Adele Queree Aubin

                               
                              ADELE QUEREE AUBIN
                                                                     Written by David Bell

ADELE QUEREE AUBIN was born at Pirongia 24 June, 1883. She lived all her life at Pirongia and was the youngest daughter of Jean Aubin and Ann Elizabeth Lempreire, both immigrants from the Jersey Islands in the English Channel. Her father was a prominent and highly respected citizen of the district, being valued as a medical doctor by both settlers and Maori alike. He was a Mason of the highest order and owned a local trading post that remained in the family for three generations.

Adele as a young girl.

Adele was fortunate to receive a fairly good education for the times and at the tender age of eighteen became the sole teacher and head mistress at the small Te Tahi country school. The locals provided the school building and land as well as free room and board for the teacher while the Education Board paid the teacher's salary and provided the curriculum and furniture. A Mr Millar donated an acre of his land along with enough timber to construct the twenty by twelve foot single room schoolhouse with a small pot-belly fire at one end. A local parent, Mr Yeates, carted the timber to the site while another parent (Adele's cousin Mr Ahier) built it. When the school opened in 1901 her first pupils were the children of the Ahier, Tamaki, and Yeates families.

She quit teaching when she married Walter Henry Bell, 17th May, 1903, aged twenty and moved to live permanently in Pirongia.

                                             She would have been required to live by rules like these 
                                                                 


Painting of the old Te Tahi school

 

Early photo of Adele (standing in doorway) and her Te Tahi school pupils

 

Walter Henry Bell, son of Henry and Sarah and husband of Adele Aubin

Adele became well known and greatly respected due, in no small measure, to her many talents and tireless community spirit. She was famous in the Pirongia area for her piano accompaniments to the old silent movies of the time. This required the special skill of keeping one eye on the movie and one on the keyboard in front of her and knowing to speed up when the horses were galloping along, and slow down when a more sedate scene appeared, or hit the heavy notes for a scary scene and the light notes for a happy one. And all this completely by ear.
                                      
She also played the organ every Sunday at church along with being involved in many other civic activities as they occurred. There wasn't much happening in Pirongia that she didn't get involved in one way or another; all this while raising eleven children and having suffered the loss of two, little Beatrice and  three year old Hugh of poisoning after eating boot polish.

Adele passed away on thirtieth of September, 1963 at the Te Awamutu Hospital after a short illness; she was eighty years old. The cause of death given was Pancreatic Cancer.

The grave of Beatrice and Hugh at the Pirongia Cemetery.

Her obituary reads: The death on the 30th of September of Mrs Adele Queree Bell of Pirongia, brought to a close a life of service to the community by a member of one of the oldest families in what was formerly known as Alexandra township. Her parents, Mr and Mrs J. Aubin, came to New Zealand from Jersey and were married at Ngaruawhahia on the 28th of August, 1867. they were the first couple to be married in the first church to be built in Ngaruawhahia and their descendants still possess the marriage certificate of number one.

Prior to his marriage, Mr Aubin had in December, 1864, opened the first store at Pirongia and the couple settled there. Mr Aubin was one of the original chairmen of the Waipa City Council. The Aubin family still plays a prominent part in Jersey affairs and Mr Duret Aubin was awarded the O.B.E. following the Second World War in recognition for his services during the German occupation.

Mrs Bell was born at Pirongia on the 24th June, 1883, and at the completion of her schooling at the local school she attended a boarding school in Auckland where she studied art and music. On the 17th of May, 1903, she married Mr W. H. Bell, a storekeeper of Pirongia, and was the first school teacher at the now defunct Te Tahi school. Although she raised a large family of thirteen children, Mrs Bell always found time to make a worthy contribution to the many organisations of which she was a member, or to other patriotic or district causes which sought her services.

An excellent pianist and singer, Mrs Bell's services were always in demand for the early concerts held in the district, and she was organist at the Pirongia Anglican Church for a considerable number of years. Mrs Bell donated the section on which the new church was recently built. She was an active worker for the Red Cross for many years and a member of the Pirongia Women's Institute. Five of Mrs Bell's sons were in the forces during World War Two.

The exceptionally large attendance at her funeral service held at the Church of England, Pirongia, was a fitting tribute to a fine mother and one of the best known and respected pioneers of the district.

Mrs Bell was predeceased by her husband in 1946 and is survived by eleven children. They are Mesdames J.E. and Joyce Butler (Te Puke), D. and Adele Dallas (Leamington), R. and Reine Kerr (Korokanui), B and Roselle Quin (Te Awamutu), J. and Shirley Perrot (Lower Hutt), and Messrs Reginald and Dorothy Bell (Pirongia), Peter and Jean Bell (Ngutunui), Eric and Irene Bell (Pirongia), Walter Aubin Bell (single, Pirongia), Maurice Perchard Bell (single, Pirongia) and Barry and Evelyn Bell (Kawerau).

There are 39 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Bell is also survived by her only sister, Miss Reine Aubin of Hillcrest.

The Te Awamutu Courier, September 1963


I have fond memories of Adele, or Ma-ma as we, her son Peter's children, called her. We called our other grandmother Ma and to distinguish between the two we gave Adele a double Ma. Whose idea this was is anyone's guess; I think it just happened naturally. We didn't use the usual titles most kids give their grandparents; on my mother's side it was Ma and Gunny and my father's parents were Ma-ma and Pa-pa. I never knew Pa-pa because he died in 1946, two years before I was born, but I got to know Ma-ma very well as a young boy and am forever grateful for her generous nature and kind heart.

The Bell house where Walter and Adele raised all their children is situated right beside the Pirongia school; I say is because it's still there. It changed hands some time ago but it was designated an historic building so the new owners have renovated it but kept it virtually the same as it was when built over a hundred years ago. 

The family house of Walter and Adele Bell. Pirongia School is over a fence to
the left of the picture.

The house being right next to Pirongia school was my good fortune because I was in the habit of getting blinding migraine headaches when I was a young pupil there. Whenever I succumbed to a migraine I went immediately to Ma-ma's house to try and recover enough to make the long bus ride from Pirongia to the drop-off at Mangati Road and then the trek up the paddocks to our house at Parihoro. I lived in fear of migraines and was afflicted by them often; sometimes once a week or more. My brothers often accused me of 'putting it all on' as the old saying went, but I can assure you, those migraines were genuine. A good migraine affected my vision with coloured flashes and a kind of temporary blindness followed by a vicious headache and nausea. 

On every one of these frequent occasions Ma-ma was always home. I don't know what I would have done if she wasn't. I immediately felt comforted and safe when I left the schoolgrounds and knocked on her door, pale and sick. She never once doubted me and knew intimately what my ailment was because she was well acquainted with migraines; some of her own children suffered from them from time-to-time. She called it an attack of bilious, whatever bilious meant, and she knew exactly what to do. She immediately put me into a bed and brought in a hot cup of weak tea with a piece of dry toast. Then she drew all the curtains and told me to sleep until it was time to go home. At exactly three p.m. when the 'home-time' school bell went she would get me up and take me to the bus. In retrospect, I would have liked to have stayed the night in her tender care but for some reason I always had to go home, sometimes having to stop the bus to vomit. The walk up the paddocks was a real effort which was often alleviated by my big brother Mac who would piggy-back me all the way home, even though he was just a youngster himself.  

I have never forgotten Ma-ma for her care and kindness and thinking back I can't remember ever thanking her for it. Kids just take everything for granted. It wasn't until decades later I began to think more deeply about her and come to the realization of what she meant to me. Even now, it causes me to reflect on how little I had to do with her except go to her when I was sick. 

For some reason our family was far more attached to my mother's parents than my father's and I can't explain why because I don't know why, it just was. Even at Christmas we seldom went around to her house to wish her well and I can't ever remember having a Christmas dinner there or having her around for dinner or lunch with us. I don't think any of us ever gave her a Christmas present or even a card. There was simply no exchange of gifts or good cheer that I can remember. I blame my parents for this, particularly my father who should have ensured we had a good relationship with all our grandparents. Yet despite such neglect, she unfailingly opened her heart to me when I was sick. This is the only thing that holds me to her and it saddens me that I don't have more.

But something rubbed off on me. I think something stuck in my young mind because I remember clearly when she took ill in September of 1963. I was in my first year at Te Awamutu High School. The hospital was not too far from the school so it gave me time to visit her during my lunch hour should I wish to do so, which I did, once. Some glimmer of gratitude or a spark of remembrance must have afflicted me because one evening I picked a bunch of violets from our garden and took them to school. It was difficult to keep them protected in my school bag but somehow they got through the morning in good repair. As soon as the lunch bell rang I shot out the school gates and ran up the road to the hospital. My memory of the visit is sparse but I do recall giving her the flowers and a hug for the first time ever. I have no recollection of how long I stayed or what we talked about. I do remember that she was quite weak; far from the robust little old lady who nursed me through my migraines at Pirongia. I remember during my wakeful moments hearing her bustling about the house chattering away to herself; a habit peculiar to her which I never for a moment thought strange. In fact, it was oddly comforting in a way I can't explain. 

She mentioned to someone how glad she was for my visit and that it was good I gave up my lunch hour to see her. I remember feeling pleased when I heard it. I did plan to visit again but never got the chance; she died suddenly a week later. 



Headstone for Adele Queree and Walter Henry Bell.

Birth Certificate.

If anyone reading this has more history and information about Adele Bell, especially your own memories, I would be grateful to receive them at dwbell18@gmail.com and edit it into this blog. 
Written by David Bell.
Sources:
1. Personal memories.
2. Interview with Jean Bell, July, 2003
3. The Bells of Pirongia, a family history compiled by Robin Wood, daughter of Reg Bell. Published 2001.

Chart 15: Jean Aubin Ancestry

Aubin Ancestry from Thomas Aubin 1507 to
Jean Aubin 1831.

Jean Aubin

                        JEAN AUBIN

Written By David Bell

1831 ~ 1889

Prologue

Aubin is an old and familiar family name on Jersey Island, its origin tracing back to Saint Albinus, the Bishop of Angers in 7th century England where it was predominantly a Christian name, evolving into a surname around the 14th Century AD. It first shows up as a Surname on Jersey in 1331 in court records that state one Richard Aubin of St Brelade to be owing 8 sols a year for twenty vergees of land on the king's fief; a Jersey vergee equating to 19,360 square feet or about 40 perches. What became of him is not known but by the 16th Century two family branches of Aubins had become established at Les Pigneaux, St. Saviour and Grouville.

The next earliest record of the first Jersey Aubins is that of Marin Aubin (born about 1470) of St. Brelade. He married in 1498 and had several children: Marin, Germain, Benoiste, Sire Jean Aubin (clergyman), Charles, Andreis, and Thomas with two more daughters, Catherine and Genette, appearing on another record. 

Over the next few centuries the Aubin family proliferated to become one of the most prominent Jersey families. But, while there are many signs and evidences of the Aubin name across the island, few live there any more, so many having emigrated to other lands of the British Empire in the 18th ~ 19th Centuries. 

Today the Aubin name can be found around the globe in countries like Canada, U.S.A., Britain, Australia and New Zealand; to name a few. Undoubtedly, given the mobility of the modern human being, there's sure to be Aubins in many unexpected corners of the world.

Jean Aubin, New Zealand

JEAN (John) Aubin was born on the island of Jersey off the coast of France in 1831. As a young man he studied medicine for a while in France then moved to Canada where he went into business with his older brother setting up a trading post. Jean remained some years in the Hudson Bay area in Canada where he and his brother did a brisk trade in animal pelts with the Indians and immigrant Canadian trappers and fur traders. However, the harsh, cold climate and rigorous conditions of Canada were not to his liking so he sold his share of the trading post to his brother and set sail for the warmer climes of New Zealand.

The Ganges was built in Boston, 1856 with a burden of
1,209 tons and boasted excellent passenger accommodation

He arrived in Auckland New Zealand on the ship Ganges after a 103 day voyage from London, leaving Monday, 22 June and docking at the Auckland Queen Street wharf Monday, 12 October 1863. According to the shipping report in the Daily Southern Cross newspaper the Ganges carried a cargo of general merchandise and 226 passengers. Jean Aubin is listed as a passenger in the Second Cabin class under the name John Aubin. This indicates he enjoyed a reasonably comfortable trip to New Zealand. 

Upon leaving London the Ganges, under the captaincy of Thomas Funnell, caught moderate south-westerly winds through the English Channel and on past the Cape de Verde and Canary Islands without sighting them. They then caught the south-east trade winds to the equator arriving on the 29th of July. They rounded the Cape of Good Hope on the 27th of August and headed for Tasmania which they passed without sighting. From Tasmania they sailed to the South Island of New Zealand sighting Banks Peninsular on the 4th of October. They passed the North Island's East Cape on October 6th and then Great barrier three days later where they struck some foul weather, slowing their progress. Other than that it was, by all accounts, a fairly smooth voyage and at a time where on-board  births, illnesses, and fatalities were common, the Ganges experienced no serious illnesses, two births (the first while still in the London docks, and the other a still-born on the 22nd of August) and only one death; a 20 year old male. 

The newspaper article also gives a good report on Captain Funnell for his clean ship and his concern for the health and comfort of his passengers. The passengers themselves also praised him for the same, presenting him with a document signed by all as a testimonial of his good captaincy.  

From Auckland Jean made his way to the small township of Alexandra (later renamed Pirongia) on the Waipa River where, in December 1864, he established a small trading post. He situated it near the river boat landing on the flats of the Waipa River for ease of offloading and on-loading goods. The Waipa, being a wide and deep river, was the main means of transporting cargo and produce to and from the Waikato district to the bigger communities further north, especially Auckland. Alexandra in those times was the main centre in the Waipa surrounds. Unfortunately, the frequent rains and the subsequent flooding made it too costly and time-consuming to remain on the river flat, always having to shift his stock to dry ground, a task done only by the use of Maori dugout canoes when the flats became inundated. It became unfeasible to remain in that location so he shifted the store to the village on higher ground on the corner of Franklin and Belcher Streets where his house was. 

The original Aubin Homestead Corner Franklin and Belcher Streets.
The house was destroyed by fire in 1918.

                                                                      

The disused Alexandra Masonic Lodge was moved to the site of the
original house and extended and renovated to become the second Aubin residence. 

Jean took this opportunity to expand the size of his premises by building a very big store for the day fully equipped with a three foot high parapet around the roof lined with thick lead to proof it against musket shot. Sentries, if needed, could walk around the whole roof perimeter and fire down on any attackers. This precaution was not an extravagant fancy as there was often conflict between the Maori and the settlers.

The Aubin store near the house corner Franklin and Belcher Streets; note
the parapets along the roof.

When William Sloane, the Alexandra Chemist, moved shop to Te Awamutu in 1876 Jean took the opportunity to add a doctor's surgery and dispensary to the premises using his medical skills to treat both Maori and Pakeha alike. A report in the Waikato Times dated 28th November 1879 states: Mr Aubin is kept fully employed in his dispensary as there is still a great amount of sickness prevalent, and from his successful treatment of several severe cases, he has the entire confidence of the natives, and patients are continually brought to him from long distances.

The new store became a combination of general store, doctor's surgery, and pharmacy. As mentioned before, Jean had studied medicine before emigrating and this skill as a healer made him an invaluable and highly respected personage among Maori and Pakeha alike. The large Maori population particularly benefited from his medical efforts as he tended to their ills and ailments and he became so highly esteemed among them that when he died the paramount Maori chief, Tawhiao, and many hundreds of Maori, attended his funeral and greatly mourned his parting.

Tawhiao

Tawhiao also gifted his widow, Ann, a magnificently carved and priceless whale bone mere. He had also earlier gifted an even more priceless greenstone mere to Jean which got stolen from the house and turned up in a Sydney museum. The family managed to get it back but tragically, it, and the whalebone mere and so much other historical memorabilia, were destroyed when the old homestead burned to the ground just after World War One.

By October, 1881, his extensive experience at dispensing enabled him to qualify as a chemist and druggist under the 1880 Pharmacy Act. He also obtained registration as the smallpox vaccinator for the Alexandra district, a duty he performed until his death.  

Anne Elizabeth Lempriere, wife of Jean Aubin.
Anne died in 1933 aged 92, having outlived Jean
by 44 years.

Besides establishing his own business in Alexandra, he opened a branch general store in nearby Te Awamutu which he named, Aubin and Company. He sent to Jersey for two of his nephews to come and assist. Their names were George and Aubin Ahier and Jean set them up as managers of the Te Awamutu branch. After eleven years he sold the Te Awamutu shop to George. The other nephew, Aubin Ahier, purchased a large tract of land at Te Tahi on the eastern slopes of Pirongia Mountain and took to farming.




Anne Elizabeth's name in the Old Colonists' Association Register as a member of the New Zealand pioneers
and Descendants Club (Inc). See 10th name down as Aubin, Ann Elizabeth, showing her to have arrived in N.Z. on the Empress in 1865.

After his passing in 1889 his wife, Anne, ran the store with the assistance of their son

Eugene who took over the business ten years later in 1898.  

Anne Elizabeth Lempriere

At this point it will be useful to learn a little more about Jean's great wife, Anne Elizabeth Lempriere, who left Jersey to board the immigrant ship, Empress, which set sail to New Zealand  from Gravesend, London, on the third of February 1865. The Empress was a clipper class ship commanded by a Captain Ellis and took 95 days to reach Auckland 14 May, 1865. A summary of the journey was printed in the Herald on the 16th of May, 1865.

The following are the particulars of the voyage as kindly furnished us by Captain Ellis.

The Empress quit Gravesend on 3rd February, landed the pilot on the 5th and took her final departure from the Lizard on the 8th February. She crossed the Equator on the 3rd March in 23 degrees west and was becalmed twelve days in from 15 degrees to 20 degrees south. On the 2nd April passed the Meridian of the Cape in 46 degrees 28 south and Desolation Island on the 11th of the same month, of which the vessel experienced heavy northerly gales and was compelled to take the southern route. The Snares were made on the 1st may only 81 days from home. Experienced variable winds off the coast and was becalmed two days off the East Cape, after which she encountered a heavy north-westerly gale and arrived in Auckland at 11 pm on Sunday night having taken pilot on board at Rangitoto at 10:30 pm.  The Empress has accomplished the passage in 95 days from the start, being the quickest made during the season. On her last trip she made the passage in 92 days, on which occasion it will be remembered she brought the Officers Men of the military Train.

The Herald goes on to say that the Empress brought a large cargo of general merchandise as well as nearly 300 passengers with the greatest harmony prevailing among the passengers during the voyage, and from the testimonials that appeared elsewhere, it seemed that the Captain and Chief Officer won the esteem and goodwill of those placed under their charge. Captain Ellis and Mr Drew, the Chief Officer, made two rapid voyages in the Empress to this Port (Auckland) and were to be congratulated on their success.

Ann appears on the Empress' passenger manifest in second class with the misspelled name, Anne Lemprure. Curiously, the name Jane appears on the list alongside hers, written Jane and Anne Lemprure. At this point I am have no information on Jane but when more is known then her details will be added to this account. It might be safely presumed Jane was Anne's sister or a close relative.

Anne met Jean Aubin in Auckland and on their way to Alexandra (now Pirongia) where Jean had a successful business, they took out their wedding vows in the small Anglican church in Newcastle (now Ngaruawhahia). This was on the 28th August, 1867; two years after her arrival. She was 26 years old. The church had just been built and theirs was the first marriage solemnized there. consequently, they are number one in the marriage register for the church and it can be viewed to this day. Anne and Jean became well-known personalities in the Waipa District and together produced a brood of nine children:

1. Mabel (1868 - infant death - 1868).

2. Emile du Pont (1869~1957).

3. Eugene Horace Cabot (1871~1936)

4. Claude Gabrielle (1873~1887)

5. Estelle Johanna (1874~1904)

6. Victor Charles de Gruchy (1876 - infant death - 1876)

7. Lillian Ann (1877~1858)

8. Reine Dolbel (1878~1968)

9. Adele Queree (1833~1963)

In 1848 Anne celebrated her 90th birthday at the homestead in Pirongia. A newspaper clipping gives a description of the big family event:

Anne showing off her 90th birthday cake

Posing for a photo-op.

The family gathering at Rozel

Anne (about 1932-33) on the lawn at the Aubin homestead called Rozel after the Rosel Manor

on Jersey Island

Anne lived to the grand old age of 92 years, having been born on the island of Jersey on the 27th of December, 1840 and passing away on the 25th of August, 1933. She lies at rest with her husband in the Pirongia Cemetery.

Concluding Years

Now, back to the Aubin store in Pirongia. As mentioned, Anne took over the running of the store after her husband's death with the help of her son, Eugene. Some ten years later, in 1898, Eugene took the reins and was afterwards joined by his brother-in-law, Walter Bell. In 1906 he sold the shop to a Mr Skuse who moved into the district from Pukekohe. Eugene moved to Hauturu near Kawhia and built a small store there. By 1910 the store at Alexandra was deteriorating so Walter Bell built his own store a short way up the road on the south-west corner of the Franklin and Crozier Streets intersection. It became known, as 'Bell's Store'  and remained in the Aubin-Bell family to the next generation when it went into the hands of Reginald and Eric Bell, Walter's sons. It was sold to an outside buyer in 1972. The old wooden building was finally demolished in 1982 and a modern superette now stands on its former site.

The 'Bell's Store' in the 1950's

Jean was also noted for his civic spirit and was involved in most of the projects and initiatives that promoted a better community. He was the first chairman of the Waipa County, the first chairman of the Alexandra School Committee, along with numerous other local concerns.

He was an avid chess player and arguably the best in the district. His most regular opponents were none other than the famous Majors Von Tempsky and Mair. It hasn't been recorded how he fared against them.

Jean Aubin died at his home at Alexandra (Pirongia) on Thursday the fourteenth of February, 1889, aged fifty eight years.

The family of Jean and Anne Aubin. From Left to Right: Reine, Estelle, Emile,
Anne, Eugene, Lily and Adele. 

Jean Aubin's funeral was a big one, as reported in the Waikato Times, Tuesday, 19 February, 1889:

The funeral of the late Mr John Aubin took place here on Saturday last, a large number of mourners attending from all parts of the district to show their respect to the deceased and his esteemed widow and family. The Reverend Mr Boler, with the assistance of Captain Hearn, lay reader, conducted the service. As the deceased was an old member of the Masonic fraternity, and past Master of the Alexandra Lodge, the funeral was in charge of that body and he was buried with full Masonic honours.

The brethren assembled at three p.m. at their lodge room in the Alexandra hotel and from thence marched in procession, in full regalia, to the residence of the deceased and brought out the remains, the coffin being covered with floral wreaths sent by friends, and the Masonic insignia of the late brother. With the Masonic brethren in front, a numerous body of settlers, together with every native man, woman, and child who could, attended from Whatiwhatihoe.

The mournful procession proceeded to St. Savior's Church, where part of the funeral service was most impressively read by the Reverend Mr Boler and his assistant, and a short address delivered on the mournful occasion. A hymn, being sung, the procession then proceeded to the cemetery where the ceremony was conducted, and at its conclusion the Masonic funeral service was read most impressively by Brother R. W. Roche, followed by the usual Masonic ceremonies.

The two sons of the deceased, Messrs G. A. Ahier and A. Ahier, nephews, and Mr Lempriere, uncle of the deceased, followed as chief mourners. Never since Alexandra was a township did the natives attend so numerously at any such ceremony, but the deceased gentleman from his long residence here and intimate relations as their medical adviser, had won their thorough respect and esteem. Many of them were much disappointed that they were not enabled to show their grief for the loss of their friend in their own way, and would have liked free admittance to the remains and hold their tangi in their usual manner. But this, of course, could not be done. That they were sincere mourners and were not ashamed to show their feelings was most unmistakable.

Our Te Awamutu correspondent writes: The news of the death of Mr John Aubin was received here with the utmost regret and sympathy for his family and relatives. Mr Aubin was widely known and highly esteemed and respected by a very large circle of friends throughout the whole district. Alexandra will sadly miss him for he has been closely identified with the town for twenty five years, taking a keen interest in all public matters, not only for Alexandra, but for the whole district. In every public institution in that place, he held office, giving advice and assistance for the public good. His place, therefore, will not be easily filled. Up to the time of his death, his interest in such matters was unflagging, and finding his end approaching, he gave final instructions to his successor in some of the public matters. 

He was a prominent member of the Masonic Order, being a P. M. of Lodge Alexandra, the chair of which he filled on various occasions with great tact and ability. He was the last of its founders, the others being dead or dispersed. He was justly looked up to as the founder of the lodge, his intimate knowledge of all matters of Masonic jurisprudence caused the Brethren to seek his advice and counsel. He was, for a long time, a member of the Board of Benevolence of the District Grand Lodge of Auckland, an honour to which his long experience and unfailing readiness to assist in all of charity, justly entitled him.

The funeral, at the deceased brother's wish, was conducted with full Masonic honours, the magnificent and solemn burial service of the Order being read at the grave by Brother Roche, a P. M. of Lodge Alexandra, a good number of brethren appearing in regalia from Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, Hamilton, including a visiting brother from Auckland, who assembled to pay the last sad offices of respect to a departed brother. There was also a very large concourse of friends from all the surrounding districts. Were it not for the fact that settlers are pressed with work in getting in their harvests, many more would have been present.

Everyone who was acquainted with the deceased gentleman sympathizes most sincerely with his family in their bereavement.

DEATH OF MR. JOHN AUBIN (obituary notice, Waikato Times, 16 Feb. 1889)

It is with great regret we announce the death of the well-known storekeeper, Mr John Aubin, of Alexandra, who died at his residence there on Thursday morning. The deceased gentleman had suffered greatly for some time past, and had but lately returned from Auckland, where he, in vain, went for medical relief for some internal complaint. Mr Aubin was a native of Jersey, and one of the first to take up his residence and commence business in Alexandra very shortly after the foundation of the settlement and has ever since resided there. He will be greatly missed, as he always took great interest in all local affairs, and served as chairman on the road board and school committee, always attending punctually to his duties. The deepest sympathy is felt for his widow and the large family he leaves behind him to deplore his loss. The funeral will be a Masonic one, the deceased being a P.M. of the Order, and will leave his residence at 3 p.m. this afternoon. 



Jean Aubin Lies at rest in the Pirongia Cemetery with his wife, Anne.

Written and compiled by David Bell.

Sources used:

1. Family documents.

2. The Waikato Times, February 1889. Funeral reports and obituaries.

3. The Bells of Pirongia, a family history compiled by Robin Wood, daughter of Reg Bell. Published 2001. 
4. Papers Past-Daily Southern Cross-31 October, 1863. Shipping Reports on Arrival of the Ganges and Empress. For full report Google: Papers Past Ganges Auckland 1863.
5. Wikipedia and Theislandwiki: Google Aubin family Jersey.

Genealogical Chart 14: Ang.

                     
A genealogical chart of the Ang family from Winnnie Ming Ling (Hung) Bell going back as far as is presently known. It will be added to if more information is acquired.

(A)                     Ang Dek Siang+Unknown
                                            I  
                     Ang Wei Siang+Que Mit
                                            I                
                       Ang Gin Chiu+Dhi Yu Hwan
                                            I
                       Ang Yuk Lim+Dhi Biao
                                            I
                     Ang Chiu Shui+Que Him
                                           I
                    Ang Chay Pek+Go Lea Hua
 _____________________I________________________
I                           I                        I                          I
HungMingLing  AngYanSan  HungMingLung   AngYanKang


(B)              Hung Ming Ling+David Bell
            ________________I_________________________
             I                              I                                     I
Jared+Jacinda Harvey  Miriam+Joven Esteves  Candice+Fraser Costley
Chemae                       Kalei                             Ella
Ashden                       Sarina                           Ava
Rylan                          Emelia                          Kobe


(C)              Ang Yan San+Chan Lai Kam
        ________________I_____________
         I                    I                          I
Ang Dhi Wui    Ang Dhi Yen       Ang Dhi Yap


(D)              Hung Ming Lung+Lee Gam Yin


Notes:

* In the recent generation the name Hung is introduced. Hung is the Cantonese version of Ang in the Fujian dialect. Some in the family have chosen to retain the Fujian versions. For example, Winnie and Lina go by Hung while Raymond and Henry use the Fujian Ang. This is understandable when you remember that Hong Kong was a thoroughly Cantonese-speaking place when the family moved there in 1951. As the kids grew up they would naturally adapt to their environment, language adaptations included.

* Chinese records are notoriously hard to find as so many have been destroyed and lost due to China's turbulent history. Wars, disasters, illiteracy, poverty and the scattering of families in search of better economic conditions has taken its toll. We are fortunate to have names taking us back seven generations from Winnie Ming Ling Hung (Bell) to Ang Dek Siang because of an old school exercise book brought out from China when the family left in 1951. Some unknown person took the trouble to hand copy these names (whether from another family records book or directly from headstones is unsure) into the exercise book with basic information about each. It is by no means complete, there are still thousands of forgotten ancestors. Nevertheless, we owe a great debt to that person for what we have. It's a beginning at least.

* Essentially all old Chinese birth and death records use the Chinese Lunar calendar which is difficult to translate over to the Gregorian calendar the world uses today.




     

On the Dragon River: Part two

Remembering a Mother
Written by David Bell

Having covered our eating exploits in the previous post, it's time to get on to more important things. 

Winnie, her brother Henry and I arrived in Hong Kong at  five thirty in the evening on Wednesday the 29th of October, 2013 after a long flight of eleven hours with an additional two hour transit stopover at the Sydney airport. Winnie's Sister Lina, and brother-in-law Michael, were at the Lantau Island airport to greet us and it was a happy reunion. With the exception of Raymond, a brother, the family was together again at last, or what remains of it. Both their grandparents and parents have passed on and only a few other relatives remain in Hong Kong. The family, like many in today's world, are scattered across the globe with members in Hong Kong, Holland,Taiwan, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, England, the USA and Canada. Of course there are some more distant relatives in China but little or nothing is known of them at this time.

After gathering our luggage we were whisked off to the city about forty-five minutes away on a comfortable public transport bus. Hong Kong's public transport system is a marvel of technology and organisation. Upon arrival we quickly located the flat we had rented in Northpoint for our two week stay and then hurried off for an early dinner at a restaurant of  Michael's choosing. It was a good choice because I enjoyed the best yum-cha I've ever had. Yam-cha is a dining method where you select a variety of small dishes more commonly known as dim-sums and eat until your heart's content. 

The following day (Wednesday, 30 October), we went to the Buddhist temple (Kai Ming Jih) at Pok Fu Lau to pay our respects and remember Winnie's deceased relatives, especially her much loved mother. Following is a selection of photographs with written narratives about the day.

The Pok Fu Lam Buddhist temple is situated on a leafy hillside in suburban Hong Kong and offers a rather quiet and tranquil setting away from the clutter and noise of the busy streets.

Winnie's family were not really hard-line practicing Buddhists. They were probably Buddhist by tradition rather than devotion, much the same as many of us are with regard to our Christian Churches. However, the Buddhist belief in life after death is very strong and the temples are primarily places for the veneration and remembrance of the dead. They are also places where memorial plaques can be kept for the living to come to visit their deceased loved ones and perform various acts of respect and remembrance. Memorials for Winnie's grandparents and parents are placed here.

Winnie's mother, Go Lea Hua, was born in Burma, 14 December, 1922, the daughter of a skilled doctor of Chinese herbal medicine. The family left Burma when she was a little girl and returned to China. In China she was betrothed to the young boy, Ang Chay Pek, by the traditional arranged marriage where professional match-makers were hired to find her a suitable husband. According to Saam-sook (Third-uncle), she was about twelve or thirteen at the time and Ang just three years older. They would have remained betrothed until old enough to take on the full responsibility of a married couple. A fuller account of their final union will be given in a biography of Gou Lea Hua after this Hong Kong report. It makes  interesting reading.

Ang Chay Pek soon after went to the Philippines to work in the family business run by his father; a prosperous cloth and fabric shop. It was, in later years, replaced in favour of a glue factory.

Go Lea Hua and her husband saw little of each other in the first years of their married life; Ang lived in the Philippines, returning to China periodically. Their married life was further interrupted by the Japanese occupations of the Philippines and China during World War Two where they never saw or heard from each other for the duration of that conflict. One can only guess at the stress that must have been for them, especially the tender-hearted Go Lea Hua.

Nevertheless they survived the horrors of the occupation and in 1947 their first child was born. They called her Ang Ming Ling, now known as Winnie Ming Ling Bell. As a point of interest, Chinese put the surname first and given names following. For example, by this method I would always be referred to as Bell David instead of David Bell.


This is Go Lea Hua's plaque at the Buddhist temple. Her children knew her as Ma-ma, the Chinese equivalent of mum. When she became a grandmother it changed to Ah-ma. From this point on I will use Ah-ma in reference to her instead of her formal name. 





This close-up of Ah-ma's plaque translates as follows: 1. The two characters to the left of the central column say Lan An, which is the village she lived in after her marriage. The two on the right say Fujian, the Province. 2. The central column of characters state her name and some honorific quotations about her. 3. The two columns of characters on the far right indicate her birth and death dates with the signs and symbols of the Chinese Lunar calendar. 4. The group on the far left is a list of her children.

Ah-ma's plaque is easily recognised by the small vase of purple orchids attached to it. Her daughter, Lina, has, for the past thirty years, made a weekly pilgrimage to her mother's memorial to refresh the flowers and perform small symbolic acts in remembrance of her. These include keeping her memorial adorned with flowers (purple orchids were her favourite), symbolic offerings of food and money in the hope for a healthy, happy and prosperous afterlife, and the burning of an incense stick to take the thoughts and prayers in her heart to her mother in the next world. 

Because land is ridiculously expensive in Hong Kong, a permanent burial plot costs a fortune. Consequently, most people choose cremation after death with memorials at a temple if they are believers or can afford it; the temple facilities, while very much cheaper than a burial plot, still come at a cost.

Ah-ma's ashes urn is situated in a cavity behind the memorial. Below Ah-ma's orchids and to the left is an empty cavity awaiting an occupant. When the ashes are placed in the cavity the plaque is fixed over it.

A picture of the ever faithful Lina arranging fresh flowers to present to her mother. These will remain in a special place in the temple until the next Saturday when she will return with another bouquet. 

Words are inadequate to describe the loyalty and love of this faithful and devoted daughter. But for those who knew Ah-ma, they understand why such love can extend even beyond the grave, for Go Lea Hua was the gentlest of souls who's entire life was spent
sacrificing and giving to others.

The memorial plaques for the grandparents and Ang Chay Pek, Ah-ma's husband, also reside in the temple, but these don't get the same love and feeling reserved for Ah-ma. Their plaques are simpler, and not as prominently placed as Ah-ma's. This is because they all have permanent burial places. For example, Ah-yeh (Grandfather) is buried in a large cemetery overlooking the bay. He has a prime spot and believe it or not, his final resting place is today worth hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. We visited his grave and took the picture shown below. Ang Chay Pek is buried in the Philippines and the others in various places.

Translation of the inscriptions:

1) The two characters to the left of the engraved photograph read, Lan-an, his home village, and the two on the right say Fujian, the Province.

2) The lower left inscriptions lists his children.

3) The central column states his full name with some honorific titles and phrases about him.

4) The characters on the right tell his birth and death details in accordance with the Chinese Lunar calendar. 

Ah-ma sadly passed from this world on 30 October, 1983 from liver failure caused, it is suspected, by a lifelong struggle with malaria, most likely contracted during her early years in Burma. She was just sixty years old. Her husband preceded her by six years, dying 
at the age of fifty eight in the Philippines after a protracted battle with emphysema. 

 

Before we took our leave we noticed a poster of Buddhist proverbs that I thought were good to ponder on. It is titled, Hau, Hau, Hau...which means Good, Good, Good. There are twenty six of them and I have written the translations of several below for your amusement,or enlightenment - whichever grabs you.

As you read you will quite likely remember some quotes from your own cultural environment expressing similar thoughts, as with the first two which might also read: the love of money is the root of all evil, and, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

       

        It matters not if you have a lot of money or little money, having enough is hau.

·         Whether we regard a person as beautiful or ugly is not the point, it's what pleases eye that is hau.

·         Be you old or young, to have good health is hau.

·         Whether your family is rich or poor, as long as there is harmony in the home that is hau.

·         Whether the husband is home early or late, to have him home is hau.

·         Even if the wife is a grumbler, as long as she nurtures the family that is hau.

·         Teaching your children correctly from infancy is hau.

·         To have a master degree is good but selling vegetables is just as hau.

·         It doesn't matter if your house is big or little, as long as can live in it is hau.

·         Fancy brand or no brand, as long as you can wear it is hau.

·         Two wheels or four wheels, as long as you can ride it is hau.

·         Life is full of misery and trials but as long as you can resolve them that’s hau.

·         Just because you have lots of money doesn't mean all will be hau.

·         If your heart is good and you do well, your life’s path will be hau.

·         It doesn't matter who’s right or wrong as long as Heaven knows then all is hau.

·         If you are good and I am good then the world around us will be hau.

·         Knowing when enough is enough is hau.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
With these happy little proverbs bouncing around in our heads and with good feelings in our hearts that we  remembered Ah-ma and our other departed ancestors, Winnie and I left feeling we had in some small way brought the two worlds together if just for a moment and perhaps only in our minds. 

     

     Either way, it was nice.

                                                     

Cabinet containing grandparents plaques

Sacks of paper money and gifts for the ancestors

Burning the paper money in the temple fireplace
symbolizing it going to the next life.

    

  

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