Florence M. Becroft

Signed family name

Becroft

Signed given name

Florence M.

Given address

Port Albert

Sheet number

Town/Suburb

Port Albert

City/Region

Auckland region

Notes

Biographical information provided by Gillian Lee for the He Tohu exhibition:

Florence Mary Bradbury was born in Nottinghamshire, England in 1861. The following year on 8 September 1862 her parents took the family to New Zealand on the Matilda Wattenbach. Her future husband David Becroft was on the same voyage. Their parents were among a number of immigrants that established Albertland, a nonconformist religious settlement on the Kaipara Harbour at Port Albert. She married David in 1881 and had seven children: James, Cyril Maxwell, Edith Zoe, Florence Ivy Irlam, Herbert Frank, Muriel Genevieve and Verena Emmeline. Florence died on 8 March 1932 in Port Albert.

Additional biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert

Florence Mary Bradbury was born in 1861 in Nottinghamshire, England, the eldest child of William and Jane nee McCallum who arrived Sep 1863 on board Annie Wilson from London. The Bradburys were part of the non-conformist settlement of Albertland, north of Auckland, where William set up a general store.

Florence married in 1881 in her late father’s house in Port Albert. Her spouse was 25-year-old David Becroft. He was born in Middlesex, England, one of the eleven children of John Becroft and Mary Anne nee Jeffreys. In 1862 widowed John with nine of his children emigrated aboard the Matilda Wattenbach to Port Albert. As the Albertland pioneers settled into their new homes, they began planting flowers and fruit trees they were familiar with in England. At first, the fruit was only for home consumption, with anything left over used to feed pigs. The annual Port Albert Agricultural Show was where the very best of home-grown fruit competed for prizes.

Once communication with Auckland improved, and a weekly steamer became possible, some of the more enterprising settlers saw the possibility of a trade in apples, which flourished on the poor gumlands. Prime movers in the beginning of the Port Albert fruit industry was the Becroft family. John Becroft Snr was the first man in Albertland to own more than an acre of orchard. His sons, Peter, Lewis Philip and David Becroft, were also involved. Their orchards were larger and more commercial. Eventually, the Becrofts became some of the principal apple growers in New Zealand.

David and Florence had seven children born in Port Albert:

Muriel Genevive MacCallum (1882–1940)
Florence Ivy Irlam (1884–1966)
Herbert Frank (1885–1955)
James (1887–1887) 1 day
Verena Emmeline (1891–1973)
Edith Zoe (1896–1918)
Cyril Maxwell (1898–1961)

The family were keenly interested in the musical life of Port Albert and in local activity in the cause of temperance. For example, at the anniversary celebrations of the arrival of the Matilda Wattenbach in 1884, Mrs David Becroft presided at the harmonium and her husband sung a solo.

During the First World War, their oldest son enlisted in 1914 and served overseas for the duration of the war. During the influenza epidemic in 1918, daughter Edith died aged 22, leaving a husband and young child.

In March 1932 Florence died aged 70. The newspaper reported, 'The late Mrs Becroft was universally known and respected throughout the district and was a true friend to those in adversity or sickness. She was also one of the founders of the Port Albert library and spent a lot of her time in furthering the interests of this institution.' She was buried in the Port Albert Cemetery. Her probate left the whole of estate whatsoever, worth 400 pounds to son Herbert, or if predeceased then Herbert’s wife, disregarding her other children.

David lived on another ten years, dying in 1942, aged 86 and being buried with his wife in Port Albert Cemetery. The newspaper recorded, 'Unassuming in manner and disposition Mr Becroft, by industry and integrity as a settler, won a place of general esteem in the community.' His probate left an estate worth 330 pounds, with household and personal effects to daughters Florence and Verena, live and dead stock to son Cyril and land at Port Albert other than the homestead property to be offered for purchase to Cyril, or if he didn’t want it, to son Herbert. 150 pounds was left to daughters, and children of deceased daughters.

Florence M is the sister-in-law of 24 Emily BECROFT, 24 E S BECROFT, 24 Mrs L P BECROFT