On 1 November 1883, Michael emigrated from the Royal Albert Dock, London on the SS British King, following his brothers James and Patrick to New Zealand. His fare of £15.00.00 was assisted by the New Zealand Government. He arrived at Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 22 December 1883. The shipping record shows him as a passenger to Hawkes Bay. The British King may have gone on to Napier or the final stage from Wellington to Napier or Gisborne may have been on a coastal vessel.

James had settled in in Hastings in New Zealand in about 1880 and Patrick probably also lived there, but Michael first settled in Gisborne.

Michael was registered as a voter in 1890 in the East Coast Electorate, Gisborne and was described as a Farm Labourer. In 1899 he was living at Kaiti (now the part of Gisborne north of the river) and was described as a Settler.

On 13 December 1894, Ellen emigrated from Gravesend, London on the Ruapehu with her mother Ellen Walls [nee McCormick] and brother Thomas Walls. She arrived in New Zealand on 31 January 1895 (we need to check if this was Wellington, Napier or Gisborne).

As noted above, we do not know if Michael and Ellen knew each other in Ireland or if they first met in Gisborne.

Michael and Ellen were married on 29 May 1899 at St. Mary's R.C. Church, Gisborne, New Zealand by Fr. Turton, OSB. Witnesses at their wedding were Mary Heeney (a close friend of Ellen's) and Ellen's brother Thomas. ⁴

They must have moved from Gisborne to Hastings in the second half of 1899 shortly after they were married, as they were both registered as voters in 1899 in the Hawkes Bay Electorate. However I suspect that it is likely that Michael had moved to Hastings earlier and returned to Gisborne for the marriage.

Michael remained registered in the Hawkes Bay Electorate until his death in 1941.

Ellen was also registered there until 1919 (listed as wife of Michael).

In the electoral register, from 1902 until the 1921 election, he gave his occupation as flax miller and after that as carrier.

His occupation is also given as flaxmiller in the birth certificates of his sons Michael Thomas (1901) and John (1906).

In the 'Wises' directory from 1914 to 1923 he is listed as a carrier.

These sources give very little idea of what he actually did, however one of Mike's poems "Lines Composed While Flaxmilling at Pakipaki" starts to fill in the picture. He says:

Given the location of Paki Paki, it would seem likely that he was the Lynn referred to in the flaxmilling database at Koeke Junction website (unsourced), which lists a Flaxmill called Poppelwell and Lynn at Paki Paki.

The Hastings Library confirmed that Sebastian Bell Poppelwell owned the flaxmill at Pakipaki (8 km from central Hastings on the main road to Wellington).

And the following clippings confirm that it was Michael and that he was a partner in the mill with Sebastian Poppelwell.

Putting these pieces of information together, it seems certain that Michael and Sebastian Poppelwell co-owned the Paki Paki mill (ie he was a Flaxmiller not a flax worker) and that Michael was possibly the carrier, perhaps supplying the mill and shipping the product (presumably to Napier).

Interestingly Sebastian Poppelwell's name (or his father?) also crops up in association with another of Michaels poems How Long, O Lord, How Long? (see the sidebar). The poem is about Michael Davitt, a famous Fenian who visited New Zealand in 1895. When Davitt visited the Hastings Branch of The Irish National Federation League an S.G.Poppelwell Secretary, was a signatory to the letter of thanks to Davitt. It would be interesting to know if Michael was also at the meeting as I have the suspicion from another of his poems (Lough Beg Shore) which shows Fenian leanings, that he was also a Fenian in Ireland.

In about 1908, Michael and Ellen purchased a block of land at 414 West Lyndon Road, Hastings between West Lyndon Road, Southhampton Street, Nelson Street and Southland Road. There were a 9 houses on the property, 8 of which were rented out and the family lived in the other.

Michael and Ellen had six children, all born in Hastings (note that for privacy, the details of the children's families have been withheld from this web site):

Mary was born on 27 November 1899 and died on 18 July 1976 in Masterton, New Zealand. She married Ernest Camden on 5 April 1926 in Hastings, Mary's brother Tom witnessed the marriage. They had nine children.

Michael was born on 14 October 1901 but was always known as Tom.

Tom lived in the Hawkes Bay and in the electoral rolls gave his occupation as driver and later labourer. He left New Zealand in about 1940 and worked as a drover in Queensland for a short time before joining the Australian army on 8 July 1942. He served in the army (Service Number: Q270974) until 25 January 1946, working in the "Allied Translator and Interpreter Section".

He married Marie Pearl Clarke on 3 January 1944 at St Stephen's Cathedral in Brisbane.

Tom died of Heart Failure, Hypertension and Myocardial Infarct on 25 August 1961 at Mater Misericordiae Public Hospital, Brisbane. He was buried the following day at Toowong Cemetery in plot Grave 17 in section 15, portion 22. Marie died 11 Jan 1983 as is buried with Tom.

Patrick was born about 1903. He never married. He was registered as a voter from 1928 to 1935 in the Hawkes Bay Electorate (giving his occupation as labourer) and died on 21 May 1935 in Hastings. Patrick was buried on 23 May 1935 at Hastings Cemetery in plot 202E.

Jack was born on 20 January 1906. Me married Margaret Evelyn Bull in Christchurch, on 14 June 1941 and they had two children.

He was educated at the Hastings Convent, Hastings. He attained the Senior Free Place examination in his final year in 1920 (which was in "an advanced class at Hastings Convent, standard 7, equivalent to first year at high school"), studying book keeping, general science, mathematics and English.

He later passed government examinations for amateur radio operator in 1927 and for radio servicing in 1932.

From 1920 to 1928 John was employed as a clerk by Hastings Bakery Ltd and he was a private in the Territorial Service in the Hawkes Bay Regiment from 1921 to 1926 in Hastings. While in the territorial service he also received some Pilot training.

From 1928 to 1930 John was employed as a radio serviceman by Rees Radio Ltd. and then from 1930 and 1940 he ran a radio servicing business located at the Lynn family home at 414 West Lyndon Road.

On 20 March 1940 he joined the Royal New Zealand Airforce (service number 40878) as a Wireless and Radar mechanic. He was based at Wigram, Omaka (now Blenheim airport) and Rukuhia (now Hamilton airport) and was discharged on 26 10 1945.

While he was in the RNZAF he was involved in the development of the early Radar systems including the design of antennae and in training other electronics specialists.

After the war he remained in electronics and was employed as a designer and serviceman by Columbus Radio Ltd (later called Robert Francis Ltd).

John died of Heart failure due to an old Myocardial Infarct on 12 December 1961 in Christchurch and was buried 2 days later at Memorial Park Cemetery in Christchurch.

Joseph was born about 1909. He was registered as a voter from 1935 to 1941 in the Hawkes Bay Electorate, occupation fruit picker.

He served in the New Zealand Army between 1942 and 1945 in New Caledonia as a Gunner in the 28th Light Artillery Battery. He was discharged in 1944, along with a considerable number of other servicemen, when a manpower shortage in New Zealand threatened supplies of food and wool to the British and American armies.

After 1944 he lived near Otaua, south of Auckland, until his death.

He never married.

He died on 4 September 1957 and was was buried at Pukekohe Cemetery in plot 57.

Anne was born about 1911. Anne was registered as a voter from 1935 to 1941 in the Hawkes Bay Electorate. She married Harold Benson in 1946 and they had three children,

She died on 23 July 1983 in Waipukurau, New Zealand and was buried 3 days later at Waipukurau Cemetery in plot Block 8C, plot 50.