The First FROUDE Born In New Zealand

Isabella Gibson FROUDE (the first FROUDE born in New Zealand)

Isabella was born in Auckland on the 27 June 1859. She was the daughter of David FROUDE and Margaret Jane AGNEW. Isabella was the first FROUDE to be born in New Zealand and was named after her grandmother on the FROUDE side, Isabella GIBSON.
Unfortunately Isabella's life ended early. She died on 8 Oct 1888 at sea. She was washed overboard along with her infant son on a trip near Australia ref. Ora MCCORD (Drowned off the Maraoa newspaper Christchurch Press, Wednesday 10 Oct 1888.

The newspaper Reports are below:
The Mararoa, which left Auckland at 6 p.m. on October 3, arrived last night. On Sunday, while approaching the coast, she encountered a terrific gale with fearful sea, which continued till yesterday. At half-past 3 in the afternoon she was suddenly struck by an enormous wave of unusual magnitude, which broke on board with disastrous results. The passengers on the hurricane deck had no warning, and being unable to escape were hurled in all directions. Mrs Henderson (a steerage passenger) and her infant child were carried overboard without any chance of help, and drowned. Two other steerage passengers (Mr White and Mr Herbert) each had his leg broken, and one of the seamen named Jones also had his leg fractured. Another child of Mrs Henderson was fortunately caught by the rail, and hung suspended there until the vessel righted when he was rescued. Several other persons received severe bruises. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, October 9. Mrs Henderson, the lady who was drowned from the Mararoa, was the wife of Mr H Henderson who recently left Auckland for Ballarat where he is now carrying on business. Mrs Henderson left with her three children in the Mararoa last week in order to join her husband.

The picture is of a memorial stone under the Grafton Bridge, Symond Street Cemetery.  The date of death is wrong on the stone. Picture from the Timespanner Blogspot: See the site here.


THE DROWNED PASSENGERS.

From inquiries we have made there appears to be very little doubt that the lady who met with her death under the sad circumstances narrated in the cablegram was a former resident of Auckland. She was the wife of Mr Henry Henderson, an upholsterer in Auckland, who recently proceeded to Ballarat, where he is now carrying on business. Mrs Henderson left with her three children in the Mararoa last week in order to join her husband. She is well-known in Auckland, and prior to her marriage was a Miss Froude, her father being Mr David Froude, of Surrey Hills. Mr Henry Henderson is a brother of Mr John Henderson, painter, of Wyndham-street. The hurricance deck on the Mararoa runs the full length of the vessel, and the second cabin is situated in the after part. None of the saloon passengers sustained any injury.

Isabella had married Henry HENDERSON in 1882. They had 3 children. One was Henry Percival Froude HENDERSON born 1888 and probably the one washed overboard (no records to prove this) and the other two were David Alexander HENDERSON born 1884 and John HENDERSON born 1886.