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Alice Moore married Reginald Blunden on January 30 1875. They lived at The
Downs in South Canterbury, and had 5 sons (including Harold Ernest) and
one daughter.
Alice's grandparents, the Moore family lived in Salisbury, England, and Dr
Richard Moore was Mayor of Salisbury. He and many other Englishmen had been
seriously disturbed by the growing influence of the Oxford Movement, (?) so much
so that he resolved to emigrate to New Zealand.
Richard Moore, his wife, one son (Thomas, Alice's father) and five daughters,
and their governess, Miss Liberty, set sail in August 1851 from Plymouth in the
630 ton vessel Sir James Pollock under Captain Withers and arrived 116
days later in Lyttelton, port for Christchurch, New Zealand. Among the
passengers was Felix Wakefield.
It seems that the situation upon arrival in NZ led to second thoughts for
Richard Moore, for he soon decided to return to England with his son to put him
into school. They sailed in the William Hyde for Sydney via wellington
where they paid their respects to Sir George Grey, and thence to Hokianga where
the vessel was damaged on the bar. So, too, was their will to continue the
voyage, and they returned to Lyttelton!
Richard's son, Thomas Richard Moore, was born in 1815 and died in 1860, aged
45 years. He is buried in the Barbadoes Cemetery, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Thomas married Elizabeth Burdis, who was born in 1815 on the Isle of Wight,
and died in 1887 aged 72 years.
Thomas and Elizabeth Moore had 6 children:
ELIZABETH, born 1841, died April 6 1885, married Dr Ronald MacDonald of
Auckland, no children.
ALICE born 1844, died 1917, married John Terry MURPHY on July 12 1864,
after he died Alice married REGINALD BLUNDEN, and so established the Moore and
Murphy links with the Blunden family.
THOMAS Richard, Pupil No. 93 at Christs College. Played cricket in
Canterbury XI against All England in 1864 and 1877. Managed and eventually
owned Waimarama Station, Hawkes Bay, NZ.
JANE
ELLEN, died of Scarlet Fever, May 8, 1881 aged 32 years. Married Frederick
Houth Mienertzhagen, who developed Waimarama Station, Hawkes Bay, NZ, later
sold it to Thomas and retired to England.
ANNE
Another 2 daughters (?) may have died of Scarlet Fever also (?).
Alice Moore first married John Murphy at St Lukes Church, Christchurch on
July 12 1864.
Alice Moore and John Murphy had five children:
ELIZABETH born May 18 1865, married William Frederick Joynt of Dunedin.
MARY (May) Phoebe born Sept 25 1866, married twice - first Williams, then
married Frederick Anderson.
MARGARET Leslie, born April 26 1868, never married, lived at Oxford (cared
for Alice Blunden after her mother died).
MABEL born October 4 1869, lived at Oxford, married late to George Beere,
moved to Fendalton, Christchurch.
ALICE born July 7 1871, married Cecil Wood on Dec 19 1907, two sons Cecil
Leonard Erlysman (married Jean Mary Richards, children Elizabeth, Michael,
Peter), and Lionel John (killed on Active Service, April 6 1944.)
John Murphy was killed in an accident, and Alice later married Reginald
Blunden.
Alice Moore and Reginald Blunden had 6
children:
ARTHUR Reginald (born Dec 25 1875, died 22 Sept
1960), married Nora Shand, took overThe Downs after his father,
Reginald, died in August 3 1914.
HAROLD Ernest (my father, born 31 March 1877, died at
Christchurch May 5 1953), married Henrietta Denshire, farmed Selma near
Ashburton.
LEONARD Walter (born July 28 1879, killed in action in
France October 1917).
BERNARD Lionel, (born 28 August 1881, died 8 August 1973),
sheep farmer at Waikari, North Canterbury, married Lillian Bassett.
ARNOLD, married Nance Bethel
GLADYS Helen (born November 7 1886) married Charles Godfrey
Cracroft Harper.
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