Carterton District Historical Society
Thomas & Mary Ann Reid - Resilient Clareville Residents
Thomas and Mary Ann Reid took possession of their land at 99 Chester Road, Clareville, in 1858 and named it Calvin Bank Farm. The property remained in the family for three generations and some of their descendants still live in the Wairarapa.
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Thomas and Mary sailed from Glasgow aboard the New Zealand Company commissioned Bengal Merchant, the first commissioned settler ship destined from Scotland to New Zealand. They arrived at Port Nicholson (Petone) in 1840 to help establish a new settlement. During the journey Thomas and Mary had buried their infant daughter at sea. Their Presbyterian values of hard work and community service were to sustain them through many challenges in their new homeland.
Struggling to find regular work painting in Port Nicholson Thomas and Mary took up a section in Mangaroa (Upper Hutt) where they began clearing the land and raising their family. During unrest between settlers and local iwi, Reid’s home and stock were destroyed. Thomas had joined the settler troops and in compensation the government granted him a block of land on the Taratahi Plains where, again, he built a small dwelling and began clearing the totara forest to plant pasture. In 1862 a new, larger ‘homestead’ was built and it remains in use as a home today.
In 1866 Thomas was killed by a falling tree and his is the first known grave in Clareville Cemetery. Mary was left to continue breaking in the land and raising their nine children alone.
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Thomas & Mary Ann Reid - Resilient Clareville Residents
Sources: To be supplied​
Mary Ann Reid - Settler, Farmer, Mother and Nurse
After Thomas’s death Mary continued to serve her community as a midwife and nurse, just as she had at Mangaroa. She was a much respected member of the settler community. Her grown sons helped her continue to develop the land.
The Reid boys also worked around the district as a team shearing, fencing and bush felling and were in highly skilled. They served in the Carterton Volunteers and Charlie joined the Wairarapa Contingent to Parihaka in 1881.
Mary’s sons built her a new home at 29 Chester Road, circa 1880, where she lived until her death in 1899. Her obituary states 1,000 people attended her funeral, a show of respect from her small community.
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Mary Ann Reid - Settler, Farmer, Mother and Nurse
Sources: To be supplied​
Charlie Reid - Settler, Farmer, Sportsman and Community Supporter
Interestingly, it was Charlie, the youngest son, who bought Calvin Bank Farm from his mother’s estate in 1900. He and his wife (Mary) Constance continued the family journey, developing the land, serving their community and raising their five children.
Charlie was one of the first pupils when the public Clareville School opened in 1874. He was an accomplished sportsman and played rugby and cricket to representative level. He served on many committees including the Wairarapa A and P Society, South Wairarapa County Council and the Taratahi Dairy Company.
Constance died in 1905 and left five children for Charlie to raise alone, the youngest, Keith, was only an infant at the time of his mother’s death.
Charlie continued to serve his community until his death in 1940.
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Charlie Reid - Settler, Farmer, Sportsman and Community Supporter
Sources: To be supplied​
Keith Reid - Farmer, All Black and Community Supporter
Again, it was the youngest son, Keith, who took over Calvin Bank Farm where he and his wife, Grace, raised the fourth generation of Reid children.
Like his father, Keith, was a talented sportsman who excelled in rugby. He played for Carterton, Wairarapa and in 1929 he played five games in the All Black tour of Australia. He continued to support rugby as a coach and administrator, lifting the Ranfurly Shield for Wairarapa as both a player and later, as coach.
Keith also supported his community by serving on many committees including Wairarapa Rugby Union, Wairarapa A and P Society, the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, Dalefield Dairy Company and Clareville School.
Keith died in 1972 and was the last Reid descendent of Thomas and Mary Reid to farm Calvin Bank Farm.
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Keith Reid - Farmer, All Black and Community Suporter
Sources: To be supplied​
Keith Reid's Family - Community Supporters
Keith’s and Grace’s three children, Roger, Barbara and Kay remained in Wairarapa and continued the Reid family tradition of community service.
On the Petone foreshore in 1990 there was a re-enactment of the landing of the Bengal Merchant, 150 years after Thomas and Mary stepped foot on land there. They would have been gratified to know that seven generations of their descendants would live in the Wairarapa. At a family centennial at Calvin Bank Farm in 1958 they had 750 known descendants.
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Keith Reid's Family - Community Supporters
Sources: To be supplied​​