Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Evelyn Rayner was born 1856 in Morley, Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Joseph and Ellen. They immigrated to NZ and arrived in Dunedin in August 1861 on board the Pladda. They moved to Nelson two years later and on to Blenheim where Joseph started a fellmonger and wool dealer business.
In 1883 Evelyn married Samuel Alexander Connolly. He was 27 years old, born in Dublin, Ireland and had arrived as a saloon passenger on the ship Waipa in October 1878 at Dunedin. Samuel was the postmaster at Warkworth from 1879, and transferred to Waiwera in 1886, where seven children were born:
- Charles Beckwith (1885–1957) born Waiwera
- Marguerite Isabel (1887–1969)
- Samuel Grattan (1888–1970)
- Leslie James (1890–1971)
- Eileen Mary (1891–1954)
- Esmond Joseph (1895–1968)
- Arthur Mervyn (1896–1980)
In 1891his salary for being postmaster was 160 pounds per annum. And in 1893 he was promoted to Registrar of Marriages, Births and Deaths and Vaccination Inspector for the Mahurangi District. They moved to Picton, Marlborough in 1897 where Samuel Connolly was appointed Deputy-Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in. In 1907 Sam Connolly purchased a milk farm from Mr Lydon, on Alabama Road, Blenheim. In 1908 Samuel died in Blenheim. He was described as a retired telegraphist, and left everything to wife Evelyn. He was buried in Omaka Cemetery, Blenheim.
Evelyn stayed on the property in Alabama Road, with various adult children. Sometimes being described as a dairy farmer. Two of her sons were in the First World War, Esmond in the Tunnelling Corp and Arthur in the Army. She died in 1946 at 90y and is buried with her husband in Omaka Cemetery.
Evelyn Connolly is the sister-in-law of 379 M Connolly Gambell
Sources
NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com)
Archway probate
PAPERS PAST Otago Witness, Issue 506, 10 August 1861, Page 4
PAPERS PAST Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 229, 27 September 1919, Page 4
PAPERS PAST Evening Star, Issue 4887, 30 October 1878, Page 3
PAPERS PAST Marlborough Express, Volume XL, Issue 12, 15 January 1907, Page 2
The NZ Gazette (ancestry.com)