Henry & Mary Burling were known to have had four children before they were married in 1839 - Henry, Rosetta, Alfred, and Charles
Their other children, George and Thomas, were born in England; and Sarah and William were born in New Zealand
(c1831 - 1916)
Henry Burling, jnr was 10 years old when he came to New Zealand with his family.
He took up farming, and as land became available for sale he would buy it and clear and convert it to farmland.
He retired to Hastings, and at the time of his death he was worth over $13 million at today's value of money.
Henry died in Riverlea in Hastings, on 10 October 1916.
(c1834 - 1899)
Rosetta married John Waterson in the original St Pauls Church in Wellington in 1850, and had 14 children. They lived and farmed in Dalefield, near Carterton.
Rosetta died at Dalefield, near Carterton, on 14 August 1899.
(1837 - 1903)
Alfred was born on 21 January 1837, and was four years old when his family emigrated to New Zealand. His three-year-old brother died on the voyage out.
He married Mary Gaffney when aged 25, and they had ten children.
Alfred obtained a licence to sell liquor, and ran an Accommodation House at Akitio Ferry that became known as Club Hotel.
Alfred died at Masterton on 13 September 1903, aged 66 years.
(1838 - 1842)
While his birth name was registered as 'Reding Burling' [sic], he was baptised as 'Charles Reading Burling'. He was born on 17 September 1838.
Charles died on the voyage to New Zealand, off the coast of South Africa, nearest to Cape Town.
(1840 - 1915)
George was known by his middle name 'Arthur'.
He was born on 20 March 1840, and married Elizabeth Gooding in 1861, taking up sheep farming that same year. George's sister Sarah and Elizabeth's brother Jacob were married at the same time.
His father Henry spent his latter years living with Arthur and his family.
George died on 17 October 1916 at Western Lake in Wairarapa.
(1841 - 1841)
Thomas was born in Stratford in Essex, England on 4 August 1841. He was only one month old when he died from jaundice.
(1843 - 1916)
Sarah was born in New Zealand on 1 August 1843.
She married Jacob Gooding on Christmas Eve in 1861.
When crown grants were offered for land on the Western side of Lake Wairarapa, Sarah and Jacob bought property and established a farm, where they farmed until their deaths.
Sarah died at Western Lake in Wairarapa on 17 October 1916.
(1846 - 1909)
William was born in Wadestown, and was brought up where the town of Featherston now is.
Like his siblings, he also took up farming, and ran the Grassendale Hotel near Tinui, in the Wairarapa.
William lived for a short time in Dome Valley in Northland, and died at Taupiri on 16 August 1909.
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There are indications that Henry may have had other children.
Newspaper reporters who interviewed Henry stated that he claimed to have had 13 children all-up.
Before she married Henry Burling, Mary Worsley had two children to Francis Wesley (or Westley), who was a farm labourer living at West Ham, Essex.
(1828 - 1888)
Mary was born on 10 April 1820, and baptised as Mary Ann Caroline Westley the following month. She was baptised again in 1829, on the occasion of her sister's baptism, as Mary Ann Wesley.
She married Michael McCarthy in Bethnal Green, Essex in 1840. Michael was accidently shot and killed in Wadestown, Wellington in 1843, by Mary's sister's husband William Saunders.
Mary married Henry Hopwood in Wellington in 1844. He died as a 'lunatic' prisoner in Wellington Gaol in 1852, and in 1857 Mary married Charles Goddard.
Mary died in Eketahuna on 21 May 1888, aged 68 years.
(1822 - 1900)
Maria was born on 6 June 1822, and was baptised in 1829.
She married William Saunders in Poplar, London on Christmas Day 1841, only four days before embarking the 'London' to travel to New Zealand. Marriage was a requirement for free passage to NZ.
Maria & William ran Johnsonville Hotel for a time.
Maria died in Johnsonville on 27 September 1900, aged 78 years.