1. Home
  2. /
  3. The Pilgrims
  4. /
  5. Charlotte Emily Nash

Charlotte Emily Nash

Charlotte Emily Nash

Charlotte Emily Nash

Born on 4 January 1829, to parents George and Charlotte Elizabeth Nash (née Frazer).
At age 21 Charlotte Emily Nash boarded the Canterbury Association’s 6th Summer ship, Isabella Hercus, to New Zealand. Her younger brother, Daniel, aged 18 accompanied her. It is not known which one of them instigated the brave journey to the new land but it is known that Daniel was disappointed and soon returned home.
Not so, Charlotte.

Already in Lyttelton, before the arrival of the first Summer ship, the Charlotte Jane, was Matthew Lee Joyce who had been, like Charlotte, baptised in St Dunstans church, Tower Hamlets but he, being born on 12 March 1820, was nine years her senior.

 

 

Matthew’s parents were Thomas Thatcher Joyce and Ann Abrahams Joyce (née White). Matthew himself was a bit of a character in the town, with a mention in G.R. MacDonald’s history.
A newspaper account also reported him to have taken his dog to court to defend a charge of having bitten someone.

LYTTELTON TIMES 11 AUGUST 1860
RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT
CHRISTCHURCH—August 7. (Before W.J.W. Hamilton, Esq., R.M., and T.W. White, Esq., J.P.)
BREACH OF POLICE ORDINANCE, Matthew Lee Joyce appeared to answer a charge, laid by the police of allowing his dog to be at large unmuzzled in the town of Christchurch. The police made good their case by the evidence of two witnesses, who had both been attacked by the dog (which they recognised by its being produced in Court); one of them having been severely bitten in the leg, and prevented from doing any work for two or three days in consequence, and also obliged to obtain, the professional services of Dr. Hilson to prescribe for the wound. The other witness had his trousers torn, and had been attacked twice.
The accused stated that he thought his dog was too small to do any person harm, and that he always considered it a very quiet dog. The Court said that allowing the dog to be very small, still it appeared to be capable of doing a great amount of mischief. They would therefore fine accused 5s. and 11s. 6d. costs.
There was another charge against the accused— not having the dog registered- which was admitted, and he was fined 10s., and registration fee, 10s., and costs, 5s

The Isabella Hercus berthed in Lyttelton on 1 March 1851 and Charlotte and Matthew were married in the temporary Anglican church on 10 Dec 1851 by the Rev. B.W. Dudley, Lyttelton’s officiating minister with Daniel Nash and Ann Gould as witnesses.

Charlotte Nash and Mathew Joyce wedding record

Charlotte Nash and Mathew Joyce wedding record

M L Joyce - Butcher

M L Joyce – Butcher

Matthew and Charlotte were prominent residents in Christchurch, with Charlotte giving birth to at least nine children, three of whom passed away as infants. Matthew had set up as a pork butcher in Oxford Tce and had a run at the Styx with Charles Turner.

Their earlier children were baptised at St Michael’s Church in Christchurch but later baptisms were at St Peter’s, in Upper Riccarton, where at least one of their babies is laid to rest – Jemima Victoria Joyce.

1868 has them living in Picton, although on 10 June that year, Matthew met his fate and drowned when the Cutter Louisa foundered off the Arahura river on the West Coast, with his body buried at the Seaview Cemetery in Hokitika.

Matthew and Charlotte had 6 children who reached adulthood and while the two males, Charles Robert and Henry Francis have no record of ever marrying, the four daughters were a different matter.

The eldest was Theodosia Caroline Joyce and on 11 August 1883, she married James Uren and although they lived in Marlborough for a time, being at Seddon and Kaituna, most of their many descendants are now found in the Hawkes Bay.

Next eldest was Elizabeth Ann Joyce and on 19 December 1877 she married Walter Samuel Watson,
wheelwright at Renwicktown, near Blenheim. Their descendants are also numerous.

Charlotte Emily Joyce born 8 April 1858 became married to Henry Maurice on 3 September 1889, in a property on Waikawa Road, Picton and they had just 3 children with Charlotte passing away in Wairau Hospital on 14 April 1896. She is buried at the Upper Wairau cemetery with the Watson family and she leaves a significant descendancy trail from two of her children.

The youngest daughter, born 29 July 1862, was Jessie Frazer Joyce and she married Alfred James Godfrey in Picton in 1882 and their descendants are also numerous.

Charlotte Emily Heberley

Charlotte Emily Heberley

After Matthew drowned, Charlotte met and on 3 September 1878 married the well-known Captain James (Worser) Heberley in Picton.

Charlotte passed away on 14 October 1898 and is buried in the Picton Cemetery with her 2nd Husband, James (0ld Worser) who, on the 26 September 1899 was found floating in the Picton Lagoon, still holding his walking cane.

Charlotte was obviously a very resourceful woman, as her will shows her leaving property in Picton, Blenheim and Randwick in Sydney as well as funds in a building society. Her letters to her children also paint her as very kind and affectionate.

 

 

Text and photo's contributed by John Maurice
Share this page

Leave a Comment

* All comments are reviewed by a member of our team before they are published on this page.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *