William Todd (abt. 1842 - 1912)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Birth
William Todd was born 5 June 1842 in Barony, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the son of George Todd and Mary Wood (Paterson) Todd

Emigration

William Todd emigrated with his parents to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in the Barque 'Sophia Burbidge' from Glasgow12 September 1853 when he was about 11 years old. Todd's father intended to set up a store in Bendigo, but they were robbed on the way there and arrived almost penniless.

Ten years later, 28 September 1863 William, about 21 years old, emigrated from Melbourne to Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand in the 'SS Gothenburg'

Marriage
In Hokitika, Westland, West Coast, New Zealand, 15 jun 1869 William Todd married Catherine Ann Brown. ^{[1] [2]}

They had two daughters and five sons.

Child: Fanny Rachel Todd

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: William Skuse Todd

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: George Charles Alexander Todd

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: Richard George Todd

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: Archibald Paterson Todd

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: Robert Nicholas Todd

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: Mary Wood Todd

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

#S1528391520

Occupation

William was employed by Mr G W Binney, auctioneer in the Prince of Wales rooms and yards in Invercargill, where he took over the business, his first licence being dated 8 September 1865 and remained until 1868, then, attracted by the gold rushes he went to the West Coast where he remained for about nine years.

In Hokitika from 1868 until 1878, William continued to work as an auctioneer, was a member of the Westland Wastelands Board, a member of the Westland Provincial Council of which he was for a time Treasurer and associated with Richard Seddon. In 1871 he was appointed as Justice of the Peace and was Mayor of Hokitika in the year 1872 - 1873.

Mayor of Hokitika
From 19 January 1872 until 18 December 1874, William Todd was Mayor of Hokitika after which he moved back to Invercargill.

Preceded by James B. Clarke

Mayor of Hokitika 1872 — 1874

Succeeded by Francis Christopher Tabart

William returned to Invercargill in 1878, ^[3]continued his work as an auctioneer and then in 1897 he went to Western Australia for about twelve months, setting up his business in new premises, the "Rialto" when he returned to Invercargill in 1898.

Death

Two years before he died, he built a 'handsome residence' in Bluff and went daily by rail to his business in Invercargill. William Todd (70) died in December 1912 in Bluff where he lived. ^[4] William's second wife had died in 1911.
^[5]

Research Notes

William Todd [1]

The Todd Testimonial - 'Southland Times' 11 May 1896

[2]

William Todd [3]

William Todd & Co - 'Southland Times' 16 June 1900

[4]

Born in about 1850, William Todd was the son of Mr. Thomas Todd, of Waikiwi, an old Otago settler, and received his primary education at the North-East Valley school and in Chicago. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ #S1528391520 Date: 17 June 1869
2. ↑ "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   West Coast Times, Issue 1165, 17 June 1869, Page 2
   Papers Past Article (accessed 15 May 2023)
3. ↑ "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   West Coast Times, Issue 2785, 6 March 1878, Page 2
   Papers Past Article (accessed 15 May 2023)
4. ↑ "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   Southland Times, Issue 17231, 30 December 1912, Page 5
   Papers Past Article (accessed 15 May 2023)
5. ↑ "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
   Southern Cross, Volume 19, Issue 25, 7 October 1911, Page 9
   Papers Past Article (accessed 15 May 2023)
6. ↑ Cyclopedia of New Zealand [ https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc04Cycl-t1-body1-d7-d77-d10.html]