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Joshua Henry Prosser was born 26 Dec 1852
to parents Samuel and Caroline Prosser. In 1863, accompanied by his mother
(his father having died Sept 1862), his brothers and sisters, Joshua
arrived from Melbourne on board the ship.
His brothers returning from the
goldfields had entered into partnership in Wellington with William Hannah
and Richard Pierce and purchased the livery stable of George Billman.
They ran their coaches and livery stables opposite the Commercial
Hotel under the names of "Prosser's White horse Repository, Livery and
Letting Stables" and "Prosser's Line of Royal Mail Coaches".
 Josh developed a lively interest in horse
racing and rode in his first race on the Porirua race course 22 Jan 1865
and was placed 2nd on a gelding named "P.B." He moved to Porirua
where he married in 1868 at Takapuwahia Pa to Raiha (Eliza) Waitohi
Puaha. She was b: 1853 to Father: Ngata Toa chief, Rawiri Kingi Puaha
was born at Kawhia and traced his ancestry back to the Tainui canoe and
was eldest son of Te Mataoe and Hinekato and Mother: Ria Waitohi (she was
bapt. 1841 at Cloudy Bay, daughter of Te Pehi Kupe who was
Te Rauparaha's uncle) Raiha d: 27
May 1912 in Wellington
Joshua with brothers began running coaches between Foxton and Wellington and by 1870 at Porirua he had established a racecourse pegged out on the beach complete with stables on the hill just outside Porirua. He became a noted trainer and many of the leading jockeys of that era rode for him. Their training ground was located on the beach at the southern end of the Porirua harbour - this area is now reclaimed for commercial and industrial use as part of the Porirua town Centre. In the 1880's he rode in steeplechases and on the flat and was a most successful trainer of the best horses in the Dominion and had a reputation as a fine tutor of apprentice jockeys. Josh attended racing meets as an owner and trainer for over 50 years (his brother James was for a time Clerk of the course for the Wellington Racing Club) About 1922 Josh had a large hall built and this became a popular venue for dances and other social events (it was demolished in 1961 to make way for the town centre) and son David continued the stables and horse training after his father's death aged 75 years on 27 Sep 1927 and was bur: Takapuwahia Cemetery, Mataiwhetu St.
David Joshua Prosser was also was a well known identity - a JP and Maori elder up to the time of his own death 20 Jan 1958 - Born: 1869 in Porirua Pa, he attended Wellington College and was for a time a student at St Patricks College, Kent Terrace. He was active in matters concerning the well-being of Maori people and was chairman of the Wellington Tribal executive, Maori Housing Committee, Otaki-Porirua Trust Board, vice president of the Otaki Maori Racing Club and Chairman of the Maori Rugby Management committee and official visitor of the Porirua Mtal Hospital and a member of the Ngati-toa and Mana Lodges of the I.O.O.F. He was buried at Mataiwhetu St. Cemetery. David mar: 1912 in Nelson to Ethel May Eden (Born: 1886 to parents George and Mary Ann Eden. She d: 1967 in Wellington) Their son Roderick Eden Prosser Born: 10
March 1926 in Takapua, Hawkes Bay d: 1996 Mar: to Agnes Gallacher Sutherland - Their son is David Thomas
Prosser All images and data used in this site
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