Home

This is Mum's family on her Mothers side
James Blake Broomfield's Mother
Elizabeth Stephens Broomfield
Birth     1834
Launceston, Cornwall Unitary Authority, Cornwall, England
Death     7 Jun 1925 (aged 90–91)
New Zealand
Burial    
All Saints Cemetery
Howick, Auckland Council, Auckland, New Zealand
Plot     Plot 21&22 Block 2 Row AA

OBITUARY. A PIONEER SETTLER. MRS. E. BROOMFIELD. One of tho pioneers of Auckland, Mrs. Elizabeth Broomfield, died at Mungamungaroa Bay, near Howick, this week, aged 91 years. Born at Launceston, Cornwall, she came with her parents to Auckland in the ship Westminster in 1843, the voyage lasting six months. Mrs. Broomfield has, therefore, been in New Zealand 82 years. During her residence here, Mrs. Broomfield practically saw the whole growth of this city. For 61 years she lived on the farm where her death occurred. In her early days, what is now Queen Street was a swamp through which Ligar Canal found its way to the waterfront. Mr. Richard Congdon Stephens, father of the deceased, lived at first in a raupo whare at Mechanic's Bay. Later he had cows on a dairy farm where the Opera House stands in Wellesley Street. His daughter, Mrs. Broomfield, used to deliver milk at Government House to Sir George Grey. Mrs. Broomfield remembered the time when 250 Maoris landed in Mechanic's Bay with the intention of raiding Auckland. Sir George Grey had paraded all the available troops on the hill where the Supreme Court now stands. A gun boat was brought round to the bay and several buglers were placed at different points in the bush in the Domain. The invaders landed and gave a war dance, whereupon a bugle call was sounded, and this was taken up by the others in the Domain. The Governor, Sir George Grey, gave the Maoris so long to get away. They, thinking the troops had them surrounded, handed a valuable mere to his Excellency and, entering the canoes, paddled away home again. Mrs. Broomfield, then a girl of 17, was an interested witness of the whole affair. When 19 years of age she was married to Mr. William Broomfield, who owned the property at Mungamungaroa Bay. He was an ex-naval man. and ran a trading cutter. Her husband died in 1871. There were twelve children, of whom eight survive. She lived to see 55 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Three grandsons served in the late war, one, Lance Corporal William Bromfield, was killed at Passchendnele. Her surviving children are Messrs. William, Henry and James Broomfield, of Onehunga, Howick and Maraetai respectively, and Mesdames L. H. White, Howick; J. Williams, Onehunga; W. Wallen, Gisborne; J. Bartley, Whangarei; and R. Speer, Howick. A sister, Mrs. Mary Ann Curley, 88 years of age, lives at Silverdale. AUCKLAND STAR, VOLUME LVI, ISSUE 136, 11 JUNE 1925 Elizabeth Broomfield, nee Congdon,