"I'm sorry to say G.W, (George William) never had a job! He wanted to go into the Navy but his mother wouldn't let him. I say-or need to say- he should have run away to sea!-but he didn't. His parents were well off then- he was a serious young man deeply interested in ships, sea, natural history and in the Little Orme, a steam Yacht he explored towards Scandinavia chiefly. They lived in Hants but had a house in Totland on the Isle of White. All their children were Premature and the first two died (girls) and my father the fourth child was born in Totland-again early-and very proude of being a VECTAN (Vectis being the Latin name for the Island. In 1891 the family went to New Zealand (I suppose G.W. had been to have a look earlier)- with all their belongings including the Palmer ship Pictures and the Portrates and a quantity of stones for G<W> (like me! ) loved stones........ They bought land at Tararaki in sight of Mt. Egmont, built a house and farmed. The four boys (two born there) helped- oh how they helped-G>W> employed Mauris they loved him- and during the Maori wars he hid their tribal weapons etc. under the dinning room floor. G.W. had no use for the Empire- he had his own ideas-an idealist..... He too was musical as was granny and all the boys, my father Mark especially. The boys were to come home to go to Eaton but granny couldn't bear it. They went to Laranni College..... G.W. expected all the boys to work at Taumata, to farm forever, but George (eldest) was interested in Chemistry and eventually became an expert in dried fruit processes (working with chemists in California a bit then comming here)- and Mark, my father came here in 1914- to study medicine A George Palmer was reg. june 1858 Newcastle
Letter from Kevin Palmer 31-03-03 Further information regarding George William Palmer, my great grandfather: he went to Eton, and I have a photo of him when he was a member of the Eton Beagles. The photo is dated 1877 and is still in the original frame. He also had the first motor car in the town of Wanganui - year unknown.
Eric Palmer May07
34
2 months
