Jemima Kerr (nee Cresswell)
My great Grandmother Jemima Kerr (nee Cresswell) was born in 1851 on the site of what was to be the Oxford Tce church. Her parents Thomas and Jemma Cresswell had arrived on the Sir George Seymour.
Her birth proved to be of great fascination to the Maoris who frequently passed up and down the river. On occasions Jemima’s parents were concerned at interest taken in her and feared she could be kidnapped.
Her father was a builder and a individual contractor. He built the first Warners and the Clarendon Hotel’s.
Jemima married John Kerr of Adelaide in 1873. They moved back to South Australia and lived in Gwaller for eight years before returning to Christchurch. This trip proved to be another demonstration on how many of our ancestors experienced the “perils” of the sea when the ship, the SS Tatarua struck tempestuous weather on their arrival at Port Chalmers. The ship was subsequently wrecked on its return voyage to Australia.
Recently when searching for her gravesite at the old Bromley cemetery I was upset to find that the head of the gravestone had no reference to Jemima, only that she was remembering her husband John. At the foot of the grave was plaque titled “ mother” along two other plaques noting the names of her two bachelor sons. ( They had six sons, one being my grandfather William).
I have recently had her named inscribed correctly on the gravestone head.
Her death notice in the Press, notes that flowers were received, among others, from the Canterbury Pilgrims Early Settlers association.
🔗 Cemetery Record for Jemima Kerr
Since commencing my further interest in family matters and joining this association, it has been great to meet a previously unknown third cousin Margaret Basil-Jones, who also has a direct family link to Jemima.
Death notice in the ‘Press’