Emma T. Cox

Signed family name

Cox

Signed given name

Emma T.

Given address

Opunaki

Sheet number

520

Town/Suburb

Opunake

City/Region

Taranaki

Notes

Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert

Emma Thompson Thoms was the eldest child of Charles Thoms and Elizabeth Thompson. They were from Northumberland, England and married in 1855 just before they immigrated to Wellington, New Zealand with Charles’ parents and siblings. Charles and Elizabeth moved to Porewa in the Rangitikei district where Emma was born in 1857.

With the consent of her father, Charles Thoms, and in his house, Emma married Samuel Thomas Cox in 1876 in Porewa. Samuel was a 28-year-old farmer living in the same area. He was born in Bristol, England to John Cox and Jane nee Lucas. John died 1852 in Wales, and Jane immigrated to Nelson in 1855, aboard the ship Maori with three children, including Samuel and her nephew.

Emma and Samuel had 12 children in Ōpunakē, Taranaki, being one of the first settlers to take up land under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act.

John Charles (1877–1952)
William Thompson (1879–1952)
Edwin Thomas (1881–1967)
Annie Elizabeth Jane (1883–1958)
Elizabeth Ellen (1885–1913)
Thomas Samuel (1887–1966)
Emily Grace (1889–1915)
Alice Emma (1891–1974)
Olive Ann (1893–1980)
Ernest Frank (1895–1971)
Amy Kate (1896–1980)
Albert Wesley (1899–1969)

Daughter Elizabeth died aged 28 in December 1913 of a deceased heart. And the next year daughter Emily died aged 26. In February 1917 two of Emma and Samuel’s sons were called up for War service and both Ernest and Thomas asked for an exemption on the grounds of undue hardship. They described the family farm as leased by them from their father as he had been ill for 20 years and was unable to do much. They milked 100 cows by machines, and on the property were 100 sheep, 100 fattening cattle, and 100 calves and a 10-acre orchard. There were two sisters living at home, one worked in the house, und the other was not sufficiently well to do much. The Board’s decision was that one brother would go to the military camp in April and one would stay on the farm. The brothers tossed a coin to decide. Thomas served in Europe in the Army and lost his left arm and was invalided home.

Emma died in August 1922 aged 65 years at her home Kaweora Road, Ōpunakē, Taranaki and was buried in the Ōpunakē Cemetery. No will was found for her, but her estate was valued at 2100 pounds.

Samuel remained at his residence, Kaweora Road, and died suddenly in March 1927 just before his eightieth birthday. He was described as 'a man of keen intellect and resourceful enterprise, he made a success of farming, undergoing all the hardships of the early settlement. His honesty and high personal were universally recognised..' He was buried with his wife and children in the Ōpunakē Cemetery. His probate, worth 5560 pounds, left varying amounts to different children, from 1200 pounds to 100 pounds, and 150 pounds to the Methodist Orphanage in Christchurch and 150 pounds to the Methodist Foreign Mission in NZ.

Emma is the daughter of 521 E THOMS Marton and sister of 521 E STRETTON Marton