John Stace's parents were Sihon Stace and Charlotte Brown. John was born in Berwick in 1808 , he was the fourth child of seven and the eldest son. He married Elizabeth Ann Westgate, a local girl, in 1830 in the village church in Berwick where they both lived. John and Elizabeth went on to have 10 children, Nine of whom were born in Berwick, the last child, Charlotte, being born in New Zealand in 1852.
John was a wheelwright and according to the 1851 census employing two men in this trade. His eldest son Sihon was also a wheelwright apprentice with him. Johns father had been a sadler.
The decision to leave Berwick and emmigrate to New Zealand was probably brought about by several factors, not the least being John's brother Hugh Stace had already taken the plunge and emmigrated in 1850. No doubt letters were received from him telling them about the conditions and how land was available to anyone with a bit of hard work and money. The end result was John and Elizabeth sold almost all their possesions, packed their trunks and sailed on the Lady Nugent for New Zealand and the fledgling settlement of Christchurch, New Zealand in May 1851 When you see the auction papers itemising their belongings, it is easy to see why the family arrived at the East India Dock well over their luggage allowance. An additional 22 packages were stowed in the hold as cargo, with primage and costs to be paid on arrival. Onsite household auctions are emotional for sellers, no doubt there were some items that they couldn't part with and were withdrawn from sale.
John and family did well for themselves in New Zealand. They never returned to England. John died in 1878, followed 16 years later by his wife Elizabeth in 1895. They are buried in the family plot in the Avonside Holy Trinity Church graveyard with a simple headstone. The church bounded their property. It is a stone church surrounded with trees, close to the river Avon, which is most appropriate for a family who had their original roots in England.
Beverley Bolland great, great, great granddaughter of John Stace has given permission to publish the auction items as listed .
The full details of the Auction papers can be found in the East Sussex Record Office, The Maltings, Lewes under reference BUR 2/1/10.
JOHN STACE AUCTION 22nd May 1851 held Berwick, East Sussex
Lot 1 Four Prongs 7/6 Shoosmith
2 5 Prongs 8/6 Shoosmith
3 Hay rakes 3/- Pennington
4 Shovel, spade & spud 4/- Heny(?)
6 Sundry shovels 5/6 Pennington
7 Four hoes and mattock 4/- Masters
8 Hay 2/- Walter
9 Sundry hoes & mattock
10 Ladder 10/- Pennington
11 Two ladders 5/6 Charles Orde
12 Wheelbarrow 7/6 Shoosmith
13 Wheelbarrow 19/- Dadswell
14 Quantity of old iron 7/- Brown
15 Grindstone & frame ₤1.4.0. Thomas Shoosmith
16 New hand cart 18/- Mr G Guy
17 Barn sieves 1/6 Walter
18 Bushel measure & seed tip 19/- Ashby
19 Half bushel measure, shaul & scubbett 10/6 Cooper
20 Cast iron pig trough 6/- Sampson
21 Cast iron pig trough 7/- Woodhams
21 Cast iron pig trough 8/- Woodhams
22 Cast iron pig trough 7/6 Edward Cane
23 3 pair whippons and chains 11/6 Cooper
24 Cow chains & straps 7/- Errye
25 Lever turnip cutter 8/- Caine
26 Five trug baskets 2/- Poole
27 Timber for two butchers blocks 6/6 Shoosmith
28 Wheelers stool 3/6 Reed
29 Large oak form 3/- Martin
30 Carpentry bench, nearly new 17/- Shoosmith
31 Carpentry bench 9/- Hallet
32 Excellent cleaning machine ₤2.4.0. Walter
33 Sussex wheel plough ₤2.10.0 Martin
34 Set of horse harrows ₤2 Dann
35 Strong narrow wheel wagon ₤9.9.0 Cooper
36 Dung cart 4 ½inch wheels ₤1.2.0 Verrall
37 Miller’s & Stucksleys cart with opy(?) ₤2.5.0.W.Ellis
38 Miller’s & Stucksleys cart ₤1.11. Martin
39 Neat spring cart ₤4.15.0 Elllis
40 Light cart harness ₤1.3.0 Sampson
41 Neat & good gig harness
42 Nearly new trace harness ₤1.2.0. Woodhams
43 Nearly new trace harness ₤1.15.0 Thomas Mockett
44 Trace harness
45 Trace harness
46 Coiley harness, good ₤1.6.0. Mockett
47 Coiley harness 12/- Waters
48 Sundry harness, halters etc 16/- Funnell
49 Very excellent turning lathe,10 foot bed ₤8.0.0. Harvey
50 Wooden lathe 9inch poppets ₤2.6.0. Sampson
51 Quantity of paint tins etc 4/- Terry
52 Quantity of fire timber 1/6 Woodhams
53 Quantity of fire timber 2/6 Reed
54 Quantity of fire timber 9/- Lamb
55 Strike(?) cell to saw pit 2/- Bodle
56,57,58 Large hog tubs 7/- White
59,60. Water casks 9/6 White
61 Water pot & sundries 5/- Dann
62 no description given 3/- Dadswell
63 no description given 3/6 Ellis
64 no description given 4/- Towner
65 no description given 11/- Martin
66 no description given 6/6 Wenham(?)
67 no description given 5/- Pennington
68 Slabs 12/6 John Shoosmith
69 Slabs 6/- Stevens
70 Timber 17/- Shoosmith
71 Timber 6/- Bodle
TOTAL ₤61.6.0.
LIVESTOCK
1 Fine bred Alderney cow & calf Daisy ₤11.10.0 Weller
2 Half bred cow Damsel ₤9.10.0 Weller
3 Half bred cow Cherry ₤6.12.0 Cooper
4 Alderney cow Lemon ₤12.0.0. Saxby
5 Half bred cow Peggy ₤10.10.0 Weller
6 Alderney cow Strawberry ₤7.0.0. Towner
7 Alderney cow Beauty ₤11.10.0. Thomas Shoosmith
8 One year old half bred cow ₤5.5.0 Harvey
9 Half bred Alderney & Sussex 1year ₤4.4.0. S Southerden
10 Powerful cart mare 10years old ₤5.5.0. Cuthbert
11 Useful half bred mare 7 years ₤9.0.0 Best
12 3 Southdown ewe tegs ₤2.6.0. Huggett
TOTAL ₤94.14
FURNITURE
1 Sundries 3/6 Foord
2 Potatoes and sundries 2/- Lamb
3 2 pails & sundries 4/6 W Westgate
4 1 pail keeler & sundries 2/6 Star
5 1 box churn 10/- Russell
6 2 milk pails 7/- Pennington
7 Upright churn 5/6 Howell
8 Pork tub 11/6 Poole
9 Pork tub 9/6 W Westgate
10 2 keelers 9/6 Dunn
11 2 keelers 6/- Woodhams
12 1 mash tub ₤1.2.0. Shoosmith
13 Baskets & sundries 1/- Pennington
14 Shies and peels 3/6 Pennington
15 Keeler and barrell 5/- Dadswell
16 Folding board etc, 5/6 Curties
17 Hay form and sundries 3/- Funnell
18 Pestle 3/6 Pennington
19 Table and stool 4/- P.Weller
20 Hay form 5/6 Thomas Shoosmith
21 Fire guard 3/6 Curties
22 One cradle & bed 4/6 Wenham
23 Copper furnace & sundries18/- White
24 Fender & irons 3/6 Johnson
25 Fire irons & 2 block irons 1/6 Bodle
26 1 cast fender 5/- Johnson
27 Sundry timber 4/- Johnson
28 Old chair & barometer 1/- Johnson
29 Table & safe 3/6 Dennis
30 3 clothes horses 2/6 White
31 Baskets 1/- Durrant
32 Boxes 1/6 White
33 Pails and tubs 1/3 Brown
34 Wooden bottles 4/- R.Funnell
35 Basket and bottles 2/6 Woodhams
36 Bottles 3/6 Woodhams
37 Sundry ware 1/3 Stephens
38 Sundry ware 1/6 Reed
39 Sundry ware 1/9 Hunstead
40 Sundry ware 3/3 Pennington
41 Coal Scuttle etc, 2/- Gear
42 Iron boiler & saucepan 3/- Read
43 2 boilers 4/6 Johnson
44 Lanterns(?) etc 4/- Simmons
45 4 pans 2/9 Ellis
46 1 crock & 2 pans 2/6 Ellis
47 Wheels & sundries 1/6 Brown
48 Stool and washstand 2/- Curtis
49 1 dining table 3/6 Brown
50 Oak chest 3/6 West
51 Folding board & shelving 4/6 Maynard
52 Pembroke table 17/- Gosden
53 Dining table ₤1.0.0. W.Weller
54 Commode 9/- Page
55 Round tea table 19/- Maynard
56 Round tea table 18/- Money
57 1 chair, 1 form 2/6 Ellis
58 Shovel tongs triffit 1/6 Curtis
59 Copper tea kettle 5/- West
60 1 iron boiler 5/- Hollibone
61 2 Windsor chairs 5/- Carter
62 Wash stand & furniture 5/- Reed
63 Wash stand & furniture 6/- Gosden
64 Candlestick,stylish 1/6 Lambe
65 Steelyards & sundries 1/- White
66 1 gallon, ½gallon & roller 1/9 Dann
67 1 clock mahy(mahogany?)case ₤2.18.0. Weller
68 Wainscott candlestick 8/- Deacon
69 1 pair bellows, 2 irons 3/- Hollibone
70 1 deal safe 8/- Poole
71 Tray and sundry ware 2/6 Pennington
72 Blue & white dinner service 10/6 Thorpe
73 Sundry plates
74 1 childs chair 2/6 Russell
75 1 Stollage 1/- Downey
76 Fireguard & clotheshorse 1/- Curtis
77 6 x 2 arm chairs ₤1.2.0. Osborne
78 1 Cherrytree bureau ₤1.0.0. Dennis
79 American Clock 18/- Dennis
80 1 Barometer 10/- Ellis
81 Pair of globes ₤1.3.0. Money
82 Wainscott tea table 12/- Curtis
83 Wainscott bureau ₤1.7.0. Ade
84 Picture & tea tray 2/- Martin
85 2 pair brass candlesticks 2/6 Maynard
86 Mahogany sofa, damask cover ₤1.10.0. Martin
87 Mahogany dinning table ₤1.13.0. Thorpe
88 Deal cupboard ₤1.5.0. Curtis
89 1 childs chair 2/9 Lambert
90 1 brass fender & sundries 3/- Curtis
91 Mahogany bureau ₤2.0.0. Guy
92 Pier glass & picture 8/6 John Simmons
93 Window curtains 1/3 Moore
UPSTAIRS
94 Mahogany commode 6/6 Hollibone
95 Brussells carpet ₤1.0.0. Geere
96 Dressing table 2/6 Curtis
97 Featherbed & pillow 18/- Wenham
98 Bedstead 7/6 Read
99 Feather bed bolster & 2 pillows ₤2.0.0. Dadswell
100 f(?) bedstead and dimity 18/- Maynard
101 Shaving glass 3/- Pennington
102 1 wainscott chest drawers ₤1.3.0. Carter
103 6 cherry chairs ₤1.0.0. Harvey
104 Featherbed & bolster ₤2.2.0. Wenham
105 1 feather bed ₤2.0.0. Carter
106 1 mattress 11/- Dadswell
107 1 four-post bed ₤1.0.0. Osbourne
108 Bedside carpet 10/- H.Funnell
109 5 black chairs 8/6 Woodhams
110 Rocking chair 2/6 Simmons
111 Featherbed bolster & 2 pillows ₤2.17.0.Unstead
112 tent(?) bedstead & chairs ₤1.0.0. Carter
113 Bed bolster & 2 pillows ₤1.12.0. Wenham
114 4 post bed 18/- Carter
115 Large clothes chest 8/- Duly
116 Swing glass 2/- Carter
117 Chest of drawers 13/6 Simmons
118 Deal cupboard 2/- Mrs Deudney
119 Corner cupboard ₤1.0.0. Ellis
120 6 chairs 12/- Maynard
121 Faggotts 10/- Ellis
122 Books 2/6 Ellis
123 3 books 1/6 Wenham
124 2 books 1/6 Lambe
125 Odd books 2/6 Wenham
126 2 sheets ₤1.16.0. J.Simmons
127 2 sheets ₤2.0.0. Ade
128 2 sheets ₤1.18.0. Cane
129 2 sheets ₤1.17.0. J.Ade
130 2 sheets ₤1.18.0. Cane
131 7 chickens 5/- Simmons
132 6 Hens & 1 tom(?Rooster?)13/6 Maynard
TOTAL ₤71.2.6.
John Stace received the balance of sale in cash of ₤158.10.9. on 23rd May 1851
