In our survey of clan-related place names in New Zealand, we’ve so far found five streets or roads with the name Mathieson. Do you know of more?
These are listed from north to south, with links to Google maps.
Mathieson Road, Karapiro, Waipa, is named after pioneer farmers in the area. According to Eris Parker in an article published by the Cambridge Museum: “Mr and Mrs Horace Mathieson arrived in 1907 and in 32 years had transformed their 600 acres of bush and scrub into a highly productive farm. In those days the only form of transport was a pack horse led over a bridle track and the only way to get anything done was with the aid of a sharp axe, strong arms and a stout heart.”
Mathieson Street in Wanganui is named after Captain Kenneth Mathieson, who established shipbuilding yards in both Wanganui and Wellington. There is more about him here.
Mathieson Avenue, Khandallah, Wellington. This short street off Ranui Crescent was originally a private road servicing a subdivision, but was later taken over as a public road. The landowner, George James Macdonald, subdivided the land and the road took the maiden name of his wife. There’s quite a story attached to this landowner, which is told here.
Mathieson Street, Waverley, Dunedin is probably named after John Mathieson and Catherine Mathieson, who farmed Grants Brae farm here in the 1850s and 1860s soon after arriving from Scotland, before moving a little further along Otago Peninsula to establish Springfield farm. They were pioneers of New Zealand’s dairy industry, establishing the country’s first cooperative cheese factory in 1871.
Google maps shows a Mathieson Road at Waipahi in Clutha district, but it’s signposted as Matheson Road so we have listed it on the relevant page.
Hi Delsie. Thanks for mentioning the Mathesons Road in Christchurch. You find the story behind its name on our site here: https://www.clanmatheson.org.nz/clan-matheson/matheson-place-names-in-new-zealand/
According to the Christchurch library, this road was named after Matheson’s Agency, the Christchurch branch of Matheson & Co, a London-based trading house especially associated with Hong Kong and Calcutta and the import of tea, silk and jute. In New Zealand, Matheson’s bought and exported wool and flax.
I have a bit of a problem associating my kin links to Matheson’s in New Zealand. Scottish links.
My second Great Grandparents William and Catherine Matheson nee Drysdale came to New Zealand on the ship Ruapehu in 1886. They moved from Fodderty due to the tenancy agreements.
They were dairy famers at Konini Tararua, and are both buried at Mangatainoka cemetery in New Zealand. Daughters, Catherine Ann married a Robert Vince Tily. Daughter 2, Barbara Campbell married Thomas Hutcheson. Daughter 3, Charlotte married Joseph Edward Wade.(My links ) Daughter 4, Henrietta Lang married Joseph Francis Singers, then Richard Henderson Smith, then John Allen. A son, John Drysdale Matheson married Mary Gilmour and he and she are buried Bolton Street cemetery Wellington. A son, Alexander Hauge Drysdale unmarried and buried Mangatainoka cemetery. A daughter Jessie Matheson married a Donald Matheson aka Mathieson both buried Hawera cemetery.
A daughter Kathie Matheson died at sea 1886 on the ship Ruapehu.
Anyone help with any of these links in a positive way especially with certificates.
Thank you.
There is Mathesons Road in Christchurch, but I am not sure the reason behind its name as yet.
Hi Mike
Thanks very much for your helpful contribution. I’ll revise the page about Mathieson Street accordingly.
Having done much more research on Kenneth Mathieson since 2017, I’d like to clear up some of the confusion on the linked page ‘Mathieson Street, Whanganui’. First, Kenneth was the builder of the Clydeside, not the master – that was his brother Robert. They had a quarter share each in the Clydeside and arrived in Wellington on 11 October 1841. They were not chartered by the New Zealand Company, it was a private venture. Kenneth did not return to Britain in 1843. His presence in Wellington is well recorded. The Clydeside left Wellington for Britain (Captain Alfred Adams, ex-Indemnity) on 27 April 1843. She was seized by the High Court of Admiralty and sold to Williams of Bristol, registered in that port on 8 May 1844. The reason isn’t clear but might have something to do with reports of water damaged cargo, which might not have been insured (speculation).
I don’t think he had much to do with the flour mill after it was built in 1845 because he was in Whanganui by the end of that year. It seems he only built 1 vessel there which he sold to pay off debt before leaving town in 1846. The mill was known as Schultze’s mill. On his return in 1847, he built the schooner Queen for P.M. Hervey. I’ve found no record or mention of a wife and children.
Kenneth left Wellington for Australia in 1849 or 50 after one last vain appeal to the government for land to build another slip. My last contact with him is the advertisement in Sydney Morning Herald 11 April 1851, so he didn’t drown at sea in 1850. I have sources for all of this but didn’t include them here to save space.
Hi Mike. Correction made; thanks for that, and thanks for the interesting link.
Interesting page but it needs one correction – Kenneth’s ship was a barque called the Clydeside, not Clydesdale. You might be interested in this page of postal history which says he joined his brother, Robert, in Geelong in 1850 and continued ship building there. http://www.ro-klinger.de/NH/1-ph1846.htm