Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Catherine Ferguson was born about 1822 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, daughter of Colin and Catherine nee Campbell. In Paisley in 1842 she married Irishman, Thomas Varner and they came to NZ on the Jane Gifford arriving in October 1842.
They lived at several addresses in central Auckland where Thomas was a carter and labourer, and had five children:
Elizabeth (1843 – 1928)
John (1845 – 1929)
Agnes (1847 – 1932) twin
Catherine (1847 – 1930) twin
Mary Jane (1849 – 1883)
After a few days’ illness, Thomas died in April 1850 aged 27 years. Catherine was left with five children under 7. She then remarried in 1853 to William Cooper. William was from London, England and had recently arrived in the country. They had another five children:
William Henry (1853 – 1933)
James (1855 – 1944)
George (1857 –1937)
Thomas (1861 – 1946)
Martha Annie (1861 – 1951)
For a time William and Catherine lived on Great Barrier Island where William was described as a settler. In 1886, he published a notice in the newspaper, ‘any person or persons removing puriri timbers from my foreshore at Rarohara Bay, Port Fitzroy.. without a written order from me, will be prosecuted. William Cooper, Hargrave Street, Ponsonby.’
In 1890 William Cooper made a sworn statement in regard to his affairs before the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy.
He said that for some years he farmed at the Great Barrier, and four years ago gave a mortgage over the land and buildings. In May 1889 he gave a bill-of-sale over his furniture, bullocks, and tools, receiving £35, £23 of which is still duo. Two bullocks died and the other two were sold to pay for the necessaries of life. Unsecured creditors claim £50. In February 1889, he had his leg broken, and for five weeks was in the Hospital.
Son George was a blacksmith, married and living in Helensville by 1896 and William and Catherine went to join them. In March 1902 Catherine died at the age of 77 years. ‘Recently she was residing at Helensville and came to town a few weeks ago’. She died at her youngest daughter’s residence in Ireland Street, Mt Eden and was buried at Purewa Cemetery. She died intestate, late of Helensville, leaving two parcels of land, one with a cottage, in Te Awaroa (Helensville) Kaipara, worth 70 pounds.
William died on September 10, 1907, at the Auckland Hospital, after a short illness, aged 83 years. He had a private interment at Purewa Cemetery. His probate left five pounds to each of his stepchildren, five pounds to each of his and Catherine’s children, five pounds to Auckland Hospital Charitable Aid, five pounds to Little Sisters of the Poor, and the rest divided equally between Robert Adamson Drummond and Drummond Cameron of Helensville (not relatives).
SOURCES:
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20011, 30 July 1928, Page 10
PAPERS PAST Daily Southern Cross, Volume VI, Issue 294, 23 April 1850, Page 2
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7818, 11 December 1886, Page 8
PAPERS PAST Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 172, 23 July 1890, Page 8.
PAPERS PAST Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 67, 20 March 1902, Page 1
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13540, 11 September 1907, Page 1