Jill Hiam has contacted me from Melbourne, Australia, asking for help with identifying the people in an old photograph apparently taken at a golf club. Jill explains:
My Great Great Grandfather was Henry Fowle Seager, his daughter, Annie, my Great Grandmother, married James Aitken, and their daughter Marion Ena Lottie (known as Lottie) was my Grandmother. Lottie married Frank Robinson and they had 2 children – Lois Nancy & Gordon Blanchard. Lois was my Mother.
I have a photo with some people I can name, but wondered if you had set eyes on any of the others. They could be the Seager family or the Aitkens or could be just a group of people at a golf club.
3rd from the left is my Grandfather, Frank Robinson & standing next to him is his wife, Lottie. I think it’s Annie Aitken (Seager) who is seated & there are quite a few others that I have seen in the many photos I have, but have no idea of who they are.
The photo was taken in Reefton.
I have sent the photo to many golf clubs, but as yet have had no reply. If you could shed any light on this photo, or how I could track down the people in the photo, I’d be most appreciative.
Born in 1821, Henry Fowle Seager, a printer, was the brother of my great-great-grandmother, Fanny Sarah Seager (1814 – 1851), who was married to my great-great-grandfather William Robb (1813 – 1888). Like his brothers Samuel and Edward, Henry Seager emigrated to New Zealand in the 1850s. Jill adds the following additional information about her connection to the family:
I have a huge folder of photos that were my Grandfather Robinson’s. He was born in South Australia and as a young boy moved to Broken Hill with his family. Later in life he married Olivia Lord in Broken Hill and was employed at the South Mines as auditor. His wife died giving childbirth after 1 year of marriage. My Grandfather then moved to New Zealand to work as accountant for the Gold Mines. He became auditor to the New Zealand Gold Mines and was also auditor for the Reefton Jockey’s Club. He married Lottie Seager in 1916 and my Mother, Lois Robinson, was born in Wanganui in 1917. The family moved back to Melbourne, Australia, when my Mother was 6 years old. Lottie died (with one of the causes being listed as depression) when my mother was 12 – 2 years after her Mother, Annie Seager died in NZ. I’m finding it very difficult to source the Aitken side of the family, as there appear to be many James Aitkens in New Zealand.
I have Jill’s permission to reproduce the photograph here. If you can help with identifying one or more of the people in it, please leave a comment on this post and I will forward the information to Jill.
