George HARPER

Date of Birth: 
24 Apr 1843
Date of Death: 
12 Mar 1937

George had a small but profound input to Horowhenua with two of his sons. He was born in Berkshire, England, and his father became the 1st Anglican Bishop of Canterbury.

He married Agnes Loughnan (born in India in 1846) at Christchurch in 1871. As she was Catholic all the children were raised as Catholics.

They had two daughters & eight sons, Two of the children died in infancy. All the boys became either solicitors (like George) or farmers.

Six of the sons fought in either the Boer War and/or WW1 & WW2.

Two sons (Edmund & Cuthbert) died of illness from the Boer war. Four served in WW1, three at Gallipoli and then in Europe. One (Gordon) was killed in Europe & so another (Eric) joined up soon after and was also killed. Eric was also an "Original" All Black who toured the UK in 1905.

George Herbert, the eldest was a native interpreter & solicitor in Otaki & then went farming at Te Horo. Philip was a solicitor, in partnership with George in Oxford St Levin. He was appointed a magistrate and moved to Gisborne where he had an accident & died shortly after an operation. His wife was a daughter of the Otaki policeman who became Mayor (Timothy O'Rourke).

Relatives mentioned in profile: 
George Harper, Henry John Chitty Harper, Emily Woddridge, Agnes Margaret Loughnan, George Herbert Harper, Eva Teresa Caroline D'Ath, Edmund Harper, Laura Lind Gosset, Lilian Stella Mary Harper, James Robert Loughnan, Eric Tristram Gerald Harper, Beatrice Anne Sibella Wilson, Cuthbert Strachey Harper, Elfrida Aylmer Lyon, Bernard Lionel Harper, Philip Hamilton Harper, Eileen Mary O'Rourke, Agnes Marie Beatrix Harper, Murray Gordon Louis Loughnan, Deryk Strachey Harper, Rosemary Harper, Philip Strachey (Piripi) Harper, Barbara Maria Harper, Gerald Gordon (Gordon) Harper, Robert Paul (Robin) Harper, Barbara Owen Griffiths, Margaret Mary Harper.