The Mapley family tree in New Zealand


New Brighton, Christchurch 1915

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From 1840 up to World War 1, 90% of immigrants to NZ came from the UK and Ireland. The peak was in the mid-1860's with a gold boom attracting Cornish miners, also with assisted passages provided by the NZ Company up to 1871, and the government thereafter. In 1840, the non-Maori population was only 2,000, mostly from Sydney and New South Wales. With the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840, British sovereignty was declared over NZ in May 1840 and it was initially governed as a colony of New South Wales.

In Britain, the Inclosure Act of 1773 resulted in a 90% reduction in farming landowners by 1820, displacing many agricultural labourers and tenant farmers. Many left the countryside to work in the towns, which seeking workers for the Industrial Revolution. Many farmers emigrated, once steamships had reduced the cost and time of passage to the New World in the 1840's, additionally with the offer of assisted passage.

In Scotland, landowners cleared tenant farmers from crofts for pasture grazing sheep and cattle (mostly in the 1820). Then the Highland Potato Famine (mid-1840's) and the collapse of the kelp industry created mass unemployment and poverty. As a result, Scottish highland landlords paid for emigration of over 16,000 tenant farmers to Canada & Australia/NZ. Approximatey 1/3rd of the population of the western Scottish Highlands emigrated 1841-1861.


The New Zealand Company, UK

1840-1852, 3 main flows of migrants occurred, with the first flow to Wellington, Nelson and new Plymouth, then later to Otago (sponsored by the Free Church of Scotland) and Canterbury. The New Zealand Company, set up in the UK, was actively marketing migration across southern england. A second flow came across the Tasman sea to Auckland (many Irish). The 3rd flow was military, discharged after the Northern War 1845-46 (700) plus 2,500 military families to provide protection south of Auckland. 514 people also emigrated from Paisley, near Glasgow, to Auckland in 1842.


The Canterbury Association, UK

From 1853-1870 the non-Maori population of NZ increased from 20,000 to over 250,000. British & irish governments were providing assisted passage, and Auckland was offering land grants of 40 acres to farmers. In the 1860-70's Gold discoveries in Otago (1861) and Westland (1865) increased migration (45,730 just in 1863!). Otago's gold rush resulted in Dunedin becoming the wealthiest city in NZ. Wars with Maoris on the North Island motivated greater settlement policies, with regiments stationed and 6,000 military settlers in the Auckland area.

After 1871 the NZ government offered assisted passage to migrants and family members. 100,000 arrived during the decade, but economic depression in the 1880's and booming Victorian economy in Australia, with assisted passage also terminating in late 1880's, ended the migration boom.

Assisted migration was restored in 1904, and coupled with a significant inflow of British people from Australia attracted by returning prosperity, NZ saw strong migration flows in the early 20th century.

Special thanks to Christchurch City Libraries for their contributory support.

Geographical Index :


1st. New Zealand Generations

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Sophia Maberly (11/3/1838 - 1926) b. Owlesbury, Hampshire, England.
The younger sister of George Alfred Maberly, she emigrated to NZ in 1857/58, and married her husband Charles Tothill in 1858 in Auckland. She died in Auckland in 1926.

Joseph Maberly (31/10/1825 - 6/2/1905), b. Brentford, Middlesex, England.
A carpenter who migrated to New York in 1851 where he married Ann Eliza Whitton and had a first child.
They then travelled via Australia to Christchurch, finally settling in Waimate south of Christchurch with their family.

Thomas Pearce Mably (4/6/1826 - 20/1/1907) b. St Minver, Cornwall, England.
From a farming family from St Minver, Cornwall, her married Louise Hoskin in 1864. They then emigrated to Christchurch in 1868, along with their children, where they settled.

William Mably (19/2/1843 - 20/3/1917) b. St Minver, Cornwall, England.
The nephew of Thomas Pearce Mably. he emigrated to Christchurch in 1868, then settled in Ashburton, in the Canterbury region.

Gregory Barker Mably (14/10/1844 - 10/11/1921) b. St Minver, Cornwall, England.
Also the nephew of Thomas Pearce Mably and younger brother of William. He emigrated to Canada in 1861, then to Christchurch in 1869. He then settled in Ashburton, in the Canterbury region. He married Emily Pine in 1888.

George Alfred Maberly (28/10/1834 - 11/12/1918) b. Owlesbury, Hampshire, England.
He emigrated to NZ in 1874 after his sister Sophia in 1858, to take up a teaching post in Hamilton near Auckland. He married Mary Helen Welch in 1874, with most of his children born in nearby Tauranga before he retired to Auckland.

Jane Adelaide Maberly (10/1857 - 30/10/1885), b. Hendon, Middlesex, England.
Jane was the niece of Joseph and Sophia Maberly, and migrated to NZ in xxxa, where she settled in Christchurch, before dying young.

Helen Louisa Maberly (1873 - 1888), b. Hendon, Middlesex, England.
Helen was the half-sister of Jane Adelaide Maberly, and migrated to NZ in 1888. She died at sea.

Frederick George Mapley (22/10/1905 - 1974), b. Watford, Hertsfordshire, England
A joiner emigrated to NZ in cc, a so called "£ 10 Pom..").

Dennis Peter James Mapley (29/6/1930 - ), b. Uxbridge, London, UK
Dennis emigrated to NZ in 1947, a so called "£ 10 Pom.."), opened a butcher's shop and settled in Nelson. He married Christine.

Anthony Thomas Mapley (24/9/1946 - 31/7/2005), b. Hobart, Australia
Anthony emigrated to NZ and married Janet Marie Shrives, settling in Hamilton.

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