John Watts (Snr)

NZ pioneer, JOHN WATTS  was son of  father John Watts (1793-1848; occ: cooper and coffeehouse owner at St Brides London St. Brides Church of England, Fleet Street, who mar: Sept 30, 1822 his mother Ann Botterill (1801-1878). John was b: 1 Feb 1831 in St Brides, London, and d: 26 Jan 1916 at 72 Conway St., Christchurch, New Zealand. His occ: cooper, he mar: on 20th Oct 1852 to HENRIETTA ELIZABETH WILLS in St Andrews Church, Clifton, Bristol, Gloucestershire. She was b: 05 Sep 1828 to parents John Allison Wills (1804-1841) and mother Mary Pitt nee Babbs (1800-1847), and d: 14 Jul 1911 at Christchurch.  1861 Census: John Watts and his wife Henrietta Elizabeth Watts, and their three children, living in an address of 34 Prince?s Street, Lambeth, Surrey. John is shown to be a 30 year old clerk cooper, b: St. Brides. Henrietta is 31 years old and b: in the parish of St. Peters, Bristol (Gloucestershire). The children in the household include 7 year old John Alfred Watts, b: St. Brides; William J. Watts, b: Westminster; and 10 month old Annie Watts b: 1871 census: The family of John and Henrietta Elizabeth Watts are living in an address of 8 Kenelworth Road, Bethnal Green London John Watts, Head, Married, Male, 40Y, Bond Cooper at a Wharf, b: City of London Henrietta E Watts, Wife, Married, Female, 42Y, b;St. Peter's Bristol John Alfred Watts, Son, Unmarried, Male, 17Y, Wine Merchant's Porter, b: City of London Arthur James Watt, Son, Male, 8Y, Scholar, b: St. Mary Paddington Joseph Robert Watts, Son, Male, 4Y, b: St. Paul's Deptford Ernest Albert Watts, Son, Male, 10 Months, b: Bethnal Green

In 1873 With their children  John and Henrietta immigrated on board the "Star Of India"to Lyttelton, New Zealand. The Christchurch Immigration Office interviewed passengers:

John Watts wrote 14 January 1874: "I was advised by my Brother who is a medical man, to emigrate either to New Zealand, Queensland, or Canada. I chose New Zealand on account of the climate. I saw an advertisement in a paper - "Wanted a married couple; wages £65 per annum and all found, the woman to work in the house, man to milk, work in garden etc". This first convinced me that the wages were so good in New Zealand. I went to the Agent General's Office and found every one very obliging, there was no difficulty in getting my papers filled up. I called twice at the Office and my Contract ticket was filled up for the Dilawur. I had to wait five days for the Star of India. I received one shilling and sixpence per Adult for my family during this detention. I believe that the best way of promoting Emigration would be to have popular lectures on New Zealand to the working classes in the East End of London and to distribute gratuitously pamphlets such as that published by Street for Shaw, Savill & Co. I bought one - a great many people saw it and read it. They thus heard of New Zealand for the first time as a field for Emigration. The advertisements for the Agent General are amongst the shipping advertisements and not one person in a thousand for whom the advertisements are intended ever see them. It was quite by accident that I saw the advertisement in the "Standard". (Src: Archives NZ Ref: IM 74/97)

The family settled in Christchurch.  9 October 1876: The Board then proceeded to discuss the report of the committee seriatim. After a lengthy discussion in committee on the first clause, it was resolved?" that John Watts, caretaker at the West Christchurch School, be appointed as caretaker for the library."

30 May 1878:CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL. TO the Applicants for the Office of House Steward - Mr. John Watts has been Appointed.

18 May 1888 ST. JOHN AMBULANCE. The distribution of the medallions won by members of the different classes in connection with the Canterbury branch of St. John Ambulance Association took place last night in the Provincial Council Chambers. There was a very good attendance of ladies. His Worship the Mayor presided, and said that he had been requested by the Committee of the Association to perform the ceremony of presenting the medallions to those members of the Society who were entitled to receive them Among those listed: John Watts

23 Jul 1890: The ladies made use of, and praised highly, a simple but ingenious bandage-rolling machine that has been made and presented to the Ambulance classes by Mr John Watts, hon. secretary of the Fire Brigade Ambulance Corps.

27 June 1916: FUNERAL NOTICES. THE Funeral of the late John Watts will leave his son's residence 72 Conway street. Spreydon on Wednesday, June 28th, at 2 p.m. for the Sydenham Cem.  (84Y) Bur. Blk 17c, Plot 15, Sydenham Cemetery

 1 John Alfred Watts (b: 24 Aug 1853 in St Brides Fleet St, City of London; d: 04 Nov 1923 in 72 Conway St, Spreydon, Christchurch) Mar: 22 Nov 1877 in Registrars Office, ChCh to Jane Westbury (b: 01 Mar 1849 in Richmond, Tasmania, Australia, d: 24 Aug 1930 in 111 Rose St, ChCh )

Their children were: Annie Elizabeth Watts (1878-1947); Ernest Alfred Watts (1880-1918) Bertha Louise Watts (1882-1954) Alice Ruth Watts (1888-1945) Harry Westbury Watts (1890-1955)  Lucy Agnes Watts (1893-1968)

2 Emily Elizabeth Watts (b: Sep 1855 in Westminster, Middlesex; d: Mar 1858 in Westminster, London )

3 William John Watts (b: 1858 in Westminster, London; d: 1860 in Lamberth Surrey England)

4 Annie Watts (b: Mar 1860 in Paddington, London; d: Sep 1939 in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England - she did not travel to NZ with the family but remained in England with her uncle William

5 Arthur James Watts (b: 02 Jan 1863 in St Marys, Paddington; d: 12 Jul 1956 in 97 Waltham Rd., Christchurch) Mar: 09 Apr 1889 in Registry Office, Christchurch to Ann Elizabeth Ward b: 1864 in Lea Martson, Marriden, Warwickshire; d: 29 Jul 1956 in Christchurch )

6 Joseph Henry Watts (b: 1865 in London , d: 1865 in London)

7 Joseph Robert Watts (b: Jul 1866 in St Pauls, Deptford, Kent, England; d: 06 Dec 1921 in Hawera Cem.) Mar: 08 Mar 1894 in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford, to Jane Theresa Ball (b: 18 Jan 1875 in Christchurch, Canterbury dau. of Henry Ball, coach driver and her mother Jane nee Plunket. She d: 11 Sep 1944 in Hawera, Taranaki)

8 Ernest Albert Watts (b: 20 Jun 1870 in Bethnel Green, London, d: 1871 in Bethnel Green, London)

9 Annie Elizabeth Watts (b: 29 Aug 1878 in Christchurch )

JOSEPH ROBERT WATTS  was b: Jul 1865 St Pauls, Deptford, Kent, England. In NZ he worked for a time on the railways  before becoming  a farmer at Okaiawa.   He mar: 8 Mar 1894 to JANE THERESA BALL at the Holy Trinity Church,  Stratford, Taranaki- his occ: coach driver of Toko. She was b: 1875 in Christchurch, New Zealand, and d: 11 Sep 1944 in Hawera, Taranaki. Joseph d: on 7 Dec 1921 in Hawera, South Taranaki aged 55 yrs.

Taranaki Herald, 18 July 1882:  The Okaiawa hotel is in the hands of Mr. Watts, lately in business at Hawera as cabinet maker and upholsterer, and the host has signified his intention of shortly entertaining the influential settlers of the district at luncheon with the object of discussing the prospects of that portion of the Waimate Plains, and arranging plans for communicating with the Government re the opening up the adjoining bush lands by means of roads to form arteries of communication with the town of Okaiawa. Very commendable energy is shown by the business people in developing the resources of the neighbourhood, and it is likely that the present small settlement is but the nucleus of an eventually large town. The forthcoming sale of land on the continuous reserve will give a further impetus to Okaiawa, whose central situation is so well appreciated by the settlers. In addition to the land previously spoken of in these columns as surveyed and for sale, a further block of 800 acres has been surveyed and sub-divided into 50 acre sections, and will be sold shortly. This block is bounded on the north by the Skeet Road, east by Ahipaipa Road, west by a line cut centrally through the reserve between Skeet Road and the Normanby Okaiawa road. It is said that this land was needed to make up the 5000 acres to be taken by Government for the cost of suppressing the Parihaka agitation, although it is difficult to reconcile this statement with a late intimation in a local paper that the area already surveyed was 7,800 acres.

FUNERAL NOTICE. The funeral of the late Joseph Robert Watts will leave the residence, Burgon Road, Okaiawa, TO-MORROW (Thursday), Dec 8th, 1921, at 1 p.m. for the Hawera Cemetery. Friends please accept this intimation

Clarence, father Joseph Robert; Harold, Ivy; mother Jane; Leslie

In front: Reeford and Percy (twins) Photo abt 1910

iv. LESLIE ARTHUR WATTS, b. 05 Sep 1899 at Stratford, Taranaki; d. 1985. He mar: Sylvia Irene Lord (b: 1899; d: 1985) Their daughter Shirley Irene Watts d: 1932

v. JOHN BERNARD WATTS, b. 1902; d. 1903 aged 13M

vi. PERCY JOSEPH WATTS, b. 06 May 1903; Kaupokonui - Farmer; d. April 21 1973 Taranaki; bur; Manaia Cem. 24/4/1973 agd 71Y

vii. REEFORD BALL WATTS (b. 06 May 1903; Occ: farmer at Kaupokonui; he d. 27 Feb 1966, Kaupokonui, Taranaki Bur: 1 Mar 1966 Manaia Cem. aged 62 yrs) Reef mar: 1936 to ELSIE MAY GRIFFIN at the Wesley Church, Hawera; She was b: 16 Feb 1909, Kaponga, Taranaki to Father Arthur Griffin (1872-1956) and mother Helena Maria nee Adlam (1874-1963) Elsie  d: 29 Jun 2001, Taupo.