Caroline Ann (Milligan) Slawson (1859 - 1932)

Born Jul 1859 in Shoreditch, London

Descendants

Died 15 Apr 1932 at age 72 in Warepa Otago New Zealand

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Biography

CAROLINE and ADA SLAWSON

Caroline and her sister Ada, were brought out from London by their Uncle George Slawson and his wife Janet Isabella who brought them up as their own. Caroline and Ada were about 11 or 12 years old. They do not show up in the family census for 1881 The London Slawson family was large (8 children) and it was not easy for their parents, as they only had a bakers earnings.

Caroline married Edward Milligan

After her husband Edward retired, Caroline was always available to help any one in need. One of the things that she did was to supply meals and beds for a few nights to those who required them, particularly the Railway workers. As well as doing all that she acted as a Midwife in the district.

Caroline had a love of flower gardening and was very adept at handcraft, particularly knitting, patchwork quilts, and crocheted supper cloths.. Caroline died at age 73.

Information given by Lorna Milligan January 2004 to Launa Hardie for the tree.

Comments as written by Ada Jarvis, September 18, 1984, in a letter to Lorna Kunz (nee Milligan)

Father: Edward born in Dumfries, Scotland

Mother: Caroline Ann Slawson born in London, England

Married 27 January, 1891 at Watsfield, Waitepeka

They had 6 children, 3 of them sons

Percy George; b. Dec. 13 ?? (Married to Muriel, (b. June 18 ??, no children)

John Frederick; 2 sons (Percy George (Pax) and Edward John)

Edward Cecil; b. Jan. 22, 1901(Married Elsie Helena Benson, March 6, 1929, no sons)

John's boys, Pax, had 2 sons, Allan and John

Edward had 1 son, John

They also had 3 girls: Charlotte E., Ada and Lynn

further information as she wrote in her letter:

"About the name "Slawson" - it used to be (I believe) "Lawson" but somehow an "S" got added and stuck.. Don't know why.

An Uncle George Slawson and Aunt Janet Slawson brought my mother and a cousin (later Ada Sommerville latterly of Mosgiel) out to NZ with them when Mum was very young, about 11, I think. I think her own mother and father were going through a hard time and the Slawsons had no family of their own.. Whether there was anything in the way of a legal adoption or not I do not know. Perhaps it was not necessary in those days. But both Mum and her cousin (we called her Auntie) were brought up as sisters and under that name. They settled somewhere around Waitepeka area on a farm, I suppose like the other early settlers. My father, who was an Able Seaman on sailing ships, met Mum at the end of a voyage - they took months and months to go around the world. I should explain that Dad left home when he was a lad of about 13 and joined the merchant navy. I don't know how many trips he made - eventually - they met and agreed to marry and for some reason or another they had a tiff (it even happened in those days) and he took to the sea again. On the next trip around they made it up and got married and settled on a small farm at Westfield, raising a family and making a pretty poor living as I understand. Mum had to milk the cow or cows - he said he couldn't as he had a crooked finger - men! It eventually turned out that he used to milk wild beasts on board ship in high seas. He had many tales to tell. I'm only sorry that I was too young to appreciate and take notice at the time - just as the young are now - if I relate anything I get laughed at, so shut up. They retired from the farm and settled in the "Ladyrigg" home in Warepa - much smaller then - where I was born, and I think your Dad. Das just pottered about - worked his lathe - gardened, etc. Mum, in her spare time, acted as midwife to expectant mothers when needed - the nearest Doc. Balclutha - horse and gig or cart. She nursed them for a couple of weeks as well as looking after the rest of the household - in fact the general slushy. Dad and older members of the family managed for us. This may or may not be of interest to you. Sounds like a story from a book!!!"

Sources

• Unsourced family tree handed down to Launa Hardie.