Pędowski Family

Pędowski, Jozef Wincenty Stable Hand (1846-1926) Łukocin, the son of Jozef Pędowski & Anna Halba, worked on a large German farm where his principal duty was to look after the horses with great care. It is said that some of Jozef’s sisters married Germans, giving him a very hard time. One day a German foreman accused Jozef of giving too much oats to the horses and hit him with a whip without warning. Jozef returned with a blow rendering him unconscious believing he killed him. Knew that if caught, he would be sentenced to death or many years in prison for assaulting a German and so left the farm. Years later Jozef discovered that the foreman had not been killed, but the German Police had been searching for him. He left Stanisławie for Hamburg where he set aboard the “Palmerston” 29 Jul 1872, arriving at Port Chalmers, Dunedin, 6 Dec 1872. Listed aboard was—Joseph Pedowski 26. He was sent south to Scroggs Creek on contract work with Brodgen & Sons to lay the southern railway through the Taieri. After the railway works Joseph worked as a farm labourer. Joseph m. (29 Jan 1875) Church of the Immaculate Conception, Riccarton, Maryanna Walińska (1859-1934) Małżewko, the daughter of Jozef Waliński & Franciszka Szwocha. Joseph bought sections 3 & 4 of block 17 of Greytown on 28 Nov 1878. Here he built a two-bedroom wooden cottage on a a large section, together costing him £12 & 10s. Later on they added another bedroom. The 82’ Freeholders lists Joseph owning land to the value of £90 in the settlement of Greytown. Family— John (1876-1941), Annie (1878-1898), Martha (1880-1949), Joseph (1881-1952), Mary (1884-1964), Matilda (1886-1967), Frank (1888-1972), Antoni (1891-1952), Alexander (1893-1971), George (1895-1975), Emily Sophia (1897-1970), James William (1900-1981) & Veronica (1903-1939). Proud of their parents, they were described as real Christians full of love. Unable to speak English for a long time they were exploited at work and robbed by shopkeepers. As a result they seldom had any money. With a large family, the children were sent out to work at an early age. They all worked at different farms from dawn till 8 p.m. Joseph corrected his children if they ever said something badly in Polish. As a result their knowledge of Polish was quite good and in return Joseph & Marianna learned English from their children. Joseph, a labourer, was naturalised as a New Zealand citizen 26 Aug 1899 at Allanton. Joseph & Marianna saved all their life in order to have a respectable funeral and before they died they handed over to the children fifty gold sovereigns each for that purpose. Joseph died 4 Aug 1926 aged 80 and is buried at the Allanton Cemetery.

Pedowski Family.

Pedowski Family.

Photos & info kindly provided by Mrs. Frank Pedofsky, Joan Mussen, Gwen Holleyman & Ossie J. Ryan.