My mother
Lorraine Alice McMurray (Walters) McDonald
1929–2016

My mother Lorraine Walters was born in 1929

The first Walters in my family to emigrate from Britain, however, were my great great grandparents William and Charlotte Walters and offspring. He was born and christened in Great Cheverell, Wiltshire in 1832 (though his father was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales), married Charlotte Jane Smith at Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green, London in 1853 and lived in Woolwich where he gave his occupation as “engineer”. By 1861 they had three children, the second son my great grandfather George Robert Walters born 1856, christened at St Mary Magdalene, Woolwich. By 16 June 1874, when they sailed as assisted emigrants for Port Chalmers on the Tweed, there were six children—Benjamin William 20, George Robert 18, Charlotte 16, Nicholas 15, Ellen 10 and Eliza 8. William gave his occupation as “Blacksmith”.

The Tweed arrived, but Dunedin’s Evening Star was not overly generous in its welcome,

Another batch of immigrants has been poured in upon
us—the ship Tweed, from London, which port she left
on June 18, having arrived at the Heads this afternoon
with 680 immigrants (3 September 1874).