A Letter from Tommy ROBINSON

My grandma was born in Ireland, a Hannah Blake, at Galway Bay, and when her widowed mother was dying was given into the custody of the priests to educate and to inherit property left by her mother, which I understand was quite considerable. She was sent to England to a convent where she became a flunkey in the institute and was never educated as arranged, and was most certainly diddled out of her legacy. Making friends with one of the girls who was boarding at the convent she was invited home with this girl where eventually she met Grandpa and married.

Grandpa was a mystery man being capable of speaking a number of different languages at a time when education had to be paid for and was only for the rich and well to do. He was an albino, but nevertheless a very handsome man according to the story, but a great philanderer, having a number of mistresses, and leaving home for great intervals. It was during one of his absences from home that the family all packed up and migrated to NZ, leaving the old bull behind.

One girl died of TB before leaving, one married a Yank and went to America, a son of which met Oswald during the war. Two of my brothers died in the first war, Claude and Oswald.

My father (Daniel ROBINSON) worked in the mines at Reefton, then to driving a tug boat on the Mokau River, pulling a sailing Coal Barge. Eventually to Kawhia in 1905.