Wallingford/Jarlov Family Trees

Accompanied parents to NZ on the 'Duke of Roxburgh' reaching Wellington 7 Feb 1840. Went to Australian goldfields and met Janet who was housekeeping for her brother(s) after emigrating from England. They were married on Richard's birthday, 4 Oct 1852, probably by an itinerant preacher whose wife loaned her ring for the ceremony. They returned to NZ and joined the family farm and business. The sawmill they operated moved in turn to Whitemans Valley, and his sons to Te Horo and Levin and finally the grandsons to Mangarakau (Collingwood).

Richard, his sons and some of the grandsons carried on timbermilling until the timber was exhausted from the lands purchased in the North Island. In the South Island, labour shortages arising from World War I forced closure of the mill.

As the bush was felled and the land cleared members of the family became farmers and farming has continued as a major occupation. Other characteristics have been shown in skills with music.

from "The Prouse Connection"

Evening Post 12 Mar 1894

Mr Richard Prouse, another of Wellington's pioneer settlers died last evening in the Hospital, where he had sought relief from an infection of the throat. Symptoms of the complaint only developed themselves within the last week or so, and on the advice of several doctors an operation was performed on him yesterday morning. Although he rallied at first, he was unable to withstand the effects of the operation, and he passed quietly away during the evening. Mr Prouse was only ten years of age when he arrived in the colony by the ship Duke of Roxburgh in 1840. Having undergone the usual vicissitudes of pioneer life, he settled upon land at Wainuiomata, and took a great interest in advancing the interests of the place, where he established a sawmill. He afterwards started another mill at Whiteman's Valley, Silverstream. Eight or ten years ago he retired from business life, and has since lived in Wellington. In his younger days he was an enthusiastic Volunteer, as a lieutenant of the Wainuiomata corps, and was a fine shot. His interest in this sport induced him to pay a visit to the recent meeting of the Rifle Association at Christchurch, where he handled a rifle. He leaves a widow and a family of three sons and three daughters. Two of the sons have established themselves at Levin as sawmillers, and the other is Mr John Prouse, the well-known baritone singer. Two of the daughters are married - Mrs Burdan and Mrs James Wood, of Wainuiomata. The remains of the deceased will be interred at Wainuiomata tomorrow.

New Zealand Mail 16 Mar 1894 page 16

Another old identity has passed from among us, Mr Richard Prouse. Mr Prouse died at the Hospital on March 11th. He had been suffering for some time past from a complicated disease of the throat, and an operation was performed upon him at the Hospital as late as yesterday morning. Mr Prouse, who was 64 years of age, came out to Wellington in the ship Duke of Roxburgh in 1840, when a boy of 10 years of age, and, after undergoing the privations attendant on settlement in the Colony in those early days, took up land at Wainuiomata, about 40 years ago. While residing in that locality he took a great interest in local affairs, and his death will be sincerely regretted by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He retired from active life a few years ago, and since then has been living in Wellington. At one time Mr Prouse was an ardent Volunteer, and his love for rifle shooting followed him almost to the end, for it was only the other day that he went to the Rifle Association Meeting at Christchurch. He leaves a widow and a family of three sons and three daughters to mourn their loss. One of his sons is Mr J. Prouse, the well-known baritone singer, and the two others are sawmillers at Levin.

from Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 60, 12 March 1894, Page 2

Death

Prouse - On the 11th March, Richard Prouse, of Cuba-sreet, Wellington, aged 64 years.

Richard and Janet Prouse moved from Wainuiomata to Wellington for their later years, buying a house on upper Cuba Street. It was the second property on the right past Tonks Grove. At the time it was numbered as 171 Cuba Street - it now would be about 270 Cuba Street (about where Karo Drive now crossed Cuba Street). The original property was 100 feet deep and only 20 foot wide, and began 40 foot past the southern edge of Tonks Grove.

After Richard died, the property went into his estate and eventually was inherited by his daughter Fanny Prouse.

Wellington Archives gives the following information from their rates books (which do not follow the calendar year, obviously):

1886-1894: Richard Prouse listed as occupier.
1895-1896: Occcupied by John Prouse (although John has been crossed out), owned by the Estate of Richard Prouse.
1896-1897: Occupied by John Wright, owned by Richard Prouse.
1897-1900: Occupied by John Wright, owned by the Estate of Richard Prouse.
1900-1903: Occupied by John Wright, owned by Richard Prouse.
1903-1904: Occupied by John Wright, owned by the Estate of Richard Prouse.
1904-1905: Occupied by John Wright, owned by Fanny L Prouse.

As well as having had 12 children with his wife, Christobel Nation Tunnington, in a letter to Phyllis Prouse Taylor on 18 May 1979, states that she Richard II had "then started on the governess".