Trapski Family

Trapski/Trąbski Family (pronounced Trombski)

TRAPSKI possibly TRABSKI (Pol) traba. Meaning: horn or trabka - trumpet.

TRAPSKI possibly TRĄBSKI (Pol) traba. Meaning: horn or trabka - trumpet.

Editorials

Frederick Tropski died on the 13th of October 1874 and is buried in the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin under the name of Jopsky.

Frederick Tropski died on the 13th of October 1874 and is buried in the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin under the name of Jopsky. Grave

%META:TOPICINFO{author="PaulKlemick" date="1105764600" format="1.0" version="1.1"}% %META:TOPICPARENT{name="PolishGenealogy"}% -- PaulKlemick - 17 Aug 2003

Trapski Family

SURNAMES & THEIR ORIGINS

TRAPSKI possibly TRABSKI (Pol) traba. Meaning: horn or trabka - trumpet.

Frederick Ferdinand Trapski is recorded in an early birthday book as born on the 4th of May 1839, in the village of Tusewark?, Danzig (Gdansk), West Prussia, ethnically Poland. Here it is believed his father worked as a tailor. No record can be found of his coming to New Zealand. However, a brother, Eduard Wilhelm Carl Frederick Trapske is recorded as being an 'Assisted and Guaranteed Passenger' aboard the "City of Dunedin" from London, on the 4th of October 1869. He worked in Dunedin as a carpenter and died there, unmarried, on the 15th of June 1914 aged 74. He is buried in the Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.

Frederick Tropski (1839-1874) married Alice (Alicia) McKenna (1834-1883), the daughter of Charles McKenna, on the 10th of December 1864 at St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin. They resided at the settlement of Greytown (Allanton) where they had their family being: Charles Henry (1866-1920), Frederick Ferdinand (1868-1946), Alice Alicia (1870-1929), & John (1872-1944).

• Friederich Ferdinand Trapski:
  Frederick worked as a farmer in the district and the family are believed to have owned a small house and barn beside the railway. In 1874 Frederick applied for a 200acre section of land (Sec. 1, Block XIII, Waipahi) under the Waste Lands Act 1872, on a deferred payments system.

Before the move to Waipahi was made, Frederick was involved in a coaching accident (in January 1874) that was to change the life of the family.

Steadman's four-horse Waihola coach, driven by T. Aitken, met with an accident on Monday morning. When passing Lookout Point, the pole broke short, and the coach upset, the horses bolting with the front carriage, and dragging the driver for a short distance with them. He escaped, however, without injury, but some of the passengers - of whom there were a good number - received nasty bruises from the metal. William Mulligan had one of his wrists sprained; and Fred Trapske, a German, was conveyed to the hospital, being severely bruised, but having no bones broken. The other passengers were forwarded to Dunedin by a Caversham bus.

Some of the foreign residents in the Taieri are rather unfortunate. A Frenchman had to be sent to the lunatic asylum a few weeks ago, and last week a German named F. Tropski, had to be sent to the same place. It will be remembered he met with an accident through the upsetting of Mrs. Steadman's coach, about six months ago, and although he had been in the hospital for several weeks, he never properly recovered the shock, and his ill-health and consequent inability to earn anything to support his family caused great depression in his spirits, which resulted in his insanity. According to the Doctor's opinion, his case is hopeless. We learn that a few of the gentlemen of the East Taieri are endeavouring to raise a subscription to aid his wife and four children, the eldest of whom is not eight years old. As he has been well known in the district for over twelve years, we have no doubt the gentlemen will be successful.

The unfortunate German whose case of lunacy in the East Taieri we mentioned in a recent issue died in the Dunedin Asylum on Monday last.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF FREDERICK FERDINAND TROPSKI

"An inquest was held on the 14th ultimo at the Lunatic Asylum Dunedin, by T. M. Hocken, Esquire, Coroner, on the body of Frederick Tropski, a labourer, aged 38 years, who died there, on the previous day.

Verdict: Died from inflammation on the brain."

• Alice Alicia Trapski (nee McKenna):
  Frederick Tropski died on the 13th of October 1874 and is buried in the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin under the name of Jopsky.

Alicia was left with four children, aged 8, 6, 4, & 2. She decided to go ahead and take up the Waipahi land, in the hope of making a better future for her and the children.

She is reputed to have made butter for sale in Gore, walking the three or four miles to Waipahi to put it on the train. It was said that the wandering animals were a bit of a problem because of the lack of fencing in the area.

Her health deteriorated and on the 13th of August 1883 she revised her Will. She died of cancer soon after on the 3rd of September 1883. She is buried in the Gore Cemetery.

The children were now aged 17, 14, 13 & 11. Edmund Hayes and Daniel Clarke became her executors and guardians of her children. The Cooper family in the same district brought up John, the youngest son. Alice, the only daughter at 12, took responsibility for looking after her older brothers.

Trapski Family Tree

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