Alexander Livingston Wilson
Birth & Emigration to New Zealand
Alexander was born in Ireland in 1848 to parents Alexander Livingstone Wilson and Eliza Wilson (née Aitken).1 Alexander emigrated to New Zealand with his parents and older brother Charles in 1862, when Alexander would have been approximately 14 years old. The family settled in Taranaki, where they stayed for five years. During this time, Charles and Alexander served in the military during the Maori Wars, and sadly Charles was killed in action there. In 1867, the family moved on to Melbourne, Australia, where his father ran a pub. Sadly, Alexander’s parents died two years later, at which point Alexander returned to New Zealand, where he remained.2
Military Service
In his youth, Alexander served in the Maori War - also known as the Waikato War of 1863-64 with his brother Charles under the command of Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron in the 58th Waikato’s. Alexander and his brother Charles saw some action in the Waikato War, and sadly Charles was killed in action, and Alexander was injured. Alexander’s obituary also recalls Alexander’s notable service as a dispatch runner during the campaign - a role in which he swam the Waikato River - three of his companions drowned attempting to do the same.2 Alexander was only ~15-16 at the time, and his older brother Charles would have been 20 years old.
Career
Alexander worked his way through every branch of the wool trade, and in 1870, Alexander took charge of Cargill and Lainseigny’s fellmongery at Green Island - where he met his wife - which was later merged into the firm of Murray, Roberts. Alexander carried on at his own works at North East Valley, Dunedin, for several years. Alexander then became the manager of the late Mr John Kingsland’s tannery and fellmongery at Waikiwi, in Southland, remaining with this firm for 15 years after which he took up wool-classing and fellmongery works on various sheep stations in the Province.
Marriage & Children
Alexander married Mary Sillars at the home of Mrs. Archibald Sillars on Green Island on the 13th of January, 1873 the witnesses were James Shannon, a fellmonger from Kaikorai, and Barbara Sillars from Green Island. The wedding was officiated by a Michael Watz.3
Catherine McSporran Wilson, born on the 11th of December in 1873.4 Catherine did not marry, and passed away in October, 1956 at the age of 81,5 and is buried in Block 14/119 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill, alongside her parents and sister Mary, sister in-law Jeanie Ward Wilson, and her brother Archibald.
Alexander Livingston Wilson, born in 1872.6 In 1917, Alexander married Marion Elizabeth Taylor,7 and together they had two daughters: Mary Eveline Wilson, born in 1918 8 and Annie Elizabeth Wilson, born in 1920.9 Alexander sadly committed suicide on the 2nd of April 1923 at the age of 4710, and is buried in block 14/108 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill.
Archibald Sillars Wilson, born on the 12th of December, 1875.11 In 1902, Archibald married Jeannie Ward Howie.12 Sadly, Jeannie passed away a year later giving birth to the couple’s son, also named Archibald Sillars Wilson, born on the 16th of April, in 1903.13 Archibald died in May 1904 and is buried in Block 14/119 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill, alongside his parents and sisters Catherine and Mary, and his wife Jeanie Ward Wilson.
Charles William Wilson, born on the 24th of December, 1877.14 In 1903, Charles married Jeannie Mackay MacIntyre,15 and together they had three children: Annie MacIntyre Wilson, born on the 28th of May in 1904;16 Charles William Wilson, born in 1906;17 and Alexander Livingstone Wilson, born on the 6th of June in 1907.18 Charles died in August, 1955 at the age of 78,19 he is buried in Block 34/865 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill.
Mary Sellars Wilson, born in 1883.20 Mary did not marry, and passed away in September, 1933 at the age of 51,21 and is buried in Block 14/119 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill, alongside her parents and sister Catherine, sister in-law Jeanie Ward Wilson, and her brother Archibald.
Community Service
According to Alexander’s obituary, he was one of New Zealand’s pioneer settlers - “a fine type of the early settler and was well known and highly esteemed throughout Southland”. Alexander also took a keen interest in local affairs, and served as a chairman for the Waikiwi and Makarewa school committees for over 20 years.2
Death
Around the time of his eldest son’s suicide, Alexander was “compelled by ill health to give up active work”, and six months later, on the 9th of October 1923,1 Alexander passed away at his home in Makarewa. His death certificate states that his cause of death was “carcinoma of the rectum” and “cachexia” - which refers to “weakness and wasting of the body due to severe chronic illness”. I found an obituary in some old family records but can’t tell which paper it was from (pictured below).2
References
Alexander’s death record can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - death registration # 1923/11645. ↩︎
Obituary - pictured above in Death section. ↩︎
Alexander’s birth record can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1873/6181. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s daughter Catherine can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1873/42770. ↩︎
The death record for Alexander’s daughter Catherine can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - death registration # 1956/31202. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s son Alexander can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1872/35441. ↩︎
The marriage record for Alexander’s son Alexander can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - marriage registration # 1917/6509. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s granddaughter Mary can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1918/27388. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s granddaughter Annie can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1920/11282. ↩︎
The death record for Alexander’s son Alexander can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - death registration # 1923/1051. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s son Archibald can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1876/23874. ↩︎
The marriage record for Alexander’s son Archibald can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - marriage registration # 1902/2967. ↩︎
The death record for Alexander’s daughter-in-law Jeannie can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - death registration # 1903/8556. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s son Charles can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1958/23874. ↩︎
The marriage record for Alexander’s son Charles can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - marriage registration # 1903/3874. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s granddaughter Annie can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1904/3850. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s grandson Charles can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1906/4936. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s grandson Archibald can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1907/18594. ↩︎
The death record for Alexander’s son Charles can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - death registration # 1955/26265. ↩︎
The birth record for Alexander’s daughter Mary can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - birth registration # 1958/23874. ↩︎
The death record for Alexander’s daughter Mary can be ordered from BDM Historical Records - death registration # 1933/11314. ↩︎