George Dunford
Original information:
George Dunford was three when he emigrated to Canterbury with his parents, William, an agricultural labourer, and Elizabeth (34), and siblings Edward (14, d. 1889), an agricultural labourer, William (12, 1837-1883), Charles (1840-1916), Martha (8), Henry (1842-1929), and Jacob (1845-1884). In 1900, George was living at Ward Street, Addington. George’s father, William, became a ferryman, accommodation housekeeper and later a head shepherd.
Edward is buried at Woolston cemetery; brother William became a blacksmith and later managed Mount Hutt station for Alex Lean; and Jacob became a ferryman. In 1900, Charles was living at South Rakaia, and Henry, a stockowner, was at Temuka.
Readers’ response:
A family member believes that the numbering is wrong for the Cressy. He believes that George Dunford is No. 16 and that No. 10 is E. C. Mouldey. He bases his reasoning on photographs. William Sen. (c. 1815-1895) and Elizabeth (c. 1815-1887) arrived in Canterbury with seven children. Six other children were born after that.
The family moved from Lyttelton to Christchurch, where they lived on Hagley Park, and then to Rangiora, where William worked for C. O. Torlesse. Most of the family then moved to Rakaia after William secured a lease with the Canterbury Provincial Government to provide a ferry across the Rakaia. William is apparently best known as the Rakaia ferryman.
George (1847-1926) married at some point. He lived in Addington most of his life and is buried at Sydenham. Edward (c. 1837-1910) died on the West Coast and is buried at Karoro, Greymouth. William Jun. (c. 1839-1883) remarried after his first wife died and was sheepfarming during the 1860s and 1870s. He later owned a successful china importing business at the bottom end of Colombo Street; he is buried in Rakaia.
Charles (c. 1840-1916) was married twice and lived in South Rakaia for most of his later life; he is buried at Linwood cemetery. Martha (c. 1841-1883) married Guy Secord and is buried in Karoro, Greymouth. Henry (c. 1843-1926) did a variety of work, mainly managing farms. In 1900 he was living in Temuka with his family; he is buried at Temuka.
Jacob (c. 1845-1884) worked as a Rakaia ferryman during the period the Dunfords had the ferry lease, and is buried at Karoro, Greymouth. 1
Footnotes:
1. Keith Harvey, unpublished family history
Corrections to Main Article
Edward died in 1910 and is buried in Karoro cemetery, Greymouth. His wife Hannah is buried at Woolston cemetery.
Corrections to Readers’ Response
William Jun. (c. 1839-1883) is buried in Addington cemetery.
Martha (c. 1841-1883) is buried in Rakaia cemetery beside her brother Jacob.
Jacob (c. 1845-1884) is buried in Rakaia cemetery.