Woman’s mission to solve mystery
Ke-Xin Li
When Rachel Mason booked her trip to New Zealand, she was on a mission to find the last missing piece of her family history puzzle.
“It is really exciting, suddenly a back story comes to life,” the 61-year-old told the Waikato Times at Hamilton Central Library this week where she was digging into research.
Mason knew her great great grandparents owned a pub around Sheffield, UK, in the 1880s, for instance, but didn’t know what kind of life her mother lived during her 18 months in 1950s Waikato, a time before meeting her father.
In April 1958, 21-year-old Margaret Parkin arrived in New Zealand with her parents and younger brother. Eighteen months later, Parkin wrote to a friend: “Well love, we are coming home.”
“Maureen, at times, I simply hate it and I just get bored to tears.”
In what she describes as a “twist of fate”, Mason’s daughter Anna Tew moved to New Zealand nine years ago.
Mason was determined to find out more about the Parkins’ life when she pinned down to visit Anna and see New Zealand this March.
Over 40 years working as a librarian,
Mason advised many others to “write to the local newspaper” to find clues about their family history. She finally took her own advice and wrote to the Waikato Times.
Following the story, Hamiltonians helped Mason figure out where her mum lived in Tamahere, and who she spent time with.
Mason said she couldn’t have completed the “blank space” in her family history without the help of Waikato Times readers, “[it] opened up a whole new world to me.”
On Tuesday at the library, Mason found a newspaper from 1958 about the fire at Frankton suit factory Anthony Squires, matching what Margaret wrote in a letter.
Outside the former H & J Court building at 303 Victoria St, Mason felt a connection through the faded sign where Margaret had worked.
“I know my mum worked there, and I just felt I’ve been there before. I’m finally where my mum was and it just feels nice walking in her footsteps.”
Of course, Mason walked the footsteps with different shoes.
“I remember being shocked when I was younger that she’s never owned a pair of trainers in her life. And all she got were town shoes and smart shoes.”
Mason remembers how very different she was to Margaret, and they weren’t “exceptionally close.”
Margaret was into dancing, going to the cinema and shopping - everything that was hard to find in 1950s Tamahere. Mason and her daughter, meanwhile, loved the outdoors - which is why Tew stayed after doing her working holiday in New Zealand.
But the differences had no effect on Mason’s interest in every unsolved mystery about the Parkins’ life.
For example, the family was still living on a Tamahere farm in November 1959, but when they bought a cruise ticket in December, they put down an address on Brookfield St in Hamilton.
“I still don’t know the connection. Why did they end up living here? But coincidentally it’s only just around the corner from their friend, Mrs Sanders.”
Having been busy tracking down stories about her family, Mason left the story of her own life for her daughter to tell, which Anna would happily pick up.
“I think you just are [interested in your family history]. There’s something nice to know how your lineage links into the bigger picture,” said Tew.
To Mason, getting to know her lineage is mainly about belonging.
“I’m always looking for how I fit in and how I belong. Knowing your family history helps to connect you to somewhere and helps you to feel that you belong,” Mason said.