Unwilling To Emigrate

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31235, 6 December 1966, Page 3

Unwilling To Emigrate

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 5. Eight members of the McGuinness family arrived at Wellington in the Northern Star this morning —but there should have been nine. The eldest son, 16-year-old Kenneth, ran away from Southampton just before the

ship sailed because he did not want to emigrate. Mr McGuinness is from a Portsmouth dockyard and is taking up a position with the naval dockyard at Auckland. Two hours before the Northern Star was due to leave Southampton he and his wife were faced with a difficult decision—whether to leave for a new life in New Zealand or cancel their passage until they found their son. Kenneth had left his parents and six younger brothers

and sister a note which stated, “My heart is in Britain—l cannot go with you to New Zealand.” Two days later, when the ship was 24 hours at sea, he knocked on the door of his aunt and uncle’s house.

Kenneth later spoke to his father by radio-telephone. Mr R. McGuinness, Kenneth’s grandfather, has agreed to the boy remaining in Britain and the lad’s clothes are to be returned from the ship as soon as possible. He and the boy’s other grandfather, Mr K. Tee, are assuming responsibility for him.