kiwi bint family.htm

Our first proven ancestor was John Bint who married Mary Critcher at Shinfield, Berkshire in 1751. He claimed on a settlement document around that time to be from the next-door parish of Hurst and this was confirmed by his former neighbours. (Unfortunately there does not appear to be a record of his birth or ancestors.)

They settled at the village of Shinfield and had five sons who reached adulthood. James 1754, Thomas 1769, and William 1772 are the three we know most about.

Thomas Bint (1769) who married Sarah Appleton in 1796 and had six surviving children, was the father of Philip, and grand-father of Philip Thomas who migrated to New Zealand.

	Philip who was born in 1812, married a postman's 32 year old widow Elizabeth Lailey in 1839. Elizabeth born in 1807 at the Hampshire village of Monk Sherborne, daughter of Joseph & Sarah Butler, had at least 3 children, James (1832), Emma (1835) and Ann (1836), before her marriage to Philip. The 1841 census for Brookers Hill, Shinfield shows Philip's occupation as "postman" possibly taking over the horse & cart left by Elizabeth's former husband. Their first child Sarah was born in 1840 and four more were added to the family by 1850. Only three survived, Sarah (1840), Maria (1847) and their only son Philip (1850). All three children would eventually migrate to New Zealand, Sarah Soanes, Maria Meyer and Philip Bint. The opening of the Great Western railway from Bristol through Reading to Paddington, West London's main terminal in 1841, changed his life in at least two ways. It meant that the fast growing postal service was gradually taken away from the horse & cart post delivery men. The trains however, gave speedier access to the prosperous and fast-growing West London area with its urgent need for building workers. In 1851 Philip was listed as an agricultural labourer living 3 or 4 miles away from Shinfield at Sandy Bottom, Barkham (where Philip Thomas was born) but had already stayed some time in Kensall Green, Paddington, where Elizabeth gave birth to their second daughter Maria in 1847. The 1871 census shows 59 year old bricklayer's labourer Philip and wife Elizabeth living at Uxbridge Road, Hammersmith, West London, and his 20 year old son Philip Thomas, with wife Charlotte who was 19, and 11 month old Philip Thomas jnr, living nearby at Williams Terrace. Philip Thomas's occupation was listed as "journeyman carpenter" and Charlotte's as "laundress". He had married Charlotte Allman at St Peter's Church, Hammersmith in 1869. At that time there must have been contact with Christchurch, New Zealand, as Philip Thomas's elder sister Sarah, who married Oxfordshire builder's son Henry Soanes at Paddington in 1860, had migrated there on the "Lancashire Witch" with their two children in 1863. One of their grand-children was Montague Harry Holcroft the prominent New Zealand journalist and author. Henry Soanes, who was successfully involved in building homes at Christchurch was in a position to help Philip Thomas & family, with accommodation and work, should they choose to migrate. In 1875 Philip Thomas's father died. A year later the family now with 3 sons, were on their way to New Zealand.
	Philip's sister, Sarah Bint (1840), who married Oxfordshire builder's son Henry Soanes in 1860, migrated to Christchurch on the "Lancashire Witch" in 1863. Another sister Maria, born in 1847, also moved to New Zealand and she married successful German dairy farmer John M Meyer (born Holstein 1836) in 1877. They had seven children and finally settled at Whenuakura, Taranaki. A Dairy Farmer, Mr Meyer's property consists of 237 acres of rich land, on which he conducts dairying. There is a comfortable homestead, built of wood and iron, containing eight rooms, and there are also outbuildings. Mr Meyer was born in Holstein, Germany, in 1836, and brought up to farming pursuits. In 1858 he emigrated to Melbourne, Victoria, where he found employment. Four years later he came to New Zealand, for about twenty years was employed in farm work, and subsequently became the owner of three farms, which he disposed of in 1902. In the same year he bought his present property, and settled at Whenuakura. In the year 1877 Mr. Meyer married a daughter of the late Mr. Philip Bint, of Berkshire, England, and has five sons, two daughters, and five grandchildren. (from an early 20th century profile)
			John and Maria Meyer

	A daughter from Elizabeth Bint's first marriage, Ann Elizabeth Lailey (1836), was also in New Zealand before the arrival of Philip Thomas's family, where she had married M. Dickson. (see album)


	Charlotte Allman (1852)		Eliza Edwards (1829)
	The Allman and Edwards Families Charlotte Allman was born at Hammersmith in 1852, the daughter of dairyman Richard Allman (1828) who was from Wraysbury in Buckinghamshire and Suffolk born Eliza Edwards (1829). Richard Allman was born at Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire (now in Berkshire) around 1831, just across the River Thames from Windsor. His father was labourer George Allman and his mother Ann was from nearby Thorpe, near Egham, just over the County border in Surrey. Richard married Eliza Edwards from Wrentham, Suffolk at Kensington, West London on September 29th 1851.They had at least five children Charlotte Allman (1852), William (1855), Eliza [Jane] (1858), Robert (1865) and Alfred (1868). The first three were born at Hammersmith, and the others at Shepherds Bush. Eliza was the daughter of Sampson Edwards who was baptised at Halesworth, Suffolk on the 25th October 1802. He was the son of Sampson and Mary. (no birth dates available) Sampson married Hannah Ashford from Frostenden Suffolk at Frostenden in Oct 1827. Their children were .. Mary Edwards baptised Wrentham 6th of October 1828 Elizabeth Edwards baptised 23rd May 1830 at Wrentham. Sampson Edwards 1831 baptised at Wrentham on 26th of November 1831. Phoebe Edwards 1841 Marylebone, Middlesex Sampson's wife Hannah died sometime between 1851 - 1856 and he re-married at Kensington in the December Qtr of 1857. She was Elizabeth Winslade from Richmond in Surrey and born October 2nd 1822. Elizabeth was 20 years younger than Sampson. They had one child Jane born at Notting Hill, London in 1858. Sampson's occupation in 1851, was 'carman' ( a sort of horse-drawn taxi driver), in 1861 horse-keeper, and from 1871 a self employed laundry man. The 1881 census records him as employing 13 women in his laundry at Acton Green, Middlesex. Sampson died in January 1891. Charlotte's brothers, Robert Allman (1865) and Alfred Allman (1868) remained in the London area. Robert married Florence Annie Younger (1864) from Boston, Lincolnshire at Fulham, West London in 1893. The couple had a shoe repair and sales business in High Street, Chiswick. They had six children. Motor and cycle engineer Alfred married Paddington born Florence Annie Dover (1867), at Fulham in 1893. They appear to have been childless but had a niece, Daisy Dover (1897), living with them.




	19 year old Philip (1850) and 17 year old Charlotte's 1869 marriage at St Peter's, Hammersmith. Both were listed as 'minors'.

	Charlotte's locket (from Stephanie's collection) Charlotte's sister, Elisa Allman (1859-1951), also went to New Zealand and married Philip's nephew, Henry Soanes jnr, at Christchurch in 1880. (see ARTHUR SOANES & 1880s TARATA) Philip Bint and Charlotte were to have ten children. The one not alive when the family photo was taken was Charles Henry Bint who was born in 1884 but only lived for seven years. When originally given the group photo several years ago I was told that according to some family recollections it was taken at the time of Philip's funeral and that his image was superimposed. The photo below of a younger Philip and Charlotte from Stephanie Santaana's collection appears to confirm that.
	All the family agree that Charlotte was used to hard work. In 1871 at 19 years old, when she and Philip with 11 months old Philip Thomas were living on the busy Uxbridge Road at Hammersmith, she described her occupation as 'laundress' At that time her in-laws Philip aged 59, and Elizabeth 61, lived around the corner in Williams Terrace. (It must have been confusing when there were 3 Philips in the house!) Their plans to migrate to New Zealand where Philip's elder sister Sarah, with her husband Henry Soanes had lived since sailing on the "Lancashire Witch" in 1863, did not turn to reality until after their father Philip's death in 1875. Charlotte's sister Elisa Allman (1859-1951) was another family member in New Zealand where she had also married into the Soanes family.
			Philip & Charlotte

	Philip Thomas Bint was a 26 year old carpenter, when he and his pregnant wife Charlotte 23, sons Philip 6, George 4, and James 2, left London for New Zealand on September 9^th,1876,with a Government assisted passage. By the time of Philip's family's arrival the Soanes family were already well established in Christchurch's building industry and it was to one of their houses at St Albans that he and Charlotte first moved. They were later to live further south at Dunsandel where according to Irene Hannam's family recollections Charlotte went back to laundry work. One of Philip's grand-daughters Jean Sutton, recalled that for a number of years Charlotte worked at a boys school. Lester Bint was born in August 1887 and the family were again living at St Albans (Crescent Road). He was baptised at St Matthew's Church with his 2 year old sister Bertha on the 6th of November that year.
	Charlotte always went back to her laundry work. It is said, after each confinement, Charlotte had a board placed across her bed so she could carry on with the starching and ironing of lace etc. Charlotte was also an expert seamstress and made suits for all her sons until they turned 21. She was local midwife in Tarata, forded flooded streams with 50lbs of stores on her back and sewed up a gash in a labourer's leg with needle and cotton. Their Tarata property was named "Avondale Farm". She died in New Plymouth on the 19th of February 1938.

			Extracts from Charlotte's Bint's shipmates' twenty-eight verse poem. "We crossed the Line November the 9th. And had a pleasant breeze The next we saw Gough Island Which lies south 40 degrees So now we had some children born Until November the 21st Which made the number just the same As when the voyage begun. She gave birth to Walter on the 20th of November. Still bravely sailed our vessel on, Up till December 23rd For four long weeks we have nothing seen Excepting fish and birds Again pale death has found us out Though far away from shore And took eleven souls at sundry times We trust he'll come no more. On January the Second, the cry is "land in sight" While men and women crowd the deck Half frantic with delight Hurrah for New Zealand Which we wished for long in vain May God protect us on the land As well as on the main! It was around 1890 that the Bint family moved up to the North Island and settled on 453 acres at Tarata, Taranaki. Tenth child Catherine (Kate) was born there in July 1892. She was to marry 37 year old widower Sydney Smith in 1915 at New Plymouth.
	Bertha, Kate and Lester at Tarata

	Charlotte Bint and passenger

	One of George Bint’s grandchildren (sorry can’t remember who) gave us the following. Philip and Charlotte Bint lived in Christchurch where they operated a laundry. George Bint delivered the starched fronts and stiff collars to the owners. He also served an apprenticeship to the boot trade. The Bint family took up 453 acres on Kohete Road, Taranaki in 1890. They arrived in New Plymouth by boat with vats for cheese making, cheese press, a separator called Alexandra, a churn, Swiss-made side saddle, stumping jacks and furniture. They moved to Ingelwood by train then carted by Joe George’s wagon to Kaimata past five houses and over three rivers which fortunately had bridges. The house consisted of four rooms of adzed weatherboard, lined with scrim and newspaper. A shingle roof, iron chimney with bars across to hang the camp oven and big boilers for vegetables. Ron & Rae Bint
			Mt Egmont from Stratford in 1906

	Philip, Charlotte and Kate at Tarata		Bint's home at Lemon Street, New Plymouth after Philip's death in 1910.


	The Bint home at Tarata with young Kate		Charlotte with Kate, Sydney Smith and Lorna