Thomas Potroz
1862-1940
Born: Kokoszki, Lodzkie, Poland
Died: New Zealand
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1862-1940
Born: Kokoszki, Lodzkie, Poland
Died: New Zealand
<p><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">From: History of the Polish Settlers in New Zealand 1776-1987</font></p><p><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">By J.W. Pobóg-Jaworowski</font></p><p><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva"><strong>THE POTROZ FAMILY</strong></font></p><p><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">On the 10 May 1980, about 125 d</font><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">escendants of Thomas and Mary POTROZ held a reunion at INGLEWOOD, TARANAKI. Those present were welcomed by 80-year-old Joseph Anthony, the only surviving son to Thomas and Mary who had 11 children, six sons and five daughters. At the time of the reunion three of the daughters, Ellen, Amelia and Mary were still alive, Mary being 85 years. A short summary about the life of Thomas and Mary POTROZ extracted from the reunion publication is self explanatory.</font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">Thomas was born in KOKOSZKI, Poland and arrived in New Zealand with his father Martin, in 1876 aboard a British ship (name not established) as a child of about 11years. As a young man he worked around TARANAKI for an Italian Road Contractor called “MITCHELLI.” He also worked as a bush man. He later bought 41 acres of land on the YORK Road, [MIDHIRST] for £81. After marriage to Mary STACHURSKI, he bought 60 acres on the Upper NORFOLK Road, INGLEWOOD. He then bought the property on KAIMATA South Road, which was owned by Mary’s parents, Joseph and Nita STACHURSKI. At the time of the reunion the property was owned by Bert BURKITT.</font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"> </p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">Thomas and Mary had 8 children before buying a further 234 acres “Homestead” on the other side of YORK Road in 1903. They farmed there until 1939. When Thomas retired, his sons David and Joseph remained on the farm. His retirement was very short as he died in January 1940.</font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"> </p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">Mary POTROZ (nee STACHURSKI) arrived in New Zealand with her parents aboard the “SHAKESPEARE” in 1876 when she was then 5 years old. As a young woman of 12-13 years Mary went to NEW PLYMOUTH to work as a housemaid in a boarding-house in BROUGHAM Street. AT the age of 17 she married Thomas POTROZ. Life for her was not easy and consisted of long days of hard work. As Mary’s parents had died she took her four younger brothers and sisters into her home. Thomas and Mary’s first homes were made of slap with clay floors. When they bought the “Homestead” farm there were no buildings on it. So a two-roomed place with a huge open fire was [built] for them. To get extra money Thomas worked in a mill and stayed away for days at a time so the work around the farm was left to Mary. Cows to milk, pigs and chickens to feed, vegetable garden to dig, cooking, washing, ironing, baking, sewing, knitting, making butter and so on. She cooked in large pots hang over the fire and baked the bread in a camp oven in the ashes. The clothes were washed outside after she had drawn water out of a well in the garden with a a bucket and windlass. Thomas and Mary killed their own meat on the farm and most of the beef was salted and corned, pork was picked and made into bacon. There was always bacon hanging from the ceilings in the kitchen. Baths were in front of the fire. Saturday was baking day.</font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"> </p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">Mary conceived 12 babies but lost one. Mary died on 26 August 1952. Thomas and Mary’s children sent to RATAPIKO and when it opened to KAIMATA school.</font></p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"> </p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="trebuchet ms,geneva">Three generations of children were present at the time of the 1980 reunion. Currently, another generation of children are growing up on Thomas and Mary’s land.</font></p><p> </p>