JAMES LOCKINGTON
(1847 - 1922)

James Lockington was said to have been born in 1847 in the town of Cootehill, County Cavan, Irelan, although around 1851 is more likely. He was the son of Charles and Isabella (nee McRea) Lockington who owned a farm in the Drummerkillen area about four miles out of Cootehill. (Known locally as Kill). The Lockingtons were members of the local parish of Drung.

In 1873, James married Mary Anne Wright, also from Cootehill and migrated (as formal immigrants) shortly afterwards to New Zealand. They sailed from London on October 19th 1873, in the Lauderdale a barque of 851 tons skippered by a Captain True. Unfortunately the start of the voyage was marred by a collision with the Brigantine Messenger, so they had to put into Ramsgate for repairs.

They set sail again on the 24th October, crossed the equator on the 22nd of November, passed The Cape on the 18th December and sighted the Three Kings on the 25th January 1874. Five days later the Barque entered port after a pleasant run of ninety days, land to land.

They arrived in Auckland on 30.1.1874. The local newspaper, the Daily Southern Cross carried a notice on the following day announcing that:- The immigrants per Lauderdale will be landed tomorrow morning, and will be open for Selection at the barracks at 4 pm. - Edward L. Green, Immigration Officer.

The Lockingtons settled in Thames shortly after their arrival. It is sheer speculation on my part but I would not be surprised to find that James Lockington was Selected from the barracks at 4 pm by C.J. Stone to be part of his Thames labour force. CJ did import hundreds of labourers on his own behalf to work in his gold mines and timber mills and once brought out five hundred miners from Cornwall to work in his Thames mines. Robert Stone the shipbuilder was a brother of CJ and managing CJ's interests in Thames at that time. His grandaughter Elsie Stone married a son of James Lockington so it seems reasonable to assume that the Stone and Lockington families were aquainted from the early Thames days.

It was while living in Thames that news arrived of the ship Carisbrooke Castle that was due in Tauranga with Northern Irish settlers who were starting a new planned settlement at Katikati. James walked from Thames to Katikati to greet the new arrivals and the story goes that he met the new settlers on the day that they arrived to inspect and select their land. It is also said that many of the new arrivals were old friends of the Lockingtons. James' obituary says that he piloted the first party from Tauranga to Katikati but it is probably more accurate just to say that he was present.

His daughter in law, Elsie Grace Lockington wrote much later; He took his wife and child to Tauranga shortly after that meeting and they came up to Katikati in one of the small boats that conveyed the settlers to their new homes. ( There was probably a regular shipping service from Auckland to Tauranga that called in at Thames as there was no road north of Tauranga at that time.)

They remained in Katikati to manage one of the farms when the allotted owner, Thomas Sandford, declined to stay in Katikati. James later bought the 87 acre farm, which was just on the north side of the Uretara River from the present Katikati township and west of the present railway bridge. It extende to what is now Busbys road. In later years the railway station was built on the farm, on the river flat below the homestead. At first they lived in a flax whare, until their house was built where it still stands today.

A contemporary description of Katikati written in December 1878 has ....several settlers' houses can be seen, the nearest being those of Messrs Hyde, Lockington, Turner, and Stewart; of these farm holdings Mr. Lockington appears to have done the best work. He has 80 acres of land,a good deal of which was swamp, into which he asserts a horse would plunge head under; this he has drained entirely by himself, and it now grows 7 acres of oats, 5 of potatoes, and 4 of clover, all substantially fenced. The clover is at least three feet high, and the oats seem to be the strongest on the whole block. Mr Lockington is extremely proud of his farm and as he has employed no labour whatever,he has certainly done wonders.

(The government valuation of the farm in 1882 was 500 pounds.)

The Lockingtons donated land to the community for a hall to be built. It was built as an Orangemens' hall but later became a public hall. It was at the end of the road, over the main road, south of the Presbyterian Church. (from Roy).

James Lockington introduced the first cows to Katikati after making the purchase in Tauranga. His daughter-in-law, Elsie Grace Lockington, later described the effort required to get the cows to Katikati. He walked to Tauranga, bought a cow, and proceeded to drive her home. however, a little way along the road she ran into a swamp, and refused to move. So back he went to Tauranga and bought another cow. But she joined the other one in the swamp, and there they were, both refusing to move. Then Mr Lockington walked (there was no hitch-hiking in those days) to the home of his brother-in-law, Mr Joseph Slevin, at Aongatete, and after a short sleep, the two men set out, both on Mr Slevin's only horse, and, with a rope, towed the two rebels home.

During the later depression James took the initiative of taking produce from his and other farms by wagon through to the gold boom town of Waihi. Elsie Grace Lockington, later wrote: He owned a dray and an old white horse called Charlie, and on the homeward journey he would secure the reins to the front of the dray and go to sleep, while Charlie brought him safely home. In this he was luckier than Mr John McCauley, another early settler, for his horse and dray went over the bank in the Athenree Gorge, and Mr McCauley was killed.

She also wrote that ....The most popular game however was football. The games were held on Mr Lockington's flats, near the river...

James must have prospered as he was later able to lease 110 acres north of Katikati on Willoughby's Road. He had a beach cottage at Waih Beach and was able to assist his son James to buy a farm (Slevins at Aongetete). Another son, William (Uncle Billy) had a farm north of Katikati, on the western side of the main road. It stretched from Woodlands Road to McMillans Road. (Was that the 300 acre farm?). James also owned a share in another farm. (Was it in Thames?).

The Lockingtons were able to take a trip back to Ireland in later life. Their daughter Essie who was not yet married accompanied them. According to Dorothy Lockington they were quite disappointed with conditions back in Ireland during their visit. (Did they sail on the Margaret W to or from Ireland? Stella associates that ship with the Lockingtons).

James built some shops in Waihi, near Moreton's garage. They were burned down but relatives back in Ireland sent money out and James was able to rebuild.

James Lockington died in Waihi Hospital on the 4th June, 1922. His home then was in Toomey Street, Waihi.

Two sisters of James Lockington migrated to New Zealand and married there. Sally Anne, who was born about 1851, married Joseph Slevin in N.Z.on the 8th may 1884. They had four sons and one daughter according to the "Cyclopedia of N.Z. 1900". Joseph had migrated to N.Z. with his mother and her brother, Richard Roorke, on the "Carisbrooke Castle" in 1875. (See "An Ulster Plantation"). Isobel Lockington who was born about 1856 married Franz Roering. They had no children.

Note that Joseph Slevin farmed "Cherry Mount" which later became (or became part of) James Henry Lockington's farm on Lockington's Road Aongetete. The Cherry Mount home was where Atkinson's farm was in more recent times but the house itself was moved downhill to become James Henry's homestead. (It has since been demolished, but the house of Roy Lockington's share milkers is now on the site). After a few years at Aongatete the Slevins moved to live in Waihi.

NOTES ON JAMES LOCKINGTON
1. So far there is no positive trace of James’ birth record. About 1851 seems likely as he gave his age as 29 on the birth record of his son James Henry Lockington on the 9th July 1880. He also gave his birth place as County Cavan.  The LDS (Mormons) give his birth as 1847. (1999 IGI. Web version. They note his spouse as Mary Ann Wright and the source reference as Batch No: 1860064. Sheet 20.) I suspect that the LDS information will turn out to be "from a donor" and not a verifiable source.

2. It is said that James and Mary Anne married immediately before their departure to N.Z. and that the voyage out was their honeymoon. (They sailed from London in October of 1873). The IGI gives their marriage as 1873. (Batch No: F186064. Sheet 20). That is the same source as the above birth.

3. The obituary for James was in the "NZ Herald" of 5/6/1922 on Page 2, col 8. It does say that he piloted the first party from Tauranga to Katikati but "An Ulster Plantation" describes the trip as being guided by two officials.4. >From " A return of the freeholders of New Zealand - October 1882. Lockington James, Farmer, Katikati, County of Waipa, 89 acres, value f 500, (Total value in Colony f 500)"[ Microfiche Victorian State Library.]

4. There is a newspaper photograph of James and the old white horse called Charlie mentioned. It is in my collection.

If you have a connection with this family or would like to know more please contact Noel Mann.