The Grierson family

Emily Helen Waters was one of the daughters of John and Eleanor Waters.  She was a cousin, therefore, of Alister's Great Grandfather, Herbert Bertram. Emily was born in 1874.


Emily lived in Lower Hutt and on Tuesday 18 October 1898 she married Archibald Grierson at the Church of St John (C. of E.) in Johnsonville by Rev. J.W. Chapman.  Their wedding was noted in the 20 October 1898 edition of the Evening Post:


At St. John's Church, Johnsonville, on Tuesday, Mr. Archie Grierson was married to Miss Emily H. Waters, fifth daughter of Mr. John Waters, Clerk to the Johnsonville Town Board. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Mr. Chapman, in the presence of a large congregation. Mr. C. Bould, acted as best man.. The bride, who was given away by her brother, was robed in cream repp cloth, with silk and chiffon trimmings. The bridesmaids, who were attired in cream, with floral hats, were Miss Ada Waters, Miss Ethel Grierson, and Miss Annie Waters, each of whom wore gold brooches, the gift of the bridegroom. 


Together Emily and Archie had a number of children:


John Percival Grierson was born in 1900.   (died 1957)


Myra Dorothea Grierson was born on 20 March 1902.  Myra married Guy Rolfe Hoggard in 1922.  Guy was a little older than Myra - he had been born on 27 October 1887.    Guy and Myra had at least one daughter - Nancy Myra Hoggard, born 20 October 1923.  I believe Nancy married someone Gabric and died in 2002.  Myra died in 1976, and Guy died in 1983. 


Twins, Beryl Eveline Grierson and Esma Linda Grierson were born on 11 July 1904.  Esma married Eric Lund (11 May 1896 - 1980) in 1926 and died in 1997.

Freda Grierson was born around 1915.

In 1923, Emily and Archie celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary.  

Later, during the late 1920s and 1930s, Archie would become a Lower Hutt Borough Councillor.

Emily lived to a grand old age, dying at the age of 91 in 1966. Archie had predeceased her, dying in 1959 at the age of 85.

Archie's family

Archie, born in 1874, was the eldest son of John Grierson of 51 Britannia Street, Petone.  John Grierson was born in 1839 and died on 24 September 1929.

John Grierson was married to Margaret and they had the following children:

1874 Archibald Grierson married 1898 Emily Waters

1876 Margaret Rankin Grierson married 1904 David Smith

1877 Hannah Grierson died in 1962 unmarried

1878 Ethel Flora Grierson died in 1969 unmarried

1879 Charles Hall Grierson died in 1902 at the young age of 23. 

There is a Margaret Grierson buried in the Bolton Street Cemetery, who died in 1879. I suspect she was John Grierson's wife and Archie's mother.

Other than Archie, Margaret was the only one of the Grierson children to marry and have children.  She and David Smith had the following children:

1904 Ethel Margaret Smith

1905 David Henry Smith

1907 Leslie Peter Smith

1909 Rita Helen Rankin Smith