| The Morton Family in NZ - 1st Generation |
| The first generation of the Morton family in New Zealand arrrived at Port Chalmers, Otago on the "Cheviot", 3rd December 1859. There are very sketchy details of their first years in New Zealand, but mention is made in various sources relating to the NZ & Australian Land Company, of John Morton managing Seaward Downs Estate, and also of the Morton Mains, part of the Woodland Estate - named after him. One of the peices of machinery introduced by John Morton to the area, the steam plough, resulted in major difficulties which lasted for some years. The steam plough, though innovative and tested in Scotland very successfully, was not suitable for the conditions in Southland. The use of it resulted in a loss of topsoil, and reduced productivity as a result. The adverse results haunted John Morton for the rest of his life, and he moved to the "Oatlands" Estate at Wallacetown shortly afterwards, and was not involved with the NZ&ALC again. Jane died in childbirth in 1865. John's second marriage to Jessie Stewart on 18th February, 1867, extended his family by nine children, the first, Marian, being born in May 1867. They lived in Wallacetown during his lifetime. Jessie was a music teacher at the nearby Spar Bush School, and some of the younger children were registered as having attended there. It is now known that Jessie lived in New Zealand from 1864, one year before Jane's death; I have not yet found the shipping list to verify her port of arrival, but it can be assumed that she arrived in New Zealand alone, as, to date, there has been no indication of any other members of her family in NZ. Presumably she would have needed to work and therefore it is a fair assumption that she was teaching. John died in 1882 and is buried in Wallacetown Old Cemetery, though the Family Grave in the Wallacetown New Cemetery shows John as well as Jessie, Fanny and Alexander. . The information about John, his first wife Jane, and Jessie is very limited, and is still being researched. |