V - Viola Grace Cooper

Viola was born in Waikiwi, Southland, New Zealand in 1880. She was the ninth child of ten. Her parents were married in Hobart, Tasmania in 1864 where her mother had been born and raised, the daughter of two convicts. Her father had been born in England and emigrated to Wellington, New Zealand as a child with his parents and siblings. He spent some time on the Victorian goldfields and returned to New Zealand and set up a nursery business in Invercargill and Waikiwi.

Viola married James McKay in 1902 and they had four children. In the 1905 and 1908 electoral rolls James is an engineer and they are living in Kelso in the Clutha or Wakatipu electorate. In 1911 they are still in the Wakatipu electorate but are living at Waikaka. In 1914 though they were living at Mabel School in the Mataura electorate and James was a farmer. James died in 1918. Their children at this time were aged between four and fourteen.

In the 1919 electoral roll although James no longer appears, Viola’s entry still shows her as married and living at Mabel School. In 1922 Viola appears on the electoral roll in Timaru living at 106 Church Street. In 1923 she is listed in the Wises Street Directory as a Dressmaker living at the same address, on the left-hand side between Gibson Street and Le Cren Street. James had died in Invercargill so at some time afterward she must have moved her family north.

Viola remarried in 1924 to William John Spence a well-known horse trainer in Timaru. On the 1925 electoral roll they are living at 137 Evans Street, where they remained. William was killed after suffering a seizure his horse bolted, and he was thrown from the gig in 1941. Viola died in 1959.

One of Viola’s older sisters named one of her own children Viola Grace as well, perhaps after her favourite sister. Do you know this family? Viola’s father was a younger brother of my great great grandfather. He appears to have an additional name which I haven’t been able to verify and so was initially sceptical of the link. However, DNA and the information recorded on various certificates has convinced me. Plus, there seem to be a lot of green fingered nurserymen in this branch. If this all rings bells for you please contact me and we can share what we know.