Rush Family History
The Story of the Rush Family
Links:
PapersPast - Births:
Palmerston North City Council Cemetery Database. Search for:
- Thomas Rodgers
- Eliza Rodgers
- Alphonsus Rodgers
- Annie Rodgers
- Sylvester Thomas Rodgers
- Mary Ellen Rodgers
- Thomas John Rodgers Jnr
- Mary Julia Stack Rodgers
- Ambrose Rodgers
- Sara Rodgers
Thomas Rodgers articles:
Thomas Rodgers, 1840-1933
This page documents the story of Thomas Rodgers, the first white boy born in Wellington.
Thomas was born on February 29th, 1840, the only son of Cecilia and Charles Rodgers. He was born in his parent's raupo and manuka shack near "Pito-one" beach. He was awarded fifty acres of land by the Government in honour of his birth. His mother, Cecilia, was left with a very poor milk supply after her long sea voyage to New Zealand, so in those first months Thomas was suckled by a local Maori woman. When baby Thomas was just six months old, Charles, his father, was one of nine settlers drowned in a tragic boating accident just off the beach.
Thomas's childhood was a turbulent one, with all the hardships of a new settlement compounded by troubles with the natives and the loss of his father Charles when he was just five months old. Despite the problems caused by an increasingly hostile native community, Thomas developed a wide knowledge of the Maori people and their customs in his early days, rapidly mastering their language and developing a good rapport with the people.
While Thomas was still an infant his mother married Richard Rush, and four half sisters to Thomas resulted from this union. Thomas now found himself a part of a family again, with a father and other children. Alas, by the time Thomas was six he was again left fatherless, when Richard Rush was murdered by the Maoris. Just two months later one of his half sisters, Isabella, died at the age of one. Life for young Thomas (and his mother) must have seemed very unfair.
When Richard Rush's son, John George, became the man of the house, Thomas again had a stepfather, and five more children were added to the family - two half brothers and three more half sisters for Thomas. By the time the last of these, Alphonsus, was born, Thomas was already eighteen.
Thomas spent much of his youth working as an assistant on various farms around the Hutt Valley, and, as oldest child, was responsible for looking after several cows in their own garden. At the age of fifteen, soon after the 1855 earthquake, Thomas suffered an unfortunate accident, when he fell from a bullock dray and was run over by the wheel. His hip was damaged to such an extent that it affected him for the rest of his life. (There was no doctor in the district at that time, and the break was never properly set). After recovering from his accident Thomas turned his hand to bushwork, and by the time he was eighteen he was swinging his axe in the forests of the Hutt Valley.
Meeting Eliza
In 1865, while working as a gardener on the property of Mr Daniel Riddiford, Thomas met Eliza Grennan, born in Ballymore, near Bain-bridge, County Down, Ireland, in 1838. Eliza, blue-eyed and dark-haired, was a daughter of John Grennan, farmer, and Rosie (nee Mahollen). She had started work in a lace factory at the age of eight, and had never learned to read or write.
In 1857, at the age of nineteen, Eliza had taken assisted passage to New Zealand to work for the Riddiford family, accompanied by her thirteen year old sister, Sarah (who later married John Rush Jnr), and an eleven year old brother.
Thomas and Eliza were married on June 3rd, 1866, at the Catholic Chapel in Lower Hutt, by the Reverend Patrick O'Brien. The marriage notice reads: Rodgers-Greanen - On June 3, at the Hutt, by the Rev. Father O'Brien, according to the rites of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, Thomas Rodgers, eldest son of the late Charles Rodgers, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, England, to Miss Eliza Greanen, eldest daughter of John Greanen of County Down, Ireland. (Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2374, 12 June 1866, Page 4).
Thomas now turned to the land given him by the Government, in Petone, and took up farming on his own account.
During this period, Thomas and Eliza produced six children:
- Rose Eliza, born 30 April 1867
- Alphonsus Ambrose Charles, born 11 December 1869
- Mary Ellen, born 17 May 1871
- Sylvester Thomas, born 26 December 1872
- Thomas John, born 16 June 1874
- Edith Cecilia, born 29 January 1876
Thomas and Eliza farmed this land until, in 1876, he sold his fifty acres and used the proceeds to purchase a 100 acre block on the Rangitikei Road, in Palmerston North. This was a block of bush on Rangitikei Line in what was known as the Manawatu Wastelands, which Thomas turned into a fertile productive farm.
After moving to Palmerston, two more children were born:
- Sara, born 7 June 1877
- Ambrose John, born 5 October 1879
making eight children in all. Sara, who never married, remained devoted to her father until his death.
The family farm was next to the Rush and McDowall family farms. Both families had also moved from the Hutt Valley and purchased land from the Government. This area is now on the outskirts of Palmerston North, but in the pioneering days, it was much further out of town.
Being the first white child born in Wellington, Thomas attracted a lot of attention over the years. There was an article printed in the "Manawatu Evening Standard" on 1 March 1920 entitled "A Pioneer's Life, First White child in Wellington celebrates 80th birthday." The story makes light of the fact that Thomas was born on 29th February and had not celebrated as many birthdays as other people, especially as he had missed his birthday for 8 years in a row. The story tells of how his parents came to Petone, how his father was drowned on Petone beach, and how his mother had survived those early days. (see link at right)
One newspaper article proclaimed: Mr Thomas Rodgers, of Rangitikei, celebrated his 80th birthday last week. Mr Rodgers, who looks hale and hearty, was born at Petone in 1840 and is claimed to be the first white child born in Wellington. (Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15161, 8 March 1920, Page 6)
Another article was printed in the "Daily Times" on Friday 28th February 1930, marvelled at how Thomas had survived and lived to the grand old age of 90, and how he "should be more or less an invalid, kept his own garden". (see link at right)
Thomas was also the subject of a chapter in Miriam McGregor's "Petticoat Pioneers", a book about many of New Zealand's early pioneers.
Obituary
The lengthy Obituary (see link at right) published after his death, outlined the life of Thomas and his wife Eliza and their children, and describes how he had moved to the Manawatu and established his farm. "Before he had been here twelve months he had the bush down and his boundary fences well under way."
On his death, Thomas was survived by two sons and three daughters, and had over 30 grandchildren and a number of great-grandchildren.
Thomas and Eliza Rodgers lie buried together in Block 75, Plot 14, in the Catholic section of Terrace End cemetery, Palmerston North. You can view their cemetery record and headstone photo from the link on the right.
The following members of the Rodgers family are also buried at Terrace End Cemetery in Palmerston North:
- Alphonsus and his wife Annie, Block 76, Plot 23
- Sylvester Thomas and his wife Mary Ellen, buried Block 75, Plot 60
- Thomas and his wife Mary Julia Stack, buried Block 59, plot 6A
- Ambrose, buried Block 74, plot 53
- Sara, buried Block 75, Plot 12
Birth Notice
Birth - Rodgers - on June 16, at The Hutt, the wife of Thomas Rodgers, of a son. (Wellington Independent, Volume XXIX, Issue 4135, 22 June 1874, Page 2)
Death Notice
Deaths - Rodgers - At Marton on May 11, Ambrose John, youngest and dearly loved son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Rodgers, Rangitikei Line, Palmerston North (and brother of Mrs E Adams, Dannevirke). Deeply regretted. (Bush Advocate, Volume XIX, Issue 715, 13 May 1907, Page 4)
The full story of the Rodgers family has not yet been compiled for this website. However the Rodgers Family Tree has been prepared by a member of the Rodgers family and will be posted to this site when it is available.
2017 Rush/Rodgers Family Reunion
Members of the Thomas Rodgers family attended the 2017 reunion held in Palmerston North. Here's their family group photo. Click on the image to see a full screen view.
Contact details
If you have any information or photos to add to this page, or any corrections, please contact Dale Hartle in Levin, New Zealand, by phone +64 021 45 34 24.