Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Sarah Qualtrough was born 1853 in the Isle of Man, England, daughter of James and Catherine (Kitty). They boarded the ship Mermaid and emigrated to New Zealand, landing on 19 October 1859, with nine children. When her family sailed for New Zealand, Sarah stayed with her aunt and uncle Esther and Thomas Bell and likely came out to NZ with the Bell family.
In 1876, Sarah married John Haddock in Pakuranga, Auckland. John was a 35-year-old Irishman, who had been in the Royal Irish Constabulary. After he left, he went to Victoria, Australia in June 1867 aboard the Ulcoats as an unassisted passenger. And later that year he came on to New Zealand on the Alhambra. John joined the Armed Constabulary in NZ from 1870–77. He was then in the police force where he moved to different stations and had ten children.
Born in Hamilton:
- Edwin Qualtrough (1876–1950)
- Evaline Sarah (1878–1945)
- Winnie Bella (1879–1958)
Born in Ngaruawahia:
- Emily Belfield (1880–1957)
Born in Auckland:
- John Mosstown (1882–1953)
Born in Dargaville:
- William (1884–1915)
- Herbert (1885–1976)
Born in Warkworth:
- Ada Lilian (1887–1891)
- Mervyn Pat (1889–1892)
- Bertie Mervyn (1891–1963)
Ada died aged 4 and Mervyn died the next year, aged 3.
In June 1895, Constable John Haddock was dismissed after 35 years service in the constabulary in Ireland and NZ. Eventually, it was decided that he was unjustifiably dismissed. But by then the family had moved away from Warkworth. John decided to break in land in the Waikato. William and Herbert went off with John to farm at Karamu in the Waipa County. The life was considered too rigorous for the womenfolk, so the girls lived in a comfortable cottage in Pratt Street, Ponsonby, Auckland. Edwin and Moss also stayed with their mother.
After some years farming, John became ill and returned to the family. John died in 1903 at Pratt Street, Ponsonby and was buried at the Purewa Cemetery. His probate left everything to wife Sarah.
Two of Sarah’s sons served in World War I, William was a trooper with the Auckland Mounted Rifles and died in 1915 at Gallipoli. Brother Moss enlisted in 1917 and came home two years later.
Evie and Bell remained single and lived at the Pratt Street home with their mother and their Aunt Emily who joined them some time after her sister Annie's death. Sometime before her death in 1921, Sarah went to live with Emily in Te Awamutu. She is interred in the Purewa Cemetery in Auckland alongside her husband. Her estate was worth 4,500 pounds.
Sources
NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com)
PAPERS PAST Waipa Post, Volume XX, Issue 1128, 13 August 1921, Page 4
PAPERS PAST Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 140, 15 June 1898, Page 2