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Pędowski Family (pronounced Pendovskee)

SURNAMES & THEIR ORIGINS

HALBA/ALBA is a very old Polish name, which originated some 800 years ago. Meaning: helmet.

PEDOWSKI derives from the Polish word pedzic. Meaning: to drive, speed, hurry.

SZWOCHA derives from the Polish word szwoch. Meaning: uncle, relative.

WALINSKI derives from name element Wal- as from Walenty. Meaning: strong, healthy.

Joseph Pedowski (1803-1853) married (1830 Mühlbanz) Anna Halba, (1805-1855), the daughter of Joannes Halba & Catharina Beling. Together they settled in the village of Lukoschin (Lukocin) in the Parish of Mühlbanz (Milobadz), West Prussia, in the ethnic region of Kociewie, in the district of Gdansk, Poland. Here they had their family being: Franciska (1832), Barbara Anna (1834), Johan (1837-1838), Anna (1838-1840), Johanna Ludovica (1841), Rosalie Agnes (1843-1844) & Joseph Vincent (1846-1926).

Joseph Vincent worked as a stable boy on a large farm owned by some Germans. His principal duty was to look after the horses as if they were his children with great care and love. However, one day the farm foreman, a German, accused Joseph of giving too much oats to the horses. Then without waiting for any explanation he hit Joseph with a whip. This was too much for Joseph to take and without thinking he knocked the foreman down with one blow of his arm leaving him unconscious and so Joseph ran away believing that he had killed him. Joseph knew that if he was caught, he would be sentenced either to death if he had indeed killed the foreman or to many years in prison, due to assaulting a German.

Years later Joseph discovered that he had not killed the foreman, but the local German Police had been searching for him. After running away from the farm Joseph headed towards Gdansk and on to Hamburg, Germany, where he volunteered to go to New Zealand. It is also said that some sisters to Joseph married Germans and that they had given him a very hard time. From Hamburg, Joseph aged 26, set aboard the ship "Palmerston" departing on the 29th of July 1872 arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on the 6th of December 1872.

• Marianna Pedowski & child at their home, Allanton.:
  He set off to the Taieri settling at Greytown (Allanton) where he worked on the railways and latter as a farm labourer. Two years later Joseph Pedofsky married Marianna Walinska on the 29th of January 1875 at the Church of Immaculate Conception, Riccarton (East Taieri), being performed by Bishop Moran of Dunedin. This church is now at Allanton.

Mariana was born on the 12th of October 1859 in the village of Malsau (Malzewo) to Joseph Walinski & Franciska Szwocha. She also travelled to New Zealand aboard the "Palmerston" with her family where they too settled in Greytown.

On the 28th of November 1878 Joseph bought sections 3 & 4 of block 17 in Greytown. Here he built a two-bedroom home together with a large section costing him Ł12-10-0. Later on they added another bedroom. In the 1882 Freeholders Joseph is listed as owning land to the value of Ł90 in the settlement of Greytown.

Together they had thirteen children, seven boys and six girls, namely - John (1876-1941), Annie (1878-1898), Martha (1880), Joseph (1881-1952), Mary (1884), Matilda (1886), Frank (1888), Antoni (1891), Alexander (1893), George (1895-1975), Emily Sophia (1897), James William (1900) & Veronica (1903-1939).

• Right: Marianna & Joseph Pedowski with children:
  The children were very proud of their parents describing them as real Christians full of love. They saved all their life in order to have a respectable funeral. Before they died they handed over to the children fifty gold sovereigns each for that purpose.

Joseph & Marianna learned English from their children. Unable to speak English for a long time they were exploited at work and robbed by shopkeepers. For example they were paid two shillings for a day's work on a farm instead of eight shillings, which was the norm. Shops charged them two shillings instead of two pence due to the fact that they didn't understand the currency. As a result they seldom had any money. Since the family was large the children were sent out to the workforce at an early age. They all worked at different farms from early morning till 8 p.m. Joseph would correct his children if they ever said something badly in Polish. As a result their knowledge of Polish was quite good.

The following is an article on the death of young Annie Pedofsky.

Sudden Death

NEAR ALLANTON

A SUDDEN death occured near Allanton on Thursday afternoon. Annie Pedofsky, a young woman in the employ of Mr Alexander Hastie, had gone out for some wood. A few minutes afterwards Miss Hastie heard moaning at the back, and on looking out the window she observed the girl Pedofski lying on the ground. She called her mother, and together they went out to the girl. The latter was immediately carried inside and medical assistance sent for. Before the arrival of a doctor she had expired. An inquest will be held before Mr Carew at a quarter past 10 this morning. "The Taieri Advocate", 14th May 1898.

INQUEST

AT ALLANTON

AN inquest on the body of Annie Pedofsky, who died suddenly near Allanton on Thursday was held at Mr. A. Hastie's residence on Saturday morning before Mr. E. H. Carew, coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr. G. Nichol was chosen foreman.

The Jury having viewed the body, evidence was given as follows; -

Mary Pedofsky said deceased was her daughter, and her name was Annie. She was born at Allanton and she was 19 years old. Witness last saw her alive on Sunday. She complained then of having a pain in her shoulder for the last fortnight. She did not complain about her chest. She saw Dr McCaw about two years ago. She complained then of having a sore head, and the doctor told her she had a weak heart. She was always pale, and suffered from indigestion.

Jessie Hastie, wife of Alexander Hastie, said deceased had been in her employ for about nine months. She had seemed in good health, but was naturally pale, and she made no complaint about her heatlh. She seemed in her usual health on Thursday, and appeared to be in extra good spirits. Witness last saw her alive about four o'clock. Witness went into the kitchen and deceased and she went out of the back door together, witness turning to the left and Annie to the right. About five minutes later her daughter called to her, and on going she found deceased at the side to the house, lying on the ground. She was not quite dead. Witness gave her a little spirits, and undid her dress. They then carried her in and put her feet in hot water, and also sent for a doctor. She thought by then the girl was dead. She was not dead when she sent for Dr Cattan, but the boy was not long gone before she realised that the girl was dead. Dr Cattan was not at home and Dr Allan arrived about six o'clock.

By the Jury deceases had complained the previous week of a rheumatic pain in the left shoulder.

William Allan, duly qualified medical practitioner, residing at Mosgiel said he was called on Thursday in response to a wire, arriving at Mr. Hastie's shortly after six o'clock. He saw deceased. There was still some heat in the body, but the extremities were cold. The lips were bluish, but there were no outward indications of death from other than some natural cause. He interviewed Mrs. Pedofsky and Mrs. Hastie, and from what they said, and the general appearance of the patient, he concluded that it was a cause of syncope. Deceased was evidently very anaemic, and that, in addition to the weak heart, produced further weakness. There was no suspicion of death from any other than some natural cause.

The Jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony, that deceased died form sudden failure of the heart. "The Taieri Advocate", 18th May 1898.

Marianna took over the roll of Midwife when her mother departed. When her expertise was required her husband Joe, with the lamp, accompanied her. The local Doctor would also be beckoned for, to oversee in case of any complications. One of the older boys at the time would then have the run of the house during the night. The oldest daughter would then in turn take running of the household in the morning, preparing breakfast, school and general household chores.

Marianna was also an excellent seamstress sewing all garments for the family as well as the boy's suits. They only thing they had to buy were the boots on their feet. A travelling salesman would go door-to-door selling his wares.

One incident that occurred at church was on the day when collections were given in specific times of the year, which was usually about 10 shillings. Well this particular day Marianna had only a one-pound note on her. She gave this to Joe assuming she would receive change from 10 shillings, as he and the boys were sitting up front. At the end of the Mass when the priest read the names from the collections list it came to; 'Joe Pedofski, one pound' and with that Marianna replied from the back of the church "You old fool, that was all I had."

Joseph Pedofski was naturalised on the 26th of August 1899 as a labourer residing in Allanton. Joseph Pedofsky died on the 4th of August 1926 aged 81.

• Pedowski Family:
  
  Back Row; Tily, Alex, George, Mac, John, Joe, Frank, Vera, Murray.
  Front Row; Jim, Tot, Joseph Pedowski, Marianna (nee Walinska) & Tony.
  

Joseph Jnr. never married and so looked after his mother Marianna until she died on the 7th of February 1934 aged 74. Both Joseph Snr. & Marianna are buried at the Allanton Cemetery. Grave

• Five Generations:
  
  Back; Mary Pedowski (Gr Grandmother 63yrs) & Martha McCutcheon (Grandmother 42yrs).
  Front; Franciska Switalla (Gr Gr Grandmother 93yrs) , Ethel Kelly (Mother 21yrs ) & Patricia Kelly (Baby 1yr).

Editorials

Pedowski Family Tree