103RD BIRTHDAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23044, 23 May 1938, Page 11

103 RD BIRTHDAY

NELSON PIONEER MRS. T. A. BROMELL SEVENTY YEARS IN DOMINION [by TELEGRAPH —rRESS association] NELSON, Sunday A well-known Nelson resident, Mrs. T. A. Bromell, of Seymour Avenue, celebrated her 103 rd birthday to-day. Born at Clifton, Bristol, England, in 1835, Mrs. Bromell (Mary Ann Hacker) was married there, and in 1867 she came out to Melbourne in the ship Lincolnshire. Mr. and Mrs. Bromell later crossed the Tasman in the steamer Alhambra (one of the two steamers which maintained the mail service between Australia and New Zealand), landing in Nelson in January, 1808. They then went to Havelock, where Mr. Bromell was engaged in the blacksinithing business, which was later extended to a general store.

In 1876 Mr. Bromell bought a farm property at Tadmor, and they remained farming until 23 years ago, when Mr. Bromell died, and Mrs. Bromell, with one of her daughters, came to live in Nelson. Mrs. Bromell was in Melbourne at the time of tho Duke of Edinburgh s visit. There arc two daughters and three sons of Mrs. Bromell living. Tlicy are Miss A. 31. Bromell (Seymour Avenue, Nelson), Mrs. A. F. Thomas (Devonport, Auckland), and Messrs. E. B. Bromell (Baton), P. H. Bromell (Tui) and G. J. Bromell (Waipukurau). There are 19 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.