Margaret (Mag) Sharp, of Tuapeka Mouth

1889 - 1968  (79 years)

• Name	Margaret (Mag) Sharp
  	Originally registered as 'Florence Jane' by her mother, but then her father insisted that she be called 'Margaret' after his sister (Margaret was also his mother's name) and so the name on her birth certificate was changed. Mag and her younger sister Mary Sharp married two brothers - Daniel and John Edward Keenan.
  Suffix	of Tuapeka Mouth
  Nickname	Mag
  Born	15 Aug 1889	(Silverside, Duke's Road) Mosgiel Bush, East Taieri, Otago, New Zealand
  	Birth certificate: Births in the district of East Taieri born 15 Aug 1889, Florence Jane, female, father John Sharp, labourer, age 33, born Paisley [sic] Scotland, mother Mary Dunbar Sharp nee Taylor, age 20, born Mosgiel Bush, Otago Informant: Mary D Sharp, mother, residence Mosgiel Bush. Name later changed to: Margaret born at the home of her grandparents, William and Sarah Taylor, and delivered by her grandmother Sarah Taylor, who was a midwife
  Gender	Female
  Education:	1897	Wyllie's Crossing School, North Taieri
  	To make it easier for school attendance given there was no road from the family property and the school was nearly 7km away, Mag was sent to Silverside, East Taieri to stay with her maternal grandparents, to attend the Wyllie\'s Crossing School.
  Interests:	1 Jul 1898
  	Otago Witness 14 Jul 1898: this newspaper ran a column for children called Dot's Little Folk. Mag her had first letter published when she was 8 yrs old. LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS - Dear Dot, Rankleburn, where I live, is mostly all bush — manuka, broadleaf, birches, and other kinds of trees the names of which I do not know. The bush is pretty in summer when the manuka scrub is in bloom, but it looks cold and bleak enough at present, as the ground is covered with snow. Bertwyl wishes the snow would come; he would get plenty of it up here, as this is the fourth time we have had a fall of snow since May, and we have had snow fights and made snow men too. I can't go to school during the winter months as I have four miles to walk and the roads are very muddy, so my brother and I have to do our lessons at home. Last year I stayed at my grandmother's, in the Taieri [William and Sarah Taylor's at Silverside, East Taieri], and went to the Wylie's Crossing School, and I liked it much better than here, as I had girls to go with, but I have no girls to go with up here. I have no pets of my own to tell you about, but I have a doll, and I call her Princess Dollabella. My brother has a dog called Nellie. She got caught in a trap today, and when he went to let her go she bit him on the leg, and mother had to give her a stick to bite at while she pressed down the spring of the trap to let her go. My little sister has a fox terrier called Nancy Lee. We have one cow called Ivy and a heifer calf called Daisy and six horses. Their names are Brisk, Charlie, Laddie, Duke, Nugget, and Jeanie. Dear Dot, as this is my first attempt at letter-writing, I hope you will excuse all blots and mistakes. I enclose four stamps for the Kindergarten Fund.— Yours truly, Rankleburn, July 1. Maggie Sharp. [A very good first attempt it is, Maggie, and there are really no mistakes to excuse. Poor Nellie, that was a bad accident she met with, and it was no wonder the poor thing felt inclined to bite anything that came in the way, even if it was your brother's leg, for I am sure she would scarcely know what she was doing. Thank you for the stamps, dear. — Dot]
  Education:	2 Nov 1898	Mag examined at Rongahere School
  	Standard III Maggie Sharp, age 9 yrs, 2 mths. Last passed Standard I. Failed, as 3/6 passed
  Interests:	Dec 1902
  	Otago Witness 7 Jan 1903: Mag wrote under the pen-name Ratty Mag when she was 13: Ratty Mag knows who Laddie is. \"Mother remembers him when he was a little boy and wore his hair in curl-papers. If the editor breaks his mincing machine over this letter, please let me know, and I will send him another. We have a new one, and it cuts three sizes.
  Interests:	Apr 1903
  	Otago Witness 22 Apr 1903: Ratty Mag would like to exchange autos with any D.L.F. [Dot's Little Folk], especially those about Mosgiel. Address: Ratty Mag, P. 0., Rongahere. Phoebe and I went for a walk up the bush yesterday to get some ribbonwood. There were several trees lying across the creek, and I was crawling along one of them when it broke. I just hung on till it stopped. I am making some toffy to-day, and my brother is [j]abbing a spoon into it till it goes back to sugar again.
  Military:	Apr 1942	Mag appeals for son John Edward to be exempted from service WW2
  	ARMED FORCES BOARD SITTING AT BALCLUTHA The Armed Forces Appeal Board, comprising Messrs J. R. Bartholomew 1 ; S.M., chairman, H. Hodgson and J. Price, with Mr A. D. Thomson, secretary, sat at Balclutha on Friday to hear appeals for exemption from military service. Mr A. N. Haggitt represented the Crown. ... John Edward Keenan, farmer, Tuapeka Mouth, was appealed for by his mother (Mrs Margaret Keenan) on the ground of undue hardship. Another son, William Keenan, was in camp.—Adjourned sine die on condition that the reservist served in the Home Guard at Tuapeka Mouth. [Otago Daily Times 28 Apr 1942]
  Died	12 Sep 1968	Milton, Otago, New Zealand
  Sporting interests:	1980	Not Mag's, but one of her grandson's achievements which is fantastic to note - the late Ken Bloxham
  	All Black: Ken played two games as an All Black in 1980. Otago: Ken was also Captain of the Otago team 1980-82 and one of Otago's most capped players, playing 155 games for Otago 1974-86.
  Occupation:	Farmer at Tuapeka Mouth, Otago (after the early death of her husband)
  Religion:	Converted to Roman Catholicism on marriage
  Buried	Tuapeka Mouth Cemetery, Otago, New Zealand
  Person ID	I746	Grant
  Last Modified	4 Jun 2021

  
  

  Father	John Sharp, Roading contractor and farmer,"Sunny Brae", Rongahere, NZ,   b. 14 Feb 1854, Wallace Street, Ayr St Quivox, Ayrshire, Scotland ,   d. 28 Oct 1930, Seacliff Mental Hospital, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 76 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Mary Dunbar Taylor, of Rongahere and Tuapeka Mouth, Otago,   b. 4 Nov 1868, Silverside, East Taieri, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 3 Aug 1943, Tuapeka Flat, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 74 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Married	8 Aug 1888	in the home of WIlliam Taylor, Mosgiel, Otago, New Zealand
  	Application to Marry in the East Taieri District. Date of Notice 4th Aug 1888. Groom: John Sharp, bachelor, labourer, age 32 years, dwelling place Mosgiel [he did not live in the area; a marrying party had to be resident in the district for at least 3 days to apply to marry], length or residence - 3 days. Bride: Mary Dunbar Taylor, spinster, no calling or profession, age 20 years, dwelling place Mosgiel, length of residence 20 years. Place where marriage to be solemnised - House of William Taylor of Mosgiel. Person giving consent in case of a minor: William Taylor, father. Date of Certificate 4th Aug 1888. Officiating minister: Rev William Will. Married by the Rev William Will, pioneer minister of East Taieri.
  Family ID	F17	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Daniel Keenan, Farmer at Tuapeka Mouth,   b. 1886, Tuapeka Mouth, South Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 16 Jan 1932, Balclutha, South Otago, New Zealand  (Age 46 years)
  Married	1912
  Children	1. John Edward (Jock) Keenan, Farmer at Waituna, Southland,   b. 1912, Tuapeka Mouth, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 22 Jul 1988, Waituna, Southland, New Zealand  (Age 76 years)  [Birth]   2. Daniel (Dan) Keenan, Farmer at Edendale, Southland,   b. 1914,   d. 18 Dec 1974, Edendale, Southland, New Zealand  (Age 60 years)  [Birth]   3. Mary Alice (Alice) Keenan, Tram conductor,   b. 18 Jul 1916,   d. 28 Oct 1964  (Age 48 years)  [Birth]   4. William Ewing (Bill) Keenan, Farmer in Edendale, Southland,   b. 11 Apr 1918,   d. 18 Jul 1969  (Age 51 years)  [Birth]   5. Theresa Margaret Keenan, of Edendale, Southland and Moeraki, Otago,   b. 1920, Tuapeka Mouth, Otago, New Zealand  [Birth]   6. Catherine Ellen (Rene) Keenan, of Milton, Otago,   b. c 1923, Tuapeka Mouth, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 23 Jun 1985, Milton Hospital, Otago, New Zealand  (Age ~ 62 years)  [Birth]   7. Florence Jane Keenan, of Milton, Otago  [Birth]   8. Winifred Isabel (Winnie) Keenan  [Birth]   9. Charles Walter (Wattie) Keenan, Labourer of Waipiata, Central Otago   10. Peter Joseph Keenan, Contractor of Forest Hill, Southland
  Last Modified	3 Jun 2021
  Family ID	F477	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Margaret Sharp
  		Mary Dunbar Sharp with her eldest three children, Mag, Willie (right) and baby Ewen Taken in South Otago
  		Sisters Mag Sharp (left) and Mary Sharp (right) Taken in South Otago
  		Mag Sharp age 18 is 2nd girl kneeling on left (white ruffle), Mary Dunbar Sharp (age 39) back row 4th from right (turban style hat), John Sharp (age 53) back row 5th from left with large beard and light-coloured hat Wedding of Bert Bulfin & Rose McKenzie at Clydevale 1907 (large gathering of Rongahere and Clydevale people)
  		Dan & Mag Keenan Tuapeka Mouth and their children
  		Postcard sent from Sarah Taylor nee Rumsey to her grandaughter Mag Sharp of South Otago, dated 14 Aug 1911 (the day before Mag's 22nd birthday). In the postcard Sarah (Grannie Taylor) wishes Mag a happy birthday. She also says she hopes Mag received Grandfather Taylor's mourning card. She says she is staying with Mrs Stewart (where?). The postcard Grannie Taylor chose to send Mag is a Birthday postcard with a mountain/river scene surrounded by roses with the inscription: Good luck attend you on life's way / And make each day both bright & gay.
  		Dan and Mag Keenan - gravestone - Tuapeka Mouth Cemetery, South Otago
  		Wedding photo of Mag Taylor to Harry Brown 1905 - SEE NEXT IMAGE FOR IDENTIFICATION. Includes Wm & Sarah Taylor, granddaughter Mag Sharp, daughter Jean Millar and her husband George Millar Sr along with children Janet, George Jr, Bill and Sarah Millar, son Harold Taylor, son Wattie Taylor, daughter Emma Junge and her husband Bill Junge along with at least one of their sons (perhaps far left), and daughter Mag Taylor the bride, and husband Harry Brown.
  		Mag Taylor and Harry Brown wedding - KEY TO PHOTO - includes Wm & Sarah Taylor, granddaughter Mag Sharp, daughter Jean Millar and her husband George Millar Sr along with children Janet, George Jr, Bill and Sarah Millar, son Harold Taylor, son Wattie Taylor, daughter Emma Junge and her husband Bill Junge along with at least one of their sons (perhaps far left), and daughter Mag Taylor the bride, and husband Harry Brown.
  		4 Sharp sisters - standing left Isabel, right Mag. Sitting left Mary (with baby) and right Jean. Taken perhaps c 1930. Looks like a picnic day.