Helen Hopwood

  General Notes:

Helen, known as Nellie was born May 19,1865, at Enville, Stafford and died August 1st, 1926, at Greytown.

She married William Alfred Gray on May 7th, 1891, at St Stephen's Church, Ashburton.

William Gray, born Sloothby, Lincolnshire, 1831, married Ann Sophia (surname unknown) at Christchurch on 13th June, 1861. He was employed by John Grigg of Longbeach, Ashburton, laying field tiles. The eldest son, William Alfred Gray, also worked on Longbeach as a teamster.

In the mid 1890's, William and Helen and family moved to the North Island and gained employment with the Tatham family of Homewood on the East coast of the Wairarapa. While at Homewood, which is a sheep, cattle and cropping station, William had the occasion to transport the casket of a Maori Chief to a burial a mile or two along the coast. The casket which contained the Chief plus many of his precious possessions took up the full width of the dray, which did duty as a hearse.

As there was no school at Homewood the family moved to Tupurupuru, Gladstone, some 8 miles from Masterton. This was in 1900 and here William worked for Sir Walter Buchanan M.P. Here the two eldest children, Alfred Meredith and Maurice attended Gladstone School.

While at Tupurupuru William broke his leg working his horse team some miles over the hills from home, and Sir Walter transported him by train to Wellington for treatment. At about this time William left his family in Canterbury and lived in a cottage at Gladstone to drive the mail coach to Masterton.

Later the family moved to South Featherston, milking 120 cows by hand. This was for the Donald Family.

There were six milkers starting at 2.30 a.m., and after two or three hours off in the middle of the day for a short sleep it was milking time again around 3.00 p.m.

The Donald Family processed the milk in their own Dairy Factory in Featherston about 4 miles away.

The eldest son Alfred Meredith usually drove the break and pair, loaded with milk up the road to the factory. Next move was to Featherston, working with William's brother Edward, in the foothills of the Tarauas (mostly Boar' Bush Gully) splitting posts. From these post splitting contracts the family moved to a small property near Carterton and raised fowls for a year or so. From Carterton, their next shift was to Waihakeke working on farms for the Court and Ordish families.

When the Carter Estate was divided up for small farm settlements, (approx. 1920) William Alfred drew a block at Parkvale, next to Harry and Alice Brasell, (Helen's sister).

However this was not to last as sons Alfred and Maurice, having returned from World War One, became interested in an Agricultural Contracting business with Steam Engines and Harvesting machines. In 1921 the sons purchased the business and all the family settled on a 10 acre block of land just north of Greytown. About 3 acres of this block was planted in apples, which the family attended to, while the two sons were busy with their contracts.

In August 1926, Helen suffered a heart attack and died. William Alfred Gray lived on the 10 acre farmlet until July 1941, when he died also from a heart attack.

Special thanks to Buster Gray for his help.

Helen married William Alfred Gray, son of William Gray and Ann Sophia, on 7 May 1891 in St Stephens Church, Ashburton. (William Alfred Gray was born in 1862 and died in 1941.)