Peerage Record – 28615

     Jim Kernahan married May Woodfield, daughter of John Woodfield and Helen Hawkins.¹

     John Bruce was born on 27 May 1757 at Alterwall, Bower, Caithness, Scotland^G.^1,2 He was baptized on 29 May 1757.¹ He married Elizabeth Gunn on 18 July 1790 at Bower, Caithness, Scotland^G.¹

     Elizabeth Gunn was born at Scotland^G.¹ She married John Bruce on 18 July 1790 at Bower, Caithness, Scotland^G.¹
     From 18 July 1790, her married name became Bruce.¹

     John Bruce was born on 11 February 1799 at Scotland^G.¹ He was the son of John Bruce and Elizabeth Gunn. He was baptized at Scotland^G on 12 February 1799.¹

     William Bruce was born on 27 December 1801 at Bower, Caithness, Scotland^G.¹ He was the son of John Bruce and Elizabeth Gunn. He was baptized at Scotland^G on 3 January 1802.¹ He married Elizabeth Kennedy on 28 November 1834 at West Ormley, Caithness, Scotland^G.¹ He died on 6 October 1881 at age 79 at Halkirk, Caithness, Scotland^G.¹

     Elizabeth Kennedy was born in 1810 at Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland^G.¹ She married William Bruce, son of John Bruce and Elizabeth Gunn, on 28 November 1834 at West Ormley, Caithness, Scotland^G.¹
     From 28 November 1834, her married name became Bruce.¹

     Elizabeth Bruce was born on 4 September 1835 at Scotland^G.¹ She was the daughter of William Bruce and Elizabeth Kennedy. She was baptized at Thurso, Caithness, Scotland^G, on 14 October 1835.¹

     John Bruce was born on 9 June 1837 at Scotland^G.¹ He was the son of William Bruce and Elizabeth Kennedy. He was baptized at Thurso, Caithness, Scotland^G, on 12 July 1837.¹ He married Mary Campbell in 1863 at Scotland^G.² He died on 18 March 1904 at age 66.³ He was buried at Cheviot – Homeview Cemetery, Cheviot, Canterbury, New Zealand^G, plot 236.³
     John immigrated to Dunedin, New Zealand^G, on the ship Evening Star, arriving on 1860.⁴ John, Murdoch, John, Janet and Catherine and Murdoch Bruce immigrated to Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand^G, on the ship Canterbury, arriving on 10 January 1864. “The ‘Canterbury’, 1296 tons, sailed from London on 21 September 1863, and arrived after a journey taking 111 days. Captain Clare’s log of the voyage out stated that lttle sickness existed, and the number of deaths were unusually small – two infants and one adult. Eight births occurred, increasing the ‘number of souls on board at starting by five’.
The passengers expressed their satisfaction for the arrangements carried out during the voyage, to promote their comfort and health, and also that the cooking arrangements were a decided improvement over many immigrnat ships of former days.
The patent distilling appartus produced over 300 gallons of pure fresh water per day, and the surplus steam from the condensers were used to cook the food in the coppers. The ‘Canterbury’ carried a large cargo of general goods, including 150 cases of brandy and 2500 fire bricks. Passengers listed were ‘four cabin, 45 in the second and equal to 373 Government Immigrants in the steerage’. These passengers were from all part of the British Isles, and it was noted that many were from coastal Scotland and also from the industrial cities of Britain.”.⁴ He was a contractor in 1864 at Cheviot, Canterbury, New Zealand^G.⁴ He was a contractor in 1866 at Ashburton, New Zealand^G.⁴ He was a contractor in 1868 at Waddington, Canterbury, New Zealand^G.⁴ He was an accommodation house landlord in 1893 at Cheviot, Canterbury, New Zealand^G.⁵ He has an extensive biographical entry in the John Bruce travelled to the Otago region in 1860 on the Evening Star, and spent two years before returning home to Scotland. After re-immigrating in 1864, he began farming and contracting near Templeton, and then went to Cheviot to begin contracting. After also working in Ashburton and Waddington, he opened an accommodation house in 1893.
     

     Murdoch Bruce was born on 1 July 1839 at Scotland^G.² He was the son of William Bruce and Elizabeth Kennedy. He was baptized at Thurso, Caithness, Scotland^G, on 11 July 1839.² He married Catherine Polson, daughter of James Polson and Flora McKenzie, on 9 July 1868 at the house of Reverend George Grant, Christchurch, New Zealand^G, in a Presbyterian marriage.¹ He died on 21 December 1895 at age 56 at Charles Reid’s House, Wills Street, Ashburton, New Zealand^G.^3,4 He was buried on 22 December 1895 at Ashburton Public Cemetery, Old Section, Ashburton, New Zealand^G, plot 806. “The funeral of the late Mr Murdoch Bruce took place on Sunday, and was very largely attended. The procession started from the house of Mr Charles Reid in Wills Street, West, where the deceased was nursed during his last illness, and in which he died. The route followed was by way of Park Street, down past St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church to East Street and by that street to the Cemetery. The length of the procession and the class of people who formed it showed the high esteem in which the deceased was held, for most of the pioneer families in the district were represented, and there were farmers and others from all parts of the county, notwithstanding the very short notice that had been given.
By the time the hearse had reached the Commercial Hotel, the last of the horsemen had not passed the library, and at every street on the way the procession was joined by fresh vehicles that had been waiting to join it. When the coffin had been borne to the grave by four pioneers of the county, and placed upon the cross spokes to await the service, it was seen that an immense cloud of beautiful wreaths covered it, many having been brought by friends from long distances.
The Rev. G.B. Ingles conducted the Service, which was opened by the singing of ‘Shall We Gather at the River’. The Reverend gentleman read the portions of Scripture specially suited to such a scene, and offered up a prayer of thanks – giving for the lessons the life of deceased had left to his family, his neighbours, and all who knew him, of beseechment for comfort to those who had been left behind him, whose pain and sorrow had ended and who had entered into the rest that remaineth, and of grace for those around that the emblems of mortality before their eyes would endure them to number their days and apply their hearts into wisdom. The service was an impressive one indeed.”^3,5
     John, Murdoch, John, Janet and Catherine and John Bruce immigrated to Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand^G, on the ship Canterbury, arriving on 10 January 1864. “The ‘Canterbury’, 1296 tons, sailed from London on 21 September 1863, and arrived after a journey taking 111 days. Captain Clare’s log of the voyage out stated that lttle sickness existed, and the number of deaths were unusually small – two infants and one adult. Eight births occurred, increasing the ‘number of souls on board at starting by five’.
The passengers expressed their satisfaction for the arrangements carried out during the voyage, to promote their comfort and health, and also that the cooking arrangements were a decided improvement over many immigrnat ships of former days.
The patent distilling appartus produced over 300 gallons of pure fresh water per day, and the surplus steam from the condensers were used to cook the food in the coppers. The ‘Canterbury’ carried a large cargo of general goods, including 150 cases of brandy and 2500 fire bricks. Passengers listed were ‘four cabin, 45 in the second and equal to 373 Government Immigrants in the steerage’. These passengers were from all part of the British Isles, and it was noted that many were from coastal Scotland and also from the industrial cities of Britain.”.⁶ He was a farmer from 1871 to 1877 at Springston, Canterbury, New Zealand^G.⁷ He was a farmer from 1875 to 1894 at Ocean View Farm, Buckleys Road, Seafield, Canterbury, New Zealand^G.^8,9,10 He lived at Ocean View Farm, Buckleys Road, Seafield, Canterbury, New Zealand^G, from 1877 to 1894.⁸ He held the office of Chairman of the Seafield School Committee in 1879.¹¹

     Helen Bruce was born on 24 January 1842 at Scotland^G.¹ She was the daughter of William Bruce and Elizabeth Kennedy. She was baptized at Thurso, Caithness, Scotland^G, on 28 February 1842.¹