Our Family History
The Genealogy of the Story Family
De Mezzi Horace Hewett
De Mezzi Horace Hewett
Letter to Lt. Col. Robert Story. Regarding his daughters engagement
DS writes "Sent to Col. Story, when P & I were engaged & married. Well worth keeping, it shows how sweet HH was"
Leigh, North Auckland, New Zealand
1 September 1923
Dear Colonel Story
It is exceedingly kind and courteous of you to have written giving me so many interesting particulars of yourself and your family, on the occasion of the union of the family and our own in the persons of the young people we are so fond of. The union appears to be a very happy and suitable one and the prospect for them quite hopeful.
It must be very gratifying to you to have had so many relatives devote themselves to the service of their country, and no doubt they distinguished themselves in their various careers,
My own family is an old Hampshire family settled for many generations in the New Forest but latterly, for 200 years, settled on the land further north and XXXX it. Unfortunately none of the family have cared to take the trouble to investigate the reasons, though I myself, like you, are a firm believer in the value of heredity and lineage - some day I hope to take the matter in hand myself. At present we have, XXXX the last 250 years, chiefly family tradition to rely on.
The family is believes to have originally come from the Channel Islands, the local French name for "owl" there is "huet", our crest is an owl on the stump of an oak. It seems certain the family was of importance in Hampshire when the 28 ceremonial XXXX of the chief families of the district were built with the ancient "Bargate" at Southampton as our "coat"is one of them (DS: now obliterated 1964) . It is a curious fact that not one of the families referred to exists in the district at the present day, excepting one, that family, I see, now claims our arms as theirs! However, it happens, also curiously, that a brother of one of my sons-in-law, (DS:Colin Truebridge) has married a member of that family so the rival claims become merged. DS: XXX XXX who married a Truebridge. She was a "Callender".
Though my relations who have distinguished themselves have achieved success in art, literature and science - most of them lived uneventful lives in the church and professions, some have amassed fortunes in trade. DS: XXX XXX Hewett in America, & another in West XXX, W. Shipley Hockhams, in engineering.
My father was an engineer at the time railways were first being built and he laid down some of the Hampshire lines - those were XXX times, and he had saved £1000 at 21 - subsequently he bought a farm and followed the orthodox procedure in free-trade XXX by losing £1000 a year. He then settled at a watering place in Sussex that he was visiting & invested his money in bricks & mortar there - the property included a small brewery, of which I had charge when a boy and subsequently as my father's trustee. There I learned a good deal about carpentry and engineering, of which I was always very fond - my cheif hobby, however has been microscopic biological work & physiology - indeed all science had an irresistable attraction for me, and all things in our wondrous & inexplicable universe, from an invisible component of the atom to the most XXX nebula fscinates my attention and has lured me into the study of astronomy & many of the "XXX".
We have known "Pat" for years, and I was very pleased to hear he and my daughter Marguerite (Daisy) had come to an understanding. I discovered him at once on the "Remuera", in fact, told my girls, I remember, that he was the only gentleman amongst our fellow passengers.
My own opinion of Daisy is a very high one indeed (of course you can make your own XXX XXX) . She is warm-heated, clever and accomplished, a most delightful and entertaining companion, modest and sincere. I should have considered even the Prince of Wales fortunate if he had met up & won her. DS: The only testimonial I have!
This country is not what it was in your day, Pat says, I shall be thankful when Daisy & Pat leave it - their only society appears to be rough & uncultured farmers - very worthy people, but not companionable, not at all desirable associates for young people.
Fortunatly Pat, as a returned soldier, has been XXX to obtain, with the money he has, sufficient capital from the government, to embark in farming operations. He is experienced in the work & seems fond of the open-air life and appears to have made a successful beginning.
It is, unfortuneatly, but little I can do for them at present, at all XXX, my father lost a good many thousands owing to the depreciation in property at St. Leonards towards the end of his life, and left me, with a good deal owing to me for services (for which I have never been paid) with a XXX and mortgaged estate to look after and a mother and half a dozen brothers & sisters, with little or no capital, to provide for. So although things have gone XXX, I have come off myself rather badly.
I wonder if you ever met in India a Major General B Cowas? He was a relation of my wife's, a British officer in, I believe, a Ghurka regiment, he was in the XXX campaign with Roberts. My brother-in-law's brother, Captain Arthur Pixley, was in you very regiment I believe, the 60th Rifles - he was shot through the head in the 1st Boer War, but strange to say, was not killed.
We were interested in discovering from Pat that our family in bygone days had some slight connection with yours. My great grandmother's father was an Italian, Il XXX Antonio de Mezzi, he became involved in some political XXX in which the British Ambassador, Lord Rivers, was concerned, left Italy with Lord Rivers, XXX XXX & settled eventually in Hampshire. That Lord Rivers married an ancestor of yours, Pat says, at least I think that is what he told me.
This letter is far too long and will weary you I fear.
We have often thought and talked of you terrible life in lawless Ireland, and are thankful you have escaped the worst dangers so far. We can only hope things are better now and will continue to improve.
My daughters desire to join me in kindest and most cordial good wishes and regards to you and Mrs Story. We are looking forward to having the pleasure some day, of meeting you. You seem, by Pat's account, to have a lovely home in Ireland.
XXX me
Yours very sincerely
de M. H. Hewett
| Date | 1923 |
| Linked to | De Mezzi Horace Hewett |