Thomas Dawson-Tate.
Lucy Jane's father Thomas Dawson-Tate arrived in N.Z. early 1860's from Northern Ireland. His father had a farming estate near Belfast (with servants, cottages and chapels) and was Anglican. Thomas had taken cattle to market for his father
and absconded with the money to travel to N.Z. He was intensely interested in astronomy and the transit of Mercury was due to be sighted in the Southern Hemisphere several times in the 1860's.
Thomas settled in Macraes Goldfield, near Palmerston in the South Island of N.Z. where gold had been discovered in Gabriels Gully in 1861 and Naseby in 1863. Around 1865, during a momentous game of cards at the local Macraes Inn (While I Live I'll Crow), Thomas was winning against the owner George Cockerill,who decided to 'wager' his 13 year old daughter,Martha, on the next hand ≠
and lost. Thomas and Martha then journeyed to Palmers ton to be married. In the 'sobering' light of dawn, George Cockerill
followed them - and Thomas went to jail for a night for eloping with a minor. George Cockerill a flamboyant and wild gambling Scot known as 'Steamboat', was extremely tough on Martha who had to work very hard.
Thomas and Martha (aged 15) were married at Macraes Flat in 1868. Martha was the daughter of George Cockerill and Geddes and was born in 1853 in Melbourne, Victoria (at the time George was lis≠ted as a Blacksmith). In 1861 the family moved to N.Z. and George later became the Proprietor of the "While I Live I'll Crow" Inn at Macraes.
Thomas and Martha (known later with great affection as 'Big Gran') started married life to-gether in a small sod house on part of the goldfield called Moonlight, near Macraes. Thomas regarded his young sweeheart as a child until she turned 16.
The family remembered Grandfather Cockerill as a rather hard man and Gran Cockerill (a Jewess), as kind and loving. Martha had two younger sisters and a brother. The sign on George Cockerill's Inn ended up across the road at Stanley's Inn and was still there in 1987.
Details from the family Bible list many of Thomas and Martha's children - Thomas Tate born 1 June 1868; George Tate born 14 May 1870; William Tate born 9 March 1872; Benjamin Tate born 12 Jan uary 1874; Lucy Jane Tate born 2 April 1876; Francis Martha Tate born 18 June 1878; Alice Elizabeth Tate born November 1880; Joshua Tate born 25 December 1882; Arrabella Ann Tate born 12 December 1884; Arrabella Ann Tate Baptised 16 November 1885; John Tate born 5 December 1886; William Tate born 12 December 1888; Joshua Tate died 25 December 1889; Benjamin Tate died 12 January 1890; Fanny Sarah Tate born 8 August 1891; Lucy Jane Tate Baptised 3 March 1877; Francis Martha Tate Baptised 14 July 1878; Alice Elizabeth Tate Baptised 26 December 1880; William Tate died 21 September 1872.

Thomas and Martha had 16 children (21 pregnancies) and lost four of their children in one week with Quinsey.
Thomas was eventually forgiven for leaving with the family funds and correspondence was received from his faher in Ireland. The family recalled their father reading Sunday services sent from the Old Country by his father who had prepared them for the family and staff near Belfast.

In 1891, after the difficult breech birth of their last child Fanny Sarah 'Eileen', Thomas and Martha lived separately. Martha lived in a cottage at Dunback for a few years before moving to Napier to live with daughter Fanny Sarah. Thomas in his later years, lived alone in a house at Palmerston, where he had his own small Observatory (and by this time was hard of hear≠ing). He later moved to a cottage at Shag Point (near Palmer≠ston) and lived there for many years, using the railway lines as his pathway as he was familiar with the train schedules. Around 1925 he was planning to move in with his grand-daughter, Ivy, in Timaru, when he was accidentally run down and killed by a 'spec≠ial' train.

Thomas and Martha's children followed careers in N.Z. and Austra≠lia. John (born 1886) moved to Sydney and for many years sold Encyclopaedias. Around 1950 he married and lived with Eileen
in a self-contained section of her Campsie home. This was John's fourth marriage, and he was remembered for his keen sense of humour and lively and warm personality.

Alice Elizabeth (born 1880) married Samuel Bolton; their children Hazel Burns and Winnifred Alice. In 1932 Winnifred married Robert Steele Laurie, son of Thomas Lauder Laurie anrl Evelyn
Jane Steele. For many years Win and Bob lived and ran their business (Motor Trimmers) from Railway Parade, Burwood. Win passed away in 1997.

William (born 1888) worked the family goldmine from the Tipperary Claim at Macraes Flat which operated as Tate's Gold Mining Com≠pany Ltd. Later due to insufficient capital the Company went into liquidation. The claim was then taken over by L.C. Galli of Dunedin. Bill had a Stationary Engine Drivers Licence and work≠ed as a Boilerman at the T.B. Hospital in Green Valley out of Palmerston. He remarried in his later years and died in Dune≠din.

Arrabella Ann (born 1884) "Thora', married Leon Galli of Dunedin (who took over the Tipperary Claim) and there was a great deal of adverse criticism from the family. A photo of an ingot of pure gold weighing 57t ozs, a result of the crushing of 48 tons of ore from the Tipperary Claim, was shown in the 'Evening Star' newspaper. Also included was the following condensed extract:- 'The average return from the mine so far has been from It ozs to over 2 ozs
of particularly pure gold per ton; the percentage of impurity found in melting down at the Mint is reported as the smallest known in gold of this description.' Thora, at one time, had a Hairdressing Salon in Wellington and later retired with Leon to Rocky Bay, Waiheke Island.

Fanny Sarah (born 1891) 'Eileen' began a hairdressing career in Wellington N.Z. taking the perming equipment in a suitcase to clientshomes. In the early 1920's Eileen opened a Salon in Kings Cross, and later moved to a larger shop, Suite 26, in the Kings Cross Theatre Building, at the top of William Street (which is now the entrance to the Kings Cross Railway Station). During these times Eileen, Ada Mary and Colin enjoyed many social outings.

Eileen, friends of Smithy and William Ulm, was keen on flying and travelling. When returning from an overseas trip Eileen became ill while staying at Raffles where Noel Coward and entourage were staying at the time and were most kind to her. Eileen returned on the S S MaIolo, a fun trip with fancy dress dances, and the Australian Cricket team on board.

The Theatre was a great favourite and Eileen was an avid fan of Nellie Melba, writing numerous letters and queueing IUP at the stage door when Melba was in town. At one performance she was invited to Melba's dressing room and given a 'snuff box' as a momento.

In the 1930's Eileen opened a Salon in Leeton and moved from there to a home in Campsie, and later Units in Double Bay, Bellevue Hill and Gosford. In 1973 Eileen (aged 81) passed away in Gos≠ford and is buried in Point Clare Cemetery.

Lucy Jane (born 1876) 'Gloria's mother', a delicate child, was later to become the head of the family.