WILLIAM BRODIE–An Orcadian in New Zealand

 

When I discovered that Elizabeth Brodie was not the only member of her family to arrive on the “Merope” I discovered a whole new branch of the Brodie family  who emigrated to New Zealand.

One of them was William Brodie who looks like a he might have been a bit of a character based on this photo of him and his wife Jean

 

 

Here is a layout I did about William Brodie .

Born at the Orkney Islands in 1852, William Brodie migrated to New Zealand on the ship Lady Jocelyn in 1872,following his sister Jessie, half brother James Petrie, and cousin Elizabeth Lennie,who had migrated in 1870.
Having trained as a blacksmith under David Lennie Master Blacksmith, in Stronsay, Orkney he soon found work at his trade in Christchurch and elsewhere under the employ of Mr G G Holmes at Bangor, in the 1880s, and at Pigeon Bay where his sister Jessie resided with her husband George Mackay. Then, from 1890 for a time at Duvauchelle, and later from 1900, at Little River he engaged in farming on his own account and was quite successful at the business. When still a comparatively young man he returned to the land of his birth. Later he married Jean, the second daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Pettigrew of Duvauchelle Bay .
William and Jean never had children but together they made two further trips to the Orkneys, and on returning to New Zealand the second time settled down to a well earned rest at No 9,Oxley Street , St Albans He was a member of the Edgeware Bowling Club and the members of that club acted as pallbearers at his funeral in August 1929. The Presbyterian Church, Betwick Street of which William was a valued member was well represented at his funeral.