John Maitland Gillespie (1855-1946) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

John Maitland Gillespie

Born 16 Dec 1855 in Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand

Ancestors

Son of William Gillespie and Harriet Anne (Fraser) Gillespie

Brother of Annie Jane (Gillespie) Thomson, Unnamed Gillespie, Mary Elizabeth (Gillespie) Adams and Janet (Gillespie) Jenkins

Husband of Henrietta (Henshaw) Gillespie — married 1 May 1907 in Wellington, New Zealand

Descendants

Father of John William Roland Gillespie, Lewis Frederick Gillespie and Fred Gillespie

Died 20 Aug 1946 at age 90 in Wellington, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rod Gillespie

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Profile last modified 11 Feb 2023 | Created 21 Sep 2013

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1 Biography
2 Sources
- 2.1 Footnotes
- 2.2 Acknowledgments

Biography

John was the youngest son of Harriet Fraser and William Gillespie of Blenheim.

In the early 1900's he worked as a Picture Show Proprietor in Hamilton and later moved to Wellington where he was employed as a Journalist. He also made application during the 1920's for a Land Agent's licence.

In 1907 he married to Henrietta Henshaw and the following year saw the birth of their first child, Jack William Roland, followed in 1911 by the arrival of Lewis Frederick.

In 1916, John enlisted WWI, serial no 16298, rank Captain. He embarked with the 5th Samoan Relief Force from Auckland on two occasions - August 21 1916 and May 4 1918. His unit sailed for Samoa on the ship 'Talune' destination Apia.

John returned to Wellington where he remained until his death in 1946 age 79.

He is buried in the Soldiers Section, Karori cemetery.

Sources

"New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-RY32 : 27 November 2017), Harriet Anna Gillespie in entry for John Maitland Gillespie, 1867; citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1867/21061, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
"New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG6K-942B : 4 January 2018), James Maitland Gillespie, 1946; citing Death, New Zealand, registration number 1946/26228, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.

https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz 1907/3083 Henrietta Henshaw John Maitland Gillespie

https://wellington.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/cemeteries/cemeteries-search/results?serviceType=All&firstNames=james+maitland&lastName=gillespie&fromDate=01%2f01%2f1840&toDate=08%2f05%2f2019&cemetery=All

http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C76341?n=john%20maitland%20gillespie&ordinal=0&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch Military Index

https://ancestry.com.au NZ electoral rolls

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz Press - 16/4/1926 Pg 12 out of copyright

Footnotes

1. John is recorded as having a previous marriage to J M Gillespie on army record - this may have been a registry office marriage

2. John is also recorded as James on his cemetery record

Acknowledgments

"New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1896," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-RYSY : accessed 30 September 2017), John Maitland Gillespie, 1867; citing Birth, New Zealand, New Zealand, Wellington; registration number 1867/21061.

BIRTH AND DEATH CERTIFICATES

Memories: 1

Enter a personal reminiscence or story.

Rod Gillespie

OBITUARY

CAPTAIN J.M.GILLESPIE “The death occurred in Wellington yesterday after a long illness of Captain J.M. Gillespie, a veteran of the South African War and sometime Resident Commissioner of the island of Savaii; in the Samoan Group. Born in Blenheim, Captain Gillespie travelled widely. He was in South Africa when war broke out there and served throughout the campaign with the Kimberley Light Horse. He was one of many who were reduced to eating horse flesh during the siege of Kimberley. Captain Gillespie returned to New Zealand later and was associated with the “New Zealand Times,” Leaving there to enter camp at Featherston to take command of the 16th. Mounted Rifles in the 1914 – 18 war. Almost on the eve of departure however, there was a change of plans , and instead of proceeding overseas with his men he was sent to Samoa where he was first Commissioner of Police and then Resident Commissioner at Savaii. A cousin of Rudyard Kipling, noted British author, and of General Sir Ian Hamilton, Captain Gillespie himself had a facile pen, and at one time was a frequent contributor of short stories to various journals. For several years he had been a patient in the Red Cross Hospital , Hobson Street. He is survived by his wife, two sons, Mr. John Gillespie , of Melbourne, and Mr. Fred Gillespie of Brisbane . and a sister Mrs. F.W. Adams of Blenheim.”

New Zealand Times 21st. August, 1946

posted 25 Sep 2018 by Rod Gillespie [thank Rod]

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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with John by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with John: