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William John Harper
was born 1850 in Pullyernan, Urney, County Tyronne and aged 25, on 9th
January, 1875 immigrated to New Zealand on the "Margaret Galbraith". For many years he operated an
express wagon in Oamaru and in 1895 was employed making the
Maerewhenua road. He died 29 Nov 1934 in Oamaru.
The following year saw difficult times. In September William and Express Driver, was declared bankrupt when unable to meet his debts and a meeting of creditors was held at Oamaru He surmonted this difficulty and again appeared in court summoned by the "Inspector of Nuisances"! for driving an express waggon through the town without his name being properly painted on it and was fined 10/-. In 1891 William appied to the Borough council to lease a section in Reed street at 20/- a year and rates and in 1895 William was working at road making at Maerewhenua. 1914 11 Sep: William John Harpper was granted a yearly licence to various sections in the town of Waitaki . Johanna and William Harper had 8 children but she died on 13 September 1901 at Seacliff Hospital aged 46 years. Their family: i. John George Harper: Born 15 Mar 1878 at Waitaki, Oamaru where he worked as a labourer and died 17 May 1956 at Oamaru. His burial 19 May 1956 a the Oamaru Cem. John married 12 Oct 1914 in Waimate Julia Agnes Hawkins who was born 20 Dec 1882 in Hook. Her parents were Thomas Peter and Mary Ellen Hawkins. Julia died 03 Aug 1929 in Oamaru Public Hospital and was buried 06 Aug 1929 Oamaru Cemetery. Their family -
ii. Ann Jane (Cis)
Harper was born 05 Jul 1879 at Waitaki. She died on 04 Jul
1950 in Oamaru where she was buried. Cis married 03 Sep
1903 David Joseph
Brosnan who had been born 1877 in County Kerry, Ireland - his father
was David Brosnan. He was a farmer at Waitaki Sth and died 13
Sep 1957 at 83 Kaikorai Valley Road, Dunedin and was buried
at Oamaru Cemetery. Their children:
iii. Mary Harper was
born 27 Jul 1881 at Oamaru and d. 06 Mar 1906 in Dunedin. Her burial
07 Mar 1906 Northern Cemetery, Dunedin. She was married 04 Jul 1905
in St Johns Church, Christchurch to John Harley Gill who was b. 1881 in Tenterfield,
Queensland to parents Richard Gill and mother Martha nee Godding. He
was a commercial traveller at Dunedin. Their
son Geoffrey died
aged 4 hrs after birth on 11 Feb 1906. John remarried Sarah Irwin
Jenkins in 1907.
iv. Isabella Harper was
born at Oamaru on 29 Aug 1883 and d. 04 Aug 1940 at Timaru where
she was buried 07 Aug 1940. She married James Geddes on 17 Sep
1909 at Timaru. He was a salesman and was born 10 Mar 1879 at Temuka
- his father was George Geddes and mother Agnes nee Thomson. James d. 18
May 1942 in 23 Elizabeth St, Timaru and was buried there on 19 May
1942. Their family -
v. William Harper was
born 29 Oct 1885 at Oamaru. He was a farmer at Makikihi. He
d. 5th Mar 1973 at Timaru and was bur. 06 Mar 1973 Old Waimate
Cemetery. He married 26 Oct 1910 to Alice Humphris who was b. 20 Mar 1889 in Waitaki - her
father was Valentine John* Humphris and mother, Jessie Jack Rodger.
Alice d. 18 Jul 1936 in Waimate and was buried 20 Jul 1936 at
the Old Waimate Cemetery.
  vi. Henry James Harper was born 23 Oct
1888 in Oamaru. He was a farm labourer employed by R. Duff at Glenavy
when he joined Kings Rifle Volunteers, Oamaru in 1912 (Service No
23548) and was a member of the Glenavy Defence Rifle Club.
On Feb. 10, 1916 both he
and brother Frank together enlisted and trained at Trentham until May 29, when he was made
Lance-Corporal and they boarded the troopship SS Tofua for England and
arrived May 29 at Sling Camp near Bulford, Wiltshire and on July 29,
Henry went to the Čtaples Depot on August 13 and joined the 1st Battalion
Otago Regiment on August 24 at Citerne, Picardie. The Somme front was the
scene of heavy fighting in the German advance and the Allied
counter-offensive of 1918 and Henry was killed in action on Monday, Sep.
18, near Flers, Picardie in Caterpiller Valley, Somme, France WW1. His
burial is recorded at the Caterpiller Valley NZ War Memorial, Somme,
France
vii. Charles
Alexander Harper was born 29 Mar 1890 in Waitaki, Oamaru and d. 2 Sep
1970 in Oamaru. He married 24 Nov 1914 to Mary Louisa Major who was b. 23 Sep 1892 and she
d. 17 Aug 1977 at Oamaru where she was bur. Oamaru Lawn Cemetery from
Basilica
viii. Francis (Frank)
Harper was born 10 Dec 1892 in Oamaru. He was one of the first to enlist
for WW1 service in the Waitaki district and died of wounds 14 Oct
1917 received in France: Corporal 23547, 1st Bn, Otago Reg. NZEF.
Frank survived his brother Henry by 13
months only to be killed in Flanders
   
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Johanna
Conroy was born abt. 1856 in Carlow, Queens, Cork, Ireland to
parents Patrick Conroy and Bridget nee Curran and had left Athy
in Queens/Kildare county in Ireland for London. Travelling alone, she
boarded the "Margaret Galbraith" as an assisted immigrant on October
1st 1874. Johanna gave her occupation as 'servant' , an occupation much in
demand in New Zea;and and arrived at Port Chalmers, Otago on January 9th,
1875. Two years later, 7th Jun 1877 she married William Harper at Oamaru.
