Martha Kennedy

The 1893 electoral roll confirms household duties

Biography contributed by Sharlene Rumney

Martha Robinson was the oldest daughter of Captain Charles and Mary Ann Robinson; she was born in Auckland where her parents arrived on the Duchess of Argyle in 1842. The Robinsons lived in Auckland and Thames before moving to Owharoa in the late 1870s to take up farming. Captain Charles Robinson died in Owharoa in July 1894 and Mrs Mary Ann Robinson in 1903.

On the 18 March 1874 Martha Robinson was married to David Kennedy by the Rev. R.C Butland at Pleasant Valley, Grahams Town, which was the residence of her father. David Kennedy was born in Cootehill, County Cavern, Ireland and immigrated to New Zealand in 1862 on the Eagle Speed. He moved to Thames during the gold rush where he was in a general cartage and contracting partnership. David and Martha lived in Thames for the first years of their marriage before moving to Owharoa to take up farming along with her parents.

On 8 December 1881 the Owharoa Hall was opened after a committee had been formed and successful fundraising was completed by Mrs Kennedy, Mrs and Miss Robinson and Mrs Franklin. On the opening night the hall was tastefully decorated and a flag with the word 'Welcome' in large letters was hung at the end of the room attracting attention of attendees as entering the hall. The flag was made by Martha.

Martha’s children Charlie (William Charles), Albert and Maggie (Margaret Ethel) were first day pupils at Owharoa School in 1882, as were her youngest siblings Walter and Julia Robinson. The teachers also taught at Mackaytown and Waitekauri and had a week about teaching at the three schools.

Martha had been a schoolteacher and to supplement the family farming income, Martha rode six miles to Waitekauri school to give sewing lessons to girls, she was paid £20 a year. In August 1886 at a meeting of the Ohinemuri School Committee it was decided to notify Mrs Kennedy, the sewing mistress at Waitekauri, Mackaytown and Owharoa, that she must attend to her duties on the days specified by the committee or her services would be dispensed with. Mrs Kennedy continued to teach and had left the Mackaytown School for the afternoon shortly before a major fire at the school in September 1886.

In 1893, Martha’s children Maggie (Margaret Ethel), Alice (Alice Amy), William (William Harrie/Harry), Hilda (Martha Hilda) and David (David Earnest) Kennedy were on the Owharoa School roll.

Martha’s obituary noted that she had lived in the area for forty years, had made many friends, took a keen interest in everything that tended to the advancement of the district and was especially active in patriotic matters.

Martha Kennedy died on the 6th of January 1917 at her residence, Lislea, Waikino. She was survived by her husband David Kennedy, her daughter Mrs A. Hill of Waikino and two sons, Mr W.C Kennedy of Waikino and Mr D.E Kennedy in the United States. Martha is buried at Pukerimu Cemetery as was David in 1923.

Sources

Waikino, A Celebration; 100 Years of Waikino School and District, Waikino School and District Committee, 2008, p.17

Waitawheta Recollections, W.C Kennedy, M.B.E, J.P, Ohinemuri Regional History Journal, issue 1, June 1964

https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ 

https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search

https://cemetery.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/cemetery/by_surname.aspx?sName=Kennedy

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers (all newspaper articles below from Papers Past)

New Zealand Herald (24 July 1894, issue 9571)

Daily Southern Cross (20 March 1874, issue 5173)

Thames Advertiser (12 December 1881, issue 4101)

Te Aroha News (14 August 1886, issue 165)

Thames Advertiser (18 September 1886, issue 5588)

New Zealand Herald (24 July 1894, issue 9571)

Auckland Star (1 May 1903, issue 103)

Ohinemuri Gazette (10 January 1917, issue 3717)

New Zealand Herald (10 January 1917, issue 16434)

New Zealand Herald (22 September 1923, issue 18511)