The First FROUDE To Marry In New Zealand

 

St Pauls Church drawn by Edward AINSWORTH 1843

Jane Randell Burgoyne FROUDE married John PROBERT on the 31 May 1842 at St Pauls Church in Auckland.

Auckland is a huge city these days but in 1842 there were only 2,000 inhabitants. Though few in number they were determined to have a place to worship. So on a site at the end of Princes Street, Governor HOBSON laid the foundation stone for St Pauls on the 28th. July 1841.

On 27th October 1841, Bishop Selwyn was consecrated first Bishop of New Zealand, and an impetus was given to the work by funds raised by him in England, and his subsequent arrival in the colony on the 30th May, 1842.  So it seems likely Bishop Selwyn was at the marriage ceremony of John and Jane held on 31st May 1842.

St. Paul’s, when the troops were here, was always the garrison church, and it was where every Governor of the colony when in Auckland has worshipped. During the Northern Maori War, the church was strengthened and barricaded as a refuge for the women and children when the natives threatened the town.

This painting by William FOX in 1849 of Auckland shows the spire of St Pauls in the middle left and graphically illustrates the smallness of the settlement in the early days.
As mentioned previously Jane came out in 1840 as Nanny to Governor Hobson's children. See here.
Jane was born on the 9th September 1798 in Dartmouth, Devon, England and so was 43 when she married John PROBERT. John was 26. The couple had no issue.

John PROBERT arrived in New Zealand in 1840 also. I've yet to find what he did prior to coming to New Zealand. He was born in Salford, Manchester, Lancashire, England on the 5th December 1815. The following details are taken from his substantial headstone at St Andrews in Epsom, Auckland.

John PROBERT
who died 25 July 1890 aged 75 years
"Born in Machester, England and came to this colony in 1840. He bequeathed a portion of his means to his relatives, the Auckland YMCA, Wesleyan New Guinea and Home Missions and the residue to endow a Wesleyan Theological college in the Auckland district.

He was an unostentatious and exemplary christian and died in perfect peace and the faith of the gospel."

Sacred also to the memory of his wife Jane Randell Burgoyne Froude who departed this life 2 Nov 1893 aged 95 years

"I will both lay me down in peace and sleep"

According to the National Probate Calendar in England his personal estate was 920 pounds. He left 100 pounds to his brother, some must have gone to pay for the headstone and the rest went to other relatives and the Wesleyan church. His brother William Gadsby PROBERT was so upset that he didn't receive more he committed suicide, according to a newspaper report.
See here.

However also see this newspaper report written by the Trustees of John PROBERT's will, which indicates John PROBERT was actually very generous to both William and all the relatives and his estate was much larger. Possibly the 900 pounds was just his estate left in England. 

The other side of the story.