Samuel Clothier Giles was the fourth child of Launcelot and Rachel Giles. He was born on 6 November 1843 at Ansford (also known as Almsford), Somersetshire, England. Samuel would have been about 13 years old when the family immigrated to New Zealand in 1856 on the ‘Oriental’. He would have worked on his father’s threshing mills for some time before leaving home. He was a first class bullock driver and worked in the Banks Peninsula and Kaikoura areas.

Samuel married Frances Adele Brunel Fleuret possibly in Akaroa in 1868. Frances was born there in 1844. Her father was French and her mother was from Inch County, Wighton, Scotland. The couple had four children:

• Lance Lot Giles, b. 18 March 1867, Clarkville

• Edith Malvina Giles, b. 16 January 1870, Oxford

• Eslet Ellen Mary Maude Giles, b. 23 October 1876, Barrys Bay, Banks Peninsula

• Lenna Rachel Giles, b. 30 January 1879

Some time after working in the Banks Peninsular and Kaikoura areas, Samuel moved from North Canterbury to South Canterbury to work. He was a contractor and was responsible for draining the Makiki Swamp. Along with son Lot he undertook various road works. It was recorded that:

• L Giles and Samuel Giles 1893 signed petition to shingle lower Quarry Bush road, Hunter.

• 1905 L Giles signed petition for either installation of culvert at the Waikaki Village settlement at Glenavy or the erection of a bridge at Craigmore Crossing.

The photograph of the quarry opening in Centennial Park, Timaru, shows Samuel and his workers (Note the workers tents, cook house and cook with apron). The quarry would have produced rock for the roads in Timaru and for the port’s breakwater. The rock would have been carted in horse and drays – very labour intensive. This probably accounts for the large number of men in the photograph.

During this time Frances left Samuel and married a Mr Smith of Hunter. Lot farmed in the Hunter and at some time, possibly after his wife left him, Samuel went to live with Lot and his wife Isabella. Isabella’s mother is reported to have been a great cheese maker who won many prizes at local shows.

Samuel died at Waimate in 1918. In the same year Lot contracted influenza (1918 epidemic) and died. Lot’s widow married Lot’s cousin John David Engelbrecht at Waimate in 1923.

Aileen Pearson, Rangiora, 2003