WILLS-FOOTE

Most of this research was done by Norman WILLS, for a FOOTE family reunion in Havelock North in 1994. Most of the information was available at the local church parish, Calstock, Cornwall.
This line can be traced back to Cornwall in 1711, when Henry RICKARD married Jane DOIDGE. Their great-grandson John married Elizabeth. The Bishop in the Parish Church of Calstock has eight christenings of John and Elizabeth between 1795 and 1815. Betsy was the fourth on 13^th January 1802, born on the Cornwall side of the River Tamar. Devon being on the other side.
Records at the parish indicate that from 1600 onwards there were several families of WILLS living in the Parish, most of them farmers. In a Parish note dated 1613, all the members were levied for the maintenance of he church. They were taxed money or sheep, if farmers. The list showed:
Robert WILLS at Aishton 1 sheepe
Margaret WILLS at Whitesam 1 sheepe
William WILLS 4 penceThomas WILLS is the father of James Williams WILLS. His tombstone at the parish reads:
In Memory of Thomas WILLS late clerk of this parish who died the 11^th day of May 1830. Aged 76 years. Medical assistance I would have none, but said, I will wait on the Lord’s appointed time.His first wife died in 1791 and Elizabeth, James mother was his second wife. The local parish has three baptisms for Thomas and Elizabeth:

James Williams b1800Mary b1803
Betsy Brooming RICKARD and James Williams WILLS were married at the Parish Church of Calstock on the 8^th November 1822. They had six children:
Albert Frederick b1823
Thirza Rickard b 1826Maria Williams b1828
Thomas John b1832
James Williams b1833
Betsy Rickard b1837
They all sailed on the Timandra arriving in New Plymouth on the 23^rd February 1842. Thirza WILLS was 16. James took up land at Bell Block and farmed until strife over the land arose in the 1860’s. At that time most of the family moved to the Nelson district where land was acquired.
In 1842 maori residents disputed the New Zealand Company’s title to the land and there complaint having been upheld as regards a substantial area by Governor Fitzroy, the settlers were ordered to move off. The maori owners however sent a message to the Governor that Mr. WILLS and his family were to remain in undisputed possession. The conflict continued, a number of families left the district, including most of the WILLS family, who moved to Nelson District in 1863. Thomas WILLS remained but Robert and Thirza FOOTE moved to Nelson in 1860.
Thirza married Robert Benjamin FOOTE in 1851. Robert was born in Scotland in 1810. Robert was 16 years her senior. They had 10 children:
James David b1852
Betsy Jane Rickard b1853
Eliza Rickard b1856
Thomas Andrew b1857
Maria Williams b1859
Robert Benjamin II b1861Selina Anne Wills b1863
Albert Frederick William b1866
John Lee b1868
Martin Henry b1870Roberts’s background is a little murky. One story has him as a tailor by trade, the other, the son of a well off farming family. Being the youngest he had nothing to look forward to, so when he sold some cattle for his father at the market, he shot through with the proceeds to London. However his father caught up with him, and to avoid a scandal, made him change his name, and shipped him of to Australia. He arrived in New Plymouth, via Auckland in 1850. By now he had settled on the surname FOOTE. He worked in the Tarinaki as a sawyer (timber worker). Thirza and Robert moved to Nelson in 1860, Robert Benjamin II was born here in 1861 They moved to Motueka in 1862 where they stayed until 1874. Robert continued working as sawyer . Their final move was to remote Mahau Bay, Marlborough where they remained until Robert died in 1897.
The following profile of Robert appeared in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand:
Mr. ROBERT BENJAMIN FOOTE was born in the north of Scotland where he was educated and learned tailoring. He went to Australia at an early age and onto New Zealand and spent a few years pit-sawing in the Auckland province. Mr. FOOTE then went to Tarinaki where he took part in the Maori war as an officer. In 1861 he moved to Nelson and after many years of pit-sawing in various parts of the province he moved the Marlborough Sounds where he farmed during the remaining years of his life. Mr. FOOTE lived till he was nearly ninety years of age, when he died at Mahau, in the Pelorous Sound, leaving six sons and four daughters.His eldest son James also appeared in the same cyclopedia:
FOOTE, JAMES DAVID. Sheep farmer, Wilsons Bay, Pelorous Sound. Mr. FOOTE is the eldest son of the late Mr. R. B. FOOTE and was born in February 1852 at New Plymouth, Tarinaki. As a lad he had, at the time of the Maori war, several experiences which nearly cost him his life with the maoris, who were them encamped near New Plymouth : and one when he had strayed some distance from his home, he was hotly pursued, and did not regain the township for several days. Mr. FOOTE afterwards moved to Nelson, where he was educated and brought up to sawmilling and farming: and at twentynine years of age he went with his parents to live in the Sounds. For about ten years he worked at local sawmills, and then took up his present farm. The property is situated on the shore of the sound opposite the tourist resort ‘Homewood’ and consists of about 1000 acres of rough grazing land which carries 1700 sheep. Mr. FOOTE married Miss HARVEY, a daughter of an old settler in the sounds and has three sons and four daughters.The last will and testament of Robert Benjamin FOOTE:
Mehau Sound, The twelfth day of May in the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Ninety Seven.
This is the Last Will and Testament of me: Robert Benjamin FOOTE. Settler of Mahau Sound in the Provincial District of Marlborough New Zealand.
I hereby devise and bequeath to my son John Lee FOOTE all my real and personnel estate for the term of his natural life. The estate after my death to be managed by my son Thomas Andrew FOOTE and Thomas Walter McDONALD. Whom I name as my executors or others of them who are willing to act.
After the death of my heir John Lee FOOTE, the estate is to be sold at Public Auction and after all just debts and claims against the Estate being settled to the satisfaction of my executors the surplus of money if any is to be divided equally amongst my children.
Robert Benjamin FOOTE
(witness) Arthur SIMPSON-Settler
(witness) Marie Williams SIMPSONRobert left his estate to his second youngest son John Lee. Then following his death the estate was to be divided equally among his children. Apparently the reason for this is that John was intellectually impaired and his father used this method to ensure he was provided for. Robert died in 1897, John in 1903.
Robert Benjamin II married Alice Mary BOYD in 1883. Alice was the daughter of Henry and Martha BOYD of Havelock. The couple settled there for a while and then moved to Akaramiro, about 20 km inland. Robert worked as a bushman and a gold prospector, taking general labouring jobs as required to fill in. The couple had a large family of 15 but 5 died in infancy:
Herbert John Boyd b1885
Robert Benjamin III b1886
Martha Alice Boyd b1887Albert William b1890
Thirza Annie b1891
Graham Henry Boyd b1893
Ettie Irene Gladys b1893
Herman Stanley b1897
Elvira Merle b1899
Iris Jessie b1901
Errol Francis Verne b1903
Roslyn Ernest b1904
Madge Eveline b1905
Arthur John Boyd b1907
Laurence John b 1909
Later they moved to Lower Hutt where Robert died. Alice came to live with her son Robert Benjamin III at Havelock North until her death.
Martha Alice BOYD married Joseph William BISHOP. Joseph was the son of William Joseph BISHOP and Agnes REID. They had 8 children:
Norma Elaine Lucy b1912Hermiorne Agnes b
Phyllis Jean b
Kenneth Joseph b
Ronald Henry Boyd b
Noslyn Reid b
William Ashley b
Neville Reid bNorma married Geoffrey PRYCE.John b1798