REUNION OF FAMILY
West Melton recalled Seventy-five descendants of the Hitchins family celebrated the arrival of their relatives at Lyttelton, on August 25, 1871, at a function in the West Melton Community Centre on Saturday. West Melton was the district where Samuel Millett Hitchins, his wife Catherine, and three children settled after arriving on the Merope from England. Accounts of the 76-day voyage, the history of the ship, family life in Cornwall and the decision to emigrate to New Zealand because of the closing of the tin mines were related at the reunion.
The Hitchins family bought a two-roomed dwelling at West Melton and 25 acres of land for £2 an acre. When the family eventually grew to 11, two more rooms were added. A guest at the reunion was Mr C. Watson, a member of the West Melton Centennial Committee, who is assisting in writing a book on the history of West Melton. He spoke on his researches.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 17
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159REUNION OF FAMILY Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32701, 2 September 1971, Page 17
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