Born at Otaua on 17th April 1902, Claude started school at Otaua, then onto Waiuku Primary when his parents moved to Colombo Rd to live, a little further to walk than just next-door (which was the case in Otaua). He also attended Waitangi Primary on the Manukau Harbour before going on to Auckland Boys' Grammar in 1916. On his father's death in 1913, this second son aged twelve years took over the management of the family farm till Flossie took her family to Papatoetoe to live.
On leaving school he went to Mototapu Island to help run his Uncle Harold's farm. Claude at seventeen then went to Te Akau to work as a teamster and general farmhand for his cousin Ernie Henry. While there he shared digs for two years with his younger cousin Les Henry. |
Wilfred Claude Mellsop had the following children with wife Constance
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After a few years he purchased a 390 block of unimproved land covered in tea tree and scrub in Te Akau South. He gradually cleared the land, sowed grass seed, fenced off paddocks, and built a cowshed for his increasing herd. No tractors in those days, just horses and plough, with a lot of hard sweat and toil. During these years he fended for himself in a corrugated iron hut on the "swamp" .
There was time for pleasure, when he met Constance Stuart a cousin of Ernie Henry's from Tahiti, who had come to live in NZ after the death of her mother. They were married at Wallace Rd, Papatoetoe in 1927. Claude now had to give up his 'iron hut' and he and a builder friend built a home for himself and Connie. Over the next few years they had five children; - Colin, Douglas, Jeanette, Monette, and Graham. Claude continued to improve the farm enabling him to run more stock including sheep and pigs. Building his own woolshed — farmers can turn their hands to anything! He had a great love of horses, breaking them in and competing successfully at Shows and Sports Meetings. For many years he was an enthusiastic Polo Player for Waimai. He served as a Director of the Raglan Dairy Co for several years. The farm was sold in 1947, followed by a purchase of a dairy farm, with two houses on the Whatawhata Rd, near Hamilton. His former farmhand Ron Brisdon, now became his sharemilker, which enabled Claude to accept a position of farm appraiser with the State of Advances in Hamilton. Subsequently he transferred to the position of farm supervisor for the Hamilton Public Trust, where he was responsible for farms throughout the Waikato (spending a night with brother, Eric at Parawera) King Country and Bay of Plenty.
In 1953 Claude and Connie moved to Maeroa, Hamilton City, where they had built a home. Claude sold the Whatawhata farm, purchasing a larger dairy farm at Tirau in the Waikato. Many years later that farm was sold to a Hamlin descendant and her husband, a distant relation. He became a very keen bowler and was instrumental in the formation of the Beerscourt Bowling Green, where he was responsible for building the first green. Claude retired from paid employment in 1967 and died a few months later on 13th December at the age of 65.
Claude's dates: Born 17 April 1902 Otaua, Waiuku
Died 13 Dec 1967 Hamilton
There was time for pleasure, when he met Constance Stuart a cousin of Ernie Henry's from Tahiti, who had come to live in NZ after the death of her mother. They were married at Wallace Rd, Papatoetoe in 1927. Claude now had to give up his 'iron hut' and he and a builder friend built a home for himself and Connie. Over the next few years they had five children; - Colin, Douglas, Jeanette, Monette, and Graham. Claude continued to improve the farm enabling him to run more stock including sheep and pigs. Building his own woolshed — farmers can turn their hands to anything! He had a great love of horses, breaking them in and competing successfully at Shows and Sports Meetings. For many years he was an enthusiastic Polo Player for Waimai. He served as a Director of the Raglan Dairy Co for several years. The farm was sold in 1947, followed by a purchase of a dairy farm, with two houses on the Whatawhata Rd, near Hamilton. His former farmhand Ron Brisdon, now became his sharemilker, which enabled Claude to accept a position of farm appraiser with the State of Advances in Hamilton. Subsequently he transferred to the position of farm supervisor for the Hamilton Public Trust, where he was responsible for farms throughout the Waikato (spending a night with brother, Eric at Parawera) King Country and Bay of Plenty.
In 1953 Claude and Connie moved to Maeroa, Hamilton City, where they had built a home. Claude sold the Whatawhata farm, purchasing a larger dairy farm at Tirau in the Waikato. Many years later that farm was sold to a Hamlin descendant and her husband, a distant relation. He became a very keen bowler and was instrumental in the formation of the Beerscourt Bowling Green, where he was responsible for building the first green. Claude retired from paid employment in 1967 and died a few months later on 13th December at the age of 65.
Claude's dates: Born 17 April 1902 Otaua, Waiuku
Died 13 Dec 1967 Hamilton