1828
Birth of Samuel Chalton, 1828-1910. Baptised at St Peters, Liverpool, 5 January 1829.
Son of Samuel Chalton 1799-1868 and Susannah Chalton, nee Nangreave 1801-1874.
1829
Birth of Ellen Chalton, nee Bennett, 1829-1890. Baptised Shotwick, Cheshire 14 July 1829. Daughter of Thomas and Kitty Bennett
1849
Samuel and Ellen married 9 December 1849 at St Oswalds, Chester
1850
Birth of a son Henry Nangreave Chalton, 1850-1929. Henry’s middle name was named after Samuel’s mother’s maiden name. (i e Susannah Chalton, nee Nangreave) “Harry”
1851
UK Census, 1851, Samuel and Ellen living in Chester.
1852
Birth of a daughter Ellen Chalton 1852-1934. Ellen was named after her mother. “Nellie”
1854
Birth of a son Bennett Chalton 1854-1867. Named after his mother’s maiden name.
1856
Birth of a son George Chalton 1856-1938
1858
Birth of a son Thomas Bennett Chalton 1858-1932. Named after his mother’s father.
1859
On 5 November 1859, the following advertisement was in the Chester Chronicle newspaper ‘Sale at Crabwell Farm…instructions from Mr S Chalton, jun., who is entirely declining the dairy to sell by auction on Wednesday 16th November 1859 at 12 o’clock the entire of his superior well-bred dairy stock, comprising 28 choice short horned in-calf cows and heifers” Samuel was undoubtedly selling his assets for his impending departure for New Zealand.
On 26 November 1859 the Blue Jacket sailed from Liverpool, Captain Hugh Clarke for Auckland and Wellington. 229 passengers of whom 15 were in saloon, 60 in the second cabin and the remainder in the intermediate and steerage.
The U.S. Nautical Magazine, Vol. I (1854-55), p 253.
1860
1. 16 March 1860 arrived Auckland. Blue Jacket passenger list, Shipping Intelligence, Daily Southern Cross, 20 March 1860, Auckland, NZ
2. Samuel and his family moved to Kaiwaka to establish Aston Grange Farm.
1862
Birth of a son. Frank Chalton 1862-1948
1864
Birth of a daughter. Susannah Chalton 1864-1952. Named after Samuel’s mother.
1865
1. Electoral Roll, “Chalton, Samuel, Aston Grange Farm, freehold, 240 acres, parish of Kaiwaka, County of Marsden, Pukekaroro Block, attested by F H Hull, JP”
2. At a public meeting on 11 Feb 1865 “…having heard with alarm and regret that cattle are being shipped from Auckland, and landed at this place, affected with the disease known as pleuro-pneumonia...that there be forwarded a petition to his Honor the Superintendent, urging him to use the powers with which he is invested to put an immediate prohibition on the exportation of cattle from Auckland to this port, and neighbouring settlements." Proposed by Mr. Chalton, Pukekaroro; seconded by Mr. Linnett, Pukekaroro — "That a copy of these resolutions, with the petition, be forwarded without delay to his Honor the Superintendent…and to urge on his Honor immediate action on same." Daily Southern Cross newspaper, 25 Feb 1865
1866 Samuel had a “very superior flock of 400 sheep or thereabouts” Daily Southern Cross, 10 Dec 1866
1867 Death of a son Bennett Chalton. Age 13. Bennett is buried at St Michaels Church, Valley Rd, Hakaru (near Kaiwaka) Row 7, plot 15. New headstone installed January 2017. Cause of death unknown.
1870
1. Samuel’s brother Edward Chalton 1838-1912, Departed Auckland for London aboard the "City of Auckland". 19 March 1870, it is unclear how long Edward was in NZ. Edward appears in the 1861 UK census, so it is clear that he did not come to NZ with Samuel and Ellen. As Samuel and Edwards father Samuel (snr) died in July 1868 a possibility is that he was delivering Samuel’s inheritance, or that he thought of settling in New Zealand but decided to return to England.
2. Samuel and his family move to Thames, (New Zealand) and established the first Queens Hotel. ref Obituary of H N Chalton, Auckland Star, 1 July 1929. The Queens Hotel burnt down, c.1872/73
c.1872/3
Samuel and his family move to a bare block of scrub covered land on the banks of the Thames [Waihou] River in the area which Samuel was to name Netherton (approximately 5km north of Paeroa. Samuel and his family were the first settlers in the upper Thames.
1875
6 May 1875 Samuel writes enquiring whether any land is available for settlement. It is clear from the letter that the farm at Netherton is well established by this stage. The return address is c/o Messrs Osborne Brothers, Grahamstown, Thames. Samuel’s eldest daughter Ellen married John Osborne (1847-1930) in 1876. A possibility is that Samuel was enquiring about land for his daughter and future son in law.
1876
19 August 1876 Samuel’s eldest daughter Ellen married John Osborne at Samuel’s homestead. The service was conducted by Rev V Lush, and is recorded in the Reverend’s diaries, in an entry dated 23 August 1876. John and Ellen were the first Europeans to be married in the Upper Thames.
1880
The construction of the first Netherton School on land provided by Samuel.
Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 13 May 1970:
“… Netherton's first settler, Mr. Samuel Chalton, arrived and commenced to carve his farm out of the bush that Cook had seen on the river bank over a century before. When the writer was headmaster of the Netherton School (1937-1945) he used to visit with his senior pupils a spot on the river bank not far from where the dairy factory stood for many years; here very old fruit trees appeared to identify the site of the first homestead. Passing steamers on the way to and from Paeroa threw the Chaltons mail ashore, the bag sometimes falling into the river. As other settlers arrived, the Chalton home became the post office with the local Maori name of Te Kopuru, but confusion arising with another similarly named place, Mr. Chalton adopted the name of "Netherton" after his old home in England. Thus Netherton became one of the few places in the district not bearing a Maori name”.
1887
Electoral Roll, Samuel 99 acres, west bank of Thames River. (George at same address; this is of interest as at some point George moved to the West Coast region of the South Island to mine).
c.1890
George moves to the West Coast to live. Samuel’s youngest daughter Susannah moves to Auckland to live.
1890
Samuel’s wife Ellen dies at the home of her daughter Ellen Osborne in Thames. Buried in Shortland Cemetery.
1891
5 March 1891, Auckland Star newspaper, “…nine room house owned by Samuel Chalton at Netherton, Thames River was totally destroyed by fire. Nothing was saved.”
1892
14 April 1892, Netherton, Samuel appointed as JP.
1892-1900
Samuel acts as Returning Officer for the Netherton Riding.
1909
“Flood at Netherton. A vast sheet of water. Netherton has suffered severely from the flood, and this afternoon the whole district is practically under water. A very large amount of damage will be done to the land and stock…” Ohinemuri Gazette, 1 Sept 1909
1910
Samuel dies. Buried in Shortland Cemetery. The grave was fully restored in 2016. In Samuels will the land was divided amongst Henry Nangreave, Thomas Bennett and Frank. George is not mentioned, possibly as by this time he had been living on the West Coast for approximately 20 years, while the other three sons helped with his farm.
c.1910
George moves from the West Coast to Wellington to live.
c.1911
Frank purchases land at Te Aroha, presumably with his inheritance. Thomas Bennett moves to Te Aroha to live. Frank’s descendants are the “Te Aroha” Chaltons.
c.1912
Samuel’s eldest daughter Ellen and her husband John Osborne move from Thames to Hamilton to live.
1914
Henry Nangreave sells his farm and moves to Thames to live. The direct connection with Netherton ceases. Henry’s descendants are the “Thames” Chaltons.
1915-1918
Five of Samuel’s grandsons fought in WW1 (Harold Bennett Chalton, James Roy Chalton, Andrew Eric Chalton, Henry John Osborne, Gordon Leslie Osborne), and two grandsons were called up but the war finished before they saw action, (Francis Gordon Chalton and Francis Samuel Chalton).
1926
George and Mary move from Wellington to Thames to live.
1929
Henry Nangreave Chalton dies in Thames. Obituary NZ Star newspaper, 1 July 1929. Buried at Totara Cemetery.
1932
Thomas Bennett Chalton dies at Te Aroha. Buried at Te Aroha Cemetery.
1934
Ellen Osborne, nee Chalton dies in Hamilton. Is buried at Hamilton East Cemetery.
1938
George dies in Thames and is buried in Te Aroha. His wife Catherine Mary (known as Mary) moves back to Wellington to live.
1948
Frank dies and is buried at Te Aroha.
1952
Susannah McLachlan, nee Chalton dies in Auckland and is buried at Symonds St Cemetery.