Ancestry Inquiry
Ancestry Final Essay
In 1852, my ancestors left Jersey, which is the largest island in the Channel Islands that are situated between England and France. Many shifted to Jersey from the mainland of France to escape the fighting, unrest, natural disasters, and persecution on the mainland. They left their home in St Helier because they were in search of a better life for their family. There would have been a lot of talk about opportunities and healthier lifestyles in the new world. This inquiry explores the push and pull factors that influenced my ancestors and many others to leave their homeland and move to a small country at the bottom of the South Pacific known as New Zealand.
James Frederick Le Sueur was born in 1848 in St Heliers, Jersey in the Channel Islands. James’s mother was a housewife and his father was a sailmaker. The country they lived in only had a population of 57,000 people in 1851, but it was increasing rapidly. Times were tough back then. Europe was in the grips of famine and everyone was searching for opportunities. The key industry and the source of the economy on Jersey was cod fishing. To go fishing they needed good boats so there was a thriving shipbuilding industry and the need for sailmakers such as James’ father. These boats sailed huge distances across the North Atlantic Ocean as far as the shores of Canada. The cod fishing industry was considered a main industry on the island. Times were pretty good. People had work, they could feed their families and provide for them. However, there was a decline in trade from the islands and the cod fishing industry started to die out. The shipbuilders struggled to make the change from wooden boats with sails, to boats of iron and steam. Life was not as good and people started to look for other opportunities to help them provide for their families.
Life in Jersey was about survival. Jersey was just a small island, with a land mass of approximately 119.5km². Only the aristocracy (upper class) was allowed to own land, therefore you rented the land your family was using from the Lord of the Manor. This meant you had to work for the Lord of Manor, as well as paying rent for the land your whole life including paying taxes to him. Your life was not your own. If you worked outside the Manors land, you would still be paying for the privilege of living there. Therefore, the prospect of freedom was a big deal. In 1841, the population rose rapidly. Retired Soldiers and migrating families came to Jersey to avoid the wars in Europe. Since a lot of people were coming to Jersey, the land became more expensive and taxes started to rise. The conditions in Jersey were fast decreasing as the population rose. Most likely, the push factors I have presented were the reason they decided to leave Jersey.
When James was born, there was talk about the new world and the number of opportunities it offered. The big Australian gold rush was one of these opportunities. Looking at the two main push factors, that's probably what would have made James’s parents decide to leave Jersey. The fact that you could own your own land and better conditions in Australia. In my opinion, they would have wanted to leave Jersey to raise James and his siblings in a better environment. They heard about the opportunity to join a migration boat that sailed from England to Australia. The family made their journey from Jersey to England in 1852, to start their voyage heading towards a new life. The hardest part was leaving their family and all they knew behind.
Late summer of 1852, a big wave of free settlers which included James's parents arrived in Melbourne, Australia. They were called the “Fortune Hunters”. The discovery of gold in 1850 changed Australia radically. In the space of a few years, the population increased astronomically. People came from England, Ireland, Scotland, China, and even the USA in search of gold. Cities emptied as people rushed off to the gold mines. New shops, factories, and farms were opened up to cater to the new people. These people mining for gold were known as "Diggers". Then came the early refugees from Europe. The potato famine in Ireland in the 1850s brought an influx of Irish immigrants. Following the end of World War II, many displaced people from Europe found their way to Australia. A large number of new immigrants arrived from Britain, Ireland, Italy, Greece also Turkey. The new immigrants also brought with them their cultures, customs, and cuisines. Australia started to become cosmopolitan, a truly multicultural society. In Geelong, James’s family also got into the hospitality business offering food and refreshments to working class people.
Over the years, the gold rush in Australia started to decline. James’s mother Elizabeth sadly died in Geelong, Australia in 1876. He could not always be away from his family without his wife there to help him with the children. The climate in Australia was very hot and the population was climbing considerably. It would have affected James and his family especially when he was out digging. He had heard of a country called New Zealand that offered a healthier lifestyle and even more opportunities. So in 1877, they made their way across to NZ by boat arriving into Christchurch in the South Island. James’s father found his occupation as a tentmaker which meant his skills were in demand. A lot of people needed accommodation and somewhere to live and sleep. There weren't always enough houses to go around and people heading off to the gold fields needed tents to sleep in. James and his family continued to live a peaceful life in Christchurch. James’s father enjoyed his family life until his death in 1891 at the age of 66 years. This would have been considered a good age in those days, The fact that he had survived with seven children including James Frederick my direct relative was quite amazing.
Overall, the most likely factors my ancestor's decided to immigrate to New Zealand was for a healthier lifestyle and the number of opportunities offered. Even better, there was a high demand for people like James's father, who was a skilled labourer. New Zealand is a melting pot of many cultures comprised of all the immigrants that came here from all over the world. They all brought a part of their own culture and wove it into their life in New Zealand. We all feel a sense of pride in being “Kiwi” or a New Zealander, but in reality, we are all part of somewhere else thanks to our ancestors who were brave enough to make the journey to New Zealand. When you look at it, I am Irish, Tongan, English, Scottish, Swedish and French plus a lot more. But first and foremost, I am a New Zealander.
This inquiry has shown you the push and pull factors of why my ancestors decided to immigrate to New Zealand. This inquiry has focused mainly on James Fredrick Le Sueur who was my paternal great, great, great, great, great grandfather, but he only makes up a tiny bit of my identity. I am a mix of many different cultures. That has evolved from my European ancestors as well as my Pacific roots from my Tongan grandfather. I like to think that my interest in sports, maths, cooking, drawing and a lot more have come about because of all the people that contributed to my family mix and helped me become the person I am today.
Bibliography
https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/St_Helier_Harbour_-_dated_pictures_from_the_19th_century
http://heritage.christchurchcitylibraries.com/Cemeteries/interment.asp?id=18075