Mr John Gibson (b 1841- d 1915)
John Gibson was one of the influential and energetic group of men who had much to do with the setting up of business, civic and social activities in Patea. His name appears on most of the local boards, committees, councils and company shareholder lists of the early years of the town. He was elected to the Patea Borough Council at its inauguration, resigned from it in April, 1883, but was re-elected in 1885 and continued as councilor till December 1888, when he was elected mayor which position he held for a one year term and then retried permanently from the Borough Council, although he served on a special Town Hall Committee in 1911 and 1912.
John Gibson came to New Zealand in 1860 aged 21. He was the oldest of nine children and together with his parents they all arrived in Wellington and settled in the Rangitikei district. John had already completed his education at St John‘s School in Chester and had started gaining some trade experience in Liverpool. During the land wars in Taranaki in the late 1860s he was in charge of commissariat stores under contract to Messrs Peat and Lewis of Wanganui. This brought him to the military camp at Patea Heads where as soon as hostilities ceased, he started up on his own, supplying general merchandise to the local civilians and settlers who began to come into Patea.
By 1870 when the Carlyle town sections were sold, he setup a shop on the Leicester Street corner where Gibson’s Stores still stands. He built up world wide connections, imported direct from many places and also obtained a liquor licence in 1869. In later years he had warehouses and branches in Hawera, Manaia and Ketemarae. As an importer he took great interest in the Patea Port and shipping and was an early protagonist for harbour development and shipping and road development. These activities led him into his positions as chairman of the Patea Harbour Board 1882-1886 and further service as a Board member. Part owner of the Schooner 'Kate' with at first Samuel Taplin, Quintin Muir and Sea Captain Joseph Barnard Tilley, and later just Capt Tilley; 1878 shareholder in Patea Steam Shipping Co., and later a director as well until 1884. He pushed the sale of the “Waverley” and in 1886 the company was finally wound up.
He was agent for the Paddle steamer 'Tongariro'. He was also prominent as director in ventures such as The Patea Flax Company c1869, the West Coast Meat and Produce Export Co. Ltd in 1881 and the Steam Sawmill and Woodware Manufacturing Co. in 1885, and the Oil and Fibre Co. But the latter two were short-lived, winding up in 1886. The year 1885 also saw him as Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and in 1890 he made an abortive attempt to get a new Steam Shipping Company going.
On the social side he was influential in the inauguration of the 'Patea Library and Institute' in 1876, and founded the Patea Bowling Club in 1896, on land they donated. He was also, in 1882, president of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association but resigned from it in 1884. All through these public activities he was running his large and expanding general merchandise and liquor business.
On the domestic scene he was married on 9 January 1872 to Janet Helen McGregor, eldest of four daughters of Daniel & Madeline McGregor (nee Moodie) of Wanganui. Daniel McGregor owned the prosperous Empire Hotel in Wanganui. Early in their marriage John and Janet lived in a small house behind the Leicester Street shop. In 1881 they built the elegant home known as 'The Pah' at 170 Egmont Street, on the corner of Hadfield Street. The following except from ‘Legacy of Turi’ printed in 1976 explains how they came to own that property: ‘When the first 5 of their 11 children were born John and Janet had been in the small house behind the shop on Leicester Street. However, in February 1878, Janet’s father; Daniel McGregor bequest her a property…. in consideration of the natural love and affection that he hath towards his daughter, conveyed to her by legal deed the five acres of land on Egmont Street that he had bought in the 1870 land sale. It was, he said, for her sole and separate use free from debt and control of her present and any after-taken husband’. The house they built – The Pah, was unusual in that it was constructed in two separate parts. To the north side of the section was a kitchen-dining room and 25ft away from it was the bedrooms and drawing room section, which was built on a grand scale. There was a roofed over passage way, open to both sides, connecting the two buildings. After renovations were completed on the Gibson Stores building in 1907 the builders moved to the homestead, building a connection between the two sections, joining them up to the final elegant design we see today’.
Janet Gibson also owned land at the foot of Rakaupiko Road, which she leased to Chinese market gardeners. From this, the area became known as Chinaman's Hill. The Gibson's had seven daughters and four sons who took up varied trades and professions in Patea and further afield. William Henry b. 18/11/1872, Madeline Lucy b. 24/7/1874, John McGregor b.9/10/1876, Margaret Helen (Nell) b. 21/10/1878, Arthur Percy 1/7/1881, Alice Mary b.25/11/1884, Edward Fred b.28/4/1885, Emily Juli 25/7/1890, Bessie Janet b.1/6/1892, Ena Tui b.18/4/1894, and Huia b.8/6/1896. John Gibson died on 28 February 1915 at the age of 73 and is buried in the Patea Cemetery, beside his wife Janet who died 22 July 1932 aged 81.
The 11 children of John and Janet Gibson:
William Henry married Kathleen Navada Lawrence at the age of 48 in St Paul’s Church, Wanganui on 12 April 1921. Their wedding reception was at the D.I.C tearooms and their Honeymoon in Java. William had been in business with his brother John McGregor Gibson in Wanganui since the early 1900’s. In 1909 they bought out the business of the United Farmers’ Co-operative Association Ltd on Victoria Avenue and went into business with one of their Store men; Leonard D Paterson of Palmerston North, operating a very successful importing business and wine & spirit license. After their wedding William and Kathleen moved to Wellington, starting another successful emporium there. They had four children, Helen Haldane born in 1923, and then triplets born in 1924: John McGregor, Patrica Kathleen and Gladys Lawrence, all survived into adulthood.
Madeline Lucy married William Norrington Jones in 1900. They had at least two children: Eileen Janet born in 1901 and Tui Alice born in 1903.
John McGregor married Elizabeth McFarlane Buchanan in 1912.
Margaret Helen (Nell) never married.
Arthur Percy married Lydia Pearson Bock in 1911, they had at least 2 children: Joan Lydia in 1912 and Kura Ray in 1917. Arthur Percy was the Captain of the SS Inaha.
Alice Mary married Sydney Charles McRae in 1914, they had one child: Richard Sydney McRae (Dick) in 1919.
Edward Fred married Janet Hazel Mary Hammond in 1913. They had at least 3 children: Betty Janet b. 1914, John Arthur b. 1917 and Geraldine Tui b.1923.
Ena Tui never married.
Emily Juli married Fred Grainger at St Georges Anglican Church Patea on 17 October 1912. Fred was the well-respected manager of the South Taranaki Shipping Company and West Coast Refrigeration Company. He was also on the Patea Borough Council for 13 years, being deputy mayor for four years. On the day of their wedding all steamers in the Port were dressed with bunting in honour of the occasion and a salute was fired from one of the boats as the Bridal party left the Church. Fred and Emily had 4 children, two sets of twins: John Peter & Janet in 1915, Frederick Gibson & Dorothy Juli in 1917. Fred had been married in 1903 to Winifred Mary Wordsworth. She died after the birth of their second daughter and is buried in the Patea cemetery.
Bessie Janet married Edwin Henry Davidson from Whenuakura in 1939 aged 47. An Art Deco stucco home was built for them on the corner of the Gibson 5 acre property on Egmont Street. They lived there together until Edwin died in 1954, Bessie lived on there until her death in 1876 aged 83. They had no children. The Davidson’s had a large farm at Whenuakura, Edwin had a successful racehorse called Nukumai, when it died it was buried on land behind the Gibson property that became known as Nukumai Park.
Huia Edith married engineer Charles Francis Pulley in 1917. Charles arrived in Patea in 1916 to extend the Patea sea wall. At the age of 51, it was Charles' first marriage, Huia was just 20 years old. They had 2 children; Peter and Barbara. By 1920 the marriage was all but over, they separated...divorcing in 1925. Huia married ace WWI pilot; Rowland Arthur Ironside Reid in 1927, unfortunately this marriage also didn’t last. Huia had a holiday home at the Patea Beach, and a home was built for her in the front of the Pah homestead on Egmont Street. Vida Jowett bought it and lived there after Huia died in the early 1960’s. Another small home was built on the corner of Egmont and Hadfield Street for the loyal and long time Gibson’s Store man – Ian Hill. Ian managed the Store after the death of Peter Pulley.
Huia’s son Peter Charles Pulley eventually took over Gibson Stores in Patea. Peter served in WWII and upon his return held similar civic duties in Patea to his grandfather John Gibson. He was one of the longest serving councilors being on the Patea Borough Council for 25 years, Deputy Mayor for some of this time. He married Isabella Alvida Eriksen, known as Vida, in 1947. Peter and Vida had two children: Rosalind and Prudence. The Pulley’s lived in The Pah Homestead all their married life. Peter died in 1978 aged 60. Vida moved to Wanganui and died in 1994 aged 72. Peter and Vida’s ashes are interred at Aramoho Cemetery, next to his mother Huia Pulley Reid. When Gibson’s Stores and The Pah was sold in 1982 after 100 years in the ownership of the Gibson family, Ian Hill relocated his home to New Plymouth and sold the section to the new owners of The Pah – Laurie and Jeanette Gibbs.
John Gibson was one of the influential and energetic group of men who had much to do with the setting up of business, civic and social activities in Patea. His name appears on most of the local boards, committees, councils and company shareholder lists of the early years of the town. He was elected to the Patea Borough Council at its inauguration, resigned from it in April, 1883, but was re-elected in 1885 and continued as councilor till December 1888, when he was elected mayor which position he held for a one year term and then retried permanently from the Borough Council, although he served on a special Town Hall Committee in 1911 and 1912.
John Gibson came to New Zealand in 1860 aged 21. He was the oldest of nine children and together with his parents they all arrived in Wellington and settled in the Rangitikei district. John had already completed his education at St John‘s School in Chester and had started gaining some trade experience in Liverpool. During the land wars in Taranaki in the late 1860s he was in charge of commissariat stores under contract to Messrs Peat and Lewis of Wanganui. This brought him to the military camp at Patea Heads where as soon as hostilities ceased, he started up on his own, supplying general merchandise to the local civilians and settlers who began to come into Patea.
By 1870 when the Carlyle town sections were sold, he setup a shop on the Leicester Street corner where Gibson’s Stores still stands. He built up world wide connections, imported direct from many places and also obtained a liquor licence in 1869. In later years he had warehouses and branches in Hawera, Manaia and Ketemarae. As an importer he took great interest in the Patea Port and shipping and was an early protagonist for harbour development and shipping and road development. These activities led him into his positions as chairman of the Patea Harbour Board 1882-1886 and further service as a Board member. Part owner of the Schooner 'Kate' with at first Samuel Taplin, Quintin Muir and Sea Captain Joseph Barnard Tilley, and later just Capt Tilley; 1878 shareholder in Patea Steam Shipping Co., and later a director as well until 1884. He pushed the sale of the “Waverley” and in 1886 the company was finally wound up.
He was agent for the Paddle steamer 'Tongariro'. He was also prominent as director in ventures such as The Patea Flax Company c1869, the West Coast Meat and Produce Export Co. Ltd in 1881 and the Steam Sawmill and Woodware Manufacturing Co. in 1885, and the Oil and Fibre Co. But the latter two were short-lived, winding up in 1886. The year 1885 also saw him as Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and in 1890 he made an abortive attempt to get a new Steam Shipping Company going.
On the social side he was influential in the inauguration of the 'Patea Library and Institute' in 1876, and founded the Patea Bowling Club in 1896, on land they donated. He was also, in 1882, president of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association but resigned from it in 1884. All through these public activities he was running his large and expanding general merchandise and liquor business.
On the domestic scene he was married on 9 January 1872 to Janet Helen McGregor, eldest of four daughters of Daniel & Madeline McGregor (nee Moodie) of Wanganui. Daniel McGregor owned the prosperous Empire Hotel in Wanganui. Early in their marriage John and Janet lived in a small house behind the Leicester Street shop. In 1881 they built the elegant home known as 'The Pah' at 170 Egmont Street, on the corner of Hadfield Street. The following except from ‘Legacy of Turi’ printed in 1976 explains how they came to own that property: ‘When the first 5 of their 11 children were born John and Janet had been in the small house behind the shop on Leicester Street. However, in February 1878, Janet’s father; Daniel McGregor bequest her a property…. in consideration of the natural love and affection that he hath towards his daughter, conveyed to her by legal deed the five acres of land on Egmont Street that he had bought in the 1870 land sale. It was, he said, for her sole and separate use free from debt and control of her present and any after-taken husband’. The house they built – The Pah, was unusual in that it was constructed in two separate parts. To the north side of the section was a kitchen-dining room and 25ft away from it was the bedrooms and drawing room section, which was built on a grand scale. There was a roofed over passage way, open to both sides, connecting the two buildings. After renovations were completed on the Gibson Stores building in 1907 the builders moved to the homestead, building a connection between the two sections, joining them up to the final elegant design we see today’.
Janet Gibson also owned land at the foot of Rakaupiko Road, which she leased to Chinese market gardeners. From this, the area became known as Chinaman's Hill. The Gibson's had seven daughters and four sons who took up varied trades and professions in Patea and further afield. William Henry b. 18/11/1872, Madeline Lucy b. 24/7/1874, John McGregor b.9/10/1876, Margaret Helen (Nell) b. 21/10/1878, Arthur Percy 1/7/1881, Alice Mary b.25/11/1884, Edward Fred b.28/4/1885, Emily Juli 25/7/1890, Bessie Janet b.1/6/1892, Ena Tui b.18/4/1894, and Huia b.8/6/1896. John Gibson died on 28 February 1915 at the age of 73 and is buried in the Patea Cemetery, beside his wife Janet who died 22 July 1932 aged 81.
The 11 children of John and Janet Gibson:
William Henry married Kathleen Navada Lawrence at the age of 48 in St Paul’s Church, Wanganui on 12 April 1921. Their wedding reception was at the D.I.C tearooms and their Honeymoon in Java. William had been in business with his brother John McGregor Gibson in Wanganui since the early 1900’s. In 1909 they bought out the business of the United Farmers’ Co-operative Association Ltd on Victoria Avenue and went into business with one of their Store men; Leonard D Paterson of Palmerston North, operating a very successful importing business and wine & spirit license. After their wedding William and Kathleen moved to Wellington, starting another successful emporium there. They had four children, Helen Haldane born in 1923, and then triplets born in 1924: John McGregor, Patrica Kathleen and Gladys Lawrence, all survived into adulthood.
Madeline Lucy married William Norrington Jones in 1900. They had at least two children: Eileen Janet born in 1901 and Tui Alice born in 1903.
John McGregor married Elizabeth McFarlane Buchanan in 1912.
Margaret Helen (Nell) never married.
Arthur Percy married Lydia Pearson Bock in 1911, they had at least 2 children: Joan Lydia in 1912 and Kura Ray in 1917. Arthur Percy was the Captain of the SS Inaha.
Alice Mary married Sydney Charles McRae in 1914, they had one child: Richard Sydney McRae (Dick) in 1919.
Edward Fred married Janet Hazel Mary Hammond in 1913. They had at least 3 children: Betty Janet b. 1914, John Arthur b. 1917 and Geraldine Tui b.1923.
Ena Tui never married.
Emily Juli married Fred Grainger at St Georges Anglican Church Patea on 17 October 1912. Fred was the well-respected manager of the South Taranaki Shipping Company and West Coast Refrigeration Company. He was also on the Patea Borough Council for 13 years, being deputy mayor for four years. On the day of their wedding all steamers in the Port were dressed with bunting in honour of the occasion and a salute was fired from one of the boats as the Bridal party left the Church. Fred and Emily had 4 children, two sets of twins: John Peter & Janet in 1915, Frederick Gibson & Dorothy Juli in 1917. Fred had been married in 1903 to Winifred Mary Wordsworth. She died after the birth of their second daughter and is buried in the Patea cemetery.
Bessie Janet married Edwin Henry Davidson from Whenuakura in 1939 aged 47. An Art Deco stucco home was built for them on the corner of the Gibson 5 acre property on Egmont Street. They lived there together until Edwin died in 1954, Bessie lived on there until her death in 1876 aged 83. They had no children. The Davidson’s had a large farm at Whenuakura, Edwin had a successful racehorse called Nukumai, when it died it was buried on land behind the Gibson property that became known as Nukumai Park.
Huia Edith married engineer Charles Francis Pulley in 1917. Charles arrived in Patea in 1916 to extend the Patea sea wall. At the age of 51, it was Charles' first marriage, Huia was just 20 years old. They had 2 children; Peter and Barbara. By 1920 the marriage was all but over, they separated...divorcing in 1925. Huia married ace WWI pilot; Rowland Arthur Ironside Reid in 1927, unfortunately this marriage also didn’t last. Huia had a holiday home at the Patea Beach, and a home was built for her in the front of the Pah homestead on Egmont Street. Vida Jowett bought it and lived there after Huia died in the early 1960’s. Another small home was built on the corner of Egmont and Hadfield Street for the loyal and long time Gibson’s Store man – Ian Hill. Ian managed the Store after the death of Peter Pulley.
Huia’s son Peter Charles Pulley eventually took over Gibson Stores in Patea. Peter served in WWII and upon his return held similar civic duties in Patea to his grandfather John Gibson. He was one of the longest serving councilors being on the Patea Borough Council for 25 years, Deputy Mayor for some of this time. He married Isabella Alvida Eriksen, known as Vida, in 1947. Peter and Vida had two children: Rosalind and Prudence. The Pulley’s lived in The Pah Homestead all their married life. Peter died in 1978 aged 60. Vida moved to Wanganui and died in 1994 aged 72. Peter and Vida’s ashes are interred at Aramoho Cemetery, next to his mother Huia Pulley Reid. When Gibson’s Stores and The Pah was sold in 1982 after 100 years in the ownership of the Gibson family, Ian Hill relocated his home to New Plymouth and sold the section to the new owners of The Pah – Laurie and Jeanette Gibbs.
