Western News: June 01, 2023

Thursday June 1 2023 3
Family history revealed by book entry
When a hand-written
entry in a prescription
book dating back to
1901 caught the eye of
Amy Goodbehere while
holidaying in Oamaru,
she couldn’t quite
believe it
THERE, WRITTEN in black ink
over 120 years ago, was the name
of her great, great, grand-aunt,
Emily Mary Goodbehere.
“It was a complete shock,” said
Goodbehere, who works as visitor
services co-ordinator for Te
Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard
House in Ilam.
A recent visit to the historic
dispensary in the old grainstore
building in Oamaru opened up a
world of understanding about her
aunt, which has since inspired a
personal and professional journey
of discovery.
“My research into Emily’s
story really began when I was
exploring the dispensary and just
happened to look down and see
my ancestor’s name in the book,”
she said.
“I saw that on February 24,
1901, Emily was prescribed what
looks like acid nitro murdie and
pepsin, though it’s hard to be
completely sure given the cursive
writing. The prescription was
most likely for a heart condition.”
A quick check with
Goodbehere’s father, who has
CONNECTION: Amy Goodbehere outside Kate Sheppard house. Right – Goodbehere’s great, great grand-aunt Emily (left) at
the private school she ran in 1894.
an extensive knowledge of
the Goodbehere family tree,
confirmed it was indeed Emily
Mary who passed away at the
Wellington Hospital a few
months later at the age of 51.
Emily had sailed from England
out to New Zealand and settled
in Feilding with her parents and
siblings in 1880. The family was
integral to the setting up of the
new town with Emily’s father,
Samuel, serving as mayor on
three occasions.
“Emily never married and ran
a private school in Feilding. The
only photo I have of her is with
her students in 1894, the year
after suffrage was granted. It
appears that all of the students
at her school were girls with the
exception of the two little boys
in the front row who were her
nephews,” said Goodbehere.
“Emily was very involved in
her faith, the Church of England,
performing as organist and
teaching Sunday school. She also
helped to further the interest of
the Wesleyan and Presbyterian
churches as well, and on her
father’s passing was appointed
government meteorologist for the
district.”
It was what Goodbehere
discovered next, however, that
really got her intrigued.
“I was excited to find out
that Emily served as treasurer
and secretary for the Feilding
branch of the Women’s Christian
Temperance Union from 1896;
positions that she fulfilled
with ‘much christian zeal and
energy’ according to an obituary
published after her death,” she
said.
• Turn to page 5
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