E. Dommett

Biography contributed by Kathy Viney (great-great-granddaughter)

Ellen Mary Grant was baptised in Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset, in 1836. Her mother died shortly thereafter, and Ellen went to live with her father’s parents in Wareham. Her father remarried, had another family, and it appears took little further interest in his daughter.

By age 25, Ellen had moved to live with relatives in Islington, London. Her aunt and uncle ran a bakery and there she met George Dommett, assistant butcher in the shop next door. Ellen and George married and had two children in London: Emmanuel (Manny) and Edith.

In the summer of 1873 they set out for New Zealand on the Edward P Bouverie, disembarking in Wellington, and travelling north to settle in Marton, Manawatū.

George put his London butchery training to good use. He ran the Marton Family Butchery for many years, passing the business to their son, Manny, who married, produced 13 children, and died in Marton at age 55.

Educating her daughter was important to Ellen. Edith played hockey at Marton District High School, and later was an active member of the Old Girls Association. Edith married Jim Duley in Marton and had nine children. London-born Edith cooked for her large family over an open fire or in a camp oven as the Duleys followed Jim’s work as a sawmill builder through the central North Island. Nonetheless, her steamed puddings with hot custard, and home baked bread, were remembered fondly. The Duleys eventually settled in Nūhaka, Hawke’s Bay. Three of Edith’s sons served New Zealand in World War I: Bert (26) was invalided home after three months on Gallipoli, but volunteered again and was deployed in a training role; Manfred (24) was killed in action in France; and Norm (18) was injured, redeployed, but returned home safely at the end of the war.

Ellen lived a long life, passing away in her 91st year. She may have only had two children of her own, but was grandmother to a creditable 21 grandchildren! She is buried alongside her husband in St Stephen’s Anglican Cemetery, Marton.

Sources

'The Duley Family' by Joy Shelford https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=770442.0;PHPSESSID=8se10bfc1cfknd0e5p6s0n9fm0

Personal correspondence with David Noades, England, descendant of Ellen’s father’s second family.

'England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975', database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J96W-X4F : 19 March 2020), Ellen Mary Grant, 1836.

'New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973,' database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSYK-L5Q : 8 July 2019), George Dommett, 18 Oct 1873; citing ship , Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm 004411836.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17427, 14 March 1917

https://billiongraves.com/grave/Ellen-Mary-Dommett/21341931#/

'E. Dommett', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/suffragist/e-dommett, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 8-Sep-2011