Adelaide Gill nee Latto

Adelaide Latto was the youngest of David and Janet Latto's four children, born on 17 December 1887.  She must have been merely a baby when her father, David, left for Australia for good, leaving Janet with four children until six.

Adelaide and my great grandmother Mary Latto, were only two years apart in age and by all accounts were extremely close.  Adelaide was known as "Addie".  

Addie and Mary appear to have been cared for by their mother, Janet Latto, for some time after David left, however eventually it must have proved too difficult for Janet and the two little girls were brought up by a couple in Christchurch.  Grandad remembered his mother taking them, when they lived in Christchurch, to visit an old woman who lived in Tennyson Street, and he remembered his mother, Mary, pointing out a house in Ward Street and telling him that was where she had grown up.  Grandad said that he understood that the husband of the couple who brought them up worked for the railways, possibly as a crossing guard.  I have a couple of leads, as to who this couple might have been, but need to research it further before coming to any conclusions.


Addie and Mary's elder brother and sister Jim and Jennie seem to have been brought up by their father David's family and so they didn't seem to be as close with them, although Grandad remembered, when his family moved back to Christchurch, knowing Violet, David and Eric Latto - Jim's eldest three children.

The Latto family were Presbyterian, but the couple in Ward Street apparently brought Addie and Mary up in the Anglican faith.  The two girls moved up to Wellington around 1905/1906.  We're unsure exactly why they moved from Christchurch to Wellington, but in knowing that their mother Janet had made the move at least ten years earlier, Grandad always speculated that this had something to do with their move.  Prior to their marriages, both Addie and Mary became Catholics - in 1907/1908.  Grandad reckoned that they had "shopped around" and decided that they liked Catholicism.


In 1910, Addie married Thomas Patrick Gill in Wellington. Mary was her bridesmaid.  She was given away by a Mr Reed, who appears to her right in the following photograph.  

Addie returned the favour on 25 November 1912, when she was bridesmaid for Mary, at her wedding to William Nidd, where she was given a pearl brooch.  At that time, Tom Gill acted in the place of Mary's father, giving the bride away.


Thomas Gill had been born on 27 December 1879, son of Elizabeth Jane Gill (nee Price) and Thomas Gill.  Tom was a tailor and worked in Wellington with his brother Arthur. Prior to marrying Addie, Tom and Arthur had been boarding in a private hotel in Wellington.  Tom eventually set up a successful tailoring business for many years, in Wellington.  Arthur moved to Dunedin and set up business for himself there.  


Tom and Addie lived in Jackson Street, Island Bay, Wellington, and there are many photographs of my grandparents with the Gill family at the house.  Grandad and Addie's children were first cousins, and Kathleen Todd was one of Adelaide's best friends.  Tom and Addie had eight children - four boys and four girls:


Maurice James GILL 25 November 1910 - 5 June 1968 married 1935 Isobel Blair.  Maurice followed in his father's footsteps and, with Paul, was a tailor.  Isobel was a seamstress.  Maurice is buried at the Karori Cemetery.

1. Barry Thomas GILL 1935 married 1957 at Martinborough Paula Twomey.  Lived in Lower Hutt.
1. Male GILL 1959 married 1984 SAWTELL
2. Male GILL 1960 married 1982 MANDERSON
1. Male GILL 1988
2. Male GILL 1991
3. Female GILL 1963
2. Patrick James GILL
3. Maureen GILL 1938 married (1) 1960 John GILLESPIE (1930 - 1988); married (2) 1989 Richard Taylor - were living in Levin
1. Male GILLESPIE 1957 - was living in Napier
2. Female GILLISPIE 1961 married MONTAPERTO - were living in Levin
1. Male MONTAPERTO 1978
2. Female MONTAPERTO 1983
3. Female MONTAPERTO 1986

Gerald Patrick GILL 4 February 1912 became a priest.  He worked at St Mary of the Angels in Wellington; at St Augustine's in Wanganui and as Rector at St Patrick's College in Silverstream.


Mary Elizabeth GILL 9 August 1914 - 6 February 1988 married William Alan ORGAN (1922 - 25 October 1966  Mary was a secretary and William was a carpenter and a sailor.  They had one son:

1. Male ORGAN 1955
1. Male ORGAN c 1980

Adelaide Juliette GILL 29 June 1916 - 8 August 1987 married 1946 at St Francis de Sales Church, Island Bay, Wellington to James Francis PRENDERGAST (1 May 1914 - 21 October 1985).  Pauline and Margaret were born in the Hutt, while the younger three children were born in Napier.  The family moved to Tutira around 1950 to farm.   

1. Pauline Frances PRENDERGAST 14 January 1947 married 10 January 1970 Michael PRENDERGAST
1. Female PRENDERGAST 1971
2. Male PRENDERGAST 1973
3. Male PRENDERGAST 1975 - 1996
4. Male PRENDERGAST 1979
5. Female PRENDERGAST 1984
2. Margaret Ann PRENDERGAST 20 November 1949 - 22 September 1998 married 1970 WHINCOP.  Prior to Margaret's death she had divorced Bryan Whincop.  She had been ill prior to her death.
1. Female PRENDERGAST 1979
3. Kevin Thomas PRENDERGAST 27 March 1951 married 1974 Judith Ann Wakelin
1. Male PRENDERGAST 1976
2. Female PRENDERGAST 1979
3. Female PRENDERGAST 1984
4. Nicolette Mary PRENDERGAST 3 November 1954 married 1976 Ross Eden MAYCROFT - since divorced - lived in Tauranga for a time.
1. Male MAYCROFT 1980
2. Male MAYCROFT 1984
3. Female MAYCROFT 1986
5. Denise May PRENDERGAST 5 November 1960 married Gerardus Theo WYNANDS.  
1. Female WYNANDS 1981
2. Male WYNANDS 1983
3. Male WYNANDS 1987

Thomas Francis "Frank" GILL 31 January 1917 - 1 March 1982 married Barbara Benson (b 1916).  Frank and Barbara married in England.  Please not separate blog about Frank Gill and his achievements.  

1. Virginia GILL 1943 married c1972 Tuma HAZOU - three sons.  Family lived in Jordan - now may  be in Australia. 
1. Male HAZOU 1973
2. Male HAZOU 1975
3. Male HAZOU 1978
2. Sally GILL 1948 married 1968 Lawrence Norman MITCHELL
1. Male MITCHELL 1969
2. Male MITCHELL 1970
3. Female MITCHELL 1971
4. Female MITCHELL 1974
3. Frances GILL 1950 married 1972 Rodney Charles SWIFT
1. Male SWIFT 1975
2. Female SWIFT 1977
3. Female SWIFT 1980
4. David GILL (deceased)

Kathleen Veronica GILL - Sr Mary Eugenia 10 November 1920

William Paul "Paul" GILL 20 May 1922 - 1974 married 1954 Gwen Hoxman (23 May 1915 - 1976).  Paul also worked as a tailor in Wellington and I remember my grandmother, Kathleen Nidd always used to talk very fondly of my grandfather's cousin, Paul Gill.  

1. Christopher Clifford GILL 1958
2. Stephen Thomas GILL 1958.  Christopher and Stephen lived in Island Bay.
3. Veronica Elizabeth GILL 1961 + partner Brian Louis BENNETT (1951 - ). They lived in Raumati.
1. Male BENNETT 1986
2. Male BENNETT 1987
3. Male BENNETT 1988

Monica Ellen GILL 28 October 1926 - 2003 married on 24 October 1949 to Leo James MAHER (27 July 1906 - 1994)  Monica had been a school teacher, and Leo was a Police Officer.  They had five children.

1. Helen Marie MAHER 1950 married 1974 John DOOLEY 
1. Female DOOLEY 1976
2. Female DOOLEY 1977
3. Male DOOLEY 1978
4. Male DOOLEY 1981
2. Elizabeth MAHER 1951 married 1974 Seamus MCCAUL
1. Male MCCAUL 1975
2. Female MCCAUL 1976
3. Female MCCAUL 1978
4. Female MCCAUL 1980
5. Male MCCAUL 1983
3. Martin Michael MAHER 1953 married 1978 Susan Claydon
4. John Joseph MAHER 1954 married 1975 Ethne Campbell
1. Female MAHER 1977
2. Male MAHER 1979
3. Male MAHER 1983
5. Celia Mary MAHER 1957 married 1981 Perry NICOL
1. Male NICOL 1987
2. Female NICOL 1989 
3. Male NICOL 1992 

Addie died on 15 August 1962, Tom following in June 1969.  They are both buried at the Karori Cemetery in Wellington.


***Names have been blanked out to protect privacy.  If anyone listed above would prefer their name removed, please contact me and I will do that.  

Letter from Baden Dingwall to Isabel Butler 26 August 1982 - Latto Family Information

Dear Mrs Butler

Thank you so much for your most informative letter, it was very much appreciated, any information no matter how small, when added to what has already been researched can be of great value in the study of Genealogy.  Please excuse the 'one finger typing' I do it for two reasons, one my writing is terrible and second, it enables me to keep track of what I have written to who.

I did not know of all the children of James and Mary, only George and David, I knew there was another brother but did not know his name.  Do you know if William was in New Zealand or if Catherine died in Scotland or New Zealand?  I also did not know the ship that they came on from Scotland, if you ask at the library in Christchurch you may be able to get a copy of the shipping list, which would then show the Latto's arrival in New Zealand.  I will also try to get a copy from here. 

I have copies of the following certificates if there are any that you would like pelse feel free to ask and I will photostat them for you.

James Latto; death certificate

Mary Latto; death certificate

David Latto; birth, marriage (Hislop) death certificate

Janet Latto; birth certificate

Unfortunately James and Mary were born and married before civil registration started in Scotland (1855) and these details will only be written in the old Parish Registers.  These registers have been microfilmed and I hope to later on view the films and extract information.  

The death certificates may sound a bit morbid but they have a vast amount of information on them and are a great  help in family research.  James Latto's was one that didn't, who ever gave the information did not know his parents' names and that is one thing we look for in a death certificate.

I will list below what information I have, it may be of interest to you;

James Latto, born about 1826, Fife, Scotland, agricultural labourer, married about 1845, parents unkown, died 20 May 1907, buried at Cust.

Mary Brown, born about 1825, Fife, Scotland, parents George Brown/Catherine Hutchison, died 5 November 1888, buried at Cust.

David Latto, born 11.30pm (the Scotch even put the time) 3 July 1859 at Woodside in the Parish of Markinch, Fife (if you look at a map you will see Markinch) married 16 December 1881 to Janet Hislop at Kaiapoi, died 1926 at Moora, West Australia.

Janet Hislop, born 12 noon, 2 November 1861 at Bonnyrigg in the Parish of Cockpen, Fife, parents Robert Hislop (a teacher in Scotland) and Jane Dalgleish (do not know if they came to New Zealand) they were married 12 June 1855 at Bonnyrigg and their parents were John Hislop/Janet Johnston and Robert Dalgleish/Jean Hastings.  I only know this information because by luck they were married the year registration started and I got a copy of their marriage certificate from Scotland. 

David Latto, second marriage, 16 January 1888 at Fitzroy a suburb of Melbourne to Anne Valentine, born January 1860 at Warrnambool on the western coast of Victoria, parents James Valentine/Jane Anderson.

David and Annie had six children, the first three in Victoria, the others in Western Australia, they were Annie Lizzie, James David, George Stanley, John Alexander, Raymond Burrage and Elspeth Dora May.  I have other information re birth, death and marriage if you are interested, Raymond is the only one still alive.  I contacted the family just by accident, I knew there were Latto's in the West so got a Perth phone book and found about 12 of them, shut my eyes and picked out 2 of them and would you believe both of them replied and both were relations of David Latto, that is where I got my information from.

The following are notes from their letters regarding David Latto.  When the family shifted to Western Australia they settled at Midland Junction where David was a Labourer in a brick works, he was then a blacksmith on the Goldfields Water project.  He later worked for the Midland Railway Company as a 'length runner', he later became 'ganger in charge' and lived in a converted rail van overseeing track repairs.

I have further information on James Latto and Mary Tarling but you would possibly know about that, if you don't and would like to know please ask.

Well that's about all for now, thanks again for your letter and I hope that this letter finds you and your family in the best possible health.

Regards, 

Baden Dingwall