John Brooker (1834 - 1906)

Born Oct 1834 in Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, England

Ancestors

Husband of Jane Burren — married 8 Feb 1857 in Maidstone, Kent, England

Descendants

Died 19 Sep 1906 at age 71 in Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand

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Biography

John Brooker was born in Boughton Monchelsea, Kent in October 1834, son of John and Mary Brooker. He was baptised soon after at Ss Peter & Augustine Church on 2 November of that year. ^{[1] [2]}

Early days

By 1841 the family had moved to Maidstone, Kent. The 1841 census shows John and Mary Brooker with four children living in Willington Street next door to Charles and Amy Burren, the family of Jane Burren. ^[3]
Such was the nature of agricultural work at the time the family had again moved by 1851 to Nettlestead, Kent ^[4] Although John was only 16 he was already working on the land as was his 14 year old brother George. The Brooker family numbered nine by this time; John, George, Ann, Elizabeth, Rebecca, William and Robert were at home but the eldest, Mary, had left to work elsewhere. The Burrens were still residing in Willington Street, Maidstone.

Family Life

John Brooker and Jane Burren were married on 8 February 1857 at All Saints Church, Maidstone, Kent. ^[5] The Burren family were long time friends of the Brookers and were neighbours in the 1840's.^[3] Jane's sister, Harriet and her husband James Wiles also emigrated to New Zealand with them. Jane's mother, Amy, and sister Alice went to New Zealand after her father, Charles, died (1880). In June of 1857 Jane gave birth to a son. They named him John George^[6] . By 1871 John and Jane were living in Maidstone, at 9 Water Lane.^[7] Their only child, John George was 13 and was like his father, working as an agricultural labourer.

The ‘Revolt of the Field'

That times were hard for agricultural workers in England in the 1870's is demonstrated very well by the so called 'Revolt of the Field'^[8] In the spring and summer of 1872 widespread rural poverty, agricultural depression and unrest across the country led to the foundation of the Agricultural Labourers’ Union. The Union organised a campaign for an increase in a labourer’s weekly wage from around 12s or 14s to 16s per week, which even then would have been barely enough for a family to live on. The Union campaign met with farmers’ unmovable resistance to their demands and refusal to employ those who were members. Union members were faced with threats that landowners would evict them from their cottages. The collapse of the campaign for better wages and conditions led many agricultural labourers to seek a better life either by leaving the land or by leaving their villages for opportunities elsewhere, either in the UK or overseas. From the outset the Union actively sought opportunities for emigration overseas, partly on the grounds that this would reduce the labour supply and drive up wages. From 1872 many agricultural labourers and their families emigrated to Brazil (unsuccessfully), Canada, Australia and, in particular, New Zealand. Between August and November 1873 Joseph Arch went to Canada at the Canadian government’s invitation to assess and report on its suitability for emigration from Britain. His favourable report led to a wave of emigration: over the next few years more than 40,000 went to Canada and Australia with the Union’s support. At the same time New Zealand was faced with a growing labour shortage. By the early summer of the agricultural revolt it was advertising assisted places to would-be emigrants.

Emigration to New Zealand

Emigration: The government of New Zealand grant assisted passages to agricultural labourers, navvies, ploughmen, and a few country mechanics.
In spite of the assisted passage scheme the labour shortage became increasingly desperate and after Julius Vogel became prime minister in April 1873 the New Zealand government introduced a free passage scheme to begin in October. The hope was to get 20,000 emigrants in the following six months. Under the scheme, emigrants would assemble at depots (i.e. warehouses) in UK ports before embarking in order to ensure that ships sailed with full complements. The first steamers were to sail in December in order to get labour for the coming harvest. The government was to cooperate with the Agricultural Labourers’ Union, and Joseph Arch or his representative were to be invited to New Zealand at the colony’s expense.
One emigrant wrote back in 1875 to say: I am getting 8s a day for eight hours work, and my son, 15 years of age is getting one guinea a week. I have bought a plot of land, and expect to have a house built upon it very shortly. His wage was about three times the amount that the Union had been demanding in 1872.^[9]
The journey was not without it's risks though. In November 1874 New Zealand experienced it's worst ever civil disaster when the Cospatrick caught fire in the South Atlantic. All but three of the more than 450 people on board drowned.^[10]

John Brooker migrated from England to New Zealand.

Emigration

Faced with worsening conditions for farm labourers the offer of free passage to New Zealand was too good to turn down. New Zealand offered opportunity for anybody willing to work hard and hard work was no stranger to John and his ilk but for little return. Along with his wife Jane (Burren), son, John George, Jane's brother Frederic and sister Harriet and her husband James Wiles he boarded the James Nicol Fleming bound for Dunedin, New Zealand Departing on 20 February 1874. They arrived in good time in Dunedin on 24 May 1874 after an uneventful voyage.

James Nicol Fleming at Port Chalmers 1873

Built in 1869, the James Nicol Fleming was a composite clipper of close on 1000 tons and was a sister ship to the Otago, built on exactly the same lines she was an exceedingly fast ship and only twice in her career took more than the average 90 days for the passage from Glasgow to Otago In 1879, owing to financial problems at the City of Glasgow Bank (which also involved one of the directors after who she was named), her name was changed to Napier. - White Wings - Sir Henry Brett ^[11]

The Brookers and Burrens travelled to Otago, New Zealand on an ambitious assisted passage program by Colonial Treasurer Julius Vogel. In 1874 there was a net addition of over 38,000 immigrants. Travel was free, the usual fare being waived.^[12] There were 367 people on this sailing, most of them from England.^{[13] [14]}
The value of the offer of free travel is not to be underestimated, the quoted 'cost to government' for young John George's fare is listed on the passenger manifesto as being £14 10s. For a 16 year old lad that is about 14 weeks work in New Zealand and an unthinkable years pay in the conditions they left behind.^[9]

ARRIVAL OF THE JAMES NICOL FLEMING. Our old acquaintance, the ship James Nicol Fleming , put in a welcome appearance yesterday fore-noon, after a passage of 85 days from the East India Docks. She was sighted off the Ocean Beach on Saturday afternoon, and had the breeze favoured her, would have shown up last night. As it happened however she lay becalmed, or next to it during the night and fortunately, falling in with the steamer Wanganui off Cape Saunders obtained a friendly pluck along from this vessel and so reached the heads before noon yesterday, and was there delivered over to the tug Geelong, which had gone out to meet her and soon towed her to the anchorage off Port Chalmers. This proceeding was of course consequent upon the gratifying condition of the large number of free and nominated emigrants it brings out. Not one case of serious sickness occurred during the passage which happy exception from the most dreaded of the contingencies that beset the path of emigrants is in a great measure to be attributed to the care exercised in keeping the ship clean, and in preserving good order amongst her passengers. The Fleming was towed right through the shipping and anchored off the end of the Railway Pier and is to be berthed at the Pier the first thing this morning, preparatory to landing the immigrants. - OTAGO DAILY TIMES, Issue 3828, 25 May 1874 ^[13]

Life in New Zealand

1875-90 Fairlie-Albany
John gravitated to Oamaru in North Otago where he brought a property at Hilderthorpe, Waitaki Bridge^[15] that was to be his home for the next 25 years.
Life in New Zealand was not going so well for John's sister-in-law, Harriet though. He and wife Jane were called to give evidence on behalf of Harriet in what must have been a traumatic court appearance. The newspaper report tells the story well enough:

Residant Magistrate's Court. Monday, 10th April. (Before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M.)
ORDER OF PROTECTION. Harriet Wiles applied for an order of protection for separate earnings, her husband, James Wiles, having failed to maintain her. The husband did not appear. Mr Hislop appeared for the complainant. Constable Carroll stated that the police had endeavored to find defendant, but without success. A summons had not been issued for his attendance. The complainant (Harriet Wiles) deposed : I was married to James Wiles in March, 1864. We came to New Zealand in May, 1874. Since we came to New Zealand my husband has not behaved well to me, having threatened my life and beaten me. He has been an habitual drunkard from the time we were first married ; generally spent all he earned in drink, and often pawned my clothes. I have had to maintain myself. I left my husband on the 26th December, 1874, through his having threatened my life. He followed me to my sister's house, and there threatened to shoot me. On the 17th March, 1875, I entered the employ of Mr Henderson, Cave Valley. My husband came to me there on the 4th April last, and demanded £20, or else he would make me go with him. He had a large stick in his hand, and threatened to strike me. Mr Henderson came and took the stick away from him. John Brooker, a laborer, residing at Waitaki, deposed: I have known complainant for about 10 or 11 years. Defendant has been a confirmed drunkard during the whole of that time. I have seen him beating his wife with a halter, and I know he has generally treated her very badly. On one occasion she left him and stayed at my house. (This was in January, 1875.) He came there and threatened to shoot her. Jane Brooker, wife of the last witness, deposed : I am sister to the complainant, and have known defendant ever since he married my sister. He has been an idle drunkard during the whole of their married life. Thomas Henderson deposed ; I am a farmer residing at Cave Valley. The complainant has been in my service for some time. She is an industrious, hardworking woman. On the 4th April, defendant came to my house. He had a large stick in his hand, and was going to strike his wife, when I prevented him. He asked me to give him £20 of his wife's earnings. I refused to do so. Defendant was drunk at the time. He then told me that if he did not get the £20 he would either break my head or his wife's. This was all the evidence. The Magistrate made an order of protection.^[16]

It is not known what became of James Wiles, he had clearly scarpered. Harriet re-married in 1884 to Bentley Ambler who John Brooker was to farm with in Cricklewood. John farmed in South Canterbury around Fairlies Creek - Cricklewood, Albury.^[17] In 1883 his wife's mother, Amy Burren died at his Hilderthore home. ^[18] For a period of 3-4 years from around 1885-6 he farmed in partnership with his wife's sister Harriet's husband, Bentley Ambler ^[19](her second marriage) at Cricklewood Station near Albany.
Note: Fairlies Creek is an historic name for the current Fairlie town.^[20] At this time his son, John George, was working for the Railway in Oamaru, North Otago.

Waikakahi Farm
John took part in a Crown ballot for land at Waikakahi, South Canterbury, and was successful in obtaining title to Section 1, Block XIII, Waitaki District on 29 March 1899. The land had only recently been surveyed in January 1899 (S.O. 1455) for the purposes of the ballot and comprised 50 acres of arable land.^[21] He built a house on the land, and farmed there until his death in 1906.
The ballot was part of the Liberal Governments proposal to break up large estates driven by a growing population and demand for land. The Land Act 1892 placed restrictions on the acquisition of Crown land by those already holding sufficient land, and limited the area which any settler could obtain from the Crown. Small grazing run rents were fixed by valuation instead of auction. ^[22] John's wife Jane died in 1904 ^[23] at their son's home in Hull Street. It is not known for sure but it is likely that he lived there after that.

Death & Legacy

Death
John died on 19 September 1906 at the age of 75 in Oamaru ^{[24] [25]} at his son John George Brooker's residence in Hull Street on the South Hill.
He was buried in Oamaru's Old Cemetery on 21 September as the funeral notice in the Oamaru Mail records: Brooker. - On the 19th inst., at his son's residence, Hull St, John Brooker, native of Maidstone, Kent, and late of Waikakahi; aged 75 years. The funeral will leave his son's residence for the Oamaru Cemetery, at 2 p.m. on Friday, the 21st inst. Friends are invited to kindly attend. ^[26][24]

Probate
2 October 1906
Will dated 7 Sept 1905. John Brooker of Waikakahi, Canterbury, NZ left all his property to his son John George Brooker, Engine Driver of Oamaru, Otago. ^[27]

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: Family Search FamilySearch Record: NNR4-28V
2. ↑ KHLC Baptism: Kent History & Library Centre, Kent Baptisms, Reference: P39/1/B/1 page 85. Boughton Monchelsea, Ss Peter & Augustine, 2 Nov 1834: John Brooker, son of John & Mary Brooker of Boughton, Labourer. Find My Past (Subscription required) (Has Image)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} 1841 Census: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK: Public Record Office, 1841. Class: HO107; Piece: 490; Book: 1; Civil Parish: Maidstone; County: Kent; Enumeration District: 2; Folio: 26; Page: 6; Line: 2; GSU roll: 306882 Ancestry Record 8978 #4637762 (Subscription required) Free Ancestry Image John Brooker, age 6. Abode: Willington St, Maidstone.
4. ↑ 1851 Census: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK: Public Record Office, 1851. Class: HO107; Piece: 1616; Folio: 122; Page: 24; GSU roll: 193517 Ancestry Record 8860 #1544033 (Subscription required) Free Ancestry Image John Brooker, age 16, born Boughton Monchelsea, Kent. Son of John & Mary Brooker. Ag Lab. Abode: Sr Court Lodge, Nettlestead.
5. ↑ Marriage: Maidstone All Saints marriages 1837-1903, Parish Marriages. John Brooker, aged 22, labourer of Maidstone, born 1835, married Jane Burren, aged 20, spinster on 15 Feb 1857 by Banns at Maidstone, All Saints. Grooms Father: John, labourer. Brides Father: Charles, labourer. Find My Past (Subscription required)
6. ↑ John George: England & Wales Births 1837-2006, John George Brooker 1857, Mothers maiden name, Burren. Find My Past
7. ↑ 1871 Census: ‘’Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK: Public Record Office , 1871. Class: RG10; Piece: 943; Folio: 92; Page: 23; GSU roll: 838713 Ancestry Record 7619 #13787213 (Subscription required) Free Ancestry Image John Brooker, age 36, born: Boughton Monchelsea, Kent. Head: Wife: Jane Brooker. Ag Lab. Abode: 9 Water lane, Maidstone, Kent
8. ↑ Revolt: Kent Revolt
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Revolt of the Field:Tackley, the ‘Revolt of the Field, Emigration to New Zealand and Another Maritime Tragedy, 1872–74 [1]
10. ↑ Cospatrick Fire:Te Ara
11. ↑ James Nicol Fleming: Rootsweb Passenger Lists, Sailed London 20th Feburary 1874 - arrived Dunedin 24th May 1874. Rootsweb Families: John Brooker age 38, Jane Brooker age 36 both from Kent. Single Men: John Brooker age 16, labourer, Kent.
12. ↑ Jock Phillips, History of immigration - The great migration: 1871 to 1885, Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand (accessed 6 Sep 2022)
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Dunedin Arrival: Papers Past Newspapers, National Library, New Zealand, Otago Daily Times, Issue 3828, 25 May 1874, Page 2.
14. ↑ Passenger Lists: New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973, FamilySearch Record: FSBG-SMD Publish date: 9 March 2021, John Brooker, 24 May 1874; citing ship James Nicol Fleming, Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm 004412025.
15. ↑ 1880 Roll: John Brooker; Waitaki Bridge Ancestry Record 1836 #4796427 (Subscription required) Free Ancestry Image
16. ↑ 1876 Hearing: North Otago Times 11 Apr 1876 Papers Past
17. ↑ 1890 Electoral Roll: New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1853–1981. Auckland, New Zealand: BAB microfilming. Microfiche publication, 4032 fiche, Brooker, John: Nature: residential, Residence: Fairlie Creek, Occupation: Farmer. Ancestry Record 1836 #1448797 (Subscription required) Free Ancestry Image
18. ↑ Amy Death: BURREN.—On the 11th inst., at the residence of her son-in-law. Amy Burren, aged 66 years. Oamaru Mail, 12 Oct 1883
19. ↑ Brooker-Ambler': New Zealand City & Area Directories 1885-86, Brooker & Ambler (John & Bentley), farmers. Ancestry Record 1845 #10145116 (Subscription required) Free Ancestry Image
20. ↑ Place Name: Fairlie [2]
21. ↑ Ballot: Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand, Sth Canty Times
22. ↑ Land Settlement: Liberal Land Policy for Closer Settlement, 1891–1911, from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Te Ara 1966 (accessed 11 Sep 2022)
23. ↑ Janes Death: New Zealand, Births, Deaths & Marriages Online. Ref: 1904/6059 Brooker, Jane, Age: 68Y. Search date: 29 Jul 1904 NZ BDM
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1} Grave: Australia and New Zealand, Find a Grave Index. Find A Grave: Memorial #216472282
25. ↑ Funeral: Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand. Brooker. - On the 19th inst., at his son's residence, Hull St, John Brooker, native of Maidstone, Kent, and late of Waikakahi; aged 75 years. Oamaru Mail
26. ↑ Burial: Search Brooker, John. Buried 21 Sept 1906, Oamaru Old - Anglican Blk 30, Plot 10-11
27. ↑ 'Probate: New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998, FamilySearch Record: QK9V-PRVP Publish date: 9 March 2021, John Brooker, 1906; citing , Oamaru Probate and Letters of Administration Files, 1873-1909, record number 647, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office; FamilySearch digital folder 101307324.

See Also

• Baptism: Kent Archives Office; Maidstone, Kent, England; Kent, Parish Registers, 1538-1911. John Brooker Christening 2 Nov 1834, Boughton-Monchelsea, Kent, England. Father John Brooker, Mother: Mary Brooker. Ancestry Record 61746 #158466 (Subscription required)

• James Nicol Fleming: National Library of New Zealand National Library Record

• Passenger Lists: New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973, FamilySearch Record: FSBG-SMD Publish date: 9 March 2021, John Brooker, 24 May 1874; citing ship , Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm 004412025. (Son John George)

Research Notes

• Has not been found in the 1861 Census of England even though they have to be there.
• The cemetery record has not been found but a search of the Waitaki Council database shows he was buried in the same plot as Amy Burren.