Samuel Florence (1817 - 1847)

Born 1817 in England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Holloway) Bryant — married 29 Oct 1839 in London, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 1847 at about age 30 in New Zealand

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Biography

Samuel was born to John and Jane in Surrey, England in 1817. He married Mary Holloway on 29th October 1839. In November 1839 the couple joined his parents and siblings on the NZ company ship Bolton for New Zealand. ^[1]His parents, sisters Ann, Jane and Ellen (all seamstresses) and Aunt Elizabeth. The Bolton carried 232 passengers, 33 cabin and 199 steerage. The Florance family took with them 18 boxes, 4 packages, 1 crate and a bedstead. ^[2]The voyage was a long one, departing 19/11/1839 and arriving by 21/04/1840. Mary must have already conceived as their first child was born just 4 months after arrival. They were among the earliest settlers at Port Nicholson (Wellington) where there were no houses or building material on arrival and many stayed on board ship for weeks. Samuel's parents and at least one sister, left almost immediately for the Whangaroa region to the north where John's brother Thomas had land. ^[3]After some disputes over land and conflict with his brother, Thomas, John and his wife and their daughter Ann and possibly Ellen left New Zealand and at some stage went to America where they lived out their lives. Three of them are buried in Maine. Alternatively Samuel's sister Ellen may have died in 1842 in Whangaroa. Samuel and Mary stayed at Port Nicholson where they had 4 children in 7 years. Sarah Jane b 10/08/1840, Olive b1842, Ellen b1844 and John Biggin b1845.^[4] Samuel's sister Jane married Captain James Williams ^[5] on the beach at Petone on 4th July 1840 to which Samuel was a witness.^[6]He worked as a gardener to Police at Petone in 1841 but was working for his brother-in-law James Williams when he was arrested for theft in 1843.^[7] His brother-in-law soon after got into financial difficulties and for a time moved to Adelaide South Australia (1846) before returning to Auckland by 1855. Tragically Samuel was drowned at sea on 28th August 1847. ^[8] As reported in the newspaper he left a young wife with 4 small children and no means of support. His wife left almost immediately, courageously voyaging to South Australia with four young children, presumably to join the Williams family in Adelaide. Samuel's death at aged 30 was a great loss and a tragic accident.^[9] His burial record is kept at St Paul's Cathedral Molesworth St Wellington.

Research Whether John and Jane Florance senior returned to England or not is unconfirmed as they along with Ann and Ellen reportedly went to the US where they are buried in Maine.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.geni.com/projects/New-Zealand-Settler-Ships-Bolton-1840/14229 Florence family, passengers in steerage
2. ↑ Dean Florance, Footprints in the Sand. 2014
3. ↑ Dean Florance, Footprints in the Sand (Florance family history) 2014
4. ↑ http://www.names.nzearlyhistory.com/g1/p282.htm#i7048
5. ↑ Wiki id Williams-33246
6. ↑ http://www.names.nzearlyhistory.com/g1/p832.htm
7. ↑ https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZGWS18420723.2.7 Samuel goes to jail.
8. ↑ https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZSCSG18470901.2.3 A report of Samuel's tragic death
9. ↑ https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZSCSG18470904.2.3 Coroners notice.

• Citing this Record

"England, Surrey Parish Registers, 1536-1992," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGZY-V4FB : 16 March 2018), Samuel Florence and Mary Holloway, 29 Oct 1839; citing Marriage, , London Metropolitan Archives, England; FHL microfilm 375,293.