Community Contributed

Alexander Speirs, Foxton

Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T17:00:51+00:00
Alexander Speirs' parents, John and Elizabeth, lived in Johnstone, Scotland, a thriving industrial area serving the ships and docks of the Clyde.

John started work as a cotton carder but in his early twenties became an engineer. As the town of Johnstone became more important to the shipping industry, John decided to become a marine engineer and visit foreign lands. He saw service on Greek gun boats and in the British Merchant Service.

In 1864, he had his first trip to Wellington, New Zealand, and while there signed on to the Clipper Ship "Wellington" as First Engineer. He completed a number of voyages on the Britain-New Zealand run.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was left with the task of bringing up the family. She was a woman of formidable character who brought up her children in the strict Presbyterian mould of the time but was still loved and respected by her family.

Shortly after the death of the youngest daughter, Amelia, Elizabeth was persuaded to take the four remaining children, aged between seven and fourteen to live in New Zealand. They sailed from Glasgow on the "William Davie ", arriving in Dunedin 88 days later on 1 November, 1866. They soon moved from Dunedin to Wellington where John obtained a job as an engineer building the Patent Slip at Evans Bay, Wellington. Another son was born in Wellington. After a few years the family moved to Nelson where John became an engineer on coastal ships. Later, he established a cycle and engineering shop in Nelson. Both are buried in Nelson.

Meanwhile Alexander, their second son, had married Mary Ann McMaster, the daughter of a pioneer family in the Wairarapa. Their home was at Te Aro, Wellington, in the later notorious Haining Street. Alex worked here as a carpenter until 1889 when they moved, with their six children, to the then rapidly growing port and flax industry centre of Foxton. Two more children were born in Foxton.

Alex went into business as a builder and, with his elder sons, built a number of prominent buildings in the Foxton - Levin district: the first Anglican Church in Levin, the Manawatu Hotel in Foxton, and the Shannon Hotel.

About the turn of the century Alex went into the flaxmilling business and also operated a timber merchanting business in conjunction with his building activities.

The timber merchanting was taken over by his son Robert in 1906.

The other sons continued in the building trade for a time and then became involved in the flax and farming industries in the Manawatu district.

Alex was an active man in local affairs. He was a member of the Foxton Borough Council for two terms, a member of both the Chamber of Commerce and of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, and an Elder of the Presbyterian Church. He also served on school committees.

He built his home in Robinson Street in 1900. His son Claud did the wood cut decorations (or "French cuts") on the verandahs. Their design appears to be unique.

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has given the house a "C" classification i.e. it "merits preservation because of its historical significance or architectural quality".

Alex and Mary Ann lived here until their deaths, Mary Ann in 1926 and Alex in 1937.

Their children were:

Mary Ann born 1880 died 1970

John Gardner 1882-1966 married Winifred Ivy Pilcher Alexander Kennedy 1882-1950 married Jane Olesen

Robert Nelson 1885-1953 married Ella Mary Patterson

Claud Hamilton 1887-1974 married Emily Alice King

Richard Albert 1890*-1962 married Ethel Hilda Rowe (* from BMD Historical search)

Bessie Ida May 1892-1951 unmarried

William Arthur 1895*-1964 unmarried (* from BMD Historical search)

Compiled by Margaret Speirs from :"The Speirs Family" by D.P. Speirs, "Foxton Historic Places" by N.M. Frean, and records from the Foxton Historical Society Museum.