SARAH COTONSarah Jane Holt was born ca.1836, probably the daughter of Harrison and Elizabeth Holt of Halifax, York, England. She was married to Bentley Coton in 1858 in Halifax. Bentley was also locally born, the son of John and Elizabeth Coton. The 1851 census shows the Coton family living in Northowram, and Bentley at the time 16 years old lists his profession as mechanic.
In 1858 Bentley and Sarah came to New Zealand on the Mystery, arriving in Lyttelton in 1859 and walking over the Port Hills. Bentley gives his profession as farm labourer on the passenger list. Bentley's obituary suggests the couple took up a position at Waireka (Wiareka in the newspaper) for 3 years before moving to Hororata. However the Macdonald Dictionary states that while they were engaged by Edward Curry of Mt Torlesse as a married couple, they only stayed 1 month. The couple built a cob cottage near Hororata in 1864. Set on 50 acres of land on the Canterbury Plains, the cottage originally consisted of five rooms including an attic bedroom. The first Church of England services were held in this cottage before a church was built in the Hororata area. Sir John Hall and his family would have attended those services. Sarah signed just the 1893 petition. The couple don't appear to have had any children. Bentley died in 1913, and was buried in the cemetery at St John's. Soon after Sarah moved into Christchurch to live with her nephew, and died in 1919 age 83. She is buried alongside her husband in Hororata.
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References:
Photo Credits:
- "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NRQ9-ZZ9 : 11 February 2018, Sarah Jane Holt, 09 Oct 1836)
- "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2D7Z-HK7 : 13 December 2014), Bentley Coton, 1858
- "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPMC-LRL : 1 November 2017), Bentley Coton in household of John Coton, , Yorkshire,Yorkshire (West Riding), England
- MS, Coton's Cottage, Hororata Historical Society archives
- C619, Canterbury Museum, Macdonald Dictionary, record for Bentley Coton
- Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14767, 10 September 1913
- Star, Issue 12592, 31 March 1919
- Births, Deaths and Marriages online, Department of Internal Affairs, death registration #1919/554
Photo Credits:
- Sarah Coton, Copyright Hororata Historical Society
- Coton's Cottage, Copyright Hororata Historical Society