DRIVER | Jewelian Family

DRIVER FAMILY

Henry and Sophia (nee Renshaw) Driver and son Samuel arrived in Auckland, New Zealand 13/12/1863 on board the "Green Jacket". They also brought out an orphan nephew Henry Herbert Driver (son of Henry's brother Elijah John- later became book seller in Dunedin).Samuel Shaw Driver (orphan son of Henry's brother Samuel) joined them in 1865 coming out on the "Victory". He later went back to England and arrived again on the "Lebu" with his wife Mary Congreve and daughter Ann in 1879)

Henry & Sophie Driver nee Renshaw Henry & Sophie with Samuel and HH Driver

Henry Driver and Sophie Renshaw were married in Sheffield 3rd quarter of 1857

According to my great aunt Henry brought with them some corn, hens, and a rooster. Apparently the rooster while on board ate some of the corn so Henry opened it up and rescued the Corn. Both corn and rooster produced well.

They lived in Auckland for over two years then moved to Whangarei and farmed for 2 and a half years at Parua Bay.

When gold was discovered Henry went for a year to Thames and returned in 1868.Sophia refused to be left behind this time so the whole family moved to Thames.

Their movements are shown by the following electoral roll sightings.

1867-69 Marsden Electoral Roll Driver, Henry, freehold, Whanui- Lot 104 containing 43 acres.

1870-71, 75-76 Electoral Roll Thames Driver, Henry, Shortland- household, Hape Street, Shortland

1881, 1887 Electoral Roll Thames Driver Henry, freehold, Pollen St, iron-monger 1/8 acre Pollen and Queen Sts

1903 Provincial Directory Mrs H Driver Pollen St Thames

From 1882 Return of Freeholders we learn that Henry Driver owned free hold property in both Whangarei and Thames

Driver, Henry, Iron monger, Thames. Whangarei County 100 acres 75 pounds Thames 264 pounds

Henry and Sophia’s Children

Samuel born 16/12/1859 Sheffield married Elizabeth Lindsay 23/4/1888

their children Samuel (1889), Henry Laird(1891) ,Gladys Elizabeth(1893) died aged 14yr, Kenneth James (1895)(married Olive Winter 1919), Sophie Elliott(1898) (Thompson),

Elizabeth born 23/6/1864 Auckland married Herbert Osmund Cooper 9/10/1883

their children Herbert, Bertthia, Bertie, Jessie,Alder(Herbert Osmund), James, Cecil, Stanlet, Rosalind (Paynter),Sophie Henry (Harry)

Annie Sophia b 1866 married William Smyth Wylie 23/10/1884 Drapers in Thames

their children Mabel, Minnie, Nellie married Thorley Robbins in 1914 (teacher), Annie (Crawshaw), Olive married John Bishop, Roland married Hilda Sagar, Flossie married Eslie Kirk, Kath(Alaway), Sybil (married Robert Bill).

Mary born 4/1/1869 married Charles Lovatt 22/12/1890

their children were Hilda (Mutton), Stan, Dorothy (Hopkins), Bob, Hazel (Keyte), Alice, Vera (Walker), Roy, Olive(Tapper), Grace ( Pyle), Gwen (Creamer), Lionel. Helped found first Baptist church in Whangarei

Jessie b 1870 Thames married William James Steer 1891

their children Vy (Tiller), Annie (Tom), Frances (Campbell), Bob, S.... (Seymour), Lovie

Henry 28/12/1872 married May Pearson 13/1/1913 May was a grand daughter of Elizabeth, in Sheffield Henry senior's sister)

their children were Annie, Fred, Duncan, Daniel. Went to U.S.A 1920

James b 1/4/1875 Thames married Hessie Goldsworthy (widow) 1916 Hessie had a child May from first marriage.

Sarah Handbury born 18/7/1877 died 7/4/1878

Lucy Susie born 1878 Thames married Thomas Henry Scandrett 6/4/1907

their children were George, Mabel(Morris), Ray, Tom

Henry Driver's death certificate states:

died 30/8/1890 of phthisis at Pollen St Thames

Iron Monger aged 59 years

Father Samuel Driver , ivory cutter

Mother Mary Driver nee Straps

Buried 31 August 1890 , Shortland cemetery W.R. Woolley, Baptist

In NZ 27 years

Married in England aged 27 to Sophia Renshaw.

Living issue M 14,18,31 F 12,20,22,24,26

Henry and Sophia’s’s oldest son died young leaving a wife and young family

Samuel Driver's death Certificate

died 17/10/1899 at Waihou aged 39 years of Heart Disease 1 year , Syncope 1 hour

last seen by Doctor 12,10,1899

Father Henry Driver, iron Monger

Mother Sophia Renshaw

Buried 19/10/1899 Shortland by Arthur Dewdney, Baptist.

Born Sheffield England. 36 years in New Zealand. Married Elizabeth Lindsay at Wairoa at 27 years old.

Issue M 10,8,4 F 6,1

Informant Samuel Shaw Driver.

Henry Driver was christened at Brunswick and Park Chapel,( Wesleyan) Norfolk Street, Sheffield on 9/12/1830. He was the son of Samuel Driver and Mary Straps.

We also found the baptisms of his sisters, Mary Ann born in 5/8/1825, Samuel 1826 m Mary Shaw, Mary 27/2/1829 and Elizabeth on 19/3/1833 at the same chapel. Elizabeth married Thomas Atkinson Dickinson.

The boys were also baptised again in Sheffield Cathedral on 15 Feb 1835 presumably after Samuel’s death. Note Elijah John’s father is given as John, a steel turner Driver, Elijah John (of Sheffield, born 1836-04-08).

Baptised June 4, 1837, by E Goodwin at Sheffield Parish Church, Church Street, Sheffield.

Parents name(s) are Mary & John (Steel Turner).

We have then found a marriage in Rotherham of Peter France and Mary Driver on 25/12/1836. It appears Samuel died before his youngest son Elijah John was born in 1836. We find this birth or a record of Samuel's death although there is a death of a Samuel Driver in Sheffield on 21 Dec 1834. Elijah John married Elizabeth Turton Mary Berryman in 1857 and died 1862. Their son Henry H Driver came out with Henry and Sophia. Their was another son Arthur John died in February 1861 aged 3 days.

We have not found the record of Samuel and Mary's marriage but presume around 1824.

In the 1851 Census of Sheffield we find the family living at 47 Broad Lane

Peter France Head married 60 Table blade striker Woodhouse, Yorkshire

Mary France Wife " 47 Dunham, Nottingham

Henry Driver Stepson U 20 Table knife Warehouseman Sheffield

Elizabeth " step daughter 18 Dressmaker "

John " step son 14 Butchers blade maker

In 1841 the family were living in Pond Street Sheffield South. Samuel was not there but in High Street Rotherham there is a Samuel aged 15.

We have found the birth of Samuel Driver in Sheffield on 15/5/1803. His parents were John Driver and Elizabeth Norman. Other children of that marriage were Samuel 31/7/1785 (obviously died young), John 21/11/1787, and Henry 18/1/1807.

Elizabeth (Betty) Norman was born on 2 Mar 1768 at St Peters Sheffield Her parents John Norman and Sarah Siddall were married at St Peter’s Sheffield on 4 October 1761. Other children of this marriage is John 1766,William 1769 and 1774, Thomas 1779 Sarah Sidall is the daughter of Isaac Siddall. She was born 6 March 1742. Other children

Issac 1746, Nancy 1749, Lydia 1751, Martha 1754, John 1757

John Driver was born 28/8/1761 at Sheffield, son of Samuel Driver and Elizabeth Oakes. He married Elizabeth Norman at Sheffield on 27/9/1784. The Children of this marriage: Samuel 1785, John 1787, William 8/3/1795, Sarah 1800, Samuel 1803, Henry 1807 . Samuel Driver married Elizabeth Oakes 27/6/1760 .Children of this marriage Mary (died 7/7/1761), John christened28/8/1761 (twins?), Samuel 28/10/1763, Benjamin 30/11/1770, William 12/7/1772. We think this is the Samuel that was a privateer and had a watch made in Genoa, Italy with his names rather than numbers on the face. This is in the possession of Samuel Driver at Turua, Hauraki Plains.

Elizabeth Oakes, born 17 September 1732 at Sheffield was the daughter of Benjamin Oakes and Elizabeth Gilliam Benjamin was a labourer carpenter and other children of that marriage were Benjamin 1734,Hanah 1730, Lidia 1736,Ruth 1738 and Samuel 1728.

On “Sheffieldrecordsonline” there is a table of cutler apprentices.We find Benjamin Driver in 1791 father Samuel Driver master Samuel Driver, knifemaker. Also Samuel in 1749, father John Driver apprentice to William Blackburn cutler. The table shows several people who have a father John Driver’s dating from 1694 so Driver’s have been in Sheffield for a long time. It is very hard to pinpoint the correct family of Samuel or was my original hypothesis correct that he came from Stainton by Tickhill. . The Samuel who was born at Tickhill could well have been serving an apprenticeship in Sheffield as he would have been 13 at the time. Hence both these could dovetail in.

The chart below is only a hypothesis past John Driver and Sarah Copley but it does support a family theory that the Drivers were bakers in the fen country .Epworth and Frodingham are in the Lincolnshire fens and Norwell in Nottingham is down the river Trent from there .The river would have been one of the main transport systems b1588 - John Dryver

John Dryver Epworth

- married 1617 m 1587

- Richard Driver ? Epworth Lincoln France - John m Frodingham Alice Thue Paicoke

(b1666) Linc 1664 - Martha Bennington

18/12/1692 Norwell, Nott John Driver, Mary Bray - ?

- John Driver

Samuel Driver m 26 Jan 1725 Stainton by Tickhill

- Sarah Copley

children of this marriage John 7 May1727 died 22 Jan 1728, Samuel 1 Jan 1736, Mary 6 Sep1738 died 26 Sep 1738, Sarah 9 Nov 1740.

John died May 24 1742 . He was the Parish Clerk.

Stainton by Tickhill is a very small parish. There are big gaps in the parish records in the late 1600- 1712. We searched the Bishop Transcripts which are complete but very hard to read particularly around the time when we would expect Sarah to be born. There are no other Driver families.

However we did find a Baptism of William Copley son of Christopher Copley labourer 30 Jun 1719 and the death of Christopher Copley, labourer Jun 14 1726 .There was also a John Copley baptized 1715 son of Christo. Copley and Eliza Smith. There was John who had a son Richard in 1759 and also the death of John Copley 9 Jul 1743 so it is likely Sarah is descended from either John or Christopher.

You will note there is a gap of 9 years between John and Samuel and as we have made a thorough search of the Bishop Transcripts during this period was the reason for this gap the fact John was away in the army?

- Matthew Oakes

- Benjamin Oakes (b1677) married 1667

- Benjamin Oakes (b 1703) - Maria Beighton

Elizabeth Oakes - Lydia Biggen

- Elizabeth Gilliam

All Oakes births and marriages were at Sheffield Cathedral.

Straps Family

Mary Straps was born 11/7/1803 at Dunham Nottingham. Dunham is 10 miles due west of Lincoln on the River Trent. She was the daughter of Eastland Straps and Rebecca Mansfield. Other children of that marriage were Elizabeth 27/9/1801 also born Dunham and Sarah 1807 and Ann 1811 both born in Eagle, Lincolnshire. Eagle is 10 miles south west of Lincoln. Eastland and Rebecca were married 29/3/1801 banns both read at Canwick and Grantham, Lincolnshire. The marriage of Eastlands Straps and Rebecca Mansford took place at St Wulframs Church Grantham. Eastland Straps Bachelor of the Parish of Canwick in this County & Rebecca Mansford of this Parish.Spinster.Married in this Church by Banns. 14/May/1801

Kettlethorpe Manor 2002 Dunham Church 2002

Eastland Straps was born 30/3/1777 at Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire near the River Trent. Eastland died on 1 Sept 1850 Crookes, Sheffield at the age of 73.

Other children are Elizabeth born 1774- Newton on Trent, Ann 1779 South Collingham, Eleanor 1780 South Collingham, William was born 1784 at Gainsborough, Joseph 1788 Gainsborough. All these towns are on the Nottinhamshire/ Lincolnshire border close to the major transport route the River Trent.

Their parents were Richard Straps and Ann? We cannot find the marriage . We suspected that Ann could have been Ann Eastland born in Upton but there is also a marriage of an Ann Eastland in 1784 at Scotter not far from there.

There are not many Richard Straps on IGI around that period: a.son of John & Eleanor b 1747 at Donington-in -Holland and 1753 at Beckingham son of Richard Straps and Ann Sneath. However, there seems to be gaps in registers around the area and there are a few Straps scattered around Aubourne, North and South Scarle with recorded deaths and marriages but not enough to put complete families together. There was a family at Canwick in 1753 - John Strapps & Catherine Strapps but neither given name comes through the family. There were a Thomas Straps and Elizabeth who had a son Thomas in 1723 who lived at Eagle. At North Scarle a Thomas Straps was born in 1692 son of Thomas and Alice

There are two Beckingham’s. The first Beckingham is 4 miles east of Newark on Trent just inside the Lincolnshire border the other 2 miles east of Gainsborough (just in Nottingham).

The Straps’ family moved north east across Lincoln Fens over generations: from Coleby, Donington, Heckington to Beckingham. The internet GENUKI history of Beckingham states “the Strapps family were millers in the mill to the north of the town in the late 1700s/early 1800s.”

Rebecca Mansford ( recorded as Mansfield in Canwick, Mansford at Grantham). Born 10 Sep1780 at South Scale daughter of John Mansford & Elizabeth Hunt, who were married on 20 Jun 1779 in South Scarle. He was a butcher. The only other child we can find in Thomas born 18 Sep 1779. There are two John Mansford’s born about the same time. One the son of William and Rebecca in Aubourne . The other William and Jane in Norwell & Carlton. It is interesting to note William and Jane had a son who married a Catherine Hunt from South Scarle, Elizabeth’s sister .

Children of William and Jane all born are Samuel 1752 John 1753 Jane 1757 Francis William 1762.

Elizabeth Hunt is the daughter of Phil Hunt and Mary Marshall who married 1 May 1746 at Fledborough Nottingham. (someone has entered 11 May, Besthorpe). This is a large family all born South Scarle ( John 1747, Elizabeth 1748, William 1750, Jane 1752, Philip 1753, Ann 1755, Rebecca 1757, Thomas 1760, Robert 1762, Edward 1764, Alice 1766, and Catherine 1768..

Philip Hunt seems to be the son of Philip Hunt and Phannuel Tenery? (Tonnes?) married 15 sep 1737 Girton Nottinghamshire (near South Scarle) The Hunt family seems to have been around the South Scarle area for a long time.

Back to the Eastland's

. They were married 27 September 1744 at St Paul’s Lincoln. They had 7 children. Other children are

John 3 July 1746 in South Leverton Nottingham George 19 Sept 1748 East Leverton Nottingham

Sarah 18 August 1750 Upton Linc died 1838 Michael 8 April 1753 Upton Min died 18 March 1754

Mary 4 April 1756 Upton

Michael Eastland’s parents were William Eastland and Sarah Smith (born Kexby). Michael was born March 1724/25 at Kexby and other siblings were John b 1719 d 1719, and George born 1723

William Eastland was born in 1681 in Stow in Lindsey Lincolnshire son of James Eastland and Ann West (born Stow in Lindsey). They were married November 18 1676 and had at least 3 children Faith 1676, Ann 1679 and William 1681.

James Easland was born 1611 and he married Mary Leary ( born Long Sutton)3 June 1632. They had 7 children.

Williiam 1634, Robert 1635, Alice 1636, James b 1638 Stow in Lindsey, Edward b 1643, Mary 1644, William 1647.