Friday, February 21, 2014

Samuel Middlebrook 1784-1846

 

 

samuelmiddlebrookblackbullinn

 

Samuel Middlebrook was born in Morley Yorkshire on 16 October 1784-the same year the Methodist Church was chartered in England, and the year that the last person in England was burned at the stake, and the Industrial Revolution was in its infancy. Times were changing and Samuel was to be part of that change.
He  married Hannah Nicholson on 19th December 1893 and had 5 children.
At the time of the birth of his first daughter Mary Ann in 1809 Samuel is listed as a clothier - a profession that runs deep in the Middlebrook history.
By the birth of his second child Elizabeth, he was a butcher, like his father Thomas before him, and a trade that was to become extremely important to the Middlebrook family for the next hundred years or more.
At the baptism at Batley All Saints, of each of his other children, Fanny, John and Thomas he is listed as a Butcher, however by 1828 he is listed in the Pigots Commercial Directory as a Publican- residing at the Black Bull Inn Liversedge Yorkshire.
Clearly a man of conviction, Samuel  was a “Chartist” and was a founding member of the Liversedge “Radical Association”
As noted in the Leeds Times August 4 1838 “ At a meeting held at the house of Samuel Middlebrook, Black Bull Inn Liversedge, a Radical Association was formed for the purpose of securing the political rights of Englishmen, and to promote the adoption by Parliament of the 5 great Radical principals, namely, Universal Suffrage, Vote by ballot, Annual Parliaments, no property qualifications for Members of Parliament, and equal representation.
The 1841 census has Samuel living at the Black Bull Inn with his son John and daughter Fanny.
He died in 1846 and it appears that at some point after that  John took over running the Black Bull until he and his family of 7 children emigrated to New Zealand to begin a new life. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Middlebrook Family Reunion

 

We have, for the last year or so been hoping to hold some kind of family reunion of descendants of John and Ellen Middlebrook and their family, who arrived in New Zealand aboard the Shalimar in December 1862.
Things have been a little slow on the Reunion organising front over the Christmas period but we are ready now to start with the initial organisation .
We have a possible venue in Auckland and we are hoping for a Sunday in mid to late January ( 2015).
What we really need is an indication, however vague, of numbers . We are thinking that we could be looking at as many as 200 as we’ve recently made quite a few contacts who are interested in attending.
We are aware of several in Australia who are interested in attending as well as from all over the North Island
So in order to keep everyone in the loop, we need to start some kind of database of people who are interested.
This wont be by any means a commitment  but we would like to know some  names and numbers of people who  might attend.
So if you are descended from John and Ellen  ( nee Farrer) Middlebrook or connected to the family and  you are interested in even a small way in attending the reunion or being kept up to date with our progress in organising please drop me a line at middlebrookreunion@gmail.com to be added to the database.
You can sign up receive updates by newsletter of the Reunion organisation progress at the top left of this blog.
If you are willing to help in the organisation of the reunion please email us at middlebrookreunion@gmail.com

Just as a reminder here are the names of the original family and their spouses

John Middlebrook ( late of Millbridge Yorkshire) and his wife Ellen ( nee Farrer – originally from Pontefract Yorkshire)
Children
Jane Thompson Middlebrook – married JamesJohn Mcra and then Hector McRae
Benjamin Middlebrook- ( Moved to Australia)  - married Alice Lane
Elizabeth Middlebrook – Married George Douglas Hardy- family lived in Avondale
John Middlebrook  - married Mary Ann Tucker – They lived in Western Springs, Ponsonby and then were well known residents of Te Awamutu
Samuel Middlebrook – married Mary Jane Rea – resident of Katikati and Waihi
James Thompson Middlebrook – Married Elizabeth Edgar and then Julia Bartle Sullivan- resided Opua and Auckland.
( there were 2 other children – Ellen who died before the family emigrated to NZ and Henry who died aged 17 in Auckland)
EllenJaneElizabethMiddlebrook
This photo shows Jane Thompson McRae with her  mother Ellen Middlebrook and Sister Elizabeth Hardy . The child is unidentified at this time but is possibly Ellen Hardy.
JohnandSamuelMiddlebrook1933Korakanui
John and Samuel Middlebrook at Korakanui approximately 1933
JaneTJohnMiddlebrook
John Middlebrook and Jane McRae

 

I have a separate blog devoted just to Middlebrook Family and Reunion posts – You can find this blog at http://middlebrookreunion.blogspot.com

You can sign up for email newsletter updates regarding the reunion at the top left corner of this blog and the Middlebrook Reunion Blog

Sunday, February 16, 2014

The Middlebrook-Frost Wedding

 

John Thompson Middlebrook was a son of John Middlebrook ( jr). ( Very good looking chap I think!)
It was great to receive a copy of this photo from John McBain, JT Middlebrook’s grandson, to go along with the article I had saved from Papers Past which described the wedding.

Middlebrook-FrostWedding

A pretty wedding was celebrated at St Johns Church, Te Awamutu, on Boxing Day, when John Thompson Middlebrook, eldest son, of Mr J. Middlebrook, of Te Awamutu, and late of Ponsonby, was married to Miss Susie Frost, of Te Rahu, late of Manchester, England. The bride, who was given away by her father, looked charming in a white silk dress trimmed with lace insertion, pleated ribbon, chiffon, and a panel front. She also wore the orthodox veil and orange blossoms,
and carried a lovely shower bouquet. The bridesmaids were Miss Adelaide Frost and Miss Edith Middlebrook, sisters of the bride and bridegroom respectively, both attired in white silk trimmed with Valenciennes lace and insertion, with panel fronts. They carried gold brooches, the gift of the bridegroom. The bride also was presented with a beautiful gold brooch.
The bridegroom was attended by Mr Sam Middlebrook, as best man and Mr Robert Frost as groomsman- brothers of the bride and bridegroom. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. J.W.Clark, and Mrs Aheir presided at the organ and played the Wedding March. After the ceremony, the guests drove to the residence of the bride’s parents, where the wedding breakfast was served. Mr and Mrs Middlebrook left by mid-day express on their honeymoon. The bride’s travelling dress was a pretty navy blue costume and hat to correspond.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Trouble at the Mill

 

 

Troubleatthemill

 

This is my GG Grandfather  Samuel Middlebrook  who very nearly perished in an industrial accident.
Journalling
ACCIDENT AT KATIKATI SAW-MILL.
(Own Correspondent)
Bay Of Plenty Times
8 July 1903 Page 2
Messrs Bond Bros, started their saw-mill on Wednesday last, and I regret to state that Mr Samuel Middlebrook met with a most dangerous and painful accident on Thursday. He was engaged as stoker to the engine, and one of the journals having become heated he knelt down to feel it, when a key on a short shaft caught his shirt and carried him round 5 he was discovered, apparently dead, on the floor, covered with blood, and all his clothes stripped off, even to his socks. Though life was believed to be extinct, an urgent message was sent to Dr Slater, of Waihi, who arrived at the mill two hours after receipt of the message. He put in seven stitches in the side of his leg and had him removed on a stretcher to his own home, carried by ten men in relays. He did not recover consciousness for some hours, and has no recollection whatever of anything that occurred after examining the journal of the shaft. The patient is I am happy to state, progressing most favourably, and sleeps soundly all night and through the greater portion of the day. This painful accident only bears out the anticipations I have persistently expressed in your valuable columns, that such must inevitably occur when our local saw mill and other industrial works get into full swing, and we have this example on the second day after the start it is hard to know whose turn will be the next, and yet our settlers appear callous and listless in starting their Medical Club, not following the example of Te Puke, Whakatane and Opotiki, though the idea first originated in Katikati. Mr Middlebrook is much respected here, he is married to a daughter of Mr Stewart Rea, a member of the No 1 Party, and has a large grown up family. He had been for some years engaged in gold mining, in the pursuit of which occupation he met with considerable success.