* * * * * * * *

WELCOME
TO THE UNVEILING OF THE HEADSTONE OF
JOHN ASPIN
1840 - 1909

AWHITU

Happy were our young days,
We wish we could have more.
Those were memories we recalled,
At the Aspin family door.

But first, it's many thanks,
To the work behind the scenes.
To bring nack all the rellies,
And the happy time it means.

And for those who have lived away,
The thrill is really great.
To come back to our District,
And meet a cuzzie Mate.

There sure has been changes,
But the love is always there.
Awhitu filled with memories,
We are very proud to share.

Now we turn to another reunion,
And stories will unfold.
But we won't forget this special day,
At the unveiling in the "fold".

- Lesley Herlihy
January 2001

* * * * * * * *

ORDER OF SERVICE

Welcome to everyone gathered:
A background to the day: Brian Aspin
Outline of the days' events:

An introduction and a brief resume of
John and Margaret Aspin and their families: Wayne Aspin

The service shall be lead by Kay O'Reilly:
Granddaughter of John and Kate Aspin:

OPENING PRAYER:

Kay:
Family and Friends: We gather today to pray and give thanks for our ancestors and deceased family members whose bodies now lie in rest. They have passed from death to life with The Lord Jesus and are purified now of their faults. We pray that God may welcome them among all the Saints in Heaven.

So, we say together:

All:
Our Father, who art in Heaven, etc………………………….. (The Lord's Prayer)

Kay:
All powerful God, whose mercy is never withheld from those who call upon you in hope, look kindly on your servants John and Margaret who departed this life many years ago and number them among your Saints in Heaven.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord>

All:
AMEN.

ALL SING:
Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wander,
Consider all the works Thy hands have made.
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
THEN SINGS MY SOUL, MY SAVIOUR GOD TO THEE.
HOW GREAT THOU ART: HOW GREAT THOU ART.
(Repeat:)

When through the grass, and rugged hills I wander,
And hear the birds up in the Pururi Tree.
When I look down, from lofty sand-hills grandeur,
And hear the surf and feel the west coast breeze.
THEN SINGS MY SOUL, MY SAVIOUR GOD TO THEE.
HOW GREAT THOU ART: HOW GREAT THOU ART.
(Repeat:)

Kay:
As we are assembled together today, it is fitting that we give thanks to God and ask His continued blessings on this extended family.

1. Max McPike:
We give thanks to you, Lord, for leading John and Margaret to New Zealand, May we, their descendants, always show love, loyalty and respect for this beautiful land.
Lord hear us …………….
All say: Lord, hear our prayer.

2. Lesley Herlihy:
Lord, we thank you for the strength and support of our family. May we always value and encourage families, both our own and others in our community.
Lord hear us …………….
All say: Lord, hear our prayer.

3. Elma Kelland:
We give thanks for the blessings of physical strength and good health. May we use and enjoy the opportunities that life presents us with.
Lord hear us …………….
All say: Lord, hear our prayer.

4. Peter Aspin:
We ask you to bless the descendants of John and Margaret Aspin. Those who are living and those yet to be born. May they always know the strength of your love and shelter.
Lord hear us …………….
All say: Lord, hear our prayer.

5. Arthur Short:
For those who have joined our family, bringing with them so many talents, strength and love, we thank you Lord and ask that you bless them abundantly.
Lord hear us …………….
All say: Lord, hear our prayer.

Kay will then conduct the unveiling ceremony.

The people officiating will be John Aspin (who is the eldest son, of the eldest son, of the eldest son, of the eldest son, of the eldest son, back to 1768!!!) accompanied by his grandson John (who remains the eldest son of the eldest son!)

Also buried in this cemetery and in unmarked graves are:
Agnes May Short Died 3.12.1896
John Short Died 10.3.1910
Both children of Charlie and Maggie Short. Their graves shall be identified and marked today, and we will remember them.

Kay:
Oh God, by those mercy the faithful departed find rest, bless this gravestone with which we mark the resting place of John Aspin and gave sites of Agnes and John Short. May they have everlasting life and rejoice in you with your Saints for ever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All say: AMEN.
At the conclusion of the unveiling ceremony, All sing:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound: That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found: Was blind but now I see.

Thro' many dangers, toils and snares: I have already come.
'Twas grace hath brought me safe thus far: And grace will lead me home.

* * * * * * * *

Kay will then read the concluding prayer:

Kay: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
All: And let perpetual light shine upon them.
Kay: May they rest in peace.
All: Amen.
Kay:
May the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Amen.
Kay:
And may Almighty God bless us all, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

ALL SING:

The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want,
He makes me down to lie.
In pastures green, He leadeth me,
The quiet waters by.

My soul he doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make.
Within the paths of righteousness,
Ev'n for his own names' sake.

Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill.
For thou art with me, and they rod,
And staff me comfort still.

My table thou hast furnished,
In presence of my foes.
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life,
Shall surely follow me,
And in God's house for evermore,
My dwelling place shall be.

* * * * * * * *

REMEMBER MAN THAT PASSETH BY
AS THOU ART NOW SO ONCE WAS I
AND AS I AM SO THOU MUST BE
PREPARE THYSELF TO FOLLOW ME

Scribbled below the inscription on this headstone
Were the lines ...................

TO FOLLOW THEE'S NOT MY INTENT
UNLESS I KNOW WHICH WAY THOU WENT

* * * * * * * *

UPDATE TO THE
FOREWORD

Sometime in the year 2000 Wayne Aspin, whilst doing some local research work, found the gravesite plan for the Awhitu Central Cemetery and was therefore able to define and locate the unmarked gravesite of the original John Aspin. It was felt that the grave should be marked with a suitable headstone and so we decided to do this. It was then felt that the whole occasion would be somewhat bereft of ceremony if we just simply put down a headstone, thus the idea was muted to have another family reunion to mark the occasion. An appropriate date was confirmed as 20th January 2001 being 20 years since our original centenary reunion on 24th and 25th January 1981. The decision was also made to keep the day pretty informal, somewhat casual and thus easy and low cost to organize. At the same time we decided to run an update to the original publication "Custodians for a Century".

Awhitu turned on its usual blustery south westerly breeze mixed in with a bit of rain but tempered with the warmth and welcome of knowing that you are at a place where you belong. Of John and Margaret's surviving grandchildren, three were able to attend for the day. Eddie Short and Dan and Trevor Aspin arrived at the venue in a stretched limo, enjoying "royalty" status for the day. Kay O'Reilly conducted the graveside memorial service and we also marked the gravesites of Agnes and John Short, children of Charlie and Maggie. Suitably, the plaque was unveiled by John Aspin, son of John, who is son of John, who was son of John who was son of John, being son of John!!!
We make a note here to point out that for whatever reason, it is a fact that the eldest son of the eldest son for the last seven generations, i.e. since 1768, has carried the name John (Jack) Aspin. That's quite a tradition! A luncheon at the Awhitu Golf Clubhouse was the ideal venue for the 246 who attended, to relax and catch up with friends and relations, a number of whom travelled from overseas for the day.

In our original foreword we stated that "as a result of service in the Land Wars John Aspin was entitled to lay claim to a small holding. He did this and although he was unsuccessful in his first four claims, his fifth claim was for a small block at Grahams Beach, Awhitu". This statement is not altogether correct. The fact is that he was unsuccessful in his claims and he purchased 80 acres from one Thomas McCarthy on 18th July 1881 for Thirteen pounds and Ten shillings. A further 40 acres was added to this block in 1901.

The last note we make for you is that since our gathering in January 2001 we have identified the gravesite of Margaret Aspin at the Hillsborough Cemetery. This is also an unmarked grave and once we get this update completed an effort will be made to ensure that she too has a suitable headstone for her grave - along the same lines as her husband John's. You will be kept informed.

There is always someone to thank……
This time again, my thanks go to Brian for just "filling-in", peeling the spuds and getting on with life while I bash away at these keys, and to our son Dean for willingly sharing the shambles as your brothers and sisters did the last time round.

And then there is Dad - Dan Aspin.
Dad and Brian alike have a sense of value too great to be measured and a quiet strength that I draw from. It is this rock solid strength Dad that has motivated me to get off my butt and get this finished. I salute you.

Alma Aspin,
Tirohanga:
23 March 2002

FOREWORD

John Aspin was a soldier, a Private with H.M. 40th Foot Regiment who saw service in New Zealand during the Land Wars. As a result of this, he was entitled to lay claim under the various Naval, Military and Volunteer Land Claims Acts, to a small holding. He did this, and although he was unsuccessful in his first four claims, his fifth claim was for a small block at Grahams Beach, Awhitu. He was discharged from the Army on 26th April 1866 at Otahuhu, and eventually made his own way to Australia. Records show that he was married to Margaret Barry on 13th May 1872, and they made their home at Knive Downs, North Warrego, Queensland, Australia, for about the next eight or nine years. In a return of the Freeholders of New Zealand, John Aspin appears as a farmer, of Awhitu, and other records show that Margaret and Emma Aspin arrived in New Zealand in March 1881. 100 years on, sees that John and Margaret Aspins children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren have continued to live and farm at Grahams Beach. It was felt the occasion should not be unmarked, so a Centenary Reunion of the descendants of John and Margaret Aspin was held on the weekend of 24th and 25th January 1981. To the best of our knowledge and ability, everyone of their 717 descendants who were still living at that date were informed of the occasion, and we were delighted to welcome 270 people for the weekend. This book is a follow-up to that occasion, a tribute to those who have gone before us, and we trust an asset and valuable document to those who follow.

Where so very little information has been documented it is very difficult, in fact almost impossible, to obtain an accurate and complete story of the lives of John and Margaret. Rather than say nothing and omit this altogether, we have endeavoured to assemble together facts as documented, stories as passed down and information as given to us, and have come up with something that is at least assumed to be correct. Where we are uncertain, we have said so. Likewise, where we have been told the same thing by two, three, four and maybe five or more different people at different times, we have assumed this to be fact.

Dates are another point of contention. In some instances, you may not agree with the date as printed, e.g. we already know that the dates as printed on the official birth certificates of John and Margaret's children, are sometimes not the dates on which the person actually celebrated their birthdays. Where these are known to differ, we have said so. There will be others. Also we point out that we can only take the information as it is given to us, and there will be incorrect dates that have been given to us for sure. However, in the wider text of the whole book, we believe dates play an important part in establishing just where everyone fits in, so we have included what we can, and only ask that you forgive us any errors that may be printed, and any inconvenience it may cause.

Likewise, the printing of photographs. With a total of over 717 people, it is beyond our capabilities to collect photos of everyone, and beyond the finances of this project to print them. We have included what photos we can of the first generation and of the original homesteads, then in particular what wedding photos we can of the next generation and various ones of their children, and from the fourth generation on, we have a simple random selection. What photos we had were placed in a hat, and a small number drawn out to be printed. Again, we can only apologise for any inconvenience this may cause anyone. Also we point out that the information in this book has been forwarded to us over a period of some 18 months and in some instances we realise it could be a little outdated, at the time it goes to print.

In assembling this book, it was decided to try and trace back the families of both John and Margaret to establish any brothers or sisters either of them may have had. This was easier said than done. However, we tried, and extensive enquiries were made through the Auckland Public Library, the Library of the Latter Day Saints, the Army Archives in Wellington and Kew, Surrey, Alexander Turnbull Library, the Registrar Generals Office in Brisbane and the Brisbane State Archives, the War Memorial Museum in Auckland, St. Catherines House in London, the Public Records Office in Dublin, Thetford House in Norfolk, St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh in County Cork, but without the amount of success we would have liked. Further enquiries may yet produce results, but we doubt this. However, we did establish what we wanted on the Aspin side of it, but for the Barrys, it seems that the Irish records are most difficult to trace back, and a name like Margaret Barry is about as common as Sally Brown, which makes it even more difficult.

Although none of us ever really knew him, John Aspin is not remembered as an outstanding character, in fact he is remembered more as a "hard old beggar". We have not tried to hide this fact, but must remember that he lived in a time of great hardships, and what little is known of him includes only the very later years of his life. On the other hand, his wife, known as "Granny Barry" by all who knew her, is remembered with much affection and respect. Perhaps this is due in part to the fact that she lived 18 years longer than her husband, and many more of her descendants were to know her. She had a rather big, and very deep voice, with a heart to match, and apart from her life's work which was the raising of her family, she is well remembered for her activities as a mid-wife, delivering many of the babies born at Awhitu.
These two people have established a heritage that is ours. It is a heritage we all share, and can take pride in. On a personal level, I married their great-grandson Brian, in 1972 (100 years after their own marriage), and our children are the fifth generation of Aspins to live on the farm at Grahams Beach. By marrying into this family, I have been privileged to enjoy the respect in which the Aspin name is held. I also consider it my privilege to have found myself in the position to be the one to put this book together, and to begin to name those for whom thanks are due would only be to omit someone. Simply, without the assistance and willing co-operation of 'every man and his dog', this would not have been achieved. However, there are two people who deserve a special recognition. The first is my mother-in-law Kath Aspin without who's help in looking after our young family while I travelled to see people, and while I worked at home, I would not have begun this project. Her assistance to me is, and always will be, invaluable. To my husband Brian and our children Penny, Glen, Stuart and Linda - I thank you for putting up with the chaos.

The second person I wish to mention is Jack Aspin's wife, Kate. She was my Grandmother-in-law I guess, but of course she was 'Grandma' to us all. Several years before she died, she was here with me and talking about times gone-bye, and remarked that she thought, and I quote from my own memory "that the early 1980's, perhaps 1982, would be 100 years since the old couple came here. Well" she said, pointedly waving a finger, "don't let it go and do nothing", or words to that effect. We hope we have lived up to her expectations, whatever they may have been.

Alma Aspin
Grahams Beach - 17th May 1983

Perhaps an appropriate place to begin this website is with an explanation of the Heraldic Crests, and of the origin of the name, Aspin. This information is available from any authority who specialises in this type of thing, and in our case, Wayne and Patricia Aspin obtained this information, along with an authentic copy of the Heraldic Crest, or Coat of Arms as it is more commonly known.

Origin of Name:

According to 'A Dictionary of British Surnames' by P.H.Reaney, considered the most authoritive writer on British surnames and their origins, the ancient origin of the family name of Aspin was Anglo-Saxon, carried to Britain by the plundering raids of the Saxons from Schleswig about the period 450-500 A.D., five centuries prior to the Norman invasion and conquest of this country in 1066. This period of time saw raids by these Nordic warriors, more often called Danes, Vikings or Norsemen, on most countries of the then-known world. Consequently their influence on the origins of names in both Europe and Britain was considerable and widespread. The origin of the name was first noted and recorded in Britain in the year 1246, being noted to the person of Henry de Aspenewell in the County of Lancashire, and the spelling of Aspin has been evolved from this source. Styled as 'Aspin', the name was first recorded in Yorkshire in the year 1305.

When reading another family booklet "A New Life - 1865" written by Rob Aspden of Wellington, about the Aspden and other families who settled at Mauku, we note a passage from this which states "An article written about Joseph Aspdin of Leeds (the inventor of Portland Cement) states 'the name Aspdin is a reasonably uncommon one, although there is a quagmire to wade through of past generations' literal approach to spelling. Records of the Aspdins variously feature them as Asden, Aspen, Aspden, Asdin, Aspin and the Alphabetic Index of Patenters actually manages Aspdine' ". The same booklet also notes another reference, and I quote "The earliest mention of any Aspdens in 'The History of the County of Lancashire' is in 1276 when Richard de Radcliffe and Adam de Aspden claimed a tenement (a property) in Oswaldtwistle. The name Aspden apparently derives from the name of a manor in the same area".
Whether these last two quotes are relevant or not, for what is may be worth we thought we would include them with the explanation of the origin of the name for your general information and interest.

Explanation of the Arms:

In heraldry, the colour Azure (blue) is symbolical of Loyalty and Truth. It was the colour devoted and ascribed to The Virgin by the Roman Church.
White is significant of Peace and Sincerity. It is pointed out by Guillim, considered the most authoritive of the ancient heraldic writers however, that the term 'Peace' is not intended to portray one prepared to accept peace at any price; but denotes a 'bearer of arms' ready to devote all his efforts to bring about a just and equitable peace, a peace which would endure because it would be such a peace.
Gold, one of the two metals of armory, is significant of Generosity and, according to Sir John Ferne, denotes 'Elevation of Mind'. It is again brought to attention by Guillim, however, that 'Generosity' does not indicate one prone to the mass distribution of his worldly possessions, wisely or otherwise; but denotes one considered by his Sovereign to be of a magnanimity which would display both true fortitude in defeat and a true Christian charity in victory. The Chevron, from whence came the insignia of the armed forces, was granted as a reward to those who had accomplished some notable enterprise, usually of a military nature. Representative of the roof-tree of a house, that which upon all else depends, it was considered a most worthy and honourable bearing of arms. The Quarterfoil (four leaved flower) was the ancient emblem of Hope and Confidence. When borne as a main charge of arms it is said to denote a military commander who by his own display of confidence had lifted the flagging morale of his command and so turned a probable defeat to victory.
The Dragon, is one of the fabulous creatures of heraldry, accredited with possessing the keenest of all vision and supposed to never require to sleep. It was therefore considered a suitable bearing for those who had quarted their country's most precious treasures, the Sovereign and the Princes.

The Coat of Arms as described above, and shown in this booklet, was presumably awarded to or earned by some very distant ancestor, or ancestors, perhaps many hundreds of years ago, and in no way does it pertain to the people of whom we are now writing, although once gained, it remains within that family, or with that family name for all time. A great number of our present-day family names will themselves have a Coat of Arms, and in our case we thought since we had the information to hand, we would pass it on for everyone's general information and interest.

The following article appeared in the "Waiuku and Districts Post" on Tuesday,
January 23 2001 following the unveiling of John's headstone. 
To view the article, Click here.

Acknowledgements:

Our special thanks to Bill Deed for printing the original booklet. Bill's knowledge and expertise would, we knew, turn a mini-shambles into a well-presented and readable article.

My grateful thanks to Mary Hull and her team who gathered and collated the information on all of Emma and Jim Short's family for us. Certainly made our task easier.

My very special thanks also go to Debbie Hohneck of Matakawau for her fine work in presenting the cover to the original booklet and the sketches as seen throughout it and the update.  These sketches (otherwise known as graphics) have been omitted from this website because of the time they take to download.

Thanks are also due to Grant of Copy Solutions in Taupo who has just done a brilliant job for us in photocopying and then binding our update booklet.
It was a very big task for him.  

And we offer particular thanks and acknowledgement to Michael MacDonald who is the brains behind Spider Web International for compiling/creating this website for us.
I am delighted with it.

We are grateful.