Reginald Stanley and his twin brother, Sydney Garnett were born October 1874 in Prestwich and baptised 14 Feb 1875. The twins were apparently “colourful” characters if not rogues. Sydney emigrated to America and Reg to New Zealand. Family stories suggest that both moves were encouraged by the family as the result of unacceptable behaviour. As told to Andrew Kevin Kelsall Pearson (AKKP) by Dr David Kelsall and others, the twins were “too hot for England to hold.” From a family story, Reg left England because he had been having a fling with a married woman. It was well known amongst the family that Reginald was very keen on the ladies and had acquired a reputation.

Sydney, Reginald and brother Percival were boarders at Laurel Bank School, Salford in 1891. Sydney was at the family home, Hornby Lodge Prestwich in 1901. Reginald had by this time moved to New Zealand.

Reginald Stanley’s life and family in Peria, New Zealand are largely known from his great granddaughter Liza Kelsall.

“Reg married a woman who was half Maori [Maria Collins]. Her name was Maria (pronounced Mariah, as in the singer). Maria was descended from an important Maori lineage of chieftains. I can trace that lineage back to before the Polynesians came to NZ. When Reg first arrived in NZ he worked in the gumfields in the North of the country. It was the worst job. Only Maori and Europeans with no skills did that job. The gum was dried resin from trees that once populated much of the top half of the country. They used to dig for it in swampy marshland where the trees once stood. The gum was sent to England and used to make varnish and glue. [This may be the origin of the nickname “diggers” for New Zealand soldiers in WW1 – PK].

Grandad [Liza’s grandfather, Stanley] was born on the gumfields, before they married in 1899. They married in 1900. In 1902 Aunty Jeanie (pronounced Ginny) was born. In about 1903 they went back to England to visit John Kelsall and family. They stayed for a year or two and Aunty Connie (Constance) was born there in Prestwich at Hornby Lodge.

In terms of the timing of the twins’ exile, grandad [Stanley] was born in September 1899. Maria had a son before she married Reg Kelsall. Jack Broughton was Grandad’s half-brother, older than him by about 2.5 years.  Uncle Jack was born in February 1896. When Maria met Reg, Jack was a baby, according to the family stories. So, Reg would have arrived in NZ around 1997 or 1998, I would assume. The story was that he was wearing his top hat and tails when they met. Which suggests he was still a newbie to NZ – he was in a rough area and that style of dress would have been out of place there.

Dad mentioned that he thought great grandad Reg had spent time in NSW before arriving in NZ. And when Maria and Reg came back from their trip to England in 1905[1] he thought they spent some time in Sydney. He thought they had visited some relatives of Reg’s. Not sure who they would be though.

Uncle Jack was gassed in the war. He survived but had a drain his chest all his life. He married and had kids. He moved away from Peria but used to come to stay at Grandad Stanley’s place often when Dad was a kid. His grandson Wally now lives about 1km from Dad. Jack died in the 1950s, a few years after his mother Maria.

Our aunty Connie (Constance) visited England in the 1960s and met with family as well. She went over when the Kelsalls were selling up the remaining assets from the old Kelsall company estate. She was one of my grandad’s sisters. Grandad’s generation, as grandchildren of John Kelsall, got a payment from the estate every year up until it was all wound up in the 1960s. I don’t think it was a lot of money, so grandad’s generation weren’t wealthy, but I’m sure it was always a welcome little surprise each year.”

 

[1] RS and Maria sailed 25 Jan 1905 with 3 children, voyage of 70 days.