2018 Essay Joint Winner

Jackson Reynolds – Mihi

Tena koutou katoa
Ko Jackson Reynolds ahau
Ko Tom Reynolds toku matua
Ko Kate Reynolds toku whaea
Ko Turanganui A Kiwa
Ko Hereworth toku kura
Ko Ruapehu te maunga
Ko Whanganui te awa
Ko Ngati Tuwharetoat iwi

Here I am, in 2018, but honestly that’s boring. Instead, I can go back hundreds of years in fact all the way back to 1699 when my 5x great grandfather, Nowel Cribb was born in Dorset, England. He married twice, and was the father of eleven children. I don’t have very much information about Nowel Cribb except he worked as a shoemaker.

84 years later his grandson Henry Cribb was born, also in Dorset, England. He started his adventurous career as a Coachman, today’s equivalent of an Uber Driver. In 1805 he became a Military Corporal of the 11^th Regiment Light Dragoons in Leeds. He and Mary Hatfield were married and the parents of ten children including my great, great grandfather John Hatfield Edward Cribb.

John Hatfield Edward Cribb was a Seaman, then later became a captain of the Royal Navy. He married Frances Annie Stephens in 1840 and they had eleven children, 2 of which died before birth.

CRIBB John Hatfield
Personal Estate £69

18 July.   The Will of John Hatfield Cribb late of Lymington in torthe County of Southampton   Master Mariner who died 16 April 1884 at Lymington was proved at the Principal Registry by Frances Cribb of Lymington Widow the Relict the sole Executrix.

CRIBB Frances.
Person Estate £460 10s.

27 November.   The Will of Frances Cribb formerly of Lymington in the County of Lymington but late of Tetbury in the County of Gloucester   Widow who died 1 September 1888 at Tetbury was proved at the Principal Registry by Henry Hatfield Cribb of Fairlight Cadogan-road Surbiton in the County of Surrey Clerk in the Civil Service the Son the sole Executor.

(Certificate of Marriage)   (Certificate of Masters Service)

One of John’s nephews, also John Hatfield Cribb (my great, great Uncle), boarded the RMS Titanic in Southampton, England on the 10^th of April 1912 with his 16 year old daughter Laura Mae enroute to New Jersey, US. Disaster struck on the 15th of April 1912 when only Laura managed to get to safety as the RMS Titanic sunk.

My great grandfather Frederick William Cribb was born to John and Francis in 1855 in Hampshire, England. 16 years later Frederick and his brother Alfred embarked on a journey to Australia on the sailing ship, Salisbury. Via their fathers Navy contacts they received transportation to New Zealand. Frederick learnt the Native language (Maori, which was probably from his first wife) and became a Maori language interpreter and a surveyor for the Government, while his brother Alfred became a clothes tailor.

In 1896 Frederick was part of a group of Engineers and Surveyors that went up the Whanganui river and the Tangarakau River by canoe to see if they could use steam ships to transport cargo. There were no roads and the river was important to grow the community and improve civilisation. There [their] mission was a success and they started building steam ships immediately.

Frederick had two wives and six children before he meet my grandmother Waikauri Toi Te Huatahi in 1909. Waikauri was a full blooded Maori and could not speak English, Frederick had to communicate with her in Maori. (in the middle is Waikauri) Frederick and Waikauri had 16 children including my Nana Maude Clever Cribb, who was born 27/06/1921 on the family farm in Otangiwai, Matiere (near Taumarunui).

Nana Maude had three partners, first a Chinese man she married and divorced three years later. She then met Alec Percival (Prim was his nickname) Reynolds and they had 8 children. In September 1962 Prim Reynolds was struck by lightning and killed while working on the railway.

My Poppa, John Douglas Riddle was a plumber from the railway houses and Prim’s best mate. He stepped in to take care of his friends family and he and my Nana ended up having two more

children, my uncle John and my Dad, Thomas Jackson Reynolds.

In 1975 Nana Maude did the Maori Land March with Dame Whina Cooper. My 10 year old dad and his brother came home from school and found a note saying “Gone out, back soon.” For 2 weeks the boys looked after

themselves until their sister in law saw Nana marching on TV and wondered who was looking after them, this is when they went to live with Poppa John.

In 1978 Nana Maude was arrested at Bastion Point.

Nana Maude Died 26/8/2002 and Poppa John Died on the 02/04/2003

Prior to meeting my mum, dad had three children, my sisters, Jay and Cassie and my brother Cody. Mum (Kate Scott) and Dad married the same year I was born, 2006.

Inline with my forefathers I am excited to venture to unchartered territory where I will settle with my three wives and 26 children.

References

Ancestry.co.uk

Te Kooti’s Land by L. Joyce Davey

Maude Elizabeth Moana Ellis (My Dad’s Sister)

[www].wikiwand.com/en/Passengers_of_the_RMS_Titanic#/Survivors_and_victims

Katey Reynolds & Thomas Reynolds