New Zealand Devine Family History

The following information is based on information supplied by Elaine Adler (nee Devine).

The New Zealand Story

The ancestors of my "Devine Family" lived in Donegal County, Ireland.

John Devine and Maggie Devine (nee Mc Kinlay) had Hugh Devine (1 April 1850 - 12 March 1926).

Hugh was born and educated in Rawmochy (Raymoghy/Raymorky), Donegal County, Ireland, and raised on his father's farm. He arrived in Auckland, New Zealand on 29 May 1870 onboard the ship "Mary Shepherd", which then brought him to Lyttelton in the South Island. After landing in Lyttelton, he worked on various farms around Canterbury. He was Head Shepherd for six years at Parnassus, eight years at Balmoral, and four years at Leslie Hills Station. In 1896 Hugh began farming on his own 30 acres of freehold and 70 acres of leasehold land at Rotherham, where he was a member of the Rotherham School Committee.

At 27, Hugh Devine married 19 year old Annie Bryant daughter of William and Ann Bryant (nee Bond) of Lyttelton, at Holy Trinity Church, Lyttelton on 17 February 1877.

Hugh and Annie had five children:

• John William 4 May 1879
• Laurence 28 Nov 1881
• Elizabeth Ann
• Louisa 31 Dec 1884
• Arthur James 10 Dec 1886 to 2 Feb 1967

Hugh died 12 March 1926 aged 76, and Annie died 12 May 1937 aged 79.

Arthur James Devine married Mary Jane Gleazier in the Rotherham house of her parents Henry and Jane Gleazier (nee West) on 6 June 1913. The Gleazier Family also emigrated from Ireland.

Arthur James Devine and Mary Jane Gleazier had six children:

• Henry Arthur James (Jim) 24 July 1914 to 16 May 1978
• Mary Ann Ellen Pope (nee Devine) 5 Dec 1916
• Edward John (Ted) 10 April 1918 to 2 Sept 1990
• Ellen Amuri (NellieThirkill nee Devine) 22 April 1921 to 2 Sept 1995
• Courtney Hugh 11 July 1929
• Barry Ronald

Mary died 12 August 1954 aged 59. Arthur remarried to Elsie Worthington, and died 2 February 1967 aged 80. Arthur & Mary are both buried at Rotherham Cemetery.

Henry Arthur James Devine, (Jim) married Margaret Mary Truesdale (2 Nov 1912 to 3 Aug 1981), daughter of Thomas James & Jessie Elizabeth Truesdale (nee Wilson), at St James Church, Riccarton, Christchurch on 28 April 1933. Jim, and Margaret lived in Maces Road, Bromley, Christchurch. Jim worked in a foundry in Bromley; they also bred poultry, and sold eggs at their gate. They then moved to Whataroa, Westland, where Jim worked as a farm labourer for a family called Dennehy. From there they moved to the Mangles Valley, Murchison to manage a farm for Joe Boland while he served in WW2, after which they purchased their own farm in the Mangles Valley.

Henry Arthur James Devine and Margaret Mary Truesdale had nine children:

• Rex James 1935
• Alan Arthur 1937
• Trevor John 1939 to 2007
• Garry Samuel 1940
• Elaine Margaret Adler (nee Devine) 1941
• Peter Eric 1943
• Mavis Joy (Joy Herman nee Devine) 1947
• Laurence Thomas (Laurie) 1950
• Irma Dale (Sheryl Bartram nee Devine) 1952

Jim died 16 May 1978 aged 63 and Margaret died 3 August 1981 aged 68. Both are buried in Nelson