Eileen Ruth Bailey

Here are some excerpts from the notes Mum wrote in her last few years:

I'm Eileen Ruth, daughter of Charles Seymour (Seym) and Mary Gubb. Dad was the fourth son of Thomas Adams and Eliza Gubb, two of the original 'Albertland' settlers. Seymour married Mary Carr Vipond, daughter of Alfred Carr and Isabella Vipond on 1 November 1905 at Kaipara Flats.

During the early 1900's Dad and his brother Roy took over Government land at Tauhoa and spent several years clearing the land and developing the farms into productive units. Seymour and Mary's first child, Mabel was born at Tauhoa in 1907 but died 1 month later. Ralph was born there 10 February 1908 and Eric Ernest on 27 May 1911.

About 1913 Dad and his brothers Roy and Alf acquired adjacent farms beside the new railway at Hoteo. Both Dad and Uncle Roy built homesteads on their new farms. Their neighbours, the Bucktons, remained their friends till the end.

Leslie (Dubby) was born 10 January 1915 at Hoteo then me 5 April 1916 and Myra (Buttie) 18 April 1918. Guy was born 11 July 1919 at Helensville.

Ralph and Eric went to school at Kaipara Flats.

During the 1914 - 1918 War, Mum had a bottle of sauce blow the cork and Ralph being about 7 said; 'I thought the Germans had come!'

I didn't know Ralph until I was older as he got Polio just weeks before I was born. They didn't know much about it in those days, he was actually sick at school so he went to Auntie Edie Thomson's place where he stayed overnight. Ralph had been in Auckland then later Rotorua for treatment but it didn't help much. He remained paralyzed from waist down and never regained the use of his legs so he learned to use crutches and sometimes a wheelchair. At Rotorua Ralph made friends with a chap we called 'Dad' Power. 'Dad' Power sometimes visited us at Papatoetoe and used to send us small birthday presents. When Ralph reached about 12, Dad sent him to stay with Auntie Lil (Dad's sister) on Limestone Island where she was teaching. Ralph flew through the standards in 8 months.