The Elusive Ella Cossill - the discovery of another of Pourewa's feisty female descendants Part 1

Note - the spelling of Mongonui or Mangonui seems to have been interchangeable in newspaper and other records over this time. My spelling will also change between the two depending on the source I'm quoting. 

Update:  January 2024. There is now  verifiable evidence that the photo of the woman with the firearm is someone completely different - not a known family member at all. See this post for further information, but I'll leave the original research as written because the story of finding her is just as interesting. 

Ella has been the least known of the children of Charles and Pourewa (Margaret) Cossill. I am including all known research, including anecdotal and unconfirmed information and speculation (indicated as such) in the hope that through trying to confirm or deny it, we may end up finding more of her story or match it to any facts as they arise.  

The earliest information seems to have come from pre-internet word-of-mouth sources, or Neva Clarke McKenna's book Mangonui: Gateway to the Far North (1994) which includes some of the first referenced information about the Cossill family. I'll try to match any anecdotal information to its earliest known source, with much of this coming from research done by Cossill family researchers Debbie Herbert and Carl Cossill who visited  or contacted descendants and collected stories and photos along the way. Both have kindly handed on to me their research to date. Please leave a message or use the email option (scroll down panel on the right) if you want to suggest any corrections or if you can add further information on the sources of photos or other anecdotal details. This is a work in progress, and the aim is to get it as factual as possible. 

 In Nigel Cooper's book Nga Uri o Pourewa  - A Pakeha family discovers its Maori ancestry (2005), he includes a copy of  the registration of Pourewa's death in 1884 - under her married name of Margaret Cossill. It states she had 4 daughters still living at the time of her death (aged 48, 46,44, and 40) and one son aged 42 years. That gives approximate birth years of 1836, 1838, 1840, and 1844 for the girls (no names were given) and 1842 for the son (which could only be Richard).   

Ella was Pourewa's first-born child, in 1836, deduced by process of elimination of the known or likely dates and ages of the other siblings. This has also been confirmed by  Debbie Herbert's research of microfiche records from Kaikohe some years ago (sighted but not copied). Ella's birth year of 1836 and baptism in1838 are recorded in Debbie's (2004) family tree in  Nga Uri o Pourewa.  Ella is included as a daughter of Charles and Pourewa in a family tree by Dorothy Cooper (1980s) which was also included in Nga Uri o Pourewa. (Note - Ella's details "ran hospital / married Naysmith" are incorrect and had been confused with other descendants - but it was a start!) Also note there is some speculation that Charles Cossill may not have been Ella's father (Herbert research), likely based on the probability that she was born before they were married.  This will never be known, but for all intents and purposes, we can assume he was the father. The timing of  Charles and Pourewa's marriage may  possibly have been more to do with the availability of a minister wanting to tidy up the moral turpitude of Englishmen in de facto relationships with Maori women than Charles deciding to do the decent thing by his partner and child. Or it could have been a bit of both. 

Debbie Herbert's research gave Ella's birthplace as Mangonui and that (anecdotally) as a young girl she was taken to America and ended up staying there.  Another story is that Ella was a young baby when Charles and Pourewa married.  If Ella's year of birth is accepted as 1836, and we know that Charles and Pourewa's wedding date was definitely October 1836, then Pourewa was either heavily pregnant or Ella had already been born by the wedding day (the latter a more likely scenario). Debbie Herbert also had a story that Ella had married and had four children, and that the boy in photo (below) was her son. 

In the absence of any further information, there had been much speculation about what happened to Ella. A photo believed to be of her holding a machete (it was actually a bayonet) and firearm has been widely circulated, but there is no supporting evidence to prove it is her. It would have to have been taken in the earliest days of non-studio photography in NZ to fit her timeline (see below).  Also there is a photo of a woman and boy which is believed to be Ella and son and is likely to be authentic as it came from researcher and author Neva Clarke McKenna for her book. 

Believed to be Ella Cossill. (Photo from Debbie Herbert collection, source unknown)   

Believed to be Ella Cossill and son (Photo from Debbie Herbert collection from Neva Clarke McKenna. ) 

And then earlier this year I received a message from New Zealand historian and novelist Joan Druett, who specialises in maritime history with a particular interest in women in whaling. She had found my research on Charles and Pourewa on this blog site and matched it with some of her research on a woman called Sarah Gorsell, and this became the key that unlocked information we would never have otherwise discovered. And so the story of "Ella" unfolded: 

Somewhere along the line our Ella was known as Sarah,  and her surname has been written a variety of ways including Gorsell, Carssell, Corsell and Corsil.  The evidence clearly supports that Joan Druett's Sarah Gorsell is the same person as our Ella Cossill.  Let me explain: 

An article in an 1893 New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA, newspaper  stated that a reporter had made an unusual discovery while looking over some old documents in the town clerk's office in Fairhaven.  He found a "curious marriage contract" drawn up by Captain Ira Lakey, commander of the Fairhaven ship Arctic. The article said that in Australia, a sailor [since identified as the chief mate Charles A Evans] had "secreted" a woman on board, and by the time the captain had found out, they were too far out to sea [to return].  After discussion with the ship's officers, it was decided to marry the sailor and the woman. Captain Lakey performed the ceremony on March 12th, 1856, and drew up the document which was the one eventually found in the town records by the reporter. 

Declaration of marriage by Charles Evans and Sarah Corsell 
P.7 The Evening Standard - Feb 8 1893

Wedding vows of Charles Evans and Sarah Cossill
P.7 The Evening Standard - Feb 8 1893

Approximate location of on-board wedding of Charles A Evans and Sarah Corsell

The following men on board signed as witnesses of the contract of marriage and the solemnisation thereof: Ira Lakey, Peter Butman, Albert Lewis, Joseph B Bucklin, Amasa Holbrook, James T Holt, Henry Lord, Andrew Page Wood, and John Perkins.  The ring mentioned in the pledge was made by the crew from a silver coin.  Note: Ira Lakey was a jeweller before he was a whaling captain, so it is plausible that he  could have contributed towards its creation one way or another. 

The newspaper article states that the woman was taken on board "at Australia", so I tried to trace the movements of the Arctic through shipping intelligence published in both New Zealand and Australian papers.  I found the article below in The New Zealander, 6th February, 1856  and I also found it copied to the Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 15th February, 1856. 

If Ella /Sarah boarded in Australia, it would have added  another mystery to the story, but it is more likely that she stowed away from Mongonui, New Zealand, where the ship called and sailed prior to January 31st, If the Arctic  returned - as its intentions stated in the shipping intelligence notice - she could have boarded when (and if)  the ship arrived in Mongonui on 20th February before sailing for America - but I have found no evidence of the ship returning to New Zealand in February 1856. 

There's not a lot of room on a whaling ship, but the chief mate Charles Evans most likely had his own small cabin, enabling the concealment of Sarah. By the wedding date, March 12th, the ship was east of Tasmania, as indicated in the map above, probably on its way home to Fairhaven, America as intended. And so, Sarah stayed on board the Arctic for the remainder of the voyage after her marriage.

Note that Sarah is recorded as Sarah A Evans in her vows.  It's the only time I've seen an "A" in her name and  it would statistically be likely to stand for Ann. Her sister Maggie, who married Henry Rosieur, had a daughter also called Sarah Ann. Coincidence? There's no mention that she signed her name or added a mark, but it's unlikely she would be literate.  Doing the maths from her year of birth, she would have been 20 at the time of her stow-away. 

I have found the following record of their marriage, obviously entered after Charles Evans and Sarah returned to port in Fairhaven. Note that the correct date of marriage is entered to the left  (March 12), but I have found the date May 29th incorrectly given as the date of marriage in Family Search records (which are notoriously unreliable, but helpful  as a starting point). Also note Sarah's surname as Corsell and the apparent  later addition of the "A" to Charles' name.  I can't get access to the archives of the New London Weekly Chronicle without paying - and I wonder if there would be any information in that notice that could add to our knowledge, though it's probably the same as the other publications in which the notice appeared (see blow). 

From (familysearch.org) Index to marriages, New London Weekly Chronicles A-Z 

Marriage notice in the Salem Gazette - 27 May 1856 Source: MyHeritage.com [online database], MyHeritage Ltd.

 The ship returned to Fairhaven by May 22nd, confirmed by the inclusion of Sarah Evan's name under the heading Passengers of the May 22nd,1856, edition of the Boston Courier. 

In the Arctic, at New Bedford, from Ochotsk Sea, Mr John Perkins, late first officer of ship Natchez of New Bedford; also Mrs Sarah Evans (wife of Mr Evans, first mate of Arctic). 

The Boston Courier - 1856-05-22, page 3

Also Charles Evans' and Sarah's marriage notice appeared in the May 23rd edition of the Boston Courier (see timeline below). There are several court cases reported in various Massachusetts papers in May and June 1856 where Ira Lakey is the defendant in cases involving flogging members of his crew on his previous command of the Syren Queen and for libel, This further confirms the time frame of the Arctic's return to Fairhaven. 

On return,  Ira Lakey left  his command, and Charles A Evans was recorded as the captain of the Arctic in 1856. Clearly his stowaway bride and pop-up onboard wedding had not reduced his chances of promotion. 

According to the New Bedford Whaling Museum data base, the Arctic, commanded by Charles A Evans, departed the port of Fairhaven MA on 22nd July 1856, its recorded destination the Pacific, and Sarah accompanied him.  Further records indicate the Arctic ventured into the Indian Ocean. (See article below.) 

Tragically, Charles A Evans  died 3 months later on the 29th October (see article below) when he fell overboard and was fatally injured in the attempted rescue.  The crew attempted to bury him on St Paul Island - an uninhabited volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, but the sea was too rough to attempt it, so he was preserved in a double coffin and "stored" until the ship returned to Mongonui the following January. Whaling historian Joan Druett confirmed that burial at sea was not considered ideal, according to religious standards of the time, so efforts were made to preserve important corpses for burial on land - even though storage conditions were seldom ideal.  

New Zealander, Volume 13, Issue 1128, 7 February 1857, Page 2

Estimated location of Charles A Evans' death (Indian Ocean marker) and location of St Paul Island where the burial attempt was made. (Google Maps). 

It's interesting to note that the article about his death says Charles and his [unnamed] wife married from this place [Mongonui] 8 months before  - which would have been April, but this does not fit with the marriage at sea story.  Just in case there was another twist to the tale,  I checked the New Zealand register of births, deaths and marriages and could find no evidence of any land-based marriage between the couple. Perhaps it was a "cover-up" or mistaken information. It's interesting to note that the marriage did not seem to be recorded in Sarah/Ella's home country but was widely published in Charles' home state. 

It is also interesting to note the pomp and ceremony that was involved in Charles Evans' funeral.  I wonder if this was in recognition of the Cossill's standing in the local community, or of the recognition of the esteem that either Charles' Evans or Ira Lakey may have been held? Maybe everyone may have just liked a good ceremony after all the other hardships involved in whaling.  It would certainly seem that any indiscretions between Ella/Sarah and Charles Evans were smoothed over, forgiven or kept quiet.  And I wonder where the grave actually is?  It would be interesting to know if there was any marker or evidence still discernable.  Being buried a few yards from his father-in-law's door is an interesting final resting place for Charles Evans  to say the least.  It could be that Evans was known to Charles Cossill from when the Arctic was previously in port in 1856. In Petticoat Whalers  by Joan Druett, she notes that Sarah Gorsell was the daughter of a pilot from Mongonui. It could have been one of Charles Cossill's part-time occupations. There are many possibilities. But we now know there is another family grave on the island. 

Joan Druett confirms that the ship would have been on its way back to New Zealand anyway to refresh water and food provisions and to transship any oil that had been collected on the way. Consideration for Sarah may have been taken into account for the decision to return to Mongonui over any other port in New Zealand - or it could have been the preferred destination anyway. The Arctic was not planning to return to America for a while yet, and after the funeral, Sarah returned to America on February 2nd on the Jireh Swift which was heading homeward.  It's interesting that Sarah would leave her family once again to go to the other side of the world  when her husband was buried at her father's door. 

So, in the space of less than a year, Sarah had left (run away from?) home in Mongonui, stowed away on a whaling ship, returned to America, left America, returned to Mongonui and then returned to America. What a year! What a gal!  

I wonder why she did that? 

What happened next? 

(Note: there does not appear to have been any indication of a child at this stage.)

Click here for the rest of my research on Sarah Cossill's life. 

- Part 2 

- Part 3

- Part 4 

Ella /Sarah CossillTimeline: 

1836 - Sarah Cossill born 

1838 - Sarah Cossell baptised (unconfirmed)

1856 - sometime in January: Arctic calls into and sails from Mongonui. Charles A Evans is first mate. Sarah probably stows away. 

 (February 20: Arctic may have called in to Mongonui - no evidence) 

- March 12: Charles A Evans and Sarah Cossell marry on board Arctic 

- sometime before May 23: Arctic  returns to Fairhaven - with Sarah 

- May 23: Charles A Evans and Sarah Corsell's marriage announced in the Boston Courier

- May 27: Charles A Evans and Sarah Corsell's marriage announced in the Salem Gazette

- May 29: Charles A Evans and Sarah Corsell's marriage notice published in New London Weekly Chronicle. 

- July 22: Arctic leaves Fairhaven under command of Charles A Evans, accompanied by Sarah. 

- October 29 - Charles A Evans dies onboard the Arctic, Indian Ocean

1857

- January 22 - Arctic arrives in Mongonui 

- January 24 - Charles A Evans buried on Paewhenua Island

- February 2 - Sarah Evans departs for New Bedford on the Jireh Swift 

- February 5 - Arctic departs Mongonui for whaling grounds  - 

- 1861 - Arctic returns to Fairhaven MA under command of Evans' second in command, Peter Beedman (aka Butman). 

Other sources and references: 

Massachusetts Newspapers, 1704-1974

The Evening Standard - 1893-02-08
Publication title: The Evening Standard
Publication place: New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Date: Feb 8 1893
Page: 7

WHALERS AT MONGONUI, NEW ZEALAND, JANUARY 31. (1856, February 15). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12980558

Charles A Evans,  found in "The Directory of Whaling Masters" (p122) 

Captain: Charles A Evans, Year:1856,  Ship: Arctic, Port: Fairhaven Massachusetts. 

 Charles A Evans found in "History of American Whale Fisheries from its earliest inception to the year 1876" by Alexander Starbuck (pp 538 - 539)

 Ira Lakey defendant in assault case, reported in the Boston Post, 31 May 1856 and the  Boston Courier, 2nd June, 1856. (Massachusetts Newspapers 1704 - 1974). 

Petticoat Whalers - Whaling Wives at Sea 1820 - 1920 by Joan Druett (1991) Book is out of print but copies available on bookselling sites. 

Hen Frigates - Passion and Peril, Nineteenth-Century Women at Sea by Joan Druett (1998) 

The Nine Children of Henry and Mary (McLean) Naysmith - Part 1: Alexander

Checking through the many Naysmith family trees that are now available online, it's clear that there have been some errors in research, and these have been perpetuated by others copying information presuming it to be accurate.  Also, with overwhelming lack of originality in the choice of first names (and repetition of names within the same generation)  dates, names and photos have easily become mixed or merged.  My aim is to clarify information so that you can update your own tree with accurate information.   

All details will be referenced with evidence, or any speculation will be clearly acknowledged. Please feel free to advise of any other evidence or records that could support or improve any information given below.  If these are your ancestors and you have any photos or information to share, that would be wonderful. 

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There's two sources of evidence that Henry and Mary Naysmith (Duchess of Argyle, 1842) had nine children who lived at least until their parents' death. 

Henry's death certificate (see this blog post) clearly states that, at the time of his death (10th December 1880) he had 9 living issue: 5 males and 4 females (ages not given). This information was probably given by wife Mary or one of those 9 living issue, so its accuracy can presumed to be reliable. Henry's given age at his death (62) suggests his year of birth as 1818 - give or take a year, although his age on the Duchess of Argyle passenger list is 34, which would give 1808 as his year of birth. This could be an error in the transcription and the original would need to be seen for confirmation. The 1841 Census  gives Henry's age as 20, but ages were generally rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5 for anyone over 15. This suggests the 1818 year of birth is credible. I can find no other evidence of any year of birth. In fact, I can find no evidence of his birth at all - although there are parish records of three other births to his parents James and Isabella (Steel) - with many variants of spelling. 

Mary Naysmith (born McLean) died on 18th October 1892 (aged 78), and in her obituary, it also refers to 9 adult children - 5 sons and 4 daughters. This information can be expected to be reliable as it matches Henry's and would have also been given by the family. Mary's  age recorded at her death fits in with her age on the Duchess of Argyle passenger list, giving her year of birth as 1814 - give or take a year. The 1841 Census gives Mary's age at 21, but may have rounded down as Henry's probably was.  

 

So, who were these nine living issue of Henry Naysmith and Mary Mclean? 

1. Alexander Naysmith 

- born Scotland 1841 (from Find a Grave) 

- married Caroline Lowe (born Everest) 1877 (NZBDM 1877/2452)

- died 12 May, 1901 

Alexander Naysmith was Henry and Mary's first-born child and the only one of their children to be born in Scotland.  I can find no parish record  or any other official record of Alexander's birth or baptism. Alexander appears in the 1841 census which indicates he was born in Renfrewshire, and from this it can be deduced that he was possibly born as early as August 1840. 

 The next confirmation of Alexander's existence is his name  and age on the passenger list of the Duchess of Argyle: Alexander Naysmith, age 1, indicating his year of birth was c.1841. Alexander's death on 12th May, 1901, is recorded in NZ Births, Deaths and Marriages (NZBDM 1901/7630). From cemetery details at findagrave.com  his age at death is given as 60, which confirms about 1841 as his year of birth.  Alexander's obituary (Wanganui Herald) gives the information that he was an old gold miner at Ballarat and the West Coast. This is the only evidence I can find that he went to Australia. 

Alexander married Caroline Lowe (born Everest) in 1877. (NZBDM 1877/2452) when he would have been about 34 years old. 

Caroline came to NZ aged 17, on the ship Oliver Laing.  This information is from her obituary published in the New Zealand Times and probably supplied by her family, so it can be presumed to be accurate. From the ship's passenger list, it can be seen that she must have travelled on her own - or without her parents. Note that there is also a Mr and Mrs Thomas Lowe with 2 sons and a daughter on the same voyage. 

Alexander was Caroline's second husband, her first being Thomas William Lowe in 1862 (NZBDM 62/391). It can be presumed that he died, but there is no record of it in NZBDM. I wonder if her first husband was one of the sons of Mr and Mrs Thomas Lowe on Oliver Laing?  There are online records available for several females called Caroline Everest of a similar age, and I have no evidence to confirm if any of them are this Caroline's. Yet. 

Caroline died on 29th  May,1908 (NZBDM 1908/3843) and is buried at Greytown. From her burial records, her age was recorded as 65 years, and  her year of  birth year at 1843, in England. 

Details from the Greytown Cemetery Records

From Billion Graves 

From Billion Graves 

Like many other early colonial arrivals, including his father Henry,  Alexander appears to have been a labourer or physical worker all his life.   

Alexander and Caroline had 3 children together:

Mary Elizabeth Naysmith was Alexander and Caroline's firstborn, born Greytown1878 (NZBDM 1878/4385). Known as Lizzie (See death notice below).  She married John Watt Mcleod in 1901 (NZBDM 1901/153 - note her surname transcribed as Waysmith in NZBDM marriage record). John was at various times a saw mill employee, a driver and a carter (from electoral rolls) in  Ngaruawahia  and Auckland. He died on 5th September, 1949, and Mary Elizabeth died on 5th December, 1954 (NZBDM 1954/34897). They are both  buried in Waikumete Cemetery.   

Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) born Naysmith and John Watt McLeod.
Photo supplied by Sylvia (Mcleod) Wray. 

 Mary Elizabeth Naysmith and John Watt McLeod had at least four children: 

- John Everest born 1902 (NZBDM 1902/2365) died 1903, aged 12 months (NZBDM 1903/3021). Family Search gives place of birth as Martinborough, but sadly,  I can find no other reference to him anywhere - including family trees. How sad that no one knows of baby John Everest, and what sadness must Lizzie and John have carried as they waited another year for their next child. 

 

- Thomas Arthur Mcleod born1904 in Martinborough (NZBDM 1904/7253) married Reta Doreen Roseman in 1930 (NZBDM 1930/7975). Rita was born in Auckland 2nd December1907 (NZBDM 1907/1548 - note name is written as Rita). Thomas Arthur was a draughtsman and in 1942 was living in Mt Eden (NZ Ballot Lists 1940-45.) He died 9th July 1981 and is buried at Purewa Cemetery. (Find a Grave.) Rita died 11th July 1969 and is also buried at Purewa. (NZBDM 47638), (Find a Grave). 

 

- Alexander Cyril Mcleod was born in Martinborough on 14th September 1905 (NZBDM 1905/18453). He married Florence Anderson in 1939 (NZBDM 1939/11246). Alexander Cyril died in 1979 (NZBDM 1979/27825). I have found no record for the birth or death of Florence, or any further information about either of them. 

 

- George McLeod born 1918 - a bit of a delay after Alexander Cyril's birth in 1905. Interestingly, in NZBDM births, George McLeod - son of Mary Elizabeth and John McLeod - has a registration number of NZBDM 1930/3975. This must be a transcription error - especially as it is outside the 100 year delay of birth records. George died in 1991, and his death registration (NZBDM 1991/42757) confirms his date of birth as 15 May 1918.  In a family tree search (ancestry.com) I found him in several trees, but in all of them he was an addition to someone else's tree rather than a direct descendant, and in most Naysmith trees, he showed no spouse or descendants. Descendants would probably still be living, so that could explain that point.   In one tree I found him married in 1943 to Dorothy Muriel Hankins, born 1918 (NZBDM 1919/14033), but there's an 80-year gap on NZBDM marriage details online, so I can't prove it and can find no other evidence in Papers Past. There were two private children listed under George and Dorothy Muriel's names. Dorothy Muriel died in 1996 (NZBDM 1996/57295). I can find no burial records for them. 

Alexander and Caroline's second child, and only son, David Alexander "Alex" Naysmith was born in Woodside, Greytown,1880 (NZBDM 1880/8084). He appears to have never married, and died on 17th July 1945, aged 64 (from cemetery records). He is buried in Waikumete Cemetery. 

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 168, 18 July 1945, Page 1

Alexander and Caroline's third child was Amy Catherine Naysmith born Greytown 1883 (NZBDM 1883/1960 - note name is spelled Amy Katherine on NZBDM). She married George Joseph Walker in 1915. He was a carrier / carter based in Auckland (electoral rolls).  George Joseph died on 30th November 1955  age 55. Amy Catherine died 29th March 1960, aged 76. They are both buried in Waikumete cemetery. (Find a Grave).  

Amy Catherine Naysmith and George Joseph Walker had at least 2 children. 

 Ivan George Walker was born 12th August 1915 (NZBDM 1915/12189) and died 22nd May 1983 (NZBDM 1983/44604).  He was a carrier. He married Evelyn Mabel (Unknown surname) who was born 20th July 1922 and died in 2014 (NZBDM  2014/19602). They are buried in Catholic  section of Waikumete Cemetery. 

Waikumete Cemetery - Source: flickr 

Unnamed baby - stillborn 1918 (NZBDM 1918/21659) Buried at Waikumete (Find a Grave)     No gender is given, and some family trees don't give an option for "unknown" so you may have to choose one and add a note if you want to include baby Walker in your tree.  Sad to have been forgotten for all these years - but never by its parents, I imagine. Baby is not buried in in the same plot as its parents. . 

So, there are some details on the births, deaths and marriages of  the oldest of Henry and Mary Naysmith (born McLean)'s first-born child, Alexander.  

Use these to update your family tree or to confirm the information you may already have.  If any of these are your ancestors, it would be great to have you join us on the Naysmiths of New Zealand Facebook page. We don't seem to have discovered any of Alexander and Caroline's descendants yet. Please feel free to let me know (through the comments or email options) if  there are any errors or omissions.