclair himself had told him. Mr Sinclair asked to be allowed to take a copy of the written statement he had first read, but he was not allowed to do so. Mr Sinclair then withdrew and consideration of the matter was postponed until the Inspector could be present.

Evening Post, 25 Feb 1880
A deputation waited upon the Board for the purpose of urging the necessity for erecting a new school at Taita. The deputation promised to find the necessary site and timber for the building, and the Board agreed to give the matter their favorable consideration.

Evening Post, 22 Dec 1885
End of year prizes The prizes awarded to the children of the above school were distributed on Friday last by the Chairman Mr R. Mellow, in the presence of the teachers and the following members of the School Committee:- Messrs: W. Cleland, S. Death, J. Harris, W. S Milne and J. H. Ross. After a few appropriate remarks, the Chairman proceeded to distribute the prizes, addressing a few words of congratulations to each of the prize-takers as they came up. The following is the prize-list:
Standard VI - Ernest Pike, Agnes Drummond, Laura Pinny, Arabella Welch.
Standard V - Forbes Johnston, Hipzibah Fisk
Standard IV - Ernest Bodman, Harry Edwards, Francis Fisk, Ada Welch.
Standard III - Norman Bodman, George Boyd Frank Clement, Frank Death, William Death, William Fisk, Isaac James, William Meager, Horace Meager, Emma Barlow, Minnie Hancock, Allison Johnston, Nellie Mabey, Ellen Martin, Ilma Ross, Jane Wright.
Standard II - Charles Drummond, Edwin Edwards, Jack King, George Hancock, George Haywood, Albert Peck, Geo Russell, Marjorie Duck, Eliza Duck, Katie Russell, Agnes Russell, Hettie Russell, Jane Stevenson, Maria Webb.
Standard I - John Fisk, Edward Rouse, Herbert Tilbury, George Wright, Charles Watson, Sophia Burt, Ethel Burt, Amy Death, Amy Hancock, Alice James, Connie Mellow, Minnie Russell, Maggie Ross.
Special prizes were awarded to Laura Pinny and Alick Ross, for being the most popular and best-behaved girl and boy in the school. This decision was arrived at by vote, the girls voting for Laura Pinny and the boys for Alick Ross. The distribution having been made, the children sang 'Home Sweat Home' with great taste. The head teacher, Mr Johnston, entertained the children to a tea at 5 p.m., to which ample justice was done. After games &c, they proceeded homeward, evidently delighted with their evening's outing. An entertainment was also given by the same gentleman in the evening; to the heads of families and young people in the district. After having spent a very pleasant evening the company broke up at 12.30 a.m. At the examination of the school on the 16th October, out of 60 presented 53 passed, which may be considered very satisfactory.