BROWN, MARGARET (MAGGIE)

 

Maggie Brown was born on the 6 July 1887 at Hawera, the third youngest of 11 children of John and Elizabeth Brown nee Smith.� John and Elizabeth came to Hawera in 1877, where they purchased Priest Hill farm, 124 acres on Waihi Road, now Hicks Park.� It was a town supply farm, John being Hawera�s first milkman.� All the family milked, by hand.

 

In common with most children of that time, Maggie was "brought up on horses" and it was soon evident that she possessed a particular talent for horse riding.� She has an excellent carriage and presented a handsome picture when dressed in her riding gear.� She had a wonderful seat and hands when mounted.� Maggie competed with great success in A and P Shows from Palmerston North to New Plymouth, winning numerous gold medals, wrist watches and enough certificates to cover a horse blanket.� Her most notable successes were scored on Osprey, a 17 hand hunter, owned by Stan Symes and looked after by E W Symes of Waverley.� Maggie was also an accomplished huntswoman. She rode for 30 years and only retired after a serious accident sustained at Kakaramea.

 

At one competition, Maggie was riding all of the three remaining horses in an event, and as she fell and broke her wrist, there could be no result.

 

Maggie was a tailoress by trade and worked for Messrs Adamson and Robb, Hawera, before moving to Wanganui where she worked for Mr A Webb, a Wanganui tailor.

 

She moved back to Hawera in the 1933-34 period, and purchased a shop on the Glover Road and Union Street corner from a Miss Bridge.� For nearly 30 years, Maggie served the traveling public, selling sweets, ice-creams (in season, from an ice-chest), newspapers etc and was well known for her patience and courtesy, particularly to the hundreds of children who traveled by train to school in Hawera.

 

In the days of the depression, Maggie operated a labour bureau from her shop.� She dealt with people in desperate situations prepared to work.� Her manner of handling these people was akin to a modern day social worker, and she had considerable sympathy for the underdog.� Many lasting friendships were formed.� The field of placement was usually domestic or farming.� There were some employers with whom she eventually refused to do business with after a bad track record.

 

Maggie Brown died on the 28 June 1973 at Hawera aged 85 years.

 

SOURCE

Brown family