Laurence Lionel
The tenth child, born to John Thomas and Elisabeth, at Knockmaroon, Glenbrook. He was educated at Glenbrook school. After leaving school he probably spent most of his time working on the "Knockmaroon" farm and possibly after the death of his father in 1896, he may have been working it on his own, until his mother sold the property on 27th December 1905. The homestead had been destroyed by fire
Sometime before then. An old friend of the family, the late Mrs Sybil Brooke (nee Zinzan) of Papakura, formally from Glenbrook, said that she
used to visit Knockmaroon when there was only Lionel, his youngest sister Jane, (later Mrs Will Orr) and their Mother living there. At some
stage Lionel was working a stone quarry on the banks of the Waikato river at Pukekawa, known in later years (1920 and 1930s) as Smeed's
Quarry. He may have been in partnership then with one of his brothers, probably Ossie, as road builders. A clipping from one of the local
newspapers of those days records that a Road Board in the Waiuku district had awarded contracts for supplying and spreading metal on
various roads to Mellsop Bros. In 1905, about the time of the sale of 'Knockmaroon", Lionel purchased half of the farm of 160 acres on Bothwell Park Road, Maioro owned by his brother-in-law Samuel P. Henry. He and his mother then took up residence there, his brother, Ossie, bought the
other half of that farm. During his time at the quarry, Lionel became a regular Sunday visitor to the Pukekawa homestead, "The Hill", of William and Jane Orr (nee Pannett). The main attraction, there was the The two Orr's second daughter, Margaret. The two families were already acquainted, Margaret's next younger brother, William junior, was already courting Lionel's sister, Jane. The romance between Lionel and Margaret blossomed and they were married at the Orr homestead, Pukekawa, on 3rd June 1908 by the Rev Thomas A Norrie.
About 1910-11, Lionel sold the Maioro farm and bought another at Otaua, two or three miles away. The house was directly behind the present Otaua Public Hall, the entrance and driveway being next to the hall. (His brother, Bertie's property had been directly opposite). The milking shed was further along the road next door to the creamery which later, converted to a store. This was in the days before home separation for the farmers' milk had become general practice. Farmers took their milk to the creamery for separation and next day took the skim milk back to the farm to feed their pigs and calves. The cream was taken by the Dairy Company to its nearest butter factory which in the case of the Otaua creamery would have been either Aka Aka or Waiuku. Several creameries spread throughout a dairying district served one butter factory. Lionel built a new piggery on the farm, reputed at the time to have been a revolutionary design. It was totally enclosed, was raised several feet above the ground with a slat floor.
The move to Otaua was at first, intended to be temporary because he intended joining his brother, Harold, brother-in-law, Will Orr and
nephew, Percy Henry, in a large farming venture on the outskirts of Palmerston North known as "The Lockwood Land Company". However
things did not work out as planned and he decided to stay at Otaua before building the new piggery.
He was a keen Rugby footballer, playing for the Waiuku Rugby Club. He was also active in the Community affairs in the district. During November and December 1913, he served in the 'Special Mounted Constables Unit" organized by the Farmers Union, with the sanction of Government, in an endeavour to break the waterfront workers strike. He served at the Auckland wharves for several weeks during the strike. Each member of the Mounted Unit was issued with a wooden batten to be used for personal protection in the event of an attack by the strikers and Lionel made a nick on his batten each time he had to use it. I can remember that batten hanging in our home in Pukekohe for many years.
Lionel died, after contracting pneumonia, on 11August 1914, one year, and a week after his older brother, Bertie, had died from the same cause.
He is buried in the Waiuku Cemetery, in the plot next to his brother. After his death, his widow sold the farm to her brother-in-law, Ossie
Mellsop, and moved with her three children to live with her parents at Pukekawa while a new home was being planned by her younger sister,
Lucy's husband, Ossie Brewster, of Pukekawa and then built for her at Kitchener Road, Pukekohe.
Laurence's dates: Born 1879, Died 1914
Sometime before then. An old friend of the family, the late Mrs Sybil Brooke (nee Zinzan) of Papakura, formally from Glenbrook, said that she
used to visit Knockmaroon when there was only Lionel, his youngest sister Jane, (later Mrs Will Orr) and their Mother living there. At some
stage Lionel was working a stone quarry on the banks of the Waikato river at Pukekawa, known in later years (1920 and 1930s) as Smeed's
Quarry. He may have been in partnership then with one of his brothers, probably Ossie, as road builders. A clipping from one of the local
newspapers of those days records that a Road Board in the Waiuku district had awarded contracts for supplying and spreading metal on
various roads to Mellsop Bros. In 1905, about the time of the sale of 'Knockmaroon", Lionel purchased half of the farm of 160 acres on Bothwell Park Road, Maioro owned by his brother-in-law Samuel P. Henry. He and his mother then took up residence there, his brother, Ossie, bought the
other half of that farm. During his time at the quarry, Lionel became a regular Sunday visitor to the Pukekawa homestead, "The Hill", of William and Jane Orr (nee Pannett). The main attraction, there was the The two Orr's second daughter, Margaret. The two families were already acquainted, Margaret's next younger brother, William junior, was already courting Lionel's sister, Jane. The romance between Lionel and Margaret blossomed and they were married at the Orr homestead, Pukekawa, on 3rd June 1908 by the Rev Thomas A Norrie.
About 1910-11, Lionel sold the Maioro farm and bought another at Otaua, two or three miles away. The house was directly behind the present Otaua Public Hall, the entrance and driveway being next to the hall. (His brother, Bertie's property had been directly opposite). The milking shed was further along the road next door to the creamery which later, converted to a store. This was in the days before home separation for the farmers' milk had become general practice. Farmers took their milk to the creamery for separation and next day took the skim milk back to the farm to feed their pigs and calves. The cream was taken by the Dairy Company to its nearest butter factory which in the case of the Otaua creamery would have been either Aka Aka or Waiuku. Several creameries spread throughout a dairying district served one butter factory. Lionel built a new piggery on the farm, reputed at the time to have been a revolutionary design. It was totally enclosed, was raised several feet above the ground with a slat floor.
The move to Otaua was at first, intended to be temporary because he intended joining his brother, Harold, brother-in-law, Will Orr and
nephew, Percy Henry, in a large farming venture on the outskirts of Palmerston North known as "The Lockwood Land Company". However
things did not work out as planned and he decided to stay at Otaua before building the new piggery.
He was a keen Rugby footballer, playing for the Waiuku Rugby Club. He was also active in the Community affairs in the district. During November and December 1913, he served in the 'Special Mounted Constables Unit" organized by the Farmers Union, with the sanction of Government, in an endeavour to break the waterfront workers strike. He served at the Auckland wharves for several weeks during the strike. Each member of the Mounted Unit was issued with a wooden batten to be used for personal protection in the event of an attack by the strikers and Lionel made a nick on his batten each time he had to use it. I can remember that batten hanging in our home in Pukekohe for many years.
Lionel died, after contracting pneumonia, on 11August 1914, one year, and a week after his older brother, Bertie, had died from the same cause.
He is buried in the Waiuku Cemetery, in the plot next to his brother. After his death, his widow sold the farm to her brother-in-law, Ossie
Mellsop, and moved with her three children to live with her parents at Pukekawa while a new home was being planned by her younger sister,
Lucy's husband, Ossie Brewster, of Pukekawa and then built for her at Kitchener Road, Pukekohe.
Laurence's dates: Born 1879, Died 1914