Biography contributed by Jo Ager and Sue Ager-King (great grand-daughters of Annie Butcher):
Annie Sarah (nee Burrows), the eldest of ten children, was born 28 July 1851, London, England. Her father was a printer. The family were recorded, in the 1861 census, as living in Surrey, England.
Annie worked in a wool shop until her marriage. At age 29, she married Edward Butcher on 4 October 1870, Kent, England. They had 11 children, five of whom were born when the family emigrated from England to New Zealand. They sailed steerage class with Annie’s brother, Charles Burrows, on the ship Hurunui from London on 14 August 1879, arriving in Lyttleton 6 December 1879. The children were Matilda (Tilly), Henry, Frederick William (Bill), Elizabeth (Lil), and Alice Maud (Maud).
Annie and Edward lived in Kaiapoi where Edward worked as a watchmaker. In 1885 Edward established his own shop, The North Canterbury Watch and Clock Co. in Rangiora. Annie had four more children in Kaiapoi, Edward (Eddie), Florence (Florrie), Emily (Mill) and Robert (Bob). Sadly, Annie’s eldest daughter Tilly, died aged 10, and Eddie died aged 7.
In 1891 Edward sold his watch shop to take up farming and the family moved to Waikari. Annie’s last two children, Grace and Vera were born in Waikari. In 1905 Edward built a house on a property at Weka Pass. They lived there until Edward died in 1917. Their married son Henry also lived on the property. Annie moved to Cashmere Hills, Christchurch where she lived with her unmarried children, (Bill and Vera) until she died in 1926 aged 75. She is buried with her husband Edward in Waimairi Cemetery. Before her death she was nursed by her daughter Grace whose family had moved from Wairoa and were also living with Annie. Grace’s daughter Mary Ager, (100 years old in 2017), remembers her grandmother Annie often saying “More haste less speed child!”
Sources
Birth Index and Baptism Record
England Census 1861 and 1871
Marriage Certificate
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions