Jewel and Ian Fyfe's Family History Page

Henry Driver and Sophia Renshaw(Driver) and son Samuel arrived in Auckland, New Zealand 13/12/1863 on board the "Green Jacket". They also brought out an orphan nephew Henry Herbert Driver (son of Henry's brother Elijah John- later became book seller in Dunedin).Samuel Shaw Driver (orphan son of Henry's brother Samuel) joined them in 1865 coming out on the "Victory" . He later went back to England and arrived back in New Zealand on the "Lebu" with his wife Mary Congreve and daughter Ann in 1879)

Henry and Sophia lived in Auckland for over two years then moved to Whangarei and farmed for 2 and a half years at Parua Bay. When gold was discovered Henry went for a year to Thames and returned in 1868. Sophia refused to be left behind this time so the whole family moved to Thames.

Henry Driver and Sophia's children were:
Samuel Driver born 16/12/1859 Sheffield married Elizabeth Lindsay 23/4/1888
their children Samuel Driver (1889), Henry Laird Driver (1891) ,Gladys Elizabeth Driver (1893), Kenneth James Driver (1895)

Sophie Elliott Driver(1898) (Thompson), Elizabeth Driver(died aged 14 yrs.
Elizabeth Driver born 23/6/1864 Auckland married Herbert Osmund Cooper 9/10/1883:
their children children Herbert, Berthia, Bertie, Jessie,Alder(Herbert Osmund), James, Cecil, Stanlet, Rosalind (Paynter),Sophie, Henry (Harry)
Annie Sophia Driver b 1866 married William Smyth Wylie 23/10/1884their children Mabel Wylie, Minnie Wylie, Nellie Wylie, Annie Wyllie (Crawshaw), Olive Wylie, Rowland Wylie, Flossie Wylie, Kath Wylie (Alaway), Sybil Wylie (Bull). Drapers in Thames
Mary Driver born 4/1/1869 married Charles Lovatt 22/12/1890
their children were Hilda Lovatt (Mutton), Stan Lovatt , Dorothy Lovatt (Hopkins), Bob Lovatt, Hazel Lovatt(Keyte), Alice Lovatt, Vera Lovatt (Walker), Roy Lovatt, Olive Lovatt(Tapper), Grace Lovatt( Pyle), Gwen Lovatt(Creamer), Lionel Lovatt. Helped found first Baptist church in Whangarei
Jessie Driver b 1870 Thames married William James Steer 1891
their children Vy Steer(Tiller), Annie Steer(Tom), Frances Steer (Campbell), Bob Steer, S.... (Seymour), Lovie Steer
Henry Driver 28/12/1872 married May Pearson 13/1/1913 May was a grand daughter of Elizabeth Driver, in Sheffield Henry
senior's sister)
their children were Annie Driver, Fred Driver , Duncan Driver, Daniel Driver. Went to U.S.A 1920
James Driver b 1/4/1875 Thames married Hessie Goldsworthy (widow) 1916 She had a child May from first marriage.
Sarah Handbury Driver born 18/7/1877 died 7/4/1878
Lucy Susie Driver born 1878 Thames married Thomas Henry Scandrett 6/4/1907
their children were George Scandrett, Mabel Scandrett(Mong), Ray Scandrett, Tom Scandrett

Henry Driver's death certificate states: died 30/8/1890 at Pollen St Thames Iron Monger aged 59 years
Father Samuel Driver , ivory cutter Mother Mary Straps
In NZ 27 years. Married in England aged 27 to Sophia Renshaw. Living issue M 14,18,31 F 12,20,22,24,26
His oldest son died young leaving a wife and young family.
Samuel Driver's death Certificate states he died 17/10/1899 at Waihou aged 39 years. Father Henry Driver,Iron Monger Mother Sophia Renshaw Born Sheffield England. 36 years in New Zealand. Married Elizabeth Lindsay at Wairoa at 27 years old. Issue M 10,8,4 F 6,1 Informant Samuel Shaw Driver.

Henry Driver was christened at Brunswick and Park Chapel,( Wesleyan) Norfolk Street, Sheffield on 9/12/1830. He was the son of Samuel Driver and Mary Straps.
We also found the baptisms of his sisters, Mary Ann Driver born in 5/8/1825, Mary Driver 27/2/1829 and Elizabeth Driver on
19/3/1833 at the same chapel.
We have then found a marriage in Rotherham of Peter France and Mary Driver on 25/12/1836. It appears Samuel died before his youngest son Elijah John Driver was born in 1836. We cannot find this birth or a record of Samuel's death. We have not found the record of Samuel and Mary's marriage but presume around 1824.
In the 1851 Census of Sheffield we find the family living at 47 Broad Lane
Peter France Head married 60 Table blade striker Woodhouse, Yorkshire
Mary France Wife " 47 Dunham, Nottingham
Henry Driver Stepson U 20 Table knife Warehouseman Sheffield
Elizabeth Driver step daughter 18 Dressmaker "
John Driver step son 14 Butchers blade maker "(Elijah John)
Samuel Driver was born in Sheffield on 15/5/1803. His parents were John Driver and Elizabeth Norman.
Other children of that marriage were Samuel Driver 31/7/1785 (obviously died young)
John Driver 21/11/1787
Henry Driver 18/1/1807.

Elizabeth Norman born 17/7/1762 Pentrich was the daughter of Daniel Norman and Elizabeth Cowper both from Pentrich Derby.
John Driver was born 28/8/1761 at Sheffield, son of Samuel Driver and Elizabeth Oakes. He married Elizabeth Norman at Sheffield on 27/9/1784. Children of this marriage Samuel Driver 1785
John Driver 1787
William Driver 8/3/1795
Sarah Driver 1800
Samuel Driver 1803
Henry Driver 1807 .

Samuel Driver married Elizabeth Oakes 27/6/1760 .Children of this marriage
Mary Driver (died 7/7/1761)
John Driver christened 28/8/1761 (twins?)
Samuel Driver 28/10/1763
Benjamin Driver 30/11/1770
William Driver 12/7/1772
We think this is the Samuel that was a privateer and had a watch made in Genoa, Italy with his names rather than numbers on the face.

Elizabeth Oakes, born 17 September 1732 at Sheffield was the daughter of Benjamin Oakes and Elizabeth Gilliam.

Samuel Driver is the son of John Driver and Sarah Copley married 26 Jan 1725 Stainton by Tickhill Yorkshire Other children John Driver 7 May 1727 died 22 Jan 1728
Samuel Driver 1 Jan 1736
Mary Driver 6 Sep1738 died 26 Sep 1738
Sarah Driver 9 Nov 1740.
John Driver senior died May 24 1742 . He was the Parish Clerk.
Stainton by Tickhill is a very small parish. There are big gaps in the parish records in the late 1600- 1712. We searched the Bishop Transcripts which are complete but very hard to read particularly around the time when we would expect Sarah to be born. There are no other Driver families.
However we did find a Baptism of William Copley son of Christopher Copley labourer 30 Jun 1719 and the death of Christopher Copley, labourer Jun 14 1726 .There was also a John Copley baptized 1715 son of Christo. Copley and Eliza Smith. There was John Copley who had a son Richard Richard in 1759 and also the death of John Copley 9 Jul 1743 so it is likely Sarah is descended from either John or Christopher.

You will note there is a gap of 9 years between John and Samuel and as we have made a thorough search of the Bishop's Transcripts during this period; was the reason for this gap the fact John was away in the army?

Mary Straps was born 11/7/1803 at Dunham Nottingham. Dunham is 10 miles due west of Lincoln on the Trent River.
She was the daughter of Eastland Straps and Rebecca Mansfield. Other children of that marriage were
Elizabeth Straps 27/9/1801 also born Dunham, Nottingham
Sarah Straps 1807 and Ann Straps 1811 both born in Eagle, Lincolnshire.
Eagle is 10 miles south west of Lincoln. Eastland Straps and Rebecca were married 29/3/1801 at Canwick, Lincolnshire but banns mentioned Rebecca Mansfield was from Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Eastland Straps was born 30/3/1777 at Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire and his brother William Straps was born 1784 at
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Their parents were Richard Straps and Ann Eastland.
Ann Eastland was the daughter of Michael Eastland born 29/4/1759 at Upton  and Mary Robinson. They were married 27 September 1744 at St Paul’s Lincoln. They had 7 children. Other children are 
John 3 July 1746 in South Leverton Nottingham   George 19 Sept 1748 East Leverton Nottingham
Sarah 18 August 1750 Upton Linc died 1838        Michael 8 April 1753 Upton Min died 18 March 1754
Mary 4 April 1756 Upton

 Michael Eastland’s parents were William Eastland and Sarah Smith (born Kexby). Michael was born March 1724/25 at Kexby and other siblings were John b 1719 d 1719, and George born 1723

 William Eastland was born in 1681 in Stow in Lindsey Lincolnshire son of James Eastland and Ann West (born Stow in Lindsey). They were married November 18 1676 and had at least 3 children Faith 1676, Ann 1679 and William 1681.

James Eastand was born  1611 and he married Mary Leary ( born Long Sutton)3 June 1632. They had 7 children.
Williiam 1634, Robert 1635, Alice 1636, James b 1638 Stow in Lindsey, Edward b 1643, Mary 1644, William 1647.

Rebecca Mansfield was born 2/4/1775 at Wragby, Lincolnshire daughter of Henry Mansfield and Ann Liman.Ann Liman and Henry Mansfield were married 10/6/1753 at Wragby . Ann Liman was the daughter of Robert Limont or Lymon and Ann born at East Barkwith Lincoln. Robert Lymon was born 30/6/1701 East Barkwith son of John Lymon and Elizabeth..
The Straps’ family moved north east across Lincoln Fens over generations: from Coleby, Donington, Heckington to Beckingham .

The internet GENUKI history of Beckingham states “the Strapps family were millers in the mill to the north of the town in the late 1700s/early 1800s.”

Henry Driver's wife Sophia Renshaw was born at Staveley, Derbyshire on 4/1/1835 daughter of William Renshaw born 18/2/1811) and Sarah Handbury. Her brother James also came to New Zealand and set up a hardware shop in
Thames. He later became Mayor of Thames.

Sophia Driver died 23/3/1917 at the home of her son Henry, Richmond St Thames
Sarah Handbury was born at Alfreton, Derbyshire 10/3/1812 daughter of James Handbury and Sophia (Sophy)
Elliott.
Other children of this couple are James Handbury 1813
Mary Handbury 1816
Elizabeth Handbury 1818
Sophia Handbury 1822
Hannah Handbury 1826 (all born at Alfreton)
Ann Handbury 1829
Elizabeth Handbury 1831
Catherine Handbury 1833 (all born in Staveley).

James Handbury and Sophia Elliott were married 18/11/1811 at Alfreton.
James Handbury born 23/11/1788 at Elvaston Derbyshire was the son of James Handbury and Ann Daykin who were married 27/7/1783 at Elvaston. Other siblings all born Elvaston were Mary Handbury 1787, John Handbury 1798, John Handbury 1800 .
This James Handbury born 23/9/1758 was the son of James Handbury and Sarah Bentley who were married 21/3/1754 at All Saints in Derby.Other children were twin of James Handbury , Sarah Handbury , and William Handbury 1760.

Sophia Elliott was born 26/5/1794 at Alfreton daughter of George Elliott and Sarah Tomlinson who were married at South Wingfield Derbyshire. Other siblings were Sarah Elliott 1777, Jonathan Elliott 1780, John Elliott 1782, Lydia Elliott 1784, George Elliott 1786, James Elliott 1789, Henry Elliott 1792, Elizabeth Elliott 1798 .

George was the son of Jonathan Ellot and Elizabeth Radford born 4/10/1753. Sarah Tomlinson was born 27/5/1753 at South Wingfield daughter of Mary Tomlinson.