Sunday, December 21, 2014

Sunday Obituary - My Little's "DIED ON THE SAME DAY - Early Settlers"

Hudson LITTLE, my Great Grand Uncle on my Mothers Fathers side continues  ..................  


Thought I would include this map with the Obituary. I found it was great to have something to refer to as I read through it...... thought you would appreciate it also. 

This OBITUARY is lengthy because it is two in one.....  YES! you read right, " Two Obituaries in ONE" [It doesn't get much better than this- a big thank you to whoever wrote it originally]


Died on Same Day
Early Settlers

The unusual  occurrence of husband and wife passing away within 12 hours of each other took place today in the deaths of two highly respected residents of Bunnythorpe, Mr and Mrs Hudson Little. Mr Little who was 92 years of age, died at 1:30am and his wife, who was 90 years of age, passed away an hour before mid-day. Mr and Mrs Little had resided in Bunnythorpe for 43 years. On Christmas Day they would have celebrated their 63rd anniversary of their marriage.

The late Mr Little's parents lived in Cumberland in the same neighborhood as John Peel, and Hudson Little would relate how he used to play truant from school to follow the huntsman and his hounds on foot as far as possible. However, a sound thrashing from his father, who was incidentally the schoolmaster, led him to deserting his home to work for five years in various parts of England before he came to New Zealand in the sailing ship Columbo in 1864. The voyage lasted 130 days and he landed at Nelson. Walking to Greymouth, Mr Little was engaged for some time on the gold diggings, and later walked to Christchurch, where he undertook carpentering and farm work.

It was at Christchurch  that Mr Little met his future wife, then Miss Hannah Doggett, and they were married shortly afterwards in Rangiora. Soon after their marriage they went  to Cust, where they took up farming. In the next year a severe hailstorm destroyed their 70-acre crop of wheat, the  loss leading to the disposal of the farm. They moved to Carlton, near Rangiora, and resided there for 18 years. The property was disposed of at a figure that was satisfactory to Mr Little and they came to the Manawatu district. within a week of their arrival here they had purchased and had settled on a farm at Dixon's Line, Bunnythorpe, In August 1891. For the next eight years Mr and Mrs Little occupied the property. Mr Little retiring from there.
Not only was Mr Little a successful farmer but he was also a carpenter of no [mean] ability.  He built the family's house at Carlton, and the residence to which he retired, in Ingleby Street Bunnythorpe, as well as a number of other in the district.

Mr and Mrs Little celebrated the 60th anniversary of their wedding on December 25, 1931, and on that occasion they were the recipients of the congratulations of a wide circle of friends. With 43 years of residence in the district Mr Little became well known and highly respected there as well as further afield. About a week ago he entered the Palmerston North Hospital advancing years and the fact that he had lost his eyesight making that course desirable.

Mrs Little was born in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and came to New Zealand in company with her parents as a girl. The voyage who made in the Glentanar, the landing being made at Lyttelton in 1857. The party walked over the Port Hills to Christchurch and pitched their camp on the site which is now known as Cathedral Square. With them was Mrs Doggett's brother, Mr Ivory, who was later Mayor of Rangiora. The family traveled northwards by bullock wagon, crossed the Waimakariri River and continued on to the farm of another brother Mr W E Ivory, a well known Rangiora nurseryman. Mr Doggett unfortunately passed away five weeks later.

Mrs Little was also enfeebled by her great age and the shock of the death of her husband proved too much for her.

The sympathy of a wide circle of friends will be extended to the members of the family in their double bereavement. There are left two sons, Mr William Little of Paremata and Mr Alfred Little of Auckland. Another son and one daughter who had accompanied their parents to the Manawatu district, passed away some years ago.
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Now I know most of you would agree that this is a great obituary. I could not ask for anything better or different.........  there is so much information in this obituary that you could days/months/years of research from just the information presented.
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New Zealand Death Index 1848-1964
Hudson Little
Oct-Nov-Dec 1934
Folio #  3718

Source Information:
Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Death Index, 1848-1964 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.  Original data: New Zealand Death Indexes
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Looking back at the map, you can see where both Hudson and his future wife and family arrived and you can follow each of them as they lived.

FYI: Bunnythorpe & Rangiora are both northeast of Christchurch-- Lyttelton is just below Christchurch

Some of the other names are not listed but I will locate them in time.




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