Wallingford/Jarlov Family Trees

Richard listed himself variously as a boot maker, lime burner and labourer. He may also ahve been a fisherman. He was lame, it was thought from frostbite.

The 1841 census lists Aveton Gifford (where he was born) as a village of about 36 houses and 240 inhabitants. It is situated near the south coast of Devon. Loddiswell is about 2 miles away.

They left Plymouth on the 'Duke of Roxburgh' on 3 Oct 1839 and reached Wellington 7 Feb 1840, accompanied by six children. After a first home on the Old Porirua Road they moved to Wainuiomata and became sawmillers and farmers.

Richard and Mary had two other children, Elizabeth the eldest, who followed 10 years later with her husband and children, and a child who died soon after birth. (Christina related that this child was born in Mary's 50th year). The child had not been baptised and the church would not permit burial in consecrated ground, so Richard and Mary sought help from the Wesleyan Church and became firm adherents. They were the prime movers in the building of the Methodist Church at Wainuiomata, completed in 1863.

The Prouse family started cutting timer at Johnsonville then moved and established their sawmill at Wainuimata in 1844. When the timber became scarce they moved to Whitemans Valley about 1866 and again to Levin in 1891.

It was thought that the Prouse Mill used steam first in Whitemans Valley (the adjoining Sinclair Miill installed a steam engine in 1864).

Initially the mill was operated by the elder Richard, but it was his son Richard II who continued. After the turn of the century, it had become Prouse Brothers with the grandsons James, Richard III and John as the partners, the older two operating the mill while John was the managing director in Wellington (after his return from his earlier singing career in Europe).

A timber yard was situated in Taranaki Street, Wellington, until work ceased. Initially it was named 'Prouse Bros. Timber Merchants' but was changed later to 'Prouse Timber Ltd.'

The mill continued for some 80 years adn was operated in turn by sons, grandsons and great-grandsons.

Richard I and sons were always civic minded and continued to be active in the Methodist Church. Frequent references are found to church services being held in the early homes and the part they took in Sunday Schools and church choirs. They were equally ready with their help to the local communities, schools, road boards and councils.

The association with Wainuiomata is commemorated with the name of 'Richard Prouse Park'. The church also still stands, in renovated form but is now used for community affairs. The churchyard is to the rear of the building.

Duke of Roxburgh
Ship: 417 tons
Captain: James Thomson
Surgeon Superintendent: Francis Healy
Sailed Plymouth 5th October 1839 - arrived Port Nicholson 8th February 1840

"The 'Duke' made the third vessel of the fleet to reach Port Nicholson, and by that time the foreshore at Petone had became a busy locality. Tents were supplemented by shanties of various descriptions, but some of the whares put up with the help of the Maoris were of a more ambitious character, and so well built that they lasted several years. Round about this somewhat incongruous camp-settlement the belongings of the settlers were scattered, and as there were by this time about 500 white people ashore the scene was decidedly animated."
White Wings Volume One - Sir Henry Brett

Notation on the passenger list:
"Arrived at Plymouth 4:00pm Friday 27th September '39. Sailed 5th October 1839."