Benjamin Howie / McLaren Timeline

( aka Robert Benjamin McLaren or RB )

Created July, 2020

Updated 8 August, 2020 from Michele’s story, Jan’s notes and tree and Howie notes.

Updated 6 January, 2020 and added all the grandchildren birth dates and highlighted

Year	Age		Address or Area
1872		Born 31 May 1972 at McLaren Vale to Robert Howie and Caroline Rebecca Prior, daughter of Rev Isaac Prior and ?????	McLaren Vale
1873	1
1874	2
1875	3
1876	4	Ben’s Mother Caroline Howie dies, January 23rd just one week after daughter Maud is born
1877	5
1878	6
1879	7	April – His father Robert Howie remarries to Elizabeth Maria Lawrence
1880	8	First Half brother born – Lawrance Nelson Howie
1881	9
1882	10	2nd half-brother born – Ansell Scott Howie, b.9 November 1882
1883	11
1884	12
1885	13
1886	14	3rd half-brother born – Oscar Roy Howie, b 14 June, 1886 in South Australia
1887	15	Living at Mt Pleasant, under his Uncle Matthew Priors care. Passed his pupil teacher examination. Wins as jockey on his father’s horse.
1888	16	4th half-brother born – Frank Keith Howie, b 1888
1889	17	Ben goes in his teens to NZ and works team of horses on wheat farm in Timaru.	NZ Timaru
1890	18	At some stage returns to Aussie	Australia
1891	19
1892	20	Ben returns to Dunedin, NZ and walks to Timaru for a job wheat chaffing. Appears to stay for a couple of years.	Dunedin Timaru
1893	21
1894	22
1895	23	Sports event in Timaru and Temuka and local paper reports in their events a B. Howie	Timaru Temuka
1896	24	January 1896 – Timaru Caledonian Games reports a win and prize money to B. Howie	Timaru
1897	25	5th half-brother born – Walter Anthony Howie, b 1897 Ben’s brother noted as being in Belle Vue House in McLaren Vale, possibly a Hotelier. September 29th, 1897 Ben marries in Oamaru to Charlotte Dale. Then Ben returns by ship to Adelaide same day. Frances Moyle marries Fred Hockey same year – date??Ben’s father Robert made insolvent and he and Eliza (2nd wife) move to Collie, WA	Oamaru Adelaide
1898	26	March 98 Ben writes to Charlotte and by August says the marriage is over. Difficulty finding work, goes to Jamestown and gets job as cab driver.	Jamestown
1899	27	Ben meets Frances 1898/1899
1900	28	March 1900 – Frances leaves Jamestown and leaves 3 mth old baby. Goes to Adelaide, then Melbourne. Ben follows to Melbourne and then they leave to go to NZ Changes his name from HOWIE to McLAREN Date of 20 Sept 1900 in Adelaide given to family as wedding date – False as never able to marry as neither divorced.	Jamestown Adelaide Melbourne NZ Auckland
1901	29	Ben’s sister Agnes marries and goes to Perth. First child born to Ben & Frances in Pitt Street, Auckland. Eileen McLaren, born 24 July 1901	Auckland
1902	30	Leslie McLaren born 8 September 1902 in Pitt Street, Auckland.   October 18th, 1902 – Wati Dunn episode at Muriwai and the McLaren Farm at Bradly Road, Helensville. At some time this year Frances gets divorced either May or December. November 29th, 1902 – Decree Nisi from Charlotte.	Auckland then to Helensville
1903	31	Ben divorces from Charlotte Dale, Absolute dated 12 Sept 1903 Dorry McLaren born 20 Oct, 1903
1904	32	Frances’s brother Walter Moyle, buys her share of her father’s farm.
1905	33	January – son Robert McLaren is born. June 1905, Walter Moyle and family move to NZ and he buys the adjacent farm in Bradly Road.
1906	34	Ben’s sister Maud marries in McLaren Vale. Daughter Beryl born in February 1906
1907	35	Son Alan McLaren born 10th August,1907
1908	36	Dorry, Eileen and Les all start school at Te Pua.
1909	37
1910	38	January 10th, Son Ken McLaren born Ben’s brother James has son in WA and then moves to NSW. October 29th, Ben puts the farm up for sale.
1911	39	McLaren family move back to Auckland and Ben buys 8 New Bond Street, Kingsland for £500 Starts carrying business with horse & cart.	Kingsland Auckland
1912	40	July 24th, Don McLaren born in Auckland
1913	41
1914	42
1915	43	Les McLaren starts helping with truck driving and carting.
1916	44
1917	45	Walter Moyle returns to Clare, South Australia.
1918	46	January – Walter Moyles wife dies. Ben & Frances’s son Robert dies 25 September 1918, buried at Waikumete Cemetery. 1918 – Influenza Epidemic
1919	47	Frances goes to Australia to visit brother Walter. Ben providing McLaren Motor Bus services between Symonds Street and Waikumete.
1920	48	Adverts for International Trucks and that RB had two of them.
1921	49	Carrying for Texaco, assisted by Les and Alan – petrol in tins and cases. March 5th, 1921 – first beach race at Muriwai (ref Flat to the Boards) Son Les goes out to watch on his 1912 Douglas Motorbike
1922	50	Daughter Dorry marries in Nov 1922 to Fred Cleave March 11th, 1922, 2nd race at Muriwai
1923	51	Daughter Eileen marries Bert Courtenay, 5th June March 3rd, 1923 – 3rd race at Muriwai
1924	52	March 22nd, 1924 – 4th race held at Muriwai Grandaughter Beryl born 14 June 1924
1925	53	Texaco introduces 500 gallon petrol trucks – Les becomes one of the first drivers. Feb 21st, 1925 – Muriwai races
1926	54	Ben doing daily return service (McLaren & Sons) between Auckland and Hamilton – 4 trucks, 2 cars, 2 motorbikes and a Bear Truck ?? Feb 13th, 1926 – Muriwai Races Grandson Bert Courtenay born 13 Sept 1926
1927	55	Owns Race Horse “War Officer” with a Mrs Henderson 5th March 1927 – 7th Muriwai Races
1928	56	Son Les marries Ruth Caundle, 11th April 1928 in Auckland. 4th Feb 1928 – 8th Muriwai races Son Les has his first race on m/bike at Muriwai. Grandson Ron Courtenay born 1 Jun 1928
1929	57	Accident – 7th August 1929. Burnt when petrol truck crashes at Horotiu. March 9th, 1929 – Muriwai Races March 23rd, 1929 Hennings Speedway opens November – Western Springs opens and Les riding and 28th Nov, Les & Ruth have first child, Pat Granddaughter Pat born 28 Nov 1929
1930	58	January 25th, 1930 – Muriwai races
1931	59	Feb 12th, 1931 – Muriwai races 11th Meeting May 2nd, 1931 – Muriwai races
1932	60	Sells carrying business and moved to Ngaruawahia. Buys Greenmount Farm and live in top house on the hill. Son Ken marries Louie on 18th June 1932 March 5th 1932 – Muriwai races
1933	61	Granddaughter Marie born, 6 July 1933
1934	62	Grandson Bill born, 27 Oct, 1934
1935	63	Albert Courtenay dies 20th Sept 1935 in Auckland after ill health from a lift accident in Auckland. Eileen and children move to live with Ben & Frances at the farm and then Eileen is killed in road accident when walking to town on 23rd November 1935
1936	64	Around this time Ben & Frances move to the smaller house on the farm along with Grand daughter Beryl. They stay in this house for around 20 years. Son Alan marries Ida Sargent, 4 Dec 1937
1937	65	Grandson Bruce born 30 Aug 1937
1938	66
1939	67	Son Don marries Kate Christian, Johns sister on 19th April, 1939 Daughter Beryl moves to Nelson with husband John Christian – married 18 Dec 1939
1940	68	Grandson Ray born 29 November 1940 Eileen born 2 July 1940
1941	69	Granddaughter Kath born 28 July 1941 Grandson John Christian born 18 June 1941
1942	70	Grandson Bert drowns 24 Oct 1942
1943	71	Grandson Barry born 4 Sept 1943 Granddaughter Rosemary Christian b. 4 Feb 1943
1944	72
1945	73	Granddaughter Francis Christian b. 31 Aug 1945
1946	74
1947	75	Granddaughter Janice born 4 January 1947
1948	76
1949	77
1950	78
1951	79
1952	80	Takes up playing bowls and plays until he is 96.
1953	81
1954	82	Grandson Rodger b. 29 January 1975
1955	83	Frances dies aged 79 on 20 August, 1955 Ben moves into Hamilton and after a month with son Alan, he then moves across the road to live with daughter Dorry. Query – when was Ben up at Ken & Louies?	Hamilton
1956	84
1957	85
1958	86
1959	87
1960	88
1961	89
1962	90
1963	91
1964	92
1965	93
1966	94
1967	95
1968	96
1969	97
1970	98	Grandson Bruce McLaren killed at Goodwood.
1971	99
1972	100	Huge family party in May 1972
1973		Dies 27 January 1973 aged 100 and 8 months

Queries:

• When was Ben living up at top house with Ken and Louie?
• Need the dates for the Cleaves, Owen, Bob and Colleen