Margaret (Bell) Matthews (1837 - 1898)

Born 8 Sep 1837 in Leatham, Fife, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Richard Matthews — married 18 Jul 1860 in Waimea West, Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 19 Oct 1898 at age 61 in New Zealand

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Biography

Margaret was born in 1837, in Scotland. ^[1] At 14 years of age she lived in the Monimail Parish area of Fifeshire. ^[2] She travelled to NZ on "Gipsy" in 1854 at the age of 16. She was listed as a Servant - Bound for Nelson. Her eldest sister Elizabeth Louden was also onboard with her husband (William Louden) and family. They were presumably coming to join her brother William Bell, who with his wife Mary (Dron) Bell and her parents John and Agnes Dron and children had immigrated 4 years earlier (1850) on "Lady Nugent". Immigration Application form No. 56 ^[3] for Margaret Bell and the Louden family is signed by William Bell Sawyer - Waimea West (her brother) presumably he had written about life in NZ and encouraged more of his family to come.

Margaret is referred to as a very striking-looking Scotswoman. She married Richard Matthews (second son of Charles and Eliza Matthews) on 18 July 1860 at Waimea West (near Nelson) ^[4] and shortly afterwards they moved to Spring Creek (near Blenheim). Richard and Margaret built a double storey wooden home on their property which was called "Sunnybourne" and they brought up eleven children. ^[5] Margaret was a perfectionist, a great cook and a firm disciplinarian, and she kept the house immaculate. She became ill and died in 1898. ^{[6] [7]}

Margaret is buried at Tuamarina Cemetery, Marlborough on Massacre Hill. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Margaret (Bell) Matthews, Family bible, held in Auckland, New Zealand by a family member, names DoB and Bapt. dates.
2. ↑ Scotlands People website, Census 1851, Margaret Bell (14 years), Monimail, Fife, (Ref 448/ 1/ 37)
3. ↑ Immigration, form of application for assisted passages to the settlement of Nelson, 15 April 1853, Form No. 56.
4. ↑ "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/), New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs; Marriage record; Reg No:-1860/1837
5. ↑ Mossman, Ian - "A Brief History of My Family". ISBN978-0-473-25609-8
6. ↑ Rapaura, a District History, by Nevil and Prue Matthews, ISBN 0 908661-47-4
7. ↑ <ref>"Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/), New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs; Death record; Reg No:-1898/5841, death record , Margaret Matthews</li> <li id="_note-7">[[#_ref-7|↑]] FindAGrave|181918173</li></ol></ref>

Research Notes

• Reference family tree and Bell family bible information
• Further background reading in "Rapaura A District History" - Neville & Prue Matthews
• Reference https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KCWZ-HZK/margaret-bell-1837-1898
• In a letter written by Richard Gresson Matthews (Margaret's son) to his Cousin Miss Lea in Christchurch (dated 15 Aug 1893) he states "My mother had a letter ..the other day from her nieces telling her her sister was dead. Mother is the only one living out of a family of .." We assume he is referring to a letter from Scotland about either Isabell or Jean. Her two other sisters in NZ (Elizabeth Louden and Ann Dron) had already died by this date and so had her brothers William and George in NZ and David who died young in Scotland).