BIOGRAPHY
Arthur Edward Mortleman was the fifth child of William Hubert Mortleman (1817-1887) and Isabella Catherine Fleming (1821-1901), born at Folkestone, England in 1856. As noted in his Obituary below, Arthur immigrated to Canterbury in the 1870's and worked on a farm at Lyttelton.
In February 1882 Arthur obtained a 137 acre section of standing bush at Awatuna, South Taranaki, with deferred payment and a requirement to make progressive improvements. The road to the section, Oeo Road, had not been cleared of forest. In July 1884 Arthur obtained a contract fell the bush for 40-50 chain (1 km) along part of the surveyed road to his property and make the a 16 foot (4.9 m) wide roadway. Payment, 17 shillings per chain, was to be made the following March when funds became available. Arthur cleared his land and began dairy farming.
In 1893 Arthur returned to Canterbury to get married to Elizabeth Flemming. The couple had five children while living at Awatuna, with the older children attending Awatuna School. In 1899 Arthur was elected as a director for the Awatuna Co-operative Dairy Company and in 1900 to the Waimate Road Board that had responsibility for local roads. In June 1899 Arthur was appointed Justice of the Peace for Awatuna. The family planned to move to Gisborne and in July 1903 the dairy herd (85 cows and heifers) was sold. However, it was another two years before the Awatuna farm was sold and a clearing sale was held on 8 August 1905. After a farewell function on 31 October at Awatuna the Mortleman family departed for Gisborne, arriving on 4 November on the SS Zealandia.
The Mortleman family settled at Makari where another two children were born. Elizabeth was killed in a road accident in 1914, leaving Arthur with seven children aged 2-10 years. Arthur was elected to the Waikohu County Council for two terms, from 1911 to 1917, representing the Motu Riding. In 1918 Arthur married Minnie Stevens, a widow from Makari. In 1936 Arthur and Minnie travelled to Canada and then England before returning to New Zealand. Minnie died in 1937 at Napier Hospital after a long illness. After Minnie's death Arthur moved to Matawai where his sons were farming his properties.
Prior to arrival in Gisborne, on 16 October 1905, the Land Board approved the transfer of 1000 acres at what is now Matawai from James White to Arthur Mortleman. The farm was partly cleared and was carrying over a thousand sheep. Robert J. Fleming managed the Matawai farm for a number of years until the Mortleman family moved to Matawai. In 1912 sections for the township of Matawai were subdivided from the farm and sold in anticipation of the arrival of the railway line.
In January 1917 the 743 acre property, "Burn Brae", was purchased at Matawai from John J. H. Marshall by Arthur in partnership with Robert J and Richard Fleming. The farm was sold in 1919 to Robert L and Donald C Gray, but Arthur retained a financial interest. The Gray brothers abandoned the land and defaulted on the mortgages, leaving Arthur in dispute with the Public Trustee over the debt. After a court case that went to the Court of Appeal at Wellington in 1928, Arthur paid the debts and resumed farming the property.
Arthur moved from Matawai to Opotiki in 1944 and died there in 1946. He was buried with Elizabeth at Makaraka.
OBITUARY
MR. A. MORTLEMAN
The funeral of the late Mr. Arthur Mortleman, aged 89, whose death occurred in Opotiki on Sunday, was held at the Makaraka cemetery yesterday.
Born at Folkestone, England, Mr. Mortleman came to New Zealand by the steamer Merope at the age of 14 years. For a few years he worked on a farm at Lyttelton, and then moved to Taranaki, where he took up land and farmed it on his own account.
Mr. Mortleman moved to the Gisborne district 40 years ago and took up land at Makauri. He subsequently enlarged his interests by purchasing land at Matawai. Mr. Mortleman lived at Makauri until about 10 years ago, when he went, to Matawai. Three years ago he decided to settle in Opotiki, although part of his time he spent with different members of his family.
The deceased enjoyed good health and was ill only a week before his death. His principal interests were farming, although he was also interested in education. For a long period he was secretary of the Makauri School Committee. He was a member of the Waikohu County Council for many years.
Mr. Mortleman was married twice. Surviving him is a family of six, by his first wife, members of which are Mrs. F. H. Daulton, Opotiki, Mrs. H. Bulst, Matawai, Mr. A. E. R. Mortleman, Opotiki, Messrs. R. C. G. Mortleman, W. A. Mortleman and G. F. Mortleman, Matawai. There are 13 grandchildren.
Source: Gisborne Herald, 7 March 1946, Page 8 .
Chris Korte's New Zealand Genealogy Project
1856 - 1946 (89 years)
Has no ancestors but 29 descendants in this family tree.
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