Peter Danks (1852 - 1945)

Born 1852 in Dalry, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (McCall) Danks — married 20 Sep 1872 in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 18 Jan 1945 at about age 93 in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand

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Biography

Peter was born in Dalry, Argyllshire, Scotland in 1852 to Father unknown & Sarah Barr nee Danks. It is likely Sarah's husband John Barr died in 1850, before Peter was born in 1852 and is therefore not Peter's father.

In 1861 he was living in Main Street, Kilmaurs, Ayrshire with mother Sarah McAlpine, stepfather Alexander McAlpine, sister Mary Barr & step siblings Alexander & Thomas McAlpine.

In 1871 Peter was living at 5 Blackfaulds Road, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire with mother Sarah McAlpine, stepfather Alexander McAlpine and step-siblings. He was a coal miner. He was known as Peter Danks.

He emigrated to New Zealand in 1876 on the ship Waitangi with his wife and children John & Janet. They travelled on the same voyage as his mother and half siblings.

He died in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand in 1945. "The death has occurred of Mr Peter Danks, formerly of New Lynn, in his 93rd year. Mr Danks was born in Scotland and was connected with mining there. He came to New Zealand about 70 years ago in the ship Waitangi and landed at Lyttelton, For a number of years he lived in Canterbury, where his mother had taken up a farm and he later went to the West Coast, where he was engaged in coal mining. He also worked on the Thames goldfields for a time, but returned to coal mining on the West Coast, where he was a deputy mine manager at the Millerton mine for a number of years. When he was 65 years of age, he retired from mining and engaged in first-aid, instructing as a hobby on the West Coast and at Whangarei. Mr Danks went to live at New Lynn 12 years ago and more recently lived with a daughter at Hunua. His wife died 38 years ago, He is survived by three sons and three daughters." Newspaper - NZ Herald, 20 January 1945. Source - National Library of New Zealand.

Sources

• Peter Barr in the 1861 Scotland Census
• Peter Danks in the 1871 Scotland Census
• "New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FST2-7ZV : Sat Mar 09 01:09:41 UTC 2024), Entry for Peter Danks, 1876.
• New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007 for Peter Danks Auckland