Biography

Grace Turnbull 1861-1939

Grace Turnbull was the daughter of James and Mary , nee Cross, Turnbull. She was born in Tibbermore, Perthshire, Scotland on 25th August 1861. In 1885 on the 8th of January she married George Menzies of Leadhills, Lanarkshire, Scotland at the Saint Paul’s Manse, Invercargill Southland, New Zealand.The couple had six children

Sadly for Grace and her husband George two of her six children did not live long. An unnamed girl who’s birth and death are given by the family as 26th March 1898, and an infant son William who is said to have been born and died on Aug 31st 1904. William is probably buried here with Grace, George and George’s brother William. (Please see entry for William Menzies 192a/8)

Unfortunately Grace lost two more of her surviving children. She saw three of her sons off to the Great War 1914-1918,all three were wounded but one would be killed in action, her eldest James William Chisholm Menzies.

James embarked in Nov. 1915 for Egypt where he saw action and was promoted to Lance Corporal. He then embarked for France in April of 1916 and was wounded in Sept. after recuperating in an English hospital he was promoted to Sergeant and returned to his unit in Aug of 1917. He was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in the field in Oct. 1917 and promoted to Warrant Officer in Jan. 1918. He was again in hospital in May of 1918 and in England again on leave in July of 1918. After rejoining his battalion he was killed on the 31st July 1918 and is buried in the Bancourt British Cemetery, east of Baupaume in France. James was born in Milton on the 4th March 1887. Before enlisting in the army James was employed as a porter for N.Z. Railways

Grace and George’s second child, also a son, George Gibb Menzies was born in Milton on the 8th May 1888. He entered the teaching profession but joined the Canterbury Infantry Battalion to serve in the Great War. He fought at Gallipoli serving with the Main Body and was wounded in action. On his return to N.Z he married Olive Campbell Sproat, daughter of Hugh and Mary Jean, nee McKenzie, Sproat in Gore on 23rd Dec. 1918. The couple had three children.Olive died in May 1928 and George married secondly Isobel Jean Menzies and they had a daughter in Aug 1933. George was drowned with two others,one his brother in law Hugh, in January of 1934.(refer:The Southland Times, Monday 22nd January, 1934)

Grace and George’s fourth child was Mary Mattie Weir Menzies. She was born 1st Sept, 1889. Mary never married and died on the 9th Oct 1955. She is buried in the Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.

The couples fifth child Thomas Menzies was born in Kaihiku on 14 June 189. He was a cabinet maker by trade and was employed by Herbert Hayes and Co, Queen Street, Dunedin. He enlisted for the Great War and embarked from England to France in Sept 1917. He was wounded on the 28th Sept and did not rejoin his unit until Dec 1917. In January 1918 he was admitted to hospital again rejoining his unit 11 March. He was wounded again 5th April and declared unfit for futher service as a result on the 27th June 1918. He returned to N.Z. on the ‘Ionic’ on 24th Aug. 1918 and took up his trade as a cabinetmaker, he never married and died in Sept. 1968. He is buried in the Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.

‘Menzies My Clan’ Compiled by Dennis M Menzies. 2008.