History – Pioneering women

The role played by pioneer women in the settlement of the district is to be the subject of a display at the Warkworth Museum later in 2018. Every family has a unique and interesting story regarding their origins, mode of transport to the colonies and progress as settlers in the new land. This is one story.

A miner’s daughter, Mary Roberts, was born in Roche, Cornwall, in 1816 and married James Snell in her late teens. They were an adventurous couple, travelling to Canada then back to England, and spending two years in Adelaide before coming to New Zealand in January 1853 with their six children. Time was spent at Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Kawau before James bought Long Beach, now known as Snells Beach, in 1854.

Five New Zealand-born children were added to the family. To have a large family was an asset to any pioneer as they provided the labour to assist their parents to break in the land and start new industries. Florence Snell, the oldest surviving daughter, would have been a great help to her mother with so many small children to care for.

By chance, a caller to the Snell homestead was Nathaniel Wilson – a young bootmaker from Warkworth looking for orders. The Wilsons had come to New Zealand in the Jane Gifford in 1842 and had also spent time on Kawau Island in the copper mining era.

Nathaniel and Florence were married in 1863 and raised their own family of 10 children. Nathaniel went on to found the Portland cement plant near Warkworth. Thomas Wilson, son of Nathaniel and Florence, recalled staying in touch with his grandparents: “When I was 10 years old, I would row mother down the river then walk over to the beach and stay a night or two. Grandmother always had a reunion at Christmas, the largest gathering being 46. This gathering was looked forward to by the children for many weeks.”

Life was not easy for these second-generation New Zealanders. Thomas recounts that at 13 he was in charge of a horse and sledge at the lime works, and at 15 he was taught all stages of the manufacture of cement. He gave all his wages to his mother until he was 19.

He describes Florence as a stately lady who was a very good manager.

Nathaniel built a fine house using burnt lime and named it ‘Riverina’. Meanwhile, at Snells Beach, Mary lived to be 86 cared for by her younger daughter, Susannah, born in 1857. Susannah married William Phillips and raised six daughters in the original Snell homestead. She lived to celebrate her 80th birthday and died in 1942.

From my own childhood, I remember many picnics held alongside the old Snell home, then occupied by Miss Lucy Phillips, daughter of Susannah. Mary, Florence and Susannah, all pioneer women who left their mark.

Judy Waters, Warkworth & District Museum
www.warkworthmuseum.co.nz