William Hutton FORREST (1853-1930)
William Hutton FORREST was born on 3rd June 1853 and baptised on 19th August 1853 in Stirling[1]. He was the third son of Dr William Hutton FORREST and Margaret Thompson STEPHENSON.
William went to sea about 1875, and advanced to second mate. He was on ships that called at Otago, NZ; Portland, Oregon (twice); San Francisco; Calcutta; Antwerp and Kobe. He emigrated to New Zealand in January 1882, at first staying with his brother Andrew FORREST at Otautau, on the far south end of the South Island. He farmed in the Riverton area for two years, then moved frequently looking for work and better times amidst the economic depression of the early 1880s.
Family
In New Zealand, he married on 15th July 1884 Hannah Cooper MCARTHUR, daughter of Duncan MCARTHUR and Issabella KEDDIE[2]. Hannah was born on 4th December 1851 in Kilmore and Kilbride, Argyll, Scotland. They had four girls and two boys but only three girls survived to adulthood:
- i. Isabel Keddie FORREST, born on 26th June 1885 in Riverton, New Zealand[3].
- ii. Moubray Catherine Geisow FORREST, born on 21st December 1888 in New Zealand[4].
- iii. Margaret Stephenson FORREST, born on 9th June 1891 in New Zealand[5].
In 1894 the family sailed to northern New South Wales, where he tried to become established as a sugar cane grower. That venture failed too, and they returned to New Zealand in 1896 to live in the Auckland area.
William died on the 15th July 1930 and was buried in Purewa Cemetery, Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand[6].
References
- ↑ Old Parochial Register, Births, Stirling, OPR Ref. 490/0060 0468
- ↑ New Zealand Vital Records
- ↑ Reference required
- ↑ Reference required
- ↑ Reference required
- ↑ Gravestone, Purewa Cemetery, Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand. Plot 32-A-104: "William Hutton Forrest / Born Stirling / Died 15th July 1930 * Aged 76 Years"
