I am a direct descendant of Walter Bowles (who married Alice Clarke)and who was born at Ashford in Kent to William Johnson Bowles and Mary Anne Anderson. So many people on Rootsweb lists have aided me in this hunt (and I think I have now got most of them??), and since I have just found this wee article in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand and just in case there are some of Walter's siblings' descendants on these lists, I am bringing it to their attention. "Walter Bowles, the Stationmaster at Palmerston North, is the son of Mr W.J. Bowles , of Rangiora, Canterbury, who was for many years in the service of the London North Western Railway Company. Educated partly at private schools in England, and partly at public schools in New Zealand, he came to the Colony with his parents in 1876. Joining the railway service as a cadet in Christchurch in 1878, Mr. Bowles was appointed a stationmaster in 1882. From 1885 to 1890 he was clerk in the traffic manager's office, Christchurch. Then till June, 1896, he held the position of chief relieving officer in the Canterbury district, when he was appointed stationmaster at Palmerston North. Mr. Bowles was married in 1893 to the eldest daughter of Mr. C. Vincent Clarke, of Waimate, Canterbury." They came on "The Douglas" arriving Wellington 22 Oct 1874, so the writer of this article was a little out with the year of arrival. But the year of marriage is correct - according to the "printout" it was 3 Jan 1893. Cheers Gail (Te Kohanga) ----- End forwarded message -----