MARRIED 70 YEARS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 20 October 1942, Page 4

MARRIED 70 YEARS

AN AUCKLAND RECORD MR AND MRS JOHN GEORGE Probably the oldest New Zealand 1 born married couple. Mr and Mrs . John George, of George street. Cue- . hunga , celebrated yesterday the 70th , anniversary of their wedding. As both Mr and Mrs George were born in Auckland 97 and 88 years ago respee- ; lively, the occasion is claimed to con stitute a record for the longest partncr- ; ship of the oldest living New Zealand born couple, (states the "N.Z. Herald"). The marriage of Mr and Mrs George took place in the Church of the Assumption. Onehunga, on 19th October. 1872, by the Rev. Father Paul They have lived most of their lives at Onehunga. Mr George's parents arrived at Auckland by the ship Louisa Campbell in 1842 and he was born three years later in a raupo whare. at that time the only building in Wydni!am street. In 1847. when Onehunga was first settled by military pensioners, Mr George's father opened one of the first hotels in the township, and when the Maori war broke out in 1863 scores of settlers in the Manukau district, with I their wives and families, fled to One- I hunga for protection. Such a sudden .inri extra ordinary demand on the ac- j commodation and food supplies of the j village became a serious problem. This j was satisfactorily solved by the action of Mrs George’s mother, who convened a public meeting, the outcome ; of which was the founding of the | Onehunga Ladies’ Benevolent Society, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year and is acknowledged to be the oldest ladies’ organisation in the i Dominion, and probably in the Empiie. Mrs George was formedly Miss Lily Grimley. whose parents reached Auckland by the ship Bolivia in 1841. She ;1 o was born :n Wyndham street. She ; still enjoys good health. In view of Mr George's advanced age the anniversary °f the wedding was celebrated quietly. Of the family of four sons and three daughters, all are living except one son who was killed in the last war. There are eight grandchildren and two great granrt»-i>ddron.