Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Elizabeth Cooper was born 1823 in Newport Shropshire, daughter of John Cooper and Elizabeth nee Withington. In 1841 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, she married Joseph Cooper born about 1823 in Bilston Staffordshire, a miner, son of Benjamin Cooper.
They had three children were born around Wednesbury, Staffordshire: Ann Maria (1846 -1920); Samuel (1850 – 1920) and Sarah Jane (1857 – 1906).
Elizabeth Cooper followed her husband Joseph to Auckland arriving in January 1866 on the Ballarat with their three children. It is uncertain when her husband, Joseph arrived but is believed to have been some months before Elizabeth. Joseph found work as a coal miner and on November 21, 1869, he died aged 47, of Kawakawa Coal Mines, Bay of Islands. William Cooper, Elizabeth’s brother, also settled on Great Barrier Island with his family. He purchased 1020 acres of land at Rarohara Bay and was killed in an accident felling trees in 1893.
Elizabeth married again to George Browse Gilberd. He was a Devonshire man who had been in New Zealand since 1850. He had been involved in gold mining in the US and Bendigo, Australia. His wife Ellen died in Parnell in 1871, and he engaged a housekeeper who was widowed with an adult family – Elizabeth, who he married in 1873. George died on 2 September 1875, aged 49 years, in Parnell, Auckland.
Elizabeth sold up and retired to Great Barrier Island to live near her son Samuel. In 1878, she married George Stark in her own house Rutland Road, Parnell. He was a 51 year old bachelor and she was 52 and widowed. George had arrived in Auckland in September 1859 to work at the copper mine at Miners Head. He took up a parcel of land in 1867, offered by the Great Barrier Land Harbour and Mining Company when it closed down, as compensation for wages. There he built a house on the land located at the foot of Whangapoua Hill.
Elizabeth remained on Great Barrier Island until she died in 1902 aged 78 years. She was buried in a family cemetery, Cooper’s Cemetery, Okiwi. ‘Deeply regretted by all who knew her.’ George Stark died 1912 aged 85 years. ‘At rest’ and is buried with Elizabeth at Okiwi. He died intestate and accounts were rendered 69 pounds in the bank to pay his debts.
Elizabeth is the mother of #380 A. M. Paddison Great Barrier
Sources
Aotea Great Barrier Island historic heritage survey
PAPERS PAST Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3830, 27 November 1869, Page 4
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11913, 14 March 1902, Page 4
Historical BDMs
Archway probate George Stark