Quite an adventure...

John Cochran Begg ....

my first cousin 3x removed left Muirkirk, Ayr, Scotland and sailed to New Zealand.  In  1863 on the Ship Nimrod..

In 1866 he married...

Elizabeth Jane Shepherd who was born in NZ the daughter of James Shepherd & Harriet Nelson missionaries from Australia who were trying to convert the Maori Heathen at the Bay of Islands.

                                                 1845-1931                                                                                           1836-1913                                     

Whangaroa, Northland, New Zealand

     This is the home John and Elizabeth lived in and raised their family of the following seven children...      

David Shepherd Begg  1866-1942
John Begg  1867-1951
Christina Harriet Begg  1870-1919
Isaac Henry Begg  1871-1929
Anne Elizabeth Begg  1874-1961
Grace Jane Begg  1877-1959
Agnes Begg  1880-1969                 

Nimrod

In 1907 Ernest Shackleton sailed this same ship on an Expedition to the South Pole...

Shackleton was shocked by his first sight of Nimrod after her arrival in London from Newfoundland in June 1907. "She was much dilapidated and smelt strongly of seal oil, and an inspection [...] showed that she needed caulking and that her masts would have to be renewed." However, in the hands of experienced ship-fitters she soon "assumed a more satisfactory appearance." Later, Shackleton reported, he became extremely proud of the sturdy little ship.

I know more about Elizabeth  than I do John. Her father had to learn the Maori language and was able to translate the Bible eventually.  I have read how difficult his work was in journals he wrote.

I do have photographs of some of  my cousin John's children but they are not very good images except for this one...

Grace Jane Begg
1877-1959

It seems Jane was the only child that never married, maybe she is the one standing on the upstairs porch of their house with her mother as her father is standing in front.

Whangaroa... Beautiful in color