Ann (Smith) Allport (1843 - 1929)

Born 14 Jan 1843 in Nelson, New Zealand

Wife of Henry Allport — married 1 Jan 1859 in Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 30 Dec 1929 at age 86 in Auckland, New Zealand

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Biography

Ann was born in 1843, four and a half months after her father and mother arrived in NZ aboard the "Sir Charles Forbes." Her father was killed later that year in the Wairau massacre. He was a special constable in the party, one of 28 men to die in the affray at Tua Marina stream. She was married to Henry Allport shortly before her 16th birthday ^[1]. After living at Collingwood, Stoke and Nelson, the family moved to Auckland and resided at 10 Edenvale Rd, Mount Eden for the rest of their days. Ann passed away in the last days of 1929, and a lengthy obituary titled "Close of a Long Life" was published in the NZ Herald on Dec 31st. (see below) ^[2]

CLOSE OF LONG LIFE. OLD NELSONIAN'S DEATH, TRAGIC EPISODE RECALLED. RAUPARAHA AND THE WAIRAU, One of the oldest surviving Europeans born in the South Island passed away yesterday in the person of Mrs. H. Allport, of Mount Eden, and formerly of the Nelson district, who was within a fortnight of completing her 87th year. Her death severs another link with the stirring incident's of the days of early colonisation in New Zealand. The fortunes of her early, childhood were closely interwoven with the fateful tragedy of the Wairau massacre, which cast a shadow over the early labours of the New Zealand Company, and dealt a severe blow to the young Nelson community that pioneered the work of settlement in the South Island. Mrs. Allport's parents, Mr. and Mrs., Isaac Smith, arrived at Nelson in August, 1842, six or seven months after the arrival of the first immigrant ships at that port. Their daughter—-the late Mrs. Allport—was born on January 14, 1843. In June of that year. Mr. Smith was a member of the unfortunate party which was organised by the Nelson police magistrate, Mr. H. A„ Thompson, to proceed to the Wairau with the object of arresting the Maori chiefs, Ta Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata, on a charge of arson arising out of the burning of a hut erected by members of the New Zealand Company's survey party...Mr. Isaac Smith, who was one of the special constables, was also one of those who survived the exchange of shots, but who fell a victim to the vengeance of Te Rangihaeata. There was no interference by the Maoris, so far as is recorded, with the bodies or personal property of the victims of the affray. Mr. Smith's watch was recovered from his body and returned to his widow. Subsequently it passed to the late Mrs. Allport, and it is now in the possession of her son, Mr. A. Allport, of Te Puke. ... Mrs."Smith afterwards married Mr. Benjamin Lusty, an early Nelson settler, and four generations of their descendants are now residing in various parts of New Zealand. Mr. John Smith, a son of Mr. Isaac Smith by an earlier marriage, died in 1902 at the age of 70. After her marriage to Mr. Henry Allport, son of Mr. Thomas Allport, an early Nelson pioneer, Mrs. Allport resided with her husband successively at Collingwood,Stoke and Richmond, all in the Nelsoa district. They removed to Auckland 33 years ago, and for the greater part of that time Mrs. Allport has resided at her late residence in Eden Vale Road, Mount Eden. Her husband died 10 years ago at the age of 86. She enjoyed' fair health until only a week prior to her death. Of a family of 12, there are seven survivors —four sons and-three daughters. There are 43 grandchildren and 36 great-grand-children, making a total of 86 surviving descendants. Mrs. Allport was for many years a member of the Mount Eden Baptist Church..

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Sources

1. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Marriage registration 1859/2183
2. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Death registration 1930/105

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Research Note

The biography states that Ann passed away in the last days of 1929 and there was likely a lapse between the death and official death certificate due to Christmas and New Years. I found her death registration by searching through the year of 1929.