Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Alexandrina Scott was born in 1856 in Auckland, one of nine children of Joseph and Janet. Joseph was an early settler to Auckland arriving in 1842. He bought some acres and took to dairying in O’Neill Street, Ponsonby.
Alexandrina married Herbert James Morris in 1878 in Auckland. Herbert was born in 1851 in Somerset, England, the eldest of six children of James and Olive. James was a painter and plumber in England. When he, his wife Olive and their three eldest children arrived in 1862 aboard the William Miles he gave his occupation as farmer. He was amongst the first residents of St. Mary's Road, Ponsonby, in which locality he spent the last 40 years of his life.
Herbert and Alexandrina lived at Clarence Street, where Herbert was a builder. They had nine children, two died young.
- unnamed (1879–879)
- Herbert Stanley (1880–1969)
- Arthur Neil (1881–1882)
- Reginald Joseph (1883–1958)
- Neil James (1885–1968)
- Laura Elsie (1886–1936)
- Muriel Janet (1888–1967)
- Gladys Olive (1890–1983)
- Edna Ellen (1894 -1970)
Around 1922 Herbert and Alexandrina moved to Alfriston Road, Manurewa. And at the end of that year, Alexandrina died aged 65 years. She was buried in the Ōtāhūhū Cemetery. In her will she left all to her husband and then to her children equally, with her estate valued at 1 200 pounds.
Herbert lived on another twenty years, dying in 1940 aged 89. He was buried with Alexandrina in the Ōtāhūhū Cemetery. His will left everything to his six surviving children, with some special bequests, the inlaid wooden bedstead to son Herbert in trust, and to daughter Laura, the inlaid wooden table in trust. His estate was worth 2250 pounds.
Sources
Archway probate Alexandrina Herbert
PAPERS PAST Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 284, 30 November 1922, Page 1
PAPERS PAST Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVIII, Issue 1672, 29 November 1862, Page 10