George Howard GAUDIN 1841 - 1930
George Howard GAUDIN, born 1841 Restigouche, Dalhousie, New Brunswick, Canada, was the eighth and last child of Captain David GAUDIN 1783-1860, a Master Mariner, and his second wife Elizabeth de QUETTEVILLE. Both were born in Jersey, Channel Islands and immigrated to Canada in 1835 with their first six children, Elizabeth born 1815, William born 1816, Francis born 1818, John born 1829, Caroline 1832 and Amelia 1834. The family then settled in New Brunswick where Matilda was born in 1836. David was aged 68 years and his occupation in 1851 was farmer. (Source New Brunswick Census Returns 1851)
George immigrated to Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on the Storm Cloud in 1863 and had three wives, Clara VINING 1853-1878 (her two sons, Henry Howard 1876-1903 and Arthur Hedley 1877-1969 were raised by her family in Melbourne, Australia), Annie BROWN nee RIGBY,1867-1916 (6 children, Wilkin, Albert, Ada, Sidney, Maud and Eric, plus two from relationships). They lived up the Wilkin River at Makarora, where George owned and operated a saw mill. Annie died in Dunedin in 25 Jun1916, aged 48, from diabetes. George married again to Elizabeth FREEMAN in 1924 at Gore, who was aged 54. Bessie lived over twenty years longer than George, passing away in 1951 in Dunedin and is buried together with George and Annie, his second wife at Andersons Bay Cemetery.
On 27 November 1876, George advertised an auction at his residence in Eden Street, Oamaru, selling his household furniture, plus fowls and a pair of poodle pups, in consequence of his leaving the district. His freight business had gone bankrupt. His first wife, Clara died in Dunedin in 28 Nov 1878 from phithis, now known as TB. George then moved inland to Central Otago. In Stone's 1890 Otago & Southland Directory he is listed twice: Gaudin, George, Labourer, Pembroke, now known as Wanaka and Gaudin, George H., Miner Mt Criffel.
In 1890, George GAUDIN, Settler is listed as living at Makarora:
GAUDIN, George, settler, Weekly steamer 40 miles (12/6); Vincent County
MAKARORA Otago 218 miles NW from Dunedin: rail to Lawrence, coach (50/-) Pembroke bi-weekly, thence.
In 1904, George Gaudin was granted a license to cut 1000 black pine posts in Cameron’s Bush, 3 miles from Templeton’s Creek, Makarora. In1906 George was granted a license for 8 acres in the Wilkin District for a rent of 5 shillings per annum.
Albert drowned at the age of 14 years on 23 Jul 1906. His father and older brothers were rafting timber from the saw mill down the Wilkin to Makarora and the raft overturned and he drowned. Albert's was the first burial in the Makarora Cemetery, but unfortunately the graves were lost in a later flood. His death was even reported in the North Island newspapers:
A lad, about 15 years of age, son of George Gaudin, a saw miller at Makarora, Central Otago, was drowned on Monday. He was rafting timber with his father, and when approaching Makarora, the raft upset and the boy drowned.
The family then moved nearby to Hawea and the younger children went to school there. George was retired and registered on the Dunedin West Electoral Roll in 1919 living at 111 Moray Place and then in 1922 he was on the roll for Dunedin Central and living at 1 Alexandra Street, Caversham.
George's death certificate states that he died on the 2 July 1930 at the Talboys Home, Benevolent Institution at Caversham, from Tapanui. His occupation was farmer, aged 90 years, he would have been 88. Cause of death was Cardiac Syncope, Cerebral Thrombosis, myocardial weakness and senility. George was buried on the 3 July 1930 at the Andersons Bay Presbyterian Cemetery and the Minister was D. Heggie. The certificate states that he was born in New Brunswick, Canada and had been in New Zealand for 68 years. Three marriages were listed as first to Clara VINING at Oamaru, second to Annie RIGBY at Makarora, aged 52 and thirdly to Elizabeth FREEMAN at Gore aged 84, her age was 61 years.
George GAUDIN”S obituary appeared in the Otago Daily Times:
George Gaudin, Dunedin (91), "Storm Cloud" 1863
Mr Richard Norman wrote: I notice with regret the death in Dunedin of Mr George Howard Gaudin at the advanced age of 91 years. Mr Gaudin was a colonial of many years standing. He was in the express business in Oamaru in 1875, and the country years before that.. His father and mother came from the Channel Islands to Dalhousie (New Brunswick), in Canada, when he was a boy. Early in 1875, Mr Gaudin married Miss (Clara) Vining (in Oamaru), who sometime afterwards died (1878), leaving him with two boys (Henry and Arthur), who are now prominent in the bicycle and motor trade. A few years afterwards he came to Wanaka and worked on Mt Criffel and other parts. At Makarora he married (1889) the widow (Annie Rigby, and had another six children) of the late William Brown, and resided on a 50 acre section he bought. The family is now grown up. He took over the Wilkin River sawmill and ran it for a while, but this ended in disaster as one of the boys of much promise, was drowned while rafting timber over the (Wilkin) river. He later sold everything out at Makarora, and went to live down Balclutha way, where Mrs (Annie) Gaudin died (1916). Mr Gaudin married again (1924 to Elizabeth Freeman) and lived in Tapanui for a few years, till his health failed and he went to Dunedin, where he died (2 July 1930)
References:
H. Cameron, The Gaudin Story, Toronto, Canada, n.p.1969
I. Vercoe, The Gaudins of Makarora, Dunedin, n.p. 2008
Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand, Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
PapersPast website
Dunedin Cemeteries online
From “The Gaudin Story” by Helena Gaudin Cameron 1969
Dear Brother John
I wrote to the postmaster in Dalhousie for tidings of any of my family, as I have not heard from home in over twenty years, having lost my letters and your addresses by fire. I got one answer, giving me your address, and saying that my dear mother and father were both gone to their eternal rest.
Dear John, you do not know how my heart yearns to see you all once more before I die, but I am afraid we shall not met here below. May we met in that land above where parting is no more. I trust you and your family are well. They must be all grown up and married by now with families of their own. I have been married twice, with two sons by my first wife and three sons and two daughters by my second wife. My eldest boys are grown up to be young men, one is twenty and the other nineteen years. The family at home are all young, the eldest is ten and the youngest one year old.
Dear John, you must write by return mail. Tell me about the past, and about dear old ‘Mountain Brook’. Oh how my memory flies back to the days of my childhood, those happy days at home. It seems like a happy dream of long ago. Oh I do so long to hear from you all. Give me Eva’s address. I would so like to hear from her, we used to write often to one another, until I lost her address (she married his brother Francis). How is brother William and all his family, and Caroline (who married an (John) Armstrong and moved to the States. Their descendants are in California), and Matilda (who married Thomas Hurlburt and whose descendants live in Toronto). Do give me their address, that I may write to them before we depart and are no more.
You will have a lot to tell me and when I have your news, I will then give you more particulars. I wish you could send me your porrtait, I would so like to have it. Give my love to your dear wife. Tell her I can remember her quite well as Mife Pratt. Give my love to William and Family and tell all my nieces and nephews, and my God bless you all.
Your affectionate brother, George.
P.S. Do not forget to write. Are you farming or what? Do you think I could do anything there? This is a poor place, only a bare living from month to month and working hard too.
George immigrated to Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on the Storm Cloud in 1863 and had three wives, Clara VINING 1853-1878 (her two sons, Henry Howard 1876-1903 and Arthur Hedley 1877-1969 were raised by her family in Melbourne, Australia), Annie BROWN nee RIGBY,1867-1916 (6 children, Wilkin, Albert, Ada, Sidney, Maud and Eric, plus two from relationships). They lived up the Wilkin River at Makarora, where George owned and operated a saw mill. Annie died in Dunedin in 25 Jun1916, aged 48, from diabetes. George married again to Elizabeth FREEMAN in 1924 at Gore, who was aged 54. Bessie lived over twenty years longer than George, passing away in 1951 in Dunedin and is buried together with George and Annie, his second wife at Andersons Bay Cemetery.
On 27 November 1876, George advertised an auction at his residence in Eden Street, Oamaru, selling his household furniture, plus fowls and a pair of poodle pups, in consequence of his leaving the district. His freight business had gone bankrupt. His first wife, Clara died in Dunedin in 28 Nov 1878 from phithis, now known as TB. George then moved inland to Central Otago. In Stone's 1890 Otago & Southland Directory he is listed twice: Gaudin, George, Labourer, Pembroke, now known as Wanaka and Gaudin, George H., Miner Mt Criffel.
In 1890, George GAUDIN, Settler is listed as living at Makarora:
GAUDIN, George, settler, Weekly steamer 40 miles (12/6); Vincent County
MAKARORA Otago 218 miles NW from Dunedin: rail to Lawrence, coach (50/-) Pembroke bi-weekly, thence.
In 1904, George Gaudin was granted a license to cut 1000 black pine posts in Cameron’s Bush, 3 miles from Templeton’s Creek, Makarora. In1906 George was granted a license for 8 acres in the Wilkin District for a rent of 5 shillings per annum.
Albert drowned at the age of 14 years on 23 Jul 1906. His father and older brothers were rafting timber from the saw mill down the Wilkin to Makarora and the raft overturned and he drowned. Albert's was the first burial in the Makarora Cemetery, but unfortunately the graves were lost in a later flood. His death was even reported in the North Island newspapers:
A lad, about 15 years of age, son of George Gaudin, a saw miller at Makarora, Central Otago, was drowned on Monday. He was rafting timber with his father, and when approaching Makarora, the raft upset and the boy drowned.
The family then moved nearby to Hawea and the younger children went to school there. George was retired and registered on the Dunedin West Electoral Roll in 1919 living at 111 Moray Place and then in 1922 he was on the roll for Dunedin Central and living at 1 Alexandra Street, Caversham.
George's death certificate states that he died on the 2 July 1930 at the Talboys Home, Benevolent Institution at Caversham, from Tapanui. His occupation was farmer, aged 90 years, he would have been 88. Cause of death was Cardiac Syncope, Cerebral Thrombosis, myocardial weakness and senility. George was buried on the 3 July 1930 at the Andersons Bay Presbyterian Cemetery and the Minister was D. Heggie. The certificate states that he was born in New Brunswick, Canada and had been in New Zealand for 68 years. Three marriages were listed as first to Clara VINING at Oamaru, second to Annie RIGBY at Makarora, aged 52 and thirdly to Elizabeth FREEMAN at Gore aged 84, her age was 61 years.
George GAUDIN”S obituary appeared in the Otago Daily Times:
George Gaudin, Dunedin (91), "Storm Cloud" 1863
Mr Richard Norman wrote: I notice with regret the death in Dunedin of Mr George Howard Gaudin at the advanced age of 91 years. Mr Gaudin was a colonial of many years standing. He was in the express business in Oamaru in 1875, and the country years before that.. His father and mother came from the Channel Islands to Dalhousie (New Brunswick), in Canada, when he was a boy. Early in 1875, Mr Gaudin married Miss (Clara) Vining (in Oamaru), who sometime afterwards died (1878), leaving him with two boys (Henry and Arthur), who are now prominent in the bicycle and motor trade. A few years afterwards he came to Wanaka and worked on Mt Criffel and other parts. At Makarora he married (1889) the widow (Annie Rigby, and had another six children) of the late William Brown, and resided on a 50 acre section he bought. The family is now grown up. He took over the Wilkin River sawmill and ran it for a while, but this ended in disaster as one of the boys of much promise, was drowned while rafting timber over the (Wilkin) river. He later sold everything out at Makarora, and went to live down Balclutha way, where Mrs (Annie) Gaudin died (1916). Mr Gaudin married again (1924 to Elizabeth Freeman) and lived in Tapanui for a few years, till his health failed and he went to Dunedin, where he died (2 July 1930)
References:
H. Cameron, The Gaudin Story, Toronto, Canada, n.p.1969
I. Vercoe, The Gaudins of Makarora, Dunedin, n.p. 2008
Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand, Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates
PapersPast website
Dunedin Cemeteries online
----------------------------------------------------------------------
George GAUDIN'S Letter Home to Canada 1894
Transcript of a letter written by George Howard Gaudin, supplied by descendant
Wendell GAUDIN.
Wendell GAUDIN.
From Makarora October 1 1894 to Canada.
From “The Gaudin Story” by Helena Gaudin Cameron 1969
Dear Brother John
I wrote to the postmaster in Dalhousie for tidings of any of my family, as I have not heard from home in over twenty years, having lost my letters and your addresses by fire. I got one answer, giving me your address, and saying that my dear mother and father were both gone to their eternal rest.
Dear John, you do not know how my heart yearns to see you all once more before I die, but I am afraid we shall not met here below. May we met in that land above where parting is no more. I trust you and your family are well. They must be all grown up and married by now with families of their own. I have been married twice, with two sons by my first wife and three sons and two daughters by my second wife. My eldest boys are grown up to be young men, one is twenty and the other nineteen years. The family at home are all young, the eldest is ten and the youngest one year old.
Dear John, you must write by return mail. Tell me about the past, and about dear old ‘Mountain Brook’. Oh how my memory flies back to the days of my childhood, those happy days at home. It seems like a happy dream of long ago. Oh I do so long to hear from you all. Give me Eva’s address. I would so like to hear from her, we used to write often to one another, until I lost her address (she married his brother Francis). How is brother William and all his family, and Caroline (who married an (John) Armstrong and moved to the States. Their descendants are in California), and Matilda (who married Thomas Hurlburt and whose descendants live in Toronto). Do give me their address, that I may write to them before we depart and are no more.
You will have a lot to tell me and when I have your news, I will then give you more particulars. I wish you could send me your porrtait, I would so like to have it. Give my love to your dear wife. Tell her I can remember her quite well as Mife Pratt. Give my love to William and Family and tell all my nieces and nephews, and my God bless you all.
Your affectionate brother, George.
P.S. Do not forget to write. Are you farming or what? Do you think I could do anything there? This is a poor place, only a bare living from month to month and working hard too.
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