Charles and Mary Hursthouse Family

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Charles and Mary Hursthouse

The following notes have been condensed from "HURSTHOUSES and related families" by J E Barrett. (14 October 1978) They give an account of some the descendents of Isaac and Mary Jecks, and are of general interest about emigration and early settlement in New Zealand.

   Charles Hursthouse Original in colour at Puke Ariki

                  Wife Mary nee Jecks Original in colour at Puke Ariki

John Hursthouse (b 1745 - d 1806) married  12 Jan 1769 in Worlaby By Brigg, Lincoln to Sarah Hannah (bapt. 8 Apr 1744 Worlaby By Brigg, Lincoln, daughter of John and Amy Hannah; she died 1782) John and Sarah lived at Tydd St Mary's, Lincolnshire and Charles Hursthouse was their last child and only surviving son.

Children of John and Sarah Hursthouse

1 John Hursthouse Born: 1770 Died: 1770

2 Hannah Hursthouse Born: 1771 Died: 1821

3 Matthew Hursthouse Born: 1773 Died: 1773

4 John Hursthouse Born: 1775 Died: 1775

5 Jane Hursthouse Born: 1777 Died: 1777

6 John Hursthouse Born: 1778 Died: 1778

7 Charles Hursthouse Born: 07 Jan 1781 in Beccles, Tydd St Mary, Lincolnshire Died: 22 Jun 1854 in Okoare, New Plymouth, NZ

Charles was educated at Mr Bricknells School, Ponders End, North London and farmed his father's estate at Tydd St Mary. Well educated and cultivated but was considered financially irresponsible (statement source - Jecks Family) He was a man fond of science, flowers and trees and in Tydd undertook an enormous amount of planting which earned him public tribute. He owned land and had a business as a timber merchant in Suffolk.

Children Sarah, Hannah and Charles Hursthouse were also baptised together on December 7th, 1819 at Dr William's Library, Redcross Street, Cripplegate, London, EC1

Charles Hursthouse Sen. (1781-1854) owned land and had business as a timber merchant in Suffolk, England. He married 15 Oct 1806 at the Hemingford Grey Parish Church, Huntingdonshire to Mary Jecks. As she was just under 21 years of age, the consent of her father was needed and was married by special licence (she was born: 10 Nov 1785 in St Peters, Wisbech; her Father: Isaac Jecks, Mother: Mary Bloomar)

The Hursthouse family returned to Wisbech at 2 yearly intervals for the christening of 6 of the nine children and Sarah, Hannah and Charles jun. were also baptised together on December 7th, 1819 at Dr William's Library, Redcross Street, Cripplegate, London, EC1
The Hursthouse's home at Tydd St. Mary had been depicted in two views, front and back, on the family tree drawn up by Mr. Burgess of Fleet in 1796. The house was of the hall type with two cross wings with hall between and the drawings were made by Donald and Elliot Smith on 15th. July 1742. It was most probably built in the 16th. century, but later modernised by the insertion of central dormer windows, in line with the front door into the hall, and five new windows on both the ground and first floors. Chimneys show on the parlour wing and at the opposite end of the hall, while, at the rear, the cross wings protrude.

Here Mary died aged 43 years on 4th Jun 1829 and was buried at Tydd St Mary's cemetery on June 9th. She had been confined to her home for 7 months and to her bed for 11 weeks due to consumption

After Mary's death, Charles's finances were at their lowest ebb - the money he had made during the French Wars was lost in the depression that followed in the early 1920'a. In 1824 after borrowing £3,600 for the mortgage from his father-in-law Isaac Jenks, he was forced to sell part of his estate, Titney Hall for £9,999.Isaac Jecks's death in June 1841 and the distribution of his estate freed some of his grandchildren from the industrial and economic distress of Britain in the early 1840s.

The Hursthouses had already discussed emigration towards the end of the 1830s, and Charles Hursthouse junior had travelled to Canada, Australia and America to investigate prospects. He had reported unfavourably on all three countries. Eventually the family decided on New Zealand, settling in New Plymouth, Taranki, on the North Island. The reasons for their choice of that country in preference to the older and more flourishing of Britain's colonies were explained in a letter from Charles Hursthouse: "We do not go to make a fortune but to found a home where we can have abundant employment and where we may all live at health and at ease."
The first members to leave were 31 year old John Hursthouse, wife Helen, and their three children, brother Charles and cousin Thomas Newsham came to New Zealand on the ship Thomas Sparks in 1843.
Charles sen. with his daughter Mary eventually came to New Zealand aboard the 'Pekin' in 1850 and he passed away at New Plymouth on 22nd Jun 1854 at Okoaro, the home of daughter Hannah who was married to John Stephenson Smith.