The New Zealand immigrant - this evidence has been collected together to celebrate the REYNISH New Zealand reunion to be held on the weekend of February 19 and 20th 2010. I hope it all goes well. Greetings to you all. I wish I could be there.George REYNISH was born in Roch PEM in 1836 the eldest child of James & Mary (nee DAVIES). He does not seem to have acquired the additional names of Edward & Crowther until the New Zealand records, although two of his brothers had Crowther as 2nd names at some time.
In 1841 census, aged 5, he was living with his parents and brother James at Thornbush, Camrose.
In 1851 census the family were in Steynton. George was a farm boy, aged 15 and now had siblings James, John, Jane, William and Charles.
In 1861 census he is a seaman aged 25 on board the "Jane GLASSIN" in St George's Channel (between Wales and Ireland). I have not found the rest of the family in the 1861 census.
By mid 1870 (according to Tony & Denise CRAFTS excellent book "Pembrokeshire to the Peninsula") he is settled in Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand with his wife Avis (nee GILES). It was her second marriage. They went on to have 15 children. The photograph shows him with his eldest daughter Eva born in 1875.
There is a story that his brother John went to NZ to ask him to go home to Wales and unfortunately drowned in Auckland Harbour aged 29 in 1873 (so born in 1844). Could someone provide more detail of this sad event please. "Our" John is not in the 1871 census here in UK and his birth was registered in 1841. The year of birth is close enough in date to be the same person. There is no John born in England & Wales in 1844.
John may have gone to NZ because their father James had died. There is a death of a John KEYNISH in Haverfordwest Registration District in 1863. Mary is a widow in the 1871 census living at Furzey Park, Haverfordwest with sons Charles and Thomas Henry aged 18 and 11. In 1881 she is still there aged 70 with son Thomas. I have not found her in 1891 census and she may be the Mary REYNISH who died aged 74 in 1885 in Haverfordwest RD. I am still following up the other children to find out what happened to them.
