Name - JOHN SHIEL(D)S (Ist Fencible Division) T/9 2 page 65

Enlisted - 8th January 1827

Admitted - 22nd January 1850

Ship - Recruited in New Zealand or Australia

Pension - Chelsea Pension 1/- per day commenced 11th July 1850

Rank - Private

Unit - 58th Regiment of Foot Regimental No. 578

Born - Enniscorthy, County Wexford circa 1808

Abode - White Street, Auckland

Parents -

Status - Married Dublin 1841, 3 children

Wife - ANN McKEARNEY

Description - 5' 8½", black hair, blue eyes, sallow complexion, good character, four badges, labourer. Served 23 years (with 1 months disallowed) including 4 years 6 months in Afghanistan and 1 year 10 months in Ceylon. This man arrived at Hobart Town on the ship "William Jardine" and later at Auckland on the "North Star" or "Velocity". He was discharged with weakness, pains and abcesses in the perineum and died in the Auckland Provincial Hospital at the end of 1865. RG 1865/589

Issue of JOHN SHIEL(D)S & ANN McKEARNEY?:-

PATRICK? born circa 1832? killed in action 12th July 1868

JOHN born circa 1834? = HANNAH ..............

MARY ANN born Dec 1847 buried 28th April 1849 aged 1 year 5 months

THOMAS born 09. 11. 1849

SARAH ANNE born 01. 02. 1852

CATHERINE? born circa 1855 buried 13th June 1872 aged 17 years

JOHN SHIELDS was buried from St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland 1865.

St Patrick's Marriage Index -

MARY SHIELDS = HECTOR McKENZIE 3rd January 1876

ROSE SHIEL(D)S, full age = JAMES McMILLAN 29th March 1876

SARAH SHIELS = DAVID HATTON 16th March 1874

The following entries are included in case they are relevant to this Fencible.

Issue of JOHN SHIELDS (born circa 1834) & HANNAH .............. (born circa 1839):-

CATHERINE born 13. 09. 1864

THOMAS JOHN born 21. 12. 1865 = ........ ......... 1908 St Ben's as Thomas James?

PATRICK born died infancy?

MARGARET born 1877 = ..................... ........................ 1906/...... St Ben's

JOHN born 18?? = ................... ........................... 1897/..... St Ben's

Found in the NZSG Records of the Church of St Sepulchre or St Benedict? -

MARGARET BELLA SHIELDS, daughter of John & Hannah, married 1885.

EDWARD SHIELDS, son of John & Hannah, married 1918.

SHIELDS - On June 21, at the Auckland Hospital, JOHN, the dearly beloved husband of the late Hannah Shields, aged 92 years. R.I.P. The funeral will leave his late residence, 69 Boston Road, for St Benedict's Church this (Tuesday) morning. Requiem Mass at 9 o'clock. Funeral interment after Mass.

New Zealand Herald Tuesday 23rd June 1925.

The following is a Symonds Street gravestone, no longer extant, which was transcribed 1958. The top of the stone was already missing, therefore compiler has journalised the opening words, indicated by the brackets around the opening phrase). Hannah Shields was also buried from St Benedict's Church.

It is possible that this John Shields may have been the son of the Fencible above -

(In loving memory of)

HANNAH SHIELDS

died 30th November 1897,

aged 58 years.

Also

PATRICK SHIELDS,

their infant son.

Also

JOHN SHIELDS,

husband of Hannah,

died 21st June 1925,

aged 90 years.