Birth Registration: 1858. Registration Reference 1858/3566.
Death Registration: 1937. Age at Time of Death 78 Years. Registration Reference 1937/20734.
Alexander Thorburn was the son of William Lang Thorburn and Mary Robertson (Spiers) Thorburn. He was born in 1858.
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1880-1881 Waikato Thames, two entries for Miners in Tararu; they are Thorburn, William and Thorburn, Alexander Spiers.
He married Anne Margaret Ralph in 1883. An auspicious marriage, if you look at her father's actions, on ohinemuri.org.nz
He was named in paternity case of two of Agnes Smith/Friend/Paget Jones children. One child died in 1884. See image.
"After Anne and Alexander were married at the Ralph home in February, 1883, they left to live at Tararu and returned to Waitekauri in 1891 with their five of their children. The sixth, Gordon, was born at Waitekauri and was named after close family friends, the Gordon's who had the stage coach and boarding house.
Alexander worked as an amalgamator in the Thames battery and, on his return to Waitekauri, worked for three years under Mr E. M. Corbett at the Waitekauri Battery. In 1891 he was appointed mine manager of the British Empire Gold Mine. In 1895 the employees of the Owharoa Gold Mining Company presented him with a clock, which one of his descendants of his oldest son Ralph retains today.
The older children attended the Waitekauri Public School, their father was on the school committee, a member of the Masonic fraternity and Manchester Unity Lodge. He was keen on athletics.
Their oldest son, Ralph, left in 1898 with his grandparents, William and Fanny to live in Fir Mount, East Tamaki. (Should read Fremount). About 1902 Alex and Anne and the other five children left Waitekauri for good to live in Otahuhu, Auckland."[1]
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1890 Waikato Thames has William Lang T, Alexander Spiers T., Andrew, and James all on Tararu Road, Thames. Miners.
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1896 Waikato Ohinemuri Thorburn, Alexander Spiers, Waitekauri, Mine Manager, with his wife.
WAITEKAURI MINING OFFICIALS in 1900 A.S. Thorburn Former Manager of the "British Empire Gold Mine" [2]
City & Area Directories, 1902 Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directory has Thorburn, Alex. S, miner, at Waitekauri (37m S of Thames).
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1900 Waikato Ohinemuri, Thorburn, Alexander Spiers, Waitekauri, Mine Manager, with his wife.
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1905-1906 Auckland Manukau Alex is in Papatoitoi, farmer with his wife
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1911 Auckland Eden Thorburn, Alexander Spiers Colyn St, Mt Eden, Dairyman living with wife, daughter Frances, and son Henry.
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1914 Auckland Eden has Thorburn, Alexander Spiers, William St, Mt Eden, Dairyman - also living with sons Henry Alexander, John Ralph and Tom Clifford. All men are Dairymen.
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1919 Auckland Manukau has Thorburn, Alexander Spiers, Great South Road, Ellerslie, Gardener AND same year, we have Thorburn, Alexander Spiers, care of Nicholls, New Edendale Road, Ellerslie, Nurseryman.
New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1928 Auckland Auckland West Thorburn, Alexander Spiers, 70 Sarsfield St, gardener AND Thorburn, Alexander Spiers, Selwyn Rd, gardener in Mt Roskill.
Another précis from The Cyclopedia Of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District] Waitekauri[3] relates the following:- MR. ALEXANDER SPIERS THORBURN, formerly Manager of the British Empire Gold Mine, Waitekauri (now closed down), was born at Auckland in 1858, and is a son of Mr. William Lang Thorburn, one of Auckland's earliest settlers, who came to the Colony in the ship “Grand Duchess” in 1842. After the goldfields were opened at the Thames, Mr. W. L. Thorburn engaged in mining pursuits, and was for a time manager of a mine at Tararu Creek. The subject of this notice gained his mining experience with his father, and was afterwards engaged in various mines, a period of three years being spent at the Waitekauri Battery, under the late Mr. E. M. Corbett. In 1893 he received the appointment of mine manager of the British Empire Mine. A member of the Masonic fraternity and of the order of Oddfellows, Mr. Thorburn takes also a great interest in athletics. He is married and resides at Waitekauri, where he is a member of the School Committee.
Alexander passed away in 1937, and is buried in Waikaraka Cemetery, Onehunga, Auckland.
http://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
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T > Thorburn > Alexander Spiers Thorburn
Categories: Thames Coromandel Gold Field, New Zealand