Hannah Agnew : Short Biography

Born 6 May 1893, Ahoghill, Antrim.

Mother: Sarah Jane Scott

Father: David Agnew 

Died: 6 December 1957, Feilding, New Zealand

This entry comes from Hannah’s youngest child, Arnold Stoneley, who lives near Hamilton in New Zealand.  Hannah’s mother sadly died just a few months after Hannah was born.  Arnold is keen to progress his Irish family tree.  I have not been able to find Hannah in the 1901 census although her father, David and his three older children (William b 1885, James b 1887 and David 1890)are there. After searching we think she might possibly have been with Robert Agnew and his wife, Bethia, possible relatives.  They have an “Annie” about the right age.  While I never knew my mother to have been called Annie Hannah’s were often called Ann or Annie.

My mother, Hannah, told the story that when her father re-married in 1902, she was made to work for the household and Catherine (Thompson) the new wife went on to have two more daughters.  She was unhappy and when she got the opportunity to emigrate to Wellington, New Zealand in February 1910, she took it, because she knew her brothers were in New Zealand at that time and she wanted to be with them. She was still on the water on the voyage to New Zealand when her father, David, died.  Hannah married my  father, Thomas Stoneley, in 1916 in Feilding, north of Wellington where she had landed.  She was a good mother to her children and very dear to me.

Mum was a great homemaker, and good at budgeting. Although there were seven children, four boys and three girls, there were very few labour-saving devices in the home, but Mum still managed to sew and knit all of our clothes as well as preserve fruit and make jam. She also crocheted and made doilies and her own tablecloths.  

During the very lean years of the Depression and WW2, Mum had a very big and well-maintained vegetable garden. Her eldest son Bill (William) who was born deaf, spent many hours digging and working in the garden and helped Mum out with the heavy work on the family 10 acre lifestyle block. Mum would always keep and dry out some of the seeds of various vegetable plants to use to start the next season’s garden. Dad worked long hours and so during the week days Mum was the organiser. Mum baked often and because butter was rationed during the war years, when she wanted to do some baking she kept some of the cream back and made butter so that she would have enough for her baking. The buttermilk was used to make girdle scones which were a family favourite. I have very fond memories of mum’s girdle scones and her shepherds pie. No one could make them like she did and I didn’t appreciate what a good cook she was until she was no longer able to bake and cook.

Mum loved her chooks (chickens) and she had 50 chooks. Surplus eggs were sold to supplement the budget. During WW2 when rationing was so hard Mum helped Dad to take vegetables from the home garden to help out family, friends and those in need. There was always a good variety of vegetables that included, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, rhubarb, spinach, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, broad beans and runner beans.  

Two of Mum’s brothers, William and James married and settled in New Zealand, and one of David’s daughters, Mary married and settled here also.

 Although it is many years (111 yrs) since Mum left Ireland, I know that there is still family back there in the County Antrim area, and I would love to hear from anyone who has a relationship with the Agnew family from County Antrim or who knew of them so that I can fill in the gaps. Research has shown me that I have a Great Grandfather, James Agnew who was the father of David Agnew, I have not been able to find his wife or any other children from the union. I have been trying to find the missing link since about 2012 so any information I can follow up would be appreciated.