Alfred Alexander Roberts Lawry (1873 - 1948)

Born 23 May 1873 in New Zealand

Ancestors

Husband of Alice Bartlett (Sutton) Lawry — married 1903 in New Zealand

Descendants

Died 2 Jan 1948 at age 74 in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Biography

The following is a copy of a narrative written by Walter Lawry, Alfred's son ...

The youngest son of Walter Lawry was Samuel – (1773 - 1843). He married Elizabeth (1773 – 1859). Their youngest son Walter (1817-1905) married in 1841 to Gertrude Robins (1816 – 1893) and there is record of their fiftieth wedding anniversary held in Springston in North Canterbury. They had a large family, and all except Elizabeth, came to N.Z., but Joseph did not survive the journey and was buried at sea. Of the family, we have to look back at Jane (Dad’s Grandmother) as the one who carried on our name although details are very limited as to exactly what happened.

My father was born Alfred Alexander Roberts and there was also a son William from another marriage or liaison. Jane had been well educated, but as far as I can trace the earliest records start up in the Mahaka* area where she was working in the back blocks probably doing household duties. It may be possible to gain more of that when someone has the time to go through many letters which came from there and in which we have. What we do know is that they arrived in Dunedin when the two boys were very young and I understand that my dad had only one year formal education before going to work as a boot clicker at Sargoods. There was obvious poverty as the charity section of, ‘Sargoods Son and Ewen’, allowed Grandma Lawry a small weekly pittance to help keep the family from starving. From their modest little home in Playfair Street they would see the building of the Caversham Presbyterian Church which was just over the road. Dad’s Uncle Samuel was the first Minister at Mornington Methodist but when he married they had to leave the parish as the church could not support a married couple. Samuel was later to make quite a name for himself in the Methodist Church being twice President and in 1913 was responsible for the drawing together of the three branches of Methodism and breaking away from Australia. This had been rather a cumbersome affair in that N.Z. officials had to travel to Australia for annual synods. Samuel was also connectional secretary for a number of year and in this he carried out quite an astounding service as the most senior permanent staff member.

* Inserted here was "(? Mohaka, between Napier & Gisborne)". The letters Walter mentioned above have come to light and include some from one Alla (Alexander) Godfrey Balfour, a [childhood?] friend of Alfred's. These letters verify the location as somewhere far up the North Island's Mohaka River, and come from a place called Pakihikura. ^[1]

Alfred's Timeline

Otago Daily Times 1 October 1909, Page 7.

Residence: Some time between 1873-1881 Alfred lived with his mother Jane in "the back blocks of the Mohaka" ^[3], possibly at a place called Pakihikura which may have been the name of a farm, and possibly named after the Pakihikura Stream which flows into the Mohaka River. ^[1]

Occupation: abt. 1881, at "Sargoods Son and Ewen", Dunedin; Boot clicker (puts staples into eyelets), at "Sargoods Son and Ewen". ^[3]

Residence: 1896, Playfair Street, Caversham, Dunedin, Otago. ^[4][5]

Occupation: 1896, Bootmaker, in Dunedin, Otago. ^[5]

Residence: 1897, Playfair Street, Caversham, Dunedin, Otago. ^[6]

Marriage: 1903, to Alice Bartlett Sutton, in New Zealand. ^[7][8]

Residence: 1907, 92 Vogel Street, Dunedin, New Zealand. ^[9]

Occupation: 1909, in Dunedin, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand; Bootmaker. ^[10]

Residence: 1914, in Alexandra, Otago Central, New Zealand. ^[11]

Occupation: 1917, in Alexandra, Otago, New Zealand; Grocer. ^[12]

Residence: 1917, in Alexandra, Otago, New Zealand. ^[12]

Residence: 1938, in 10 Hanover Street, Dunedin; Occupation: Clerk. ^[13]

Residence: 1946, in 1 Edina Street, Dunedin, New Zealand; Retired. ^[14]

Death: 02 Jan 1948, in Dunedin, Otago. ^[2][15]

Burial: Jan 1948, in Dunedin, Otago, Otago, New Zealand, New Zealand; Anderson's Bay Cemetery, Block 160, Plot 1155. ^[2]

Children of Alfred & Alice

Myrtle Jane Zealandia Lawry - b. 1904 ^[16]

Gordon Bedford Lawry - 1905 - 31 Jul 1964 ^[17][18]

Ernest William Lawry - abt. 1907 - 20 Jun 1941 ^[19][20]

Walter Alfred Lawry - b. Oct 1913 - 16 Dec 1996^{[21][22][23][24]}

Alfred's Father

It is looking more and more likely that Alfred's father was James Henry Roberts. A recent strong dna match between Alfred's grandson, Keith, and a descendant of Jonathan Roberts, Kim, indicates a 2nd cousin relationship between them. As neither of the test takers are on wikitree, for privacy reasons, the details of this test are not listed here. The possibility that one of the other Roberts brothers may be Alfred's father is of course not to be ruled out, but, as Shane Roberts, another descendant of James, wrote ...

"My feeling on the Lawry Lore is like all family stories, there is a grain of truth. James was most likely the father, but because of Jonathan's "bad boy" infamy, his name was on everybody's lips and he was wrongly named as the father. If it wasn't James Henry (within 1 year of Jane's age), why wasn't it Joseph (4 years younger), or Henry Vercoe (6 years younger) or the deceased Jonathan (whom had he been alive, 7 years younger), but they chose our beloved Jonathan who was 12 years old and got 25 year old Jane pregnant! And then there is that piece from Cmdr. Lawry that shows James as the father.".

The piece from Cdr. R. E. Lawry refered to here is Alfred's baptism record, sighted by him, and naming James Roberts as Alfred's father. Cdr. Lawry was Alfred's grandson. The record is in the Wesleyan Methodist Register of Baptisms, No. 951, held at the Methodist Connectional Office, Christchurch, New Zealand. Alfred's mother Jane may have in the eyes of her strict religious parents "fallen from grace", but one thing she was not was dishonest. All said and done she was a godly woman as evidenced in her letters, and there is no good reason to doubt that she, in naming Alfred's father as James Roberts, would have been telling a lie.

As did the Lawry's, the Roberts family also emigrated to New Zealand from Cornwall in 1862 (different ships). They settled in the same part of New Zealand as Jane's family. They likely knew each other back in Cornwall especially as they had recent common Lawry ancestors - Walter & Mary Lawry. Lawry Lore says that Jane and Alfred's father were not permitted to marry due to their in common ancestry. And in the very least it is certainly likely given the two families proximity to each other in New Zealand that they were acquainted.

Family members looking in to this mystery are most satisfied, given all the evidence, stories, and coincidences, that James Henry Roberts was indeed Alfred's father.

Sources:

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Alla (Alexander) Godrey Balfour's letter to Alfred dated 6 June 1887; page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4, envelope
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Anderson's Bay Cemetery, Dunedin, Otago, NZ; Burial Register (together with cremations), Volume 8, 1947-1951; "Lawry, Alfred Alexander Roberts, Died 1 Jan 1948, Aged 74 years, a Bootmaker, Resident of New Zealand, Last came from Dunedin, Buried 3 Jan. Blk 160 Plot 115 Class C.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Alfred's son Walter Lawry. Narrative above.
4. ↑ Jane Lawry, in a letter to her son Alfred, from the Wesleyan Parsonage at Onehunga, Auckland, dated December the 16th, 1896.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981, Auckland, New Zealand; Citation: "Name: Alfred Alexander Lawry, Electoral Year: 1896, District: Caversham, Region or Province: Otago, Address: Playfair Street, Occupation: Bootmaker"
6. ↑ Jane Lawry, in a letter to her son Alfred, from Burham, Selwyn, Canterbury, dated August the 17th, 1897.
7. ↑ New Zealand, Marriage Index 1840-1934, Ancestry.com.
8. ↑ NZBDM; Registration number: 1903/3336, Bride's given name(s): Alice Bartlett, Bride's family name: Sutton, Groom's given name(s): Alfred Alexander Roberts, Groom's family name: Lawry
9. ↑ New Zealand, City & Area Directories, DUNEDIN 1907, pg. 119
10. ↑ Papers Past: Otago Daily Times, 1 October 1909, Page 7, "Opening of New Premises".
11. ↑ New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1914 Otago Central General Roll, pg 61. 2971: Lawry, Alfred Alexander Roberts; Alexandra; grocers assistant.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} New Zealand Army WWI Reserve Rolls, 1917 Reserve Roll 2nd Division, pg 940; Lawry, Alfred Alexander Roberts, Grocer, Alexandra, Otago.
13. ↑ New Zealand Electoral Roll, 1938 Dunedin West General Roll, pg 132; 6527: Lawry, Alfred Alexander Roberts, 10 Hanover Street, Clerk. 6528: Lawry, Walter Alfred, 10 Hanover Street, Clerk.
14. ↑ New Zealand Electoral Roll, 1946 North Dunedin General Roll, pg 144; 7106: Lawry, Alfred Alexander Roberts, 1 Edina Street, Retired.
15. ↑ New Zealand, Death Index 1848-1964, Ancestry.com.
16. ↑ NZBDM, Record Registration Number: 1904/1441
17. ↑ NZBDM, Record Registration Number: 1905/13726
18. ↑ Dunedin City Council Cemetery search online;

    Surname: LAWRY

    Forename: GORDON BEDFORD

    Age: 59 Years

    Gender: Male

    Date of Death: 31 Jul 1964

    Last Address : 18 FIFIELD STREET, DUNEDIN

    Funeral Director: Hope & Sons Ltd, P O Box 5013, Andersons Bay, DUNEDIN

    Cemetery: ANDERSONS BAY CEMETERY

    Location: Block 45S. Plot 193

    Date of Cremation: 3 Aug 1964

    Date of Burial: 3 Aug 1964

    Type: Ashes Burial

    Ashes Disposal: Soldiers Interment 4 Aug 1964

    Date of Birth: Not recorded

    Original reference: C19640809

    Occupation: GROCER

    Place died: DUNEDIN

19. ↑ New Zealand, Birth Index 1840-1950, Ancestry.com.
20. ↑ Dunedin City Council Cemetery search online;

    Surname: LAWRY

    Forenames: ERNEST WILLIAM

    Age: 34 Years

    Date of Death: 26 Jun 1941

    Last Address : CLYDE HOSPITAL, CENTRAL OTAGO

    Funeral Director: Hope & Sons Ltd, P O Box 5013, Andersons Bay, DUNEDIN

    Cemetery: ANDERSONS BAY CEMETERY

    Location: Block 160. Plot 115

    Date of Burial: 29 Jun 1941

    Type: Burial

    Date of Birth : Not recorded

    Original reference: A19410654

    Occupation: POWER B WORKER

    Native of: NZ

    Place died: DUNEDIN

21. ↑ NZBDM, Registration Number: 1913/24319, Family Name: Lawry, Given Name(s): Walter Alfred, Mother's Given Name(s): Alice Bartlett, Father's Given Name(s): Alfred Alexander Roberts
22. ↑ New Zealand, Birth Index 1840-1950, Ancestry.com.
23. ↑ Otago Daily Times, Tuesday, 17 DEC 1996, pg. 2, 'Mr Corso' dies aged 83. See details at National Library of New Zealand on this page
24. ↑ Dunedin City Council Cemetery search online;

    Surname: LAWRY

    Forename: WALTER ALFRED

    Age: 83 Years

    Gender: Male

    Date of Death: 16 Dec 1996

    Place of Death: DPH

    Last Address: ST ANDREW HOME, DUNEDIN

    Funeral Director: Hope & Sons Ltd, P O Box 5013, Andersons Bay, DUNEDIN

    Date of Cremation: 19 Dec 1996

    Ashes Disposal: Return To Funeral Director, 20 Dec 1996

    Occupation: RTD MANAGER

    Place of Birth: -

    Date of Birth: Not recorded

    Original reference: C19961245