The Cook side of my family originated from England, in Surrey, particularly Rotherhithe and Bermondsey as well as Longcot in Berkshire.
Both families emigrated to New Zealand at different times and under different circumstances.
John Grant of Rathven, Banff, Morayshire, married Helen Gordon in 1808. Helen was born in 11 March 1787 in Bellie, Morayshire. They had 9 children between 1811 and 1828.
Gordon Grant was the youngest of these born in September of 1828. He married Elspet Munro of Inverkeithney in 1851 in Keith. Gordon and Elspet had 7 children between 1852 and 1866.
One of their sons, William Alexander was born in 1856 in Bellie Morayshire and he married Hellen Adam of Drumblade, Aberdeenshire in 1879. They were married in Newbigging, Drumblade. They had 11 children between 1879 and 1899.
Their first child James born in 1879 married Elizabeth Low Blacklaws Baird in Craigo, Logie Pert, Angus in 1903. Elizabeth was born in Montrose Angus. James and Elizabeth had four children, Helen 1904, Alexander 1909 and William Gordon born 1916 in Cookstown Northern Ireland. Another son Robert died in childhood.
The family moved to Ireland to seek work when the employment situation in the north of Scotland was difficult. There James and Elizabeth worked together on farms.
Prior to emigrating to New Zealand in 1923, James worked at the Wolfhill Spinning Company in Ligoniel, Belfast.
Sailing from Southampton with wife Lizzie (44), James (42), Nellie (Helen 19), Alex (15) and William (7), they arrived in Wellington New Zealand on 13 August 1923. They traveled to Nelson and stayed there a short while before deciding to make for Hastings in the Hawke Bay area, eventually making that city their home.
William married Nellie Dorothy Cook also of Hastings on 26 December 1938. They had two children, Beverley Janice Grant in 1942 and Malcolm Gordon Grant in 1943. William was drafted into the Millitary during World War 2 and sailed for Egypt then Italy. He died in Bari Italy in 1944.
Beverley Janice Grant married Herbert Benbow McInnes in 1962. Their children are Grant James Benbow McInnes born 1964, Campbell John Benbow McInnes, born 1967, Megan Ruth McInnes born 1969 and died 1972, and Kathleen Victoria McInnes born 1972.