John Anderson (1857 - 1936)

Born 5 Aug 1857 in Trohall, Unst, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Betty (Mouat) Anderson — married 2 Oct 1906 in New Zealand

Died 2 Dec 1936 at age 79 in Charleston, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Caleb Day [send private message], Deni Anderson [send private message], and Peter Anderson [send private message]

Biography

Native of Unst, Shetland, Scotland

John Anderson lived in Charleston, West Coast, New Zealand.

John was born in Unst, Shetland and apparently moved to New Zealand's West Coast with several of his siblings and their families on the Howrah in 1876. He may have also previously been to Australasia, if he is the same John Anderson mentioned in Magnus Mouat's obituary.^[1]

John married Elizabeth "Betty" Laurenson (née Mouat) in 1906 and adopted her daughter Williamina Laurenson.

John died in Charleston, New Zealand in 1936. He is buried in Nile Hill Cemetery, Charleston with his wife.^[2]

Statutory birth record:
JOHN ANDERSON (M) was born in1857. RD: Unst. Ref: 011/ 47^[3]

NZ BDM Online: Marriage Registration
Reg Number: 1906/6622
Bride Name: Elizabeth Laurenson
Groom Name: John Anderson
Exact date: 2 October 1906^[4]

St Andrew's Westport Parish Marriage Record
Parish Code 14/1
LAURENSON Elizabeth; 43; Anderson; 2-Oct 1906; 14/1/5^[5]
ANDERSON John; 49; Laurenson; 2-Oct 1906; 14/1/5^[6]

NZ BDM Online: Death Registration
Reg Number: 1936/24569
John Anderson
Age: 79Y
Exact date: 2 December 1936^[7]

Info from North Isles Family History website:
Name John ANDERSON
Born 5 Aug 1857 Trohall, Unst, SHI, SCT^[8]
Gender Male
Baptism 30 Sep 1857 Trohall, Unst, SHI, SCT^[9]
Census 1861 Resident at Kitchen, Unst.^[10]
Died 2 Dec 1936 Charleston, NZL
Buried Charleston Cemetery, Charleston, NZL
Person ID I27988 Shetland
Last Modified 14 Jul 2020
Family
Betty MOUAT, b. 31 Oct 1862, Norwick, Unst, SHI, SCT, d. 13 Oct 1951, Charleston, NZL (Age 88 years)
Married 1906 NZL
Children
1. Williamina LAURENSON, b. 1902, d. Jun 1984, Nelson, NZL (Age 82 years) [Adopted]
Last Modified 28 Dec 2016
Family ID F10075 Group Sheet | Family Chart^[11]

Anderson and Johnson families on the Howrah, London-Nelson, Jul-Nov 1876:^[12]

John Anderson migrated from Unst, Shetland, Scotland to Buller, West Coast, New Zealand.

Members of several interconnected Shetland families moved to New Zealand (especially Buller, West Coast) in the 1860s-70s. At least some had been living in Leith, Midlothian, Scotland before moving to NZ. On board this sailing of the Howrah were several children (and grandchildren) of William Anderson and Charlotte (Russell) Anderson, joining sister Margaret (Anderson) Harper who was already in New Zealand. Also on board were several children (and grandchildren) of Ann Duncan/Johnson and John Johnson, including Ann herself. The Johnson and Anderson siblings were connected by two different marriages, which had involved two Anns swapping surnames: John Johnson had married Ann (Anderson) Johnson, and Gilbert Anderson had married Ann (Johnson) Anderson.

Ann and her Johnson children are marked with asterisks (*) below. Anderson siblings are marked with obelisks (†) below.

† ANDERSON Gilbert, 30, Adult, male, Shetland, Wood Cutter
* Ann, 34, Adult, female
Ann J, 8, Child, female
Charlotte, 3, Child, female
Joan, 9m, Infant, female

* JOHNSON John, 37, Adult, male, Shetland, Wood Cutter
† Ann, 33, Adult, female
Duncan, 11, Child, male
Wm. G, 9, Child, male
Charlotte, 2, Child, female
DUNCAN Ann *, 70, Adult, female, Shetland

MOWAT Magnus, 31, Adult, male, Shetland, Wood Cutter
* Cecilia, 30, Adult, female
Wm., 4m, Infant, male

† ANDERSON John, 18, Adult, male, Shetland, Labourer

Possibly (but name and age are slightly different):
* JOHNSTONE Mary, 32, Adult, female, Shetland, Servant

Other Shetlanders, all Johnstones, stayed on the ship until Wellington.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ 'Mr. M. Mouat: An Adventurous Life', Evening Post, 19 October 1934, pg. 12. Retrieved 18 August 2020 from https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19341019.2.111.1?items_per_page=10&page=2&query=mouat+shetland&snippet=true
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 31 December 2023), memorial page for John Anderson (5 Aug 1857–2 Dec 1936), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #155526559, citing Nile Hill Cemetery, Charleston, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand; Maintained by Clancy (contributor 48290237).
3. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Statutory registers. Accessible at ScotlandsPeople
4. ↑ |"Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", (digital index), New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs . ; (accessed 6 Jan 2024), Marriage record; Reg No: 1906/6622 BRIDE: Elizabeth Laurenson, GROOM: John Anderson.
5. ↑ St Andrew's Westport Parish Marriages 1880 - 1930; Kay to Young
6. ↑ St Andrew's Westport Parish Marriages 1880 - 1930; Ackroyd to Jordan
7. ↑ | "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", digital index), New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs . ; (accessed 6 Jan 2024, Death record; Reg No: 1936/24569. Name: John Anderson
8. ↑ Birth Certificate, 57/47, registered by William Anderson, father.
9. ↑ Methodist Church Baptisms
10. ↑ Census return
11. ↑ This info, and its sources, are from North Isles Family History: https://www.bayanne.info/Shetland/getperson.php?personID=I27988
12. ↑ Passenger list: Immigrants arriving in Nelson on the Howrah, 9 Nov 1876. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~shipstonz/genealogy/PassLists/howrah1876.html
13. ↑ Passenger list: Immigrants arriving in Wellington on the Howrah, 18 Nov 1876. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~shipstonz/genealogy/PassLists/howrahwgton1876.html