George Willis (1843 - 1900)

Ancestors

George Willis 1843 - 1900

George Willis was born in King County (County Offaly) Ireland about 1843; the son of Robert Willis and Jane O'Connor.

George was 57 years old when he died in Taranaki on the 2nd July 1900. From his death certificate, we know that he was born about 1843 in King County, in the province of Leinster, now county Offaly Ireland, the fourth son of Robert Willis and Jane O’Connor. He had been in New Zealand for 36 years, some of that time goldmining, some with the Constabulary both in New Zealand and in Australia before taking up a general store in Otahuhu, South Auckland.

George's General Store

George was in Otahuhu by 1874 when the Electoral Roll records him living in Otahuhu, in possession of land on Great Barrier Island “the freehold of Lot 20 part 48 Aotea Parish Great Barrier Island”. Bernard Willis enjoyed repeating the story of how George took a ship to inspect the land he had won in a ballot. When the ship arrived at the island George was so put off by the steep hillsides facing him that he did not get off the ship to inspect his property, and disappointed, sailed back to Auckland. Though he didn’t farm it himself, he kept his Great Barrier property. A final receipt of monies from “Barrier property” were included in the final distribution of his brother John’s estate by Frances Alice Randerson in 1926.

George’s brother Hubert arrived in New Zealand in 1870 and by 1876, had joined George in Otahuhu, working for John Hall who was Otahuhu Postmaster and kept a general store on the Great South Road (Hall Avenue now marks the place). Their names are listed in 1876 among “Those persons qualified to vote at the election on Members for the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of Franklin under The Lodgers’ Franchise Act 1875”. George is listed as a grocer and Hubert is listed as a draper, both living in furnished apartments in a dwelling house belonging to John Hall, on the Great South Road, Otahuhu.

In 1879 we find George serving as a Trustee for the Otahuhu Library and described as “clerk” when listed amongst those serving on the Library Committee. George bought into Hall’s grocery business and continued to work it in partnership with John Hall. There is a family story that George’s brother Robert was driving a wagon load of goods when it was plundered by Maori. John Hall had a fleet of seven large wagons, two meat wagons and up to thirty heavy horses to service a business that extended as far as Takanini, Weymouth, Ihumatao, Flat Bush, East Tamaki and Panmure. Seeds were sent as far south as Te Awamutu. As several of George’s brothers were employed at various times by John Hall, and it is thought that Robert opened a general store in Coromandel in partnership with one of his brothers during the early 1870s.

Margaret, George’s sister left Ireland after their father’s death in 1887 and settled in Otahuhu to keep house for George.

George's grave in Manaia Cemetery

Sometime towards the end of the 1890s, George suffered a stroke and Margaret brought him down to Taranaki to live with their brother John on the Skeet Road farm. George’s niece Mary had memories of George at Skeet Road, sitting at the table with a large napkin tied beneath his chin as Margaret fed him. “Aunty Maggie and John came down here with George ..... I can just remember her feeding him ..... I couldn’t have been going to school, I thought it was so funny for this big man ...... to have a napkin tied around his neck as she fed him.” George never married. Margaret was caring for him on the Skeet Road farm when he died. He is buried in Manaia cemetery next to Margaret and William.