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John TANFIELD farmer is shown as the father of Samuel born 1841 + / - a year.   Samuel's year of birth is confirmed by his marriage at age 23 to Mary HOLMES on 11 June 1864 at Freeman's Bay Auckland

Samuel's Death Certificate [26 September 1900 Devonport Auckland] records born in Yorkshire - Farmer.   There is no information about his mother.
The Death information is supplied by A TANFIELD son (Alfred Thomas TANFIELD)

Some on-line family trees suggest Samuel's parents were Thomas and Mary TANFIELD of Thirsk.

Samuel TANFIELD of Tanfield & Potter - later Crown Lynn importers and manufacturers of china goods- arrived in Auckland NZ on the Ship William Miles -  Departed London 29th Jul 1862  Arrived Auckland 13th Nov 1862.

The William Miles passengers were Non-Conformists wanting to establish a new settlement north of Auckland.    Samuel along with several others found work in Auckland and was never part of that settlement.
Samuel spent some years in Hamilton before returning to Auckland.   He was connected with the Wesleyan (Methodist) Church - both Primitive and Wesleyan branches.

My enquiry on the NZ board has given me this info
"The Samuel Tanfield b. 1841 Thirsk is with parents Thomas and Mary in 1841 and 1851 in Thirsk and boarding in Ripon in 1861. Can't see him after this which would tie in with him going to NZ. Thomas is not a farmer."

Was Albert mistaken about his Grandfather's name from the other side of the world ?

Are there any records of Birth or Baptism or possibly Probate which might throw light on the real father of Samuel-of-Devonport ?

Signal Hill

I am trying to find birth death and burial detailsl for John GORDON
The best reference I have is in CYCLOPEDIA OF NZ 1897   Wellington Province
which refers to "Gordon and Sons (John Benjamin Gordon, George Gordon, and Thomas Gordon), Carpenters and Builders, River Bank Road, Otaki."
John is said to have lived in Otaki from 1854 and been born near Chester, England
He is supposed to have come to Auckland in 1852 on the "Cashmere"   References to the Cashmere don't seem to tie up with 1852.

Family oral history suggests he was part of the "Scottish Constabulary" and married to Lena or Rina TE AKAU the mother of George and Thomas.
George died in 1956 and is buried in the Pukekaraka Catholic Cemetery in Otaki
Thomas died in 1920 and is buried in the "Native Cemetery" - presumably the same Pukekaraka
Rina according to family oral history is buried "up in the Horohoro area" which is her ancestral place of burial.   The modern Marae is Kearoa at the foot of the northern end of the Horohoro Bluff
Rina may be the same person as Hariata Tamihana (later known as Hariata Gordon)

SignalHill