Stephen Pilcher (1794 - 1865)

Born 24 Apr 1794 in Wychling, Kent, England

Ancestors

Husband of Ann Greer (McPharlane) Pilcher — married about 1818 (to 1834) in England

Husband of Bennett Mather (Hook) Pilcher — married 6 Aug 1842 in Wellington, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 25 Nov 1865 at age 71 in Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand

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Stephen Pilcher migrated from England to New Zealand.

Biography

Stephen was born on April 24 1794, in Copes Farm, Wychling, Kent, England, United Kingdom. His occupation was Labourer. England^[1]

Married in 1818 in England to Ann McPharlane
Widowed in 1834
Emigrated to New Zealand in 1840
Married on August 6, 1842 in Wellington, New Zealand to Bennett Mather Hook
Died on November 25, 1865 in Wellington, New Zealand

^{[2] [3]}

Notes

Stephen's first wife, Ann died in England in 1834 leaving him with 6 children. Six years later he emigrated to New Zealand, departing England from the London port of Gravesend on the 13th Dec 1839, with Susan aged 17, Stephen aged 11 and John aged 8, arriving in Wellington (Port Nicholson) aboard the "Coromandel" in August 1840.

Also named on the 'Coromandel's' passenger list was a widow Bennett Hook and her children,;Rachael aged 12, Emily aged 8 and Friend aged 5. Stephen and Bennett's relationship bloomed on the voyage out to New Zealand, and daughter Sarah Annis was born on the 15th October 1840 (so conceived on the voyage and born prior to their marriage).

Stephen married Bennett Hook on 6 August 1842 in Wellington. They had six more children following their marriage. In 1851 they settled at Tawa Flat (now called Tawa; a suburb of Wellington on the Old Porirua Road between Johnsonville and Porirua), living first at the Mitchell's house where the church services were held, and then building their own house on Section 41 behind the Methodist Church.

Stephen Pilcher was a member of the Primitive Methodist Connection, and in 1851 Stephen gave some of his land to build the first Methodist Church in Tawa (Flat) in 1854. This site was later used for Alex Cowan's factory. (Information from article on the net by Arthur H Carman). ^[3]

Stephen's son George was the first Pilcher to arrive in New Zealand, in the ship Bolton on 21 April 1940. ^[4]

Stephen's daughter Elizabeth described how the early settlers had to clear a small area of land for their house and garden in the dense bush when they arrived in 1851: "It was all heavy bush then, but very pretty, full of treeferns, and it was with this class of material that my father built his first house out of, and it provide very warm and cosy in this days" ^[5]

Several early Pilcher families had ten or more children, so Stephen and George now have over 4000 descendants in New Zealand.

Emigration

The ship "Coromandel" left Gravesend (London) on 13 December 1839; calling in to Cork on 2 Feb 1840, then to Sydney 26 Jun 1840, where she embarked stock for New Zealand (200 sheep, 20 bullocks and 4 horses) ^[6] She arrived in Port Nicholson (Wellington) on 29 Aug 1840. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Cornwall Family History Society. Poad Pedigree WHPOAD.
2. ↑ Evans, Rex & Adriene, The Pilcher Family through the line of Ann and William Poad (Evagean Publishing, 1993), pp1-3
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Geni World Family Tree website: [1]. Added by: Gail Ann Stapleton on April 21, 2007
4. ↑ Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road by A. H. Carman (1956,1971,1982; 2nd edn 1971 pages 106-108)
5. ↑ Historic Heritage Study for the Upper Stebbings and Marshall Ridge Structure Plan
6. ↑ Early Wellington by L. E. Ward (1929) page 63

• This entry was started as first-hand information by Janice Pilcher, Friday, October 3, 2014.

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154903778/stephen-pilcher

Stephen Pilcher BIRTH 24 Apr 1794 DEATH 25 Nov 1865 (aged 71) BURIAL Body lost or destroyed, Specifically: Died in Wellington, Burial Location Unknown MEMORIAL ID 154903778 · View Source

• Historic Heritage Study for the Upper Stebbings and Marshall Ridge Structure Plan

https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/your-council/projects/files/upper-stebbings-valley/historic-upper-stebbings.pdf?la=en&hash=B118F33EAEE767993A7B92AD8A2E6E467BE5BC6E