Family Hero
Nicole Hohaia is delighted that her tree has two female forebears from New Zealand who came through for their families when times were tough, says Gail Dixon
Nicole Hohaia celebrates two female forebears who came through for their families when times were tough
My family heroes are my great grandmother Clara Rashleigh and her mother Priscilla,” Nicole Hohaia explains. “They were both pioneers and the main breadwinners in their families. I have loved getting to know them through genealogy with the help of my Aunt Margaret.”
Priscilla Symons married John Letcher Rashleigh in Helston, Cornwall, in 1875, and the couple emigrated to New Zealand a mere five days after the wedding. They settled in Palmerston North in the country’s North Island and had six children, including Clara who was born in 1885.
“John worked as a labourer and went bankrupt a few times. Family members have told me that he wanted to go to Australia where there was a gold rush. Priscilla didn’t want to uproot the children, so the family split up.”
“John had worked in the Cornish mines from a very young age, and mining was probably an integral part of his identity. I believe that was his main motivation behind leaving New Zealand. However, the family never saw him again.”
Life must have been challenging for the Rashleighs, but Priscilla worked as a milliner in order to support them. “I have a picture of her wearing a fabulous hat, which I assume she made herself.”
Clara shone academically, and became a ‘pupil-teacher’ at her school. These older students stayed on and helped with the teaching while taking exams.
After qualifying as a teacher, Clara moved to a school in nearby Rangiwahia. “While researching the school online I was thrilled to find a picture of the students and their teacher, whom I believe to be Clara. The dates correspond, and it definitely looks like her.”
the ‘Priscilla didn’t want to uproot up’ children, so the family split
Clara taught at various schools around the North Island, and settled in Hamilton. “I’ve traced her via newspaper articles online, in which she was commended for her teaching ability.”
Clara married a bootmaker named Claude Jones in 1912 and they had three children, Morton, Betty and Rex, Nicole’s grandfather. Unfortunately Claude suffered from kidney disease, and the fatigue it caused prevented him from working. Clara, like Priscilla before her, became the sole breadwinner.
“My father and his siblings had a lot of respect for their grandma, no doubt because of her lifetime as a teacher. Time spent at her house was also fondly remembered, because of the range of creative activities that they enjoyed. Clara was a good painter, and used to etch designs into wood using a poker. She also polished p–aua – shells of sea snails that are used to make beautiful iridescent jewellery.”
Clara loved dancing and fancy dress, which Nicole also discovered from old newspapers. “She organised social events that were an important part of community life. One such event was the Ladies Plain and Fancy Masked Ball in Rangiwahia’s local hall in 1907 – the first of its kind in the area. The hall was decorated with flags and ferns, and many of the people attending wore beautiful costumes.
“Clara dressed as Nancy Lee, a reference to an old song about a sailing ship. Apparently the night was a great success, and ‘dancing was kept up with unflagging energy till early morning’.”
Clara lived to the grand old age of 93, passing away in 1978. Nicole says that she feels a special sense of connection with her great grandmother. “I work in museum learning at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, but one of my early jobs before I knew about Clara involved dressing up as a Victorian teacher in a school like the one in Rangiwahia.
“I am so inspired by Clara and Priscilla. Despite the challenges both women faced, they created stability for their families.”