Dates

• Existence: 7 April 1858 - 17 March 1949

Biography

James Martin was born in Bissoe, Cornwall on 7 April 1858, son of David and Elizabeth Martin. He emigrated, sailing to New Zealand with his brother David and David's wife Ann (Annie in the diary) on the Euterpe. Named for Euterpe, the muse of music, she was a full-rigged ship (a ship that has 3 masts and square sails on all 3 masts) built of iron in 1863 by Gibson, McDonald & Arnold, of Ramsey, Isle of Man. She left London on 2 August 1879 outward bound for Canterbury with 493 emigrants. While moored to a buoy off Gravesend she was fouled by the s.s. Telford, a large screw steamer, from Colombo, injuring one man and carrying away the mizzen boom, steering gear, and poop rails of the Euterpe. Because of the damage received, she had to return to London for repairs. She left London again on 12 August and finally left Scilly on 29 August. After a voyage of 143 days she arrived in Lyttelton on 24 December. She was renamed The Star of India in 1906. She was sold to the Zoological Society of San Diego in 1926 and currently houses exhibits for the Maritime Museum of San Diego, is kept fully seaworthy, and sails at least once a year. James was a watchmaker in Ashburton and moved to Dannevirke in about 1888 where he owned a watchmaking and jewellery business. On 12 September 1892 he married Mary Elizabeth Copeland, born in Rangitikei on 12 August 1870, from Woodville, in the Woodville Presbyterian Church. They had six children. James was heavily involved in Knox Presbyterian Church, Dannevirke, serving for 50 years on the Board of Management. His wife died on 16 May 1947 and he died on 17 March 1949, aged 90, both in Dannevirke. David was born on 26 September 1843 and baptised in St Stithian's Church on 16 July 1843 (?). He married Ann Sowell Clemens, born in Penryn on 16 February 1842, in Pike's Hill Methodist Church, Falmouth, on 15 August 1872. They settled in Christchurch where he worked as a builder, bricklayer and stone mason, living in Cadogan Street, Sydenham and at 170 Brougham Street from about 1903. They had two children, Beatrice Annie and Frederick Hedley. Ann died on 10 May 1918 and David on 6 November 1930, aged 88. Both are buried in the Addington Cemetery, Selwyn Street, Christchurch.

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