Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Louisa Eleanor Grimmer was one of the children of John and Rebecca nee Jaques, who emigrated from Stepney, London, to Australia in the Fortitude in 1848 or 1849 with four children landing at Moreton Bay, Brisbane. She was born in 1852 in Armidale, New South Wales. They lived there for six years before coming to Wellington on the schooner Cheetah arriving 1 January 1855. John Grimmer bought 88 acres in Dome Valley in December 1855 to which they moved and bought more land and built a very large homestead.
In 1875, in Mahurangi, Louisa married John Horsely. He was the son of Robert Widdrington and Helen Horsley, born in 1848 in Newcastle, England. His family came to Auckland in 1855 on board the Josephine Willis and settled in the Dome Valley, Warkworth, neighbours of the Grimmers.
About 1877 John and Louisa had returned to live in O’Neill Street, Auckland, where John was connected with the Union Sash and Door Company for many years, as carpenter and joiner.
They had three sons:
- George Widdrington (1876–1960)
- Arthur John (1877–1950)
- Robert Harry (1880–1933)
For 25 years John was an active worker at St John's Wesleyan Church, Ponsonby, holding the offices of Sunday School superintendent, organist, choirmaster and trustee. In 1901 a meeting was held there, to farewell Mr and Mrs Horsley, who were presented on behalf of the church choir and Sunday school, with a beautiful tea and coffee service, suitably inscribed. They moved to Christchurch to join John’s brothers in business. He became manager of the pottery works and while in that city he was actively connected with the Sydenham Methodist Church, holding office as Sunday School superintendent and trustee.
In 1921 John retired from business and returned to Auckland, settling in the Mount Albert area. He took a very active part in musical and literary circles. He was also an artist of no mean order, and on several occasions his work was hung in the Society of Arts exhibitions. He was a vice-president of the Old Colonists' Association. In his later years he became an enthusiastic bowler, being connected with the Mount Albert and Auckland Clubs. For a few years before he died, the couple lived with their son Arthur. John died in 1929, aged 80, and was buried in the Māngere Lawn Cemetery.
Louisa lived on, alone in her Symonds Street house until she died on12 Feb 1936 aged 84, and was buried with John in Māngere Lawn Cemetery.
Louisa is the sister of #379 Selina BRADNAM and daughter-in-law of #378 Helen HORSLEY
Sources
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7992, 5 July 1887, Page 4
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11573, 11 February 1901, Page 6
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20170, 2 February 1929, Page 14
HistoricalBDM