OBITUARY: From newspapers, 15th August 1902.
By the Wanganui papers we see that this old colonist passed away in the 15th August at the good old age of 81 years. The late Mr Harris arrived in the colony - Wellington - by the ship 'Slaines Castle' in December 1840. He came out with the late Mr Octavius Carrington as one of the survey chainmen for the Plymouth Company, and in company with Messrs. F.A. and O. Carrington, Rogan, and Duppa, surveyors to the Plymouth Company, landed at Moturoa, Taranaki, from the ship 'Brougham' on the 11th February 1841. As Mr Harris was the last survivor of this band of pioneers we give the names of the others of the party, all of whom have proved the 'metal of their pasture' in the noble work of colonising and civilising this fair country:- Harcourt Aubrey, Paines, George Duppa, James Dingle, William Lakeman and Mrs Lakeman-Levitt, Charles Nairn, William Pote and Mrs Pote, and Sam Teague. Mrs F.A. Carrington was also a member of this band of 'Pilgrim Fathers', the forerunners of the many thousands who now occupy this district. The country was at this time a veritable wilderness, and in the graphic language of one of the chainmen ..."The surveyor turned his party loose into the fern like wild pigs". Here after a minute examination of about seven or eight hundred miles of coast, Mr Carrington fixed the site for the future town, to be called New Plymouth after the old town of that name, the headquarters of the Plymouth Company.
The late Mr Harris married soon after his arrival, a daughter of the late William Edgecombe and sister of Mr Chas Edgecumbe of this town, and some years since they celebrated their golden wedding. For many years Mr Harris has been settled in Wanganui where he was a highly respected citizen, and a prominent member of the Wesleyan and other bodies. There will be on view for a few days at Messrs. Bellrigner's shop, Devon Street, a fine old coloured picture a copy of view of "parts of the new Plymouth settlement in the district Taranaki from a drawing taken on board the ship 'Brougham' by George Duppa, Esq." This view shows the country around New Plymouth as it was in 1841.
[Source: From the records of the 'Taranaki Museum'.]
NEW EDIT TO THIS POSTED MESSAGE (I've just added the wife's obit - Mary Harris nee Brown, plus supplied retouched photo of SG Harris.
Emigrant arrival into New Zealand: 1839 aged 18. [Source: copy of 'list of emigrants per William Bryan' 12th November 1840. From the papers in Crown Lands Office, New Plymouth, W.H. Skinner, 6th October 1902. Mary BROWN, stepdaughter of William Edgecombe. Married to Samuel Harris.]
OBITUARY: From the 'Budget' 15th January 1898.
Monday's Wanganui Chronicle reports of that another resident in person Mrs Harris, wife of Mr Samuel G. Harris, passed away at 2:15 at her late residence, Wilson Street, on Sunday. She was 77 years of age and a native of Plymouth. She came out to the Colony on March 31st, 1841 and settled in New Plymouth, where she was married, going to Wanganui, in the year 1858. Mr and Mrs Harris celebrated their golden wedding anniversary 6 years ago. She leaves 3 sons, 4 daughters, and a great number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. To this we may add that Mr Harris was one of the party which accompanied Mr. F.A. Carrington, arrived here in the 'Brougham' on February 11th, 1841. Mrs Harris was a Miss Edgecombe, and came out in the 'Wlliam Bryan'.
[Source: From the records of the 'Taranaki Museum'.
