Newspaper Article 1937 – Early Resident Of Whangarei Celebrates 87th Birthday

Early Resident 0f Whangarei Celebrates 87th Birthday

Last Thursday, an early resident of Whangarei, Miss [Mrs] Amy Wilhelmina Bentick [Bentinck] Anderton, celebrated her 87th birthday. She was born during the voyage of the German sailing ship, Lord Wilhelm Bentick, and spent more than 30 years of her early life in the Auckland district, residing at the Bay of Islands, Thames and Bombay.

Her father, the late Mr William Head, fought in the Maori War in 1850, and after the war the family returned to England, where Mr Head was discharged after more than 22 years of service with the Royal Engineers. He won the V.C., and was also presented with the Good Conduct Medal by Queen Victoria.

When she was 18 years old, Mrs Anderton returned to New Zealand with her family, and married Captain Frank Robinson, a nephew of Squire Peek, of Hazlewood, London, founder of the well-known biscuit firm of Peek Frean. Captain Robinson was drowned at the Whangarei Heads three years later, there being one child. Later, Mrs Robinson married Mr Charles Anderton, of Preston, England. Mr Anderton was a cousin of Sir Robert Peel.

There are four sons and four daughters living. They are Messrs. A. and D. Anderton (Otane), and Messrs. G. and A. Anderton (Taihape). The daughters are Mrs Lorenzen (Whangarei), Mrs Mason (Otane), Mrs McNeill (Hunterville), and Mrs K. M. Commor [Connor] (Waipawa).