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Andrew FORSYTH
1892 - 1968

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• Birth	25DEC1892	15 Bruce St, Stirling. Scotland   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Died	2FEB1968	Lower Hutt Hospital. NZ   [3]
  Buried	Taita Lawn Cemetery, Lower Hutt. NZ
  Person ID	I524	Jean Mailer Forsyth
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2012

  
  

  Father	Michael Bruce FORSYTH,   b. 13NOV1856, Land St, Keith, Banff. Scotland ,   d. 16MAR1923, 27 Cochran St, Paisley. Scotland
  Mother	Helen WHYTE,   b. 28MAR1855, Milnathort, Orwell, Kinross. Scotland ,   d. 10APR1942, 15 Craw Rd, Paisley, Scotland
  Married	06JAN1881	59 Cowane St, Stirling. Scotland
  Photos		For1881mhmWhyte.jpg
  		Michael Bruce Forsyth 1891 Census.jpg
  		Michael Bruce Forsyth 1901 Census.jpg
  		Michael B Forsyth 1911 Census.jpg
  		MiHeAnMa.jpg
  Family ID	F179	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos		For1892ab.jpg
  		MiHeAnMa.jpg
  		For1917ammDyce.jpg
  		Andrew & Margaret Forsyth per Ruahine 1920 to NZ.jpg

  
  

• Notes

  Details provided by Jennifer Forsyth, daughter-in-law. Andrew Whyte Forsyth was born with view of Stirling Castle on Christmas Day 1892. He played on the field of Bannockburn. He worked in the Railway Clearing House as had his father before him. He volunteered for service in 'Kitchener's Army' (they had an armband to show they were on standby). 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders - from The Long Long Trail webpage. August 1914 : at Shorncliffe. Part of 10th Brigade in 4th Division. Moved on mobilisation to York area (including Darlington and Strensall) before moving to Harrow. 23 August 1914 : landed at Boulogne. He gained the rank of Lance Corporal in the Seaforth Highlanders - a bombadier using hand grenades rather than a rifle. During WW1 he went 'over the top' once at Soisson. Andrew was sent back to England to train in the use of the Stokes Mortar (weapon used in trench warfare - the 'shoot and scatter brigade') but never fired one after that. Life in the trenches was terrible. Lice used to live in the seas of the kilt. One had to open the pleats and seams and sear with a candle to get rid of them. There were decontamination centres to help with cleanliness. After being hit in the eye with schrapnel and also suffering from trench foot, Andrew was sent to Lady Buller's hospital to recuperate. It was during this time that he met his future wife who worked for Lady Buller. Andrew married Margaret Dice (b Co Wexford, Ireland) on Christmas Day 1917at the Forsyth home at 5 Phillips St, Paisley. After WW1 Andrew worked in Germany in the British Army of Occupation for a year on the railways. He was billetted with an elderly lady. He sent home folding postcards of German castles on the Rhine and a rudimentary French phrase book. He was discharged from the Army in September 1919. They were persuaded by Andrew's sister Jean and husband Jack to also emigrate to NZ arriving January 1921. The family was sponsored by a Mr Scott, a woodwork teacher at Petone Technical School. Andrew and Margaret departed from Southampton 3Dec1920 for Wellington NZ per 'Ruahine (2)'. Andrew was aged 27 and a Clerk. Margaret's first son Michael Bruce was born 4Sep1921 with James Andrew arriving nearly two years later on 17Aug1923. Both boys were born at Petone. Andrew had a clerical job in the gasworks at Udy St, Petone. There was a strike there and he lost both his job and the house they were buying in Huia St. Andrew never regained his clerical status after that. He worked until he was 65, mainly for the Railways doing track maintenance and other labouring jobs. Up until the 1930s the family were staunch Presbyterians. A snide remark by a Presbyterian minister who looked down his nose at Andrew having a labouring job probably led to the family to becoming born again Christians. They heard Agnes Schloss speak and embraced her words literally. Andrew had the first of several heart attacks at age 66 and died in Hutt Hospital in 1968 aged 76. In Petone the family lived at 189 The Esplanade (the building is now gone), 40 Bolton St, then an upstairs flat in Pretoria St, Lower Hutt (which they hated) and finally a little state house in Grierson St, Naenae, Lower Hutt. Andrew is remembered by his daughter in law Jenny as a serious, earnest man, very strong in the Lord. He was hard-working, always put in a vegetable garden wherever the family lived. He was a man who liked his routine and would pace up and down until the evening newspaper arrived. He only read the bible and the newspaper. I have a photo of Andrew, his wife Margaret and Andrew's parents Michael Bruce and Helen Forsyth (nee Whyte). There is also a photo of Andrew in uniform. According to NZER Andrew was registered to vote in elections from 1928 to 1963 in Wellington NZ.




• Sources

  [S1050] Certificate obtained. [S1076] Scottish BMD on-line, 490/00 0007 for 1893. [S1056] Certificate Number known but not purchased, NZ BMD online reg 1968/40056 aged 77 years.