Catherine Hocking (nee Symons), was born on 8 April 1853 in Penzance, Cornwall, England. The fourth of six children of Jane and Francis Symons, an agricultural labourer.
Catherine married George Henry Hocking on 9 May 1875 in Penzance and they sailed from London on 26 May 1875 on the Blairgowrie, as government assisted steerage passengers, part of the ‘Vogel Scheme’, both aged twenty-two years, arriving in Lyttelton on 23 August 1875.
They had a family of two daughters and four sons: Mary Jane (1876-1875), Katie (1878-1878), Edward Francis (1879-1914), Richard Charles (1882-1982), Charles Henry (1884-1945), William George Symons (1887-1930. Three children died at child birth and Catherine outlived all her children.
Catherine as a home-maker and mother of a family, did not have time to take part in local activities, but belonged to the Methodist Church and attended regularly.
In 1911 George and Catherine made a trip "home" for George's health, sailing on the R.M.S. Corinthic for a six month visit to see friends and family before retuning back to Christchurch.
The family lived at 48 (later renumbered to 7) Smollett (now Bond) Street, Sydenham which is still standing and continued to live there after her husband died in 1918, until her death on 18 October 1948, aged ninety-five. She is buried with her husband in Addington Cemetery, Block No: 0, Lot No: 699B.
Catherine Hocking, c. 1886
Catherine Hocking, c. 1916
Catherine Hocking, c. 1948
Text and images: Ian Hocking
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
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