Francis Squire (abt. 1834 - aft. 1879)

Born about 1834 in St Giles, Devon, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died after 8 May 1879 after about age 45 in New Zealand [uncertain]

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Biography

Francis was born in 1834. He was the son of Henry Squire and Rebecca Ashplant.

Francis grew up in Kingscott Village, St Giles, Devon [1].

By age 14, he was working as a Sawyer [2].

His brother Henry emigrated to Australia in 1853 and settled in Victoria. The following year, Francis, brothers Richard, Robert and sister Grace boarded the ship Champion of the Sea and made the long voyage to Australia. Surname recorded as Squire.

They settled in Ceres, Geelong where brother Henry had established a Black Smith business. Richard Squire was later to work the Smithy and also provide a service as a Wheelwright.

No trace was found of Francis Squire in Australia after the voyage.

Records sourced show the following which may be Francis Squire previously of St Giles in the Wood, Devon

Francis Squire aged 26, departing Victoria 1862 [3] on the ship 'Bruce', destination, Port Chalmers, New Zealand, arrival October 1862.

He made his way to the Gold Fields at Arrow River, Lake Town where he had a 1/2 interest in a claim at Cumberland Point.

Francis Squire married in 1868 to Martha Bear. No known children were born in the marriage.

Mail for Francis Squire held at Arrowtown in 1874 was unclaimed. [4]

He was resident in the Lakes district until 1879. Francis Squire, recorded as Francis and Frank Squires died in May 1879 and was buried on May 5. Place unknown. Information sourced from FamilySearch - NZ Probate & Letters of Administration.

No death record was found for Francis on the NZBDM database. A death was recorded in 1900 for Martha 'Squire' aged 62.

Sources

• https://ancestry.com.au

Australia Assisted & Unassisted Passenger Lists

Victoria, Australia Outward Passenger Lists 1851-1915 3 Film Ref date 1862, Page of list 5

Otago Directory - Provincial Part II-D

England Census 1841 1, 1851 2

• https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/unassisted-passenger-lists Unassisted Passenger Lists - Champion of the Seas Page 56

• https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz : 1868/9356 Marriage, 1900/2710 Death - Martha Squire
• "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-TJVM : 4 October 2016), Francis Squire and Martha Bear, 1868; citing Marriage, New Zealand, registration number 1868/9356, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.
• https://familysearch.org

Birth/Baptism record search - Nil result

• "New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9V-P5J9 : 21 February 2019), Francis Squires, 1879; citing , Dunedin Letters of Administration Files, 1858-1908, record number A2175, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office; FamilySearch digital folder 101282580.

• https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz : Lake Wakitip Mail 5/5/1874 'Unclaimed Mail', 8/5/1879 Local & General, Lake County Press 19/6/1879 Arrow District Court out of copyright