JEWEL AND IAN FAMILY HISTORY
WALLACE FAMILY
The Wallace family unwittingly started its association with New Zealand in 1846. On 24 February of that year, Arthur Wallace and his brother John Alexander McKane Wallace sailed from Chatham in Kent as prison guards on the convict ship ‘Palmyra’ They were both privates in the 65th regiment (2nd Yorkshire North Riding), also known as the ‘Royal Bengal Tigers’, probably the best-known of the Imperial regiments to serve in New Zealand.
Both brothers had enlisted in Northern Ireland, as had a younger brother, James, who had left Chatham in 1845.
Details of the brothers at enlistment were:
John Alexander McKane Wallace.
Enlisted - 21/12/1840 at Antrim, Co. Antrim
Initially 48th regiment.
1/2/1842 transferred to 65th regiment.
Age - 21 years
Height: 5ft. 8.5 inches
Rank and Number - Private, No. 1824
Discharged: 5/5/1849 at Wanganui, N.Z. on payment of 20 pounds.
Married - 1843 in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Esther Mayes (Maise/Maze?)
Arthur Wallace.
Enlisted - 14/2/1840 at Antrim, Co. Antrim
Age - 19 years Height -
Rank and Number - Private, No. 1566
Discharged - 18/4/1864 at Wanganui, N.Z. after 24 years meritorious service, following Medical Board, in Auckland 25/12/1863, at his request, due to chronic rheumatism over 3-4 years.
James Wallace
Enlisted - 4/8/1844
Age - 17 years Height 5 ft. 7 ½ inches
Rank and Number Private No 2153
Discharged 3/12/1849 on payment of 20 pounds
A further detachment, including 51 women and 75 children sailed from Gravesend on 19 September, 1846 on the freight ship ‘Sir Robert Peel’, arriving in Auckland on 14 January, 1847, and it is likely that Esther Wallace was on this ship. However, when her eldest son James died, his death certificate indicates that he was born on the “Palmyra” in the Bay of Biscay in 1846.
After departure from Chatham, the ‘Palmyra’ called at Portsmouth on 17 March, leaving there on 1 May, and arriving at Hobart Town in Van Diemen’s Land on 22 August. From there a detachment of the regiment went to Sydney on 17 September, embarking on the ‘’Java’ on 8 November en route to New Zealand, arriving in Auckland 27 November. The reason for the regiment being sent to New Zealand was the outbreak of the fighting in the Bay of Islands and in the Hutt Valley.
Arthur and John were the sons of William Wallace and Catherine McKane, who married about 1816. Their family is as follows:
Arthur Wallace born 1817 Donegore
John Alexander McKane Wallace born 1819 Connor Baptised 17/10/1819 Antrim
William Wallace born 27 January 1822 at Trench Townland Baptised 3 March 1822
James Wallace born 31 August, 1827 at Ballyrobin Baptised 2 September 1827
Mary Ann Wallace born 23 November, 1828 at Trench Townland. Baptised 14 December, 1828
Thomas Wallace born 27 December 1831 at Trench Townland. Baptised 4 January, 1832
The two elder boys were baptised in the neighbouring parish of Mill Row Presbyterian church in Antrim town.
On John Wallace’s death certificate his mother’s maiden name is given as ‘Weaver’, but this is probably Catherine McKane’s occupation. I suspect that William was a soldier, but have not been able to ascertain the regiment to which he may have belonged. John died on 29 December 1895.
A researcher on the Internet who is involved in the McKane (various spellings) DNA project has located a McKain family from Ballywatt in north Antrim who may be part of our family.
William McKain was born 1759 in Co. Antrim, and died 1826 in Ballywatt. He was buried in Ballyrashane Parish Graveyard, Co. Derry. He was the son of (8) McCain.
Mary McKane was buried in Ballyrashane Parish Graveyard, Co. Derry.
Children of William McKain and Mary McKane.
1) Hugh McKain was born 1780 in Co. Antrim, and died in Ballywatt. He married Rachel Patton, who was born 1806 in Co. Antrim, and died 1878 in Ballywatt.
2) Alexander McKane was born in Ballywatt, and died in Ballyrobin. He married Nancy Moore. She was born 1807 in Risk, Co. Antrim, and died 1865 in Ballyrobin.
3) Unknown McKain ws born in Co. Antrim and died in USA
4) Unknown McKain was born in Co. Antrim and died in USA.
5) Mary McKain was born 1793 in Ballywatt, and died in 1873 in Ballywatt.
6) Margaret McKain was born in 1797 in Ballywatt, and died 1888 in Ballywatt.
7) Anne McKain.
8) Jenny McKain. She married James McBride 1846 in Ballymoney reg. office 0275. He was born in Co. Antrim and died in Australia.
9) Martha McKain. She married Charles Lawrence. He was born 1798 in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, and died 1800 in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.
10) Unknown McKain.
What is interesting is that Alexander McKane died in Ballyrobin, where at least one of the children of William Wallace and Catherine McKane was born. Also one of their sons was John Alexander McKane Wallace. Was the unknown McKain “our” Catherine? The above children do not appear to be chronological order. Catherine McKane married about 1815/16 as far as I can guess, and could well have been born about around 1795.
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On arrival in New Zealand the regiment was sent to Wellington, and John, Arthur and James were all stationed at the barracks at Paremata. These barracks were built about 1851, but ‘fell over’ in the 1855 earthquake. Apparently the contractor, against instructions, used sea sand for the mortar, which proved to be most unsatisfactory. The barracks were built to protect Wellington and the River Hutt from Maori invasion from the north. The remains of the barracks still exist in Ngatitoa Domain.
Mary Wallace lived in Te Aro in Wellington from 1848 until 1855, and it was here that the three eldest children of Arthur and Mary Plunkett were born, William in 1848, Stephen Richard in 1851 and John Henry in 1853. In 1855 Mary and the boys travelled to Wanganui on the steamer “Mary Jane,” and it was here that Elizabeth (1856) and Arthur Alexander (1858) usually known as Archie), were born. In Wellington the local Catholic priest Father O’Reilly was a tolerant man, and the boys were conditionally baptised in the Catholic Church, but were brought up as Protestants. (Elizabeth, later Mrs Brough and the youngest son, Arthur, were raised as Catholics) Things were different when they arrived in Wanganui, as the local priest, a Frenchman named Father Pezaut, had very different views on mixed Protestant/Catholic marriages, and apparently he and Arthur had a terrific argument. It was about this time that Arthur and Mary split up (the marriage was “annulled”) and on 26 May 1862 Mary married William McDowell, who had also served in the 65th regiment. William McDowell is listed as a bachelor, aged 30 years, a sawyer who had lived in Wanganui for 7 years. The marriage tool place in the Catholic Chapel in Wanganui, and was conducted by Rev. Pezaut. William was a Protestant. Mary Plunkett gives her age as 30 (she was probably 36) and her occupation as washerwoman. Mary McDowell died on 29/12/1882, and is buried in the Catholic section of Head’s Road cemetery in Wanganui. Her death certificate records that she died of disease of the liver, she had been in New Zealand 36 years, and that her mother’s maiden name was Baird.
Arthur continued to serve with the 65th, and was involved in fighting at Waitara, Ngaruawahia, Tuakau and Orakau, but with several spells in hospital due to ill-health. He was transferred back to Wanganui with the 57th regiment, and took his discharge in 1864, after Army service of 23 years, 279 days; in New Zealand 17 years and 9 months .On 24/2/1865 he enlisted in the Colonial Army (Wanganui Regiment of Militia) and was posted to the Rangitikei District at Marton. From Marton he went to work on a farm (Tutu Totara) owned by Major Marshall, who had been the Paymaster in the 65th regiment. Arthur died on 1 August, 1876 in Wanganui Hospital, aged 57, and was buried at Head’s Road cemetery.
John Alexander McKane Wallace served in Wellington and Wanganui before taking his discharge at the cost of twenty pounds on 5 May, 1849 at Wanganui. He received a land grant on No 2. Line at Matarawa, east of Wanganui, and later bought the adjoining farm as well, which had belonged to the Gilfillan family. The farm was named “Firgrove” after a district in Antrim. Firgrove back in Antrim appears to have been swallowed up by Belfast Airport.
A report in the Wanganui Chronicle in 1895 reads:
John Alexander McKane Wallace
Death of an old settler.
Arrived with the 65th regiment farmed at No 2 line. Resided continuously for 40 years then came into town wife died. Accidentally fell down stairs. Well provided for.children. .
John and Esther had eight children that we know of. When Esther died in 1893 and John in 1895 in Wanganui, four males and four females are listed on their respective death certificates.
They are probably -
James, born Bay of Biscay 1846
Esther born 1849
Mary Jane born 1851
Joseph born 1853
Agnes born 1855
William John born 1858
Thomas Morton born c 1860
Un-known female born 1857-59
When James married Caroline Chitham in 1868, Mary Jane was listed as a witness.
Arthur and Mary’s son William, born in 1848, left home at 12 to milk cows for Mr Wicksteed at Ka-iwi. He and his two brothers joined the Wanganui Yeomanry Cavalry. Later, probably late in 1868, William transferred to the Armed Constabulary. As a member of the Colonial Forces he was involved in fighting in the Taranaki area, and further up the Wanganui River. In 1868 there was fierce fighting against the Maori under Titokawaru at Te Ngutu o Te Manu in South Taranaki, and it was here that Richard was killed in 1868. He and others killed in this engagement were buried at Waihi Redoubt near Hawera. Later William took part in engagements at Otautu, Moturoa, Taurangaika, Fraser Road, Whakamaru, Opotiki and Te Porere. Much of this is recorded in James Cowan’s book “The New Zealand Wars,” as James Cowan drew on William’s reminiscences in 1918 while writing the book, and visited several battle sites with William.
In 1871 all three brothers were awarded the New Zealand medal. This medal was awarded to all imperial soldiers who served in New Zealand, but colonial soldiers were awarded the medal only if they had been under fire. Richard’s medal was claimed by his mother Mary McDowell, but there is some doubt as to whether it was actually issued. Richard was a member of the Wellington Forest Rangers.
John was a trumpeter with the Wanganui Cavalry volunteers, and received his medal for having fought at 4 engagements on the west coast during 1868-69. His medal was destroyed during a fire at the Harbour Hotel in Akaroa in 1886, and a duplicate medal issued on 12 March 1914.
JohnAlexander McKane & Esther Wallace William Wallace
William received a land grant of 80 acres at Mokoia in 1868 (the regulation amount for a sergeant) but the land was abandoned to the Maoris for a time. He married his cousin Mary Jane Wallace in 1870, and worked in Hawera on road and railway construction until the land was returned to him in 1871. He farmed this land until 1891, when he sold it for one pound an acre, and moved to a farm at Rimutoto Road, Meremere, inland from Hawera, on the West Coast Lease Land Scheme.
William and Mary Jane’s children were:
John Alexander McKane 1871
Catherine (Sissy) 1872
Richard 1875
Janet 9/11/1876
William 5/7/1878
Esther 11/6/1880 Whakamaru
Allan 15/5/1882
Jane (Jessie) 25/2/1884
Garfield 1886
Norman 1887
Walter 1889
Esther married Alexander Saunders in 1904. Family tradition has it that she was a teacher at Mangaweka in the early years of the 20th Century. In the 1903 Electoral Roll there is an entry for Esther Wallace, spinster, and in the same town there is a John Wallace, carpenter, who could be her eldest brother. She is still there in 1905/06, but John is no longer there. There is no mention of her being a school-teacher. Esther died at Point Chevalier, Auckland on 14 May 1964, and was cremated at Purewa cemetery the following day.
I have little knowledge of other members of the Wallace family, apart from Garfield who took over the family farm, and Norman who died at Messines Ridge in Flanders in June 1917.
Norman enlisted on 1 May 1916. He dis-embarked at Devonport on 24 October that year and the following day marched to Sling camp on the Salisbury Plain, where he remained until 15 November when left for France. He spent some time at Etaples before being sent to the “Field” on 7 December 1916. He spent some days in hospital between 15 and 26 April 1917 before returning to the Field. He rejoined his unit on 27 April, and was killed in action on 7 June.
James embarked on the “Samuel Boddington” on 31 August 1845 as guard on convict ship to Van Dieman’s Land. On 13 June 1846 he transhipped to Sydney on the “Joseph Soames” and sailed to New Zealand on the Levant.” On 25 July1846 he arrived in Wellington and arrived at Paremata on the Calliope. In 1847 he transferred to Wanganui.
After he purchased his discharge he moved to Tasmania (we are not sure precisely when this happened) and on 4 July 1855 he married Maria Brophy at Westbury. The couple had four children:
James 1857-1911, William 1858-59, Michael William 1860-1940 and William Frederick 1864 -1948.
James died 3 March 1899 at Westbury. His wife died in 1888.
