Launcelot Giles

Born in Somersetshire, England in 1818. He was brought up on a cheese and cider-making farm. In 1837 he married Rachel Clothier. Rachel, also from Somersetshire, was born in 1821. Over the next 15 years they had eight children: Mary Jane (1838), Lancelot (1840), Thomas (1842), Samuel Clothier (1844), Elizabeth Ann (1845), Benjamin (1848), Eliza Jane (1850) and Martha (1853).

In November 1855 they sailed from London on the 506 ton barque ‘Oriental’ for New Zealand. On the 27 November Rachel gave birth to their ninth child, Ada Augusta Oriental. The ‘Oriental’ arrived in Auckland on the 25 February 1856. Departing Auckland on the 29 March 1856 the ‘Oriental’ arrived in Lyttelton on the 12 April. The family spent a few months in Christchurch before Launcelot bought 64 acres of land at Clarkville (formerly known as Kaiapoi Island) which he named ‘Somerset Farm’. Launcelot and Rachel had a further three children: Edward (1857), John (1859) and Obed (1862).

In 1852 the first crop of wheat had been sown in the Clarkville district. Despite setbacks caused by the unpredictable weather, heavy yields of wheat were taken off the fertile land. During the early 1860s land purchases increased and the production of wheat expanded. By 1856 the first threshing machine had been introduced. In the late 1860s the double-furrow handled plough, reapers and binders, the grain drill, and the traction engine, were introduced. Launcelot was one of the early contractors in the Clarkville district having imported an early model threshing machine and then progressively bringing out more modern machinery.

Rachel died in July 1879. In December 1879 Launcelot married Phebe Moore.

They had four children: Launce William Ernest (1881), Phebe Caroline Mabel (1882), Hercus Herbert Reuben (1884) and Clara Priscilla Minnie (1885). Clara died in February 1889.

Launcelot died in March 1900 and Phebe in April 1928.                                           Obituary      Giles Families

Launcelot Giles

b. 19 Feb 1818, Evercreach, Somersetshire, England

d. 8 Mar 1900, Clarkville

buried Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery

SP(1): Rachel Clothier

m. 3 July 1837, Marston Bigot, Somersetshire, England

SP(2): Phebe Moore

m. 31 Dec 1879, Eyreton

Father: Benjamin Giles

b. 29 Feb 1784, Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire, England

d. 23 June 1864, Ansford, Somersetshire, England

m. 18 Apr 1809, Upton Noble, Somersetshire, England

Mother: Mary Taylor

b. c1788

d. 29 May 1869, Ansford, Somersetshire, England

Brothers: Benjamin Giles, William Giles, John Giles

Sisters: Sarah Giles, Eliza Giles, Ann Giles, Mary Giles, Hannah Giles, Martha Giles

Rachel Clothier

b. 30 Jan 1821, Castle Carey, Somersetshire, England

d. 16 Apr 1879, Kaiapoi

buried, Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery

m. 3 July 1837, Marston Bigot, Somersetshire, England

Father: Edward Clothier

b. 3 Nov 1799, Castle Carey, Somersetshire, England

d. ?

m. 8 May 1820, Castle Cary

Mother: Jane Hooper

b. Jan 1778

d. Dec 1848, Castle Carey

Brothers: Samuel Clothier, Edward Clothier,

John Clothier

Phebe Moore

b. 21 Oct 1853

d. 18 Apr 1928, Kaiapoi

buried, Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery

m. 31 Dec 1879, Eyreton

Father: William Moore

b. 3 Mar 1828, Wiltshire, England

d. 9 Feb 1897, Christchurch

m. 12 Jan 1853, Middlesex, England

Mother: Caroline Rix

b. 10 Mar 1833

d. 28 July 1886, East Eyreton

Brothers: Francis Moore, Fred Moore

Sisters: Fanny Moore, Alice Moore, Emma Moore, Clara Moore

Rachel & Launcelot

Launcelot & Phebe

Moore Family

Francis, Fred, Phebe, Fanny

Alice, Caroline, William, Emma, Clara

Oriental

The ‘Oriental’, a barque of 506 tons, was one of the first five ships sent out to New Zealand by the New Zealand Land Company. In addition to her voyages to Wellington and New Plymouth, she made further passages to Lyttelton, Auckland, Nelson and Dunedin......more

Clarkville

The area known as Clarkville marks the centre of the ‘Kaiapoi Island’ district, so called for its situation between two equally large branches of the Waimakariri River, which met at Kaiapoi and continued out to sea. The main route to Clarkville from Kaiapoi is along Island Road. This is a legacy of the district’s early name which was changed to Clarkville in the 1880s, to honour Joseph Clark who donated land..........more

Somerset Farm

My grandfather (Launce William Ernest Giles) died in 1940 when I was eight years old and Dad (Victor Rix Giles) took on the farm. Dad was the third generation after Launcelot, and my grandfather Ernest to farm the land. The old sod house was still standing when we moved into the farm and we lived in it for eight or nine months...........more

Traction Engines and Threshing Machines

With the introduction of the double-furrow handled plough in 1868, with reapers and binders, the grain drill, and the traction engines, the expansion of wheat farming.....................

...........early contractor was Launcelot Giles. He was experienced with threshing machinery and early imported a plant to New Zealand. Later he bought out more modern machines and worked them for a long period.

As time went by more and more wheat was being produced on the land over the Waimakariri. ..............names such as Robert James Reid, Holland & Giles, T. Hanna, Charles Bitmead, Richard Bowman, Ernie Bowman, Martin Daniel and Harry Maindonald, William Pearson, James Judson and Graham Bruere became well known with the threshing-mills..........more