Biography contributed by Clare Cramond, great-great-niece of Brian Finucane
Clara Georgina Bradford’s birth was registered in Bath, Somerset, England in September1858. When she was 20 years old, she sailed to New Zealand as an assisted immigrant, with her occupation listed as a general servant.
The Adamant arrived on 11 January 1879 and the following report was presented to Captain Bowling. “We the passengers of the ship ADAMANT, cannot suffer to pass unnoticed the very efficient and satisfactory manner by which the captain (T.Bowling), Mr Dalziel, the officers and crew, have displayed their duty in conducting the passage from England to New Zealand. Captain Bowling especially holds the respect and best wishes of all who have been placed under his care.”
Some of the immigrants were collected over the next two days by their sponsors and the others were taken ashore on 13 January and escorted to the Barracks before being deployed. Clara may have stayed in Napier, where on 10 February 1883 she married William Robilliard who came from Guernsey. Two years later, William advertised inviting tenders for the erection of a three roomed cottage on The Hill. He gave his current address as Endfield Road. In his will dated 1886, their address is Chaucer Road, Barrack Hill. Their daughter Ellen Louisa was born around 1888.
In 1893, when Clara signed the Women’s Suffrage Petition, she gave her address as Harding Road, but this is likely Hardinge Road, which is both her and William’s address in the Electoral Roll for 1893. Most of the women who signed Sheet 447 came from the Eastern Spit area around the Port of Napier, a hive of activity for the town. William was a mariner and worked for Robjohns Hindmarsh and Company around the time of his early death in 1900. This was reported in the Daily Telegraph and Mrs Robilliard expressed her thanks for the kindness shown to her.
Clara remarried a bachelor, Brian (Bryan Robert) Finucane in 1903. Clara’s daughter Ellen married William Tier in 1908 and grandchildren William Neville Ralph Tier and Phyllis Mabel Ellen Tier were born in 1909 and 1911. They appear to have lived in Gisborne.
Clara and Brian lived at 15 Carnell Street in Napier South for many years. Clara died on 2 October 1943 and was buried beside her first husband at the Old Napier Cemetery. Brian died two years later and left his house to Clara’s daughter Ellen. He is buried in the same plot as Clara and William.
Sources:
UK Birth Online https://www.freebmd.org.uk/
Immigration https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nzlhawke/shipping/adamant11011879.html
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ Hawkes Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5280, 14 Jan, 1879, Page 2
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ Daily Telegraph, Issue 4195, 5 Jan, 1885, Page 3
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ Daily Telegraph, Issue 9717, 17 Mar, 1900, Page 8
"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images,
Family Search https://familysearch.org/
Brian Finucane, 1943; citing Napier probate files [third sequence], 1923-1959, record number 4208/46, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office;
Births Deaths and Marriages Online https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66696618/clara-georgina-finucane