Lizzie and William Tankersley

Lizzie Tankersley nee Chamberlain was born in her Grandmothers home in Masterton on 7 October 1880 the 2nd Daughter 3rd child of Elizabeth and Samuel Chamberlain.

Lizzie's youth would have been spent on the family farm at Miki Miki some 9 miles out of Masterton, or at her the homes of her Grandparents in Masterton. Shortly before her death in 1962 Lizzie had described her grandmother Chamberlain's home as being surrounded by old-fashioned gardens, trees and birds. With paths and an old fashion pump at the side. By this time, 'the Oaks,' having served for some years as a hayshed, were only the ruins of the once pretty cottage that had been her birthplace. The remains were finally demolished in 1970.

On 24 April 1906 Lizzie married William Tankersley William was born on 26 August 1876 the son of Richard Theophylus and Maria (nee Prentice) Tankersley.

From 1910 till 1921 Lizzie and William managed "Dunvegan” the McLeod estate at Mount Bruce. All three children were born during their time at Dunvegan.

William Edinborough Tankersley, known as Tim was born on 30 June 1907, at Nurse Spellman's Nursing Home in Masterton.

Helen May Tankersley, was born 22 June 1911, at Dunvegan.

Douglas Robert Tankersley, known as Bob was born on 2 August 1913, also at Nurse Spellman's Nursing Home in Masterton.

Lizzie and William led active lives both in Masterton and after 1921 in the Hawke’s Bay where they had purchased "Glenside." Lizzie was always keen to lend a hand where she could and was delighted with the aims of the Country Woman's Institute which she saw as a wonderful help to country women she also had an active involvement in the Woman's division of Federated Farmers.

"Glenside,” was a 243-hectare property off Kereru Rd, about 2 miles above the Maraekakaho settlement, in the Hawke’s Bay?

After William's death on 23 August 1923 Lizzie's son Tim left school and took over the management of the family farm. When Tim married Lizzie and her youngest son Bob moved back to Masterton. They moved into a home built on the land that had been part of her father's original "Small Farms Settlement" now in Upper Plains Road Masterton, not a quarter of a mile from the remains of the home of her Grandmother in which she had been born. Helen at this time was away at Napier Girls High School. When it looked likely that Bob would be called up for active service in the Second World War Helen got a teaching job within commuting distance of home and returned to look after her mother, a task she continued until Lizzie died in 15 July 1962 at her home in Upper Plains Road. Lizzie is buried in Masterton Cemetery. Helen continued to live in the home for many years until her death on 5 Feb 2004. Helen is buried in Archer Street cemetery, Masterton.

Helen Tankersley wrote an obituary  for Lizzie that was published in the New Zealand Founders Society Bulletin.

Death of Mrs Lizzie Tankersley

The death occurred recently of Mrs. Lizzie Tankersley, daughter of Samuel Edinborough Chamberlain, a pioneer settler of the Upper Plain, Masterton, He being the youngest son of Thomas Chamberlain who arrived in New Zealand in 1842 in the ship "London".

Mrs. Tankersley was proud of the fact that her mother also was the daughter of a pioneer family; she was the daughter of Robert Wyeth who arrived in Wellington in 1839 with a surveying party on the ship "Cuba". His marriage to Miss Jane Runnalls was one of the first weddings to take place in Wellington. At that time there were no jewellers from whom to purchase a ring so Mr. Wyeth had to make one himself from a golden coin no doubt crude but he was proud of it, as no doubt was Jane.

The Chamberlain brothers all took up land on the Upper Plain under the 'Small Farms Settlement Scheme', Chamberlain Road passes through the section belonging originally to Mrs. Tankersley's father, some acres of this section were still owned by her at her death, to be passed on to her family.

Mrs. Tankersley's late husband, William Tankersley, was also descended from the early pioneers. He was the grandson of Thomas William Tankersley who arrived in New Zealand in 1839 on the ship, "Tory", while his grandmother, Sarah Draper, arrived on the "Aurora" in the following year. In the early days the Tankersley family also were settlers on the Upper Plain.

In the book, "Masterton's First Hundred Years" by A. G. Bignall, facing page 17 appears a picture of a little old worn-out house, the original home of the Chamberlain family-a stalwart group of five sons, mostly over six feet, and one daughter. Here in this at one time beautiful little home Thomas Chamberlain's little granddaughter, Lizzie, was born in 1881. Her father, Samuel Edinborough Chamberlain, the youngest son of the Chamberlain family, owned a property out the Miki Miki at the time-only about nine miles out, but a long and dangerous way out in case of sickness in those days; so Elizabeth, Sam's wife, had been brought in to town to his mother. Already two older children had died with diphtheria, so every care had to be taken.

Just recently this same Lizzie, now 81 years of age, died at her borne on the Upper Plain, a home built on the original 'Small Farms Settlement' properly which had also belonged to her father, and not a quarter of a mile away from the remains of the little old house where she had been born. Here Lizzie Tankersley had come to live after the marriage of her elder son, William Edinborough Tankersley, who took over the management of the Hawke’s Bay property after the death of his father, William Tankersley, in 1923.

Lizzie led an active life both in Wairarapa and later in Hawke's Bay where she moved with her husband and family in 1921. Always keen to lend a helping hand where she could she delighted in the aspirations of the Country Women's Institute and saw it as a wonderful help to country women; she was always interested in, and a member of the Women's Division of the Federated Farmers, though in later years she did not take an active part.

Mrs. Tankersley, being descended from pioneer families, always took a great interest in the Founders' Society.

To revert to the Chamberlain cottage, the remains of which are still standing in Edith St., Lizzie often used to lament the passing of its one time beauty. It is hard to visualise it surrounded by an old fashioned garden, trees and birds, with paths and an old fashioned pump at the side. Yet that is how she remembered it.

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Last Updated 11 Nov 2009