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Cambridge People

Explore the history of the local people.

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Historic Cambridge residents with ‘A’ Surnames

Here is a list of all the historic residents whose surnames start with the letter A.  ALLEN, ARNOLD & AITKEN are just some of those surnames whose living legacy still reside in our beautiful town.  All these residents left their mark and made Cambridge what it is today.

ACHESON (ACHERON) Thomas

Tom was born about 1838 in Armagh. He was a clerk and 5′ 10″ tall when enlisted in the 3rd Waikato Militia as a substitute for C Teede on 31 January 1865 in Cambridge. He became a Private, Regiment No. 1644 and his land grant was one acre at 257 Cambridge West and a 50 acre farm section at 18 Ohaupo.

ADIE John

John was born in Aberdeen about 1839. He enrolled in the 3rd Waikato Militia on 7 November 1863 at Nelson as a Private, Regiment Number 764, making him about 24 years old.

In the Cambridge rates assessment list for 1869-70, John paid 2 pence an acre on 51 acres – totalling eight shillings and sixpence.

In 1871 John joined the Duke of Cambridge Oddfellows Lodge and a note in the Funeral Register states “Died at sea September 1875”. 

AITKEN William

As a Private, Number 1262, William enrolled in the 3rd Waikato Militia on Christmas Eve 1863 at Waiuku. He was discharged unfit on 19 August 1864.

In the Cambridge rates assessment list for 1869-70 William paid 2 pence an acre on 700 acres – totalling £5 16/8d. He is also noted in 1872 on a farm map drawn by Charles Chitty in a report on the district to the Armed Constabulary Commissioner’s Office. 

ALLEN Henry

Henry was born 1835 in Rhode Island U S A. He was a sailor and 5′ 8½” tall when he enlisted in the 3rd Waikato Militia on 21 November 1863 in Nelson. He was a Private, Regiment No. 937 and his land grant was one acre at 277 Cambridge East and a 50 acre farm section 109 Ohaupo.

When he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge in 1866, he put his age at 20 years.

On the Electoral Rolls of 1871 – 96 he had section 318 at Ngaroto.

ALLOM Andrew Alexander Fuller

Alfred A F Allom was a member of the Cambridge Cavalry Volunteers from 1879 to 1882.

Andrew Alexander Fuller Allom was a veterinarian in Cambridge according to the Electoral Rolls of 1880 and 1884, yet in the Waikato Mail of September 1880 Alfred Andrew F Allom advertised that he was an Interpreter and Veterinarian.

ALLWILL Jared

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Born 1843 in County Moynihan, Ireland, he arrived in Auckland in 1861.

In Cambridge he bought a militia grant and in the rates assessment list for 1869-70 he paid 2 pence an acre on 101 acres, at Hautapu – totalling 16 shillings and ten pence. The redwood trees on his property provided timber for his house and the farm (later 240 acres) was called ‘Redwood’. He is also noted in 1872 on a farm map drawn by Charles Chitty in a report on the district to the Armed Constabulary Commissioner’s Office.

In March 1872 he joined the Cambridge Cavalry Volunteers as a Sergeant and remained with the troop until 1882 when it disbanded. In 1875 his horse, ‘Victoria’, won the first racing cup presented at the Auckland Racing Club’s first meeting and a purse of £125.

After 16 years (in 1887) he married Florence Seymour of Tamahere who had come from Queensland, Australia as a young girl with her father. They had taken up farming at Tamahere in 1875. Jared and Florence raised three sons Roderick (killed in World War One), Stephen and Albert, and a daughter, Violet.

In 1879 Jared was the first to import a threshing machine, reaper and binder into the Waikato and later (from 1884) he did contract work with a traction engine for chaff cutting etc. In 1888 his farm yielded 27 acres of wheat to Hallys’ Mill. As well as the usual operations with sheep, cattle and crops Jared bred horses and pigs and ran a smithy. He was one of the first to import pure thoroughbred and Clydesdales horses into the district and at this time was living on a property called ‘Claremont’.

Allwill’s Matured Wine was well known and it won the NZ Championship in 1900. Jared had two big underground cellars from which barrels of Allwill’s Matured Wine were consigned to Campbell and Ehrenfried, Wine and Spirit Merchants, Auckland.

Jared was also a foundation shareholder of the Cambridge Co-operative Dairy Company at Hautapu and a Director from 1901-1903. He died in 1922 age 81.

In 1909 Mrs Florence Allwill sold her 100 acre property at Tamahere.

Daughter Violet, was a founding member of the Cambridge Ladies Hockey team in 1909, and was among the first to climb inside the Hautapu factory chimney and raise the flag after the last brick was laid in November 1920. She farmed 40 acres at Hautapu for many years and was a most accomplished horsewoman in the show-ring and at the hunt.

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ANDERSON George

George was born 1839 in Fifeshire Scotland. He was a blacksmith and 5′ 7″ tall when he enlisted in the 3rd Waikato Militia on 15 December 1863 in Dunedin. He was a Private, Regiment No. 241 and his land was granted at 207 Cambridge East (one acre) and 50 acre farm section 45 at Ohaupo.

He is noted on the 1868 Acquitance Roll at National Archives in Wellington and was still in the Cambridge Borough Council rates in 1900 and on the Electoral Roll in 1905.

ANDREWS Francis

Francis was listed as a plumber on the 1880 electoral roll and is advertised as ‘Thomas and Andrews’ in the Waikato Mail of the same year. He also joined the Cambridge and Waikato Reed Band and the Cambridge Cavalry Volunteers.

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ANSELL Frederick James

Fred was 25 and a carpenter when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge on 16 May 1874, becoming the Noble Grand in 1875. His wife’s name was Mary. 

ANSON James

From the book ‘The Royal New Zealand Fencibles 1847–1852‘ it states “James was from Lancashire and joined the 94th Regiment in 1826 from Manchester. He served a short time at home, then in Malta, Gibraltar and out to India until 1846 when he was invalided home. He married Johanna Leggett [April 1835 in Ireland] and joined Captain Symond’s division to sail for Auckland in 1848 with their three children. He was located in Potters Paddock where the first raupo huts were built. Being handy with tools he built the first wooden house and claimed to own the first cow at Onehunga, disposing milk to his neighbours. Along with his house and 1 acre he also had five acres. He lived with his daughter at Mount Smart during his later years.”

James and Johanna had three children – Mary Ann, Johanna and William.

James, born in Adham Lancashire, enrolled in the 3rd Waikato Militia as a Private, Regiment Number 449, on 14 August 1863 at Otahuhu.

In the Cambridge rates assessment list for 1869-70 James paid 2 pence an acre on 51 acres – totalling eight shillings and sixpence.

In the 1870s he came up against the Cambridge Court for drunk and disorderly behaviour and the police records describe him as having a swarthy complexion, grey hair, slightly pock pitted. ‘A’ on left arm and his left leg had been broken.

In the 1880s electoral rolls he is described as a labourer and in 1896 he died in the Costley Home in Auckland.

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ARMER Edward Day

Ted was born 16 August 1868 in Berkshire the son of Henry and Rachel nee Day and had been in Cambridge 13 years when he married Ellen Kite on 13 June 1888. Ellen was born c1864 in Hampshire (the daughter of Samuel and Sarah) and they had six children.

Ted was a carter when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 1 April 1902 and in 1905 he became the first Branchman of the newly formed Cambridge Fire Brigade.

They are both buried in the Hamilton East cemetery.

ARMER Ernest

Ernest was born 29 September 1879 in Cambridge, the son of Henry and Rachel nee Day. He represented Cambridge at rugby and joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 15 November 1898 aged 18 years when his occupation was a labourer.

He enlisted in the 3rd Co. Waikato Mounted Rifles in 1900 and left for the South Africa War on the ship ‘Drayton Grange‘ 14 April 1902 as Corporal 8653, in the 10th Contingent.

He rejoined the Waikato Mounted Rifles in 1903 and was the drill instructor of the newly formed Cambridge Fire Brigade in 1904. 

ARMER George William

George was born 26 April 1875 the son of Henry and Rachel. He joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 29 November 1898 aged 22 years and his occupation was a ploughman. In 1900 he enlisted as Private No 2343, in the 11th Co of the 5th Contingent for the South Africa War. He enlisted again as Sergeant 5454 in the 8th Contingent in 1902.

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ARMER John Henry Day

John was the son of Henry Armer and Rachel nee Day, born about 1862 in Harwell, Berkshire. The family arrived in New Zealand 1878.

John married Alice Rosina James 13 January 1886 and was a carpenter when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge, 24 August 1886. John injured his foot in 1887 and received £1 for seven days off work from the Lodge sickness Fund. In 1890 and 1896 he had the flu and congestion of the lungs; 1897 he injured his hand; in 1901 he swallowed tacks.

John and Alice lived in Cambridge West (Leamington) and had ten children – one son Keith died in 1917 during World War One.

John died 24 May 1920 and Alice 11 December 1944 and they are both buried at the Cambridge Cemetery.

ARMER Kenneth

Ken Armer was born on 13 October 1890 and joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge in 1908.

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ARNOLD Charles William

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Charles was the son of John and Maria Arnold and born in Cambridge 10 October 1866. He became a member of the Cambridge and Waikato Reed Band in 1884 and was a butcher when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 14 July 1885. He sprained his thumb in 1887 and received 17/6d for seven days off work from the Lodge’s Sickness Fund. He was Noble Grand in 1889 and 1890 and for some time held the position of treasurer.

Charles took over his parents’ butchery in 1891 and married Margaret Bach on 4 January 1892. Margaret had been a Lady’s Companion and traveled extensively.

Charles was on the Cambridge Borough Council for about ten years and also involved with athletics. In 1903 Charles had 26 days off work with ‘Congestion of the Lungs’ and the next year he bought a farm at Matamata. The Butchery was sold in June 1905 and Margaret followed Charles to Matamata in 1906 with their five children.

ARNOLD Frederick

Fred was born in Cambridge 29 February 1876, the son of John and Maria. He joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 27 July 1897 aged 23 years and his occupation was a labourer. Fred was Noble Grand in 1899; he played cricket and took up farming.

15 July 1912 he married Alice Marion Ferguson and they had three children.
Alice died 24 May 1951, Fred 30 July 1960 and they are both buried in the Cambridge Cemetery at Hautapu.

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ARNOLD Henry

Henry was born in Cambridge on 6 January 1872, the son of John and Maria. When he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge on 3 September 1901 he was a labourer.

He enrolled in the South Africa War – Private 6310 in the 8th Contingent.

ARNOLD John and Maria

John was born in Lancashire in 1833 and became one of a small band of men given land for their services in the Militia, to permanently establish themselves in the Cambridge district.

His wife Maria nee Healing was born in Dover and had been sent into service where she learned cooking in gentlemen’s homes. Her testimonials from these houses (one sealed with a family crest) described her as “sober, honest and very respectable” and her cooking was praised in the highest terms.

Maria married John Arnold in Bendigo 1862 but John soon after followed his wanderlust to Gabrielle’s Gully in the Otago goldfields (New Zealand) and from there joined the 3rd Waikato Militia on 18 November 1863 as a Private – Regiment Number 917.

Maria remained in Australia continuing her occupation of cooking, until John sent for her in 1864. She left Melbourne on 12 April 1864 and landed in Auckland.

She then took a paddle steamer – which took nine days as it struck a mud bank – from Mercer, and Maria was met at Pukerimu by her husband and brought to Camp Cambridge. Maria was believed to be the ninth woman to arrive in Cambridge. They stayed in the camp until John was allotted his land grant when they moved out to Hamilton Road and into a tent. Together they cleared a place for a permanent dwelling – a whare. This was made of raupo with a roof thatched with toi toi. The government provided enough timber for uprights, a boarded floor and two windows. It was divided into two rooms with Indian matting, which Maria had brought from England. The chimney was built from bricks, which John made and baked from clay on the farm. Maria’s oven was a nail keg and her cooking skills were never put to a greater test.

She grew sweet peas around the whare, from seeds she brought from Melbourne. The country was desolate, a mass of fern and ti-tree. John exchanged another grant of 1 acre for a bag of flour. In the Cambridge rates assessment list for 1869-70 he paid 2 pence an acre on 102 acres – totalling seventeen shillings.

Their children were – Charles William born 1866, John 1868, Anne Maria 1870, Henry 1872, George 1873 and Frederick 1876.

Maria was remembered by older folk for running the butchery business at The Triangle for 18 years. She was described in her later years as “A square block of a woman, rather austere, but healthy and bright, with a face that shone as if it were polished. Wearing her hair drawn back into a snood, neat print frocks – and always a white apron – she “could quarter meat with the best of them.” In the last two years of life she was blind from a spark from the fire, and died aged 88 on 20 January 1922. John died 11 July 1919 age 86. His obituary states that he saw considerable service in the Maori Wars and was one of Von Tempsky’s Rangers. There is a stained glass window to their memory in the St Andrews Anglican church in Cambridge.

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ARNOLD John (Jack)

Jack was the son of John and Maria, born in Cambridge 31 October 1868. He was a butcher when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 25 January 1887. He received £1 for a poisoned hand in June 1892 and was Noble Grand in 1894.

In 1900 Jack enrolled as a Private in No 3 Company of the Waikato Mounted Rifles and he then enlisted with the 8th Contingent and served in the South African War.

On 31 March 1908 he married Minnie Alice Andrews and they had three sons. They farmed for many years and later Jack was a carrier for Clark & Sons. They were living at Campbell Bay in Auckland when Jack died, 2 October 1948. He was buried in the RSA section of the Cambridge Cemetery.

ASHER Henry

Henry was 23 and his occupation a Clothier when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge in June 1875. The Waikato Times newspaper of 1 January 1876 has an article on Mr Asher of Cambridge who announced that he was going to follow the scriptures and clothe the naked and was not looking for profit on what he sold. The up country settlers would then have no need to fall back on the kaffir’s full dress of a straw hat and a pair of spurs and the ladies need no longer worry their liege lords with that constant, though somewhat startling announcement “that they have nothing to wear”. Henry stayed in business as a storekeeper in Cambridge until 1888 according to electoral rolls and in 1882 had property to the value of £1850.

On 21 November 1881 Henry married Priscilla Moss in Dunedin and in 1886 he was one of the first Councillors for the new borough of Cambridge.

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ATKINS Harry

Harry was born 28 March 1880 and served in the South Africa War.

He arrived in Cambridge from Cleveden as the first teacher of the Maungatautari School in 1903. He married Esther Olive nee Wallis in June 1904 and threatened to resign in January 1905 if a house was not provided for them. They had a son and a daughter.

Harry joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge on 27 February 1906 and was also involved with the Waikato Mounted Rifles, rugby, cricket and athletics. They bought land at Maungatautari in 1910 which they sold off in 1912.

In July 1916 Harry went to the UK, to place his bomb sight invention before the British War Office, and returned in December.

About the mid 1930s they returned from Te Mata School and took up land on Buckland Road. (The Buckland Road Golf Course was in their front paddock.) In 1956 Mr and Mrs Atkins presented a painting ‘The Goose Girl’ (by their daughter Mrs Hilda Robertson) to the Maungatautari School.
They retired to Tauranga where Harry died in February 1963.

ATKINSON William

William was born in Yorkshire in 1830. In 1857 he went to Australia, engaging in gold mining there, and later, in Otago, New Zealand. He revisited England in 1869, married Elizabeth and returned to New Zealand on the ‘Aboukir’, landing at Auckland in the next October. He came to Cambridge the following Christmas, driving through in a dray, and settling at Pukerimu. His family, all born at Pukerimu were George Henry 1872, William Jnr, Robert and Elizabeth 1875. William died 24 November 1905 age 75 and Elizabeth died 15 January 1924 age 86. They are buried at the Pukerimu Cemetery.

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ATTWOOD John

John was born 22 June 1882 and a carpenter when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 2 July 1907.

AUTRIDGE John

John Autridge was born on 17 February 1884 and joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge, 2 June 1908. 

AVERY Alfred

Alfred was born in Shoreditch London. He was a clerk when he enlisted in the 3rd Waikato Militia on 17 January 1864 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was Private No 1433. He then enlisted in the Armed Constabulary on 6 November 1868 (No 601) aged 30 and discharged 28 October 1869.

In the Cambridge rates assessment list for 1869-70 Alfred paid 2 pence an acre on 51 acres – totalling 8 shillings and sixpence.

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AYLWARD Philip John

Philip was born 17 October 1880 and he married Alma Harriet Irving in 1905. He was a fruiterer when he joined the Duke of Cambridge Lodge 30 December 1907.

He was a boarding house keeper in Putaruru when his creditors took him to Court in March 1909.