Honor Daw

     Some sources believe Honor Daw was born in 1828 this being presumed to have been derived from her age as given on her marriage cert, but this is 3 yrs prior to Honor's baptism. Perhaps she advanced her age in order to wed without parental permission? It is assumed that she was baptised soon after birth as the 1831 year that implies agrees with the age given in the 1851 census.³
     Honor Daw was born cir. Jul 1831 at Newton Mill, Tavistock, DEV, ENG, (mar. cert implies 1828, 1851 cens. implies 1831 and provides place of Tavistock (from Marion M), Lois provides the place detail of Newton Mill and a day of 27th, although this is seems to be the baptism, not birth, date).^4,5,3,6 She was baptized on 27 Jul 1831 in the Ang Ch., Tavistock, DEV, ENG.⁷
     Honor Daw married William Rowe, son of Matthias Rowe and Ann King, on 26 Sep 1850 in the St Andrews Par. Ch, Plymouth, DEV, ENG, Reg. Plymouth Qtr 3 Vol 9 page #455 (same year volume and page as the marriage in the March qtr, Plympton St Mary, of William's brother Joseph to Honor's sister Thirza) Cert reads: William, 23, mariner resident 6 Gilwell St, s/o Matthew Rowe, farmer, married Honour Daw 22, resident 56 Cambridge St, d/o Isaac Smith Daw, miller. Performed at Parish Ch. of St Andrew, Plymouth 26 Sep 1850. Wit: Isaac Daw and Eliz Staddon (all signed) (assumed⁸ to be Honor's brother and his wife to be).^{9,10,11,12,8,13}
     Honor Rowe died on 6 Jun 1897 at Huirangi, nr Waitara, TNK, NZ, at age 65; Certified copy reads: On 6 June 1897 at Huirangi, Honor Rowe, 66 years, of rhematic arthritis and senile decay, exhaustion 14 days. Father ..Dow, miller, Mother's names unknown. NB Father's name should read Daw. Buried 9 Jun 1897 Huirangi. Born England, in NZ 45 years. Married at unknown age in England to William Rowe. Survived by M 44,40,34,30,25,22 (assumed to be Matt, William Henry, Alfred, Albert and John resp.) F 36,32,27 (assumed to be Helen (Turnbull), Elizabeth and Sarah)
     Dth notice read: Rowe On June 6th at her residence Huirangi, Honnor (sic), the wife of W Rowe. The funeral of the late Mrs Honnor Rowe will leave her late residence for the Huirangi Cemetery at 2pm on Wed Jun 9th Friends kindly accept this intimation.^14,6 She was buried with William Rowe in the Huirangi Cem., nr Waitara, TNK, NZ, Plot 66 h/stone reads:ILMO Honnour the beloved wife of William Rowe died Jun 6th 1897 aged 66 years; Also William Rowe died 25th Apr 1915 aged 88 years. Sarah Rowe died 26 Sep 1901 aged 31 yrs. (Honnour was buried 9 Jun 1897, Sarah (their dtr who died in a fire) on 29 Sep 1901 and William on 27 Apr 1915, William is between his wife an ddtr).^15,14,6,16
     Follow this link for more information on Honor. Follow this link for full text(s) and/or more information on documents mentioned.
     Honor Daw appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 at Newton Mill, Tavistock, DEV, ENG, in the household of Isaac Daw and Betsy Daw shown as Honor Daw.¹⁷
     Isaac, David, Mary, Bettsey, Thirza, Honor and Jane were beneficiaries in the 10 Nov 1847 will of their father Isaac Smith Dawe at Lumburn, Dist of Tavistock, DEV, ENG.¹⁸ Honor Daw witnessed the marriage of Joseph King Rowe and Thirza Dawe on 14 Mar 1850 at St Budeaux, Dist of Plympton St Mary, DEV, ENG.^5,19,20 By Sep 1850 Honor Daw was living at 56 Cambridge St, Plymouth, DEV, ENG, when she married William.¹⁰
     Honor Rowe appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 at 45 Tavistock St, Devonport, Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG, with William Rowe, enumerated as William: head mar 23 Victualler b. Bickleigh; Honor: wife, mar. 20, b. Tavistock (NB Honor has lost 2 yrs of age in 6 mths, isn't it a miracle what marriage does!).²¹
     Honor Rowe immigrated bet Oct 1852 - Nov 1856 to TNK, NZ; from Devon, ENG. "In NZ 45 years" on Honor's 1897 death cert, which implies 1852, son Matthias had supposedly been in NZ 46 yrs in 1901, which implies 1855 (assumes Matt came to NZ with his mother as he would only be about 3 in 1855) An obituary held by Marian M says "4 years after husband" and their next son was born Jul 1857, so Honor has to have arrived prior to Nov 1856. Husband William's 1915 dth cert says he had been in NZ 61 yrs, which implies he emigrated c 1854, which makes the 4 yr gap hard to fit in.^22,6,12
     In 1860 TNK, NZ, times were tempestuous. According to Wells: Great alarm had been experienced in New Plymouth on the 4th of August with news that "the natives were in force on the Mangorei Rd".
A proclamation was made by R Carey Lieut.-Colonel, Deputy-Adjutant General, on the 6th August which read: "As it is indispensibly necessary that families should leave town, they must prepare to embark for such place as shall be decided upon".
A ship fitted up to take families of settlers to Nelson was driven ashore on the 16th Aug and "a large party of Militia and Volunteers were marched to the wreck to preserve it from being plundered by the natives".
On the 20th Aug Ephraim Coad was shot dead on the beach nr the mouth of the Henui and "rebels burned the Henui village, leaving the church and chapel and the minister's house". "About this time, Henry Crann, while searching for his bullocks on the Avenue Rd, was shot by a professedly friendly native of Puketotara".
The General Assembly was in session at this time and "the native policy of the Government was endorsed in the House of Representatives, Members voting by a large majority in favor of the following resolution".. "That in the opinion of this House the interference of Wiremu Kingi at Waitara and his resort to force to prevent the survey of the land, that rendered the measures adopted by His Excellency the Governor indispensible for the maintenance of Her Majesty's sovereignty, and the welfare of both races of Her Majesty's subjects, peremptorily requires a vigorous prosecution of the war to a successful termination."
"Early in September the troops were engaged in burning the old pas in the neighborhood of Bell Block, which had been erected during the Puketapu feud, also the pas on the edge of the plateau between Puketakaurere and Huirangi, which had been deserted by the enemy."
"On the 18th (Sept) .. The proclamation of the General demanding the removal of all the women and children was not only disobeyed, but in some instances resisted, the women positively refusing to leave their husbands and sons, choosing rather to suffer the miseries of the siege. A proclamation was then made offering a discharge from Military service to all married settlers who were willing to remove with their families to Nelson".
By Dec 27th General Pratt was encamped at "the Waitara" where "The Waikatos in large numbers now began to pour into the pas at Matarikoriko and Huirangi, on the edge of the plateau overlooking the Waitara valley, and leading up to the ancient fastness of the tribe at Pukerangiora."
"On Jun (in context, I think this was really Jan) the 14th 1861, General Pratt again advanced towards Huirangi, throwing up No. 2 redoubt, about 570 yards from Kairau, and afterwards No. 3, a three-angled redoubt en echelon, and within three-quarters of a mile of the Huirangi rifle pits, from whence he ran the longest sap on record towards the enemy's position at the foot of Pukerangiora."
Truce appears to have been reached around March 1861 (men of the 57th Regiment arriving from Bombay in June). By Feb (I think the book is up to 1862 by now) the Tarankai Milita was virtually disbanded and "The women and children who had taken refuge in Nelson returned by every steamer."²³
     On 1 Sep 1860 Honor Rowe moved temporarily to NLN & CBY, NZ this coming from a quote in a letter from Anthony Brooking, William's cousin. "All the women and children yet remaining in the place are now ordered to Nelson & Canterbury. Wm. Rowe's wife & brats is going Septr. 1 - and I expect Francis's formation crooked rib (wife) also - ...". They cannot have been away long as dtr Helen was born in Taranaki in Jun 1861.²⁴ William and Honor were predeceased by their dtr Sarah Peeke Rowe on 11 Mar 1863.^25,26
     Honor Daw was mentioned in the letter Joseph King Rowe sent to William Rowe on 19 Oct 1863 from Heavitree Rd, Exeter, DEV, ENG, "Honours mother is no more in this world she died October 8th at E Bennetts at Plymouth.²⁷ "
     The full text of the letter Thirza Rowe sent to Honor Rowe on 19 Oct 1863 from Heavitree Rd, Exeter, DEV, ENG, reads: I know if you had been there we should have had more the Broach that David (brother of Thirza and Honor) sent is very ansom one and sinse she has been down to Plymouth she has bought a gold chain that she has given to Betsy (sister to Thirza and Honor) she did not intend I should know that but things come out sometimes when it is not intended
my love to your self and William and all the dear Children
from your affectionate sister T Rowe
PS it was my wish you should have the Broach and the earings
(undated, unaddressed, but with her husband, JK Rowe's, letter to William about Honour and Thirza's mother's death).²⁸
     Honor Rowe was not listed on the electoral roll of 1893, the first to include women.²⁹
     The full text of the letter David Dawe sent to Honor Daw on 5 Feb 1893 from Williamstown, Melbourne, VIC, AUS, reads: (spelling as original, no year on letter 1893 assumed)
Dear Sister & Brother
I ham Sorey I have to Send you Bad news I must tel you that Mrs Brooking (assumed to be Ann BROOKING nee SMITH, wife of John Rowe BROOKING, as she died 21 Jan 1893) Died after a very Short ilness She got the influenza but got well as She thought and went to a Very old friend a shipmate of hers she was laid up with the same Complaint the woman died the doctor Says she Breathed the Jerms of the disease her Son fetched her home the Doctor told them it was an oplis case they sent for me to Com and see her she new me when I Came But She Could not talk to me she Past away very quietly I feel it very mutch as she always seeme to be one of our family I often went to see her and she always said she was waiting for me to go with her to newzeland I still hope to see you some of thease days The rools of our shop as been altered we have to make up all the lost time that will make twelve months or more to me I have been laid up so mutch with rhumatics I hope mathias is well again I know too well what they ar I always found hot Baths to do me most good I ham sending you too papers you will find acount of Mrs Brookings Death in them I took the letter to her Son yesterday they said she would be so pleased if she had been spared to have seen it her son is a nice youn man and is wife is a good little woman they are going to send you a letter you say you will come and se us I hope to se you soon let me know when I shall meate you at the boat I must now Conclude Hoping this will find you all wel your Efectnant Brother and Sister D & M Daw.³⁰ She was mentioned in the letter from Sarah Peek Rowe to William Rowe on 4 May 1893 in DEV, ENG.³¹
     The full text of the letter Emily Green sent to Honor Rowe on 8 Dec 1894 from Gladstone, TAS, AUS, reads: My dear Sister I received your kind letter and ought to have answered it before this but I have been so ill lately I have not been able to write or do anything else. My dear husbands death was such a dreadfull shock to us all, it is a thing you do not easily get over it was so very sudden and so unexpected, for his health had been so much better. He had been quite free from his cough for a long time had not complained at all The Dr told me years ago that his lungs were affected he told me one lung was quite gone and the other very bad so I was always frightened of his catching cold fearing it would settle on his lungs, he had a bad cough was quite asthmatical for years but had been free from it for some time before his death we none of us thought there was anything the matter with his heart and I am sure he did not know it himself but that is what it was the heart suddenly stopped he had been as bright and well all the evening, we were talkikng and laughing together not five minutes before he had just settled himself comfortably on the pillow when I looked he was gone, he could not have had a pain for he never made a sound you would have thought he was peacefully sleeping. It was so awfully sudden I cannot get over it - he is never out of my thoughts. I cannot tell you how we miss him it does not seem like home without him poor fellow he was always so good and kind and ready to do anything to help another. He had not done any work for years only works in his garden when he felt inclined, he always was very fond of gardening. After his last failure in business he seemed to lose heart and had never done anything since.
My boys have been such good boys they have worked and kept a comfortable home for us their father has always had every comfort, he has never wanted for a thing. I have three boys and three girls, two young men grown the youngest a lad sixteen just left school so you see they are all grown up able to do for themselves the eldest girl and boy are married, The youngest of Elizabeths boys, David is the best boy that ever lived he was only a little fellow in petticoats when I took him, he has always been as my own sown, I have had nothing but love and kindness from him, he thinks more of me than my own boys do, if that were possible, he is past thirty and not married God will bless him for the good boy he has been to me.
If we are spared and All goes well I think it is very likely I may come to New Zealand shortly, three of my sisters and a brother are in Auckland they have long wanted me to pay them a visit so I think it is very likely I may go to them now should I do so I may have a chance of coming to New Plymouth when I could tell you all about them all better than I can by writing, Poor Isaac never would hear of my going to New Zealand, I tried very hard to get him to go there and start afresh, but he never would.
My brother paid us a visit the Summer before last he badly wanted me to go back with him for a trip, but I could see Isaac did not want me to go, and I am so thankfull now that I did not go. I hope you will write to me agian, I shall be so glad to hear from you.
Hoping you are all well and that you have all spent a pleasant and happy Christmas wishng you all a happy and prosperous New Year - with love to all from all
Beleive (sic) me Your affectionate sister
Emily Daw
PS I think a letter addressed to William at Strathmore Mill Lymington would be sure to find him or you could put Mr W Daw Strathmore, Evandale, either would find him.³²
     Her name appears on records spelt in many different ways: Honnor, Honor, Honour, Honnour. also Dow, Daw and Dawe in most combinations of these.
     Family lore (Eric) has it that Harry (Matt's son, Honor's grdson) "called on Honor Daw's people in London in WWI". Who exactly they were we do not know, although several of the Rowe/Dawe relations did indeed live in London. One descendant (Alice) recalls being told they had a lot of clocks!^33,34