Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Emily HUDSON was born in 1834 in London, England to John Spink Hudson and Margaret nee Holmes. John was the son of John Hudson, a master mariner of Whitby, and his wife Anne (nee Spink). John was born at Teignmouth, Northumberland, but was educated at a London grammar school. In his late teens he was ‘converted’ and became a member of the Southwark Wesleyan Circuit. He married Margaret Holmes in London in 1832, and having done that he then offered for the Wesleyan ministry in 1834. He was accepted and had two probationary appointments in the north of Scotland. There he contacted a throat complaint and was forced to retire from the ministry in 1838.
The couple had six children; after Emily, John Homes in 1835 Scotland, and then John 1836, Mary Jane 1837, Josiah Hills 1838 and Marshall Henry 1841 in London. John came to New Zealand with his wife and family at the end of 1859 and settled as a farmer, in Dome Valley, near Warkworth. Almost immediately he took up ministry again, as a Home Missionary, and served within the Mahurangi Home Mission Station from 1860-1882. He took the initiative to build churches at both Warkworth and Dome Valley.
Emily never married and remained living at the family home in Mahurangi most of her life. After both her parents died she moved to live with her sister in Waiuku about 1906. Emily died Saturday 11 September 1909, 'deceased lady was a daughter of the late Rev J S Hudson, Wesleyan minister at Warkworth... She was a zealous worker in church affairs in Mahurangi. Despite the fact that she had reached the age of 77, the late Miss Hudson was in good health until four months ago'.
She was buried in the Waiuku Cemetery. Emily made her will three weeks before she died. In it, she disposed of her estate, mainly to her female relatives. She left her monies, books, furniture and clothes and a 200 pound mortgage to her sister Mary Jane for her own and absolute use, and after the sister’s death to her three daughters and 100 pounds to her brother Josiah. Her estate was worth 500 pounds.
Emily HUDSON is the sister of 378 Mary Jane Jordan
Sources
Findagrave
‘Unsung Methodist Personalities: Biographies from the History of NZ Methodism’ by Donald Phillipps (https://kiwiconnexion.nz/view/view.php?id=484 )
Historical BDM
National Archives (https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ )
Papers Past: NEW ZEALAND HERALD, VOLUME XLVI, ISSUE 14164, 13 SEPTEMBER 1909, PAGE 6