"The descendant of one of the first European settlers to arrive in Auckland said new migrants should be welcomed in 'the same spirit' as the Maori showed with his ancestors nearly 170 years ago," according to a recent report in The New Zealand Herald [2 October 2012].
The article continues: "Gray Desmond Jamieson's ancestors Barr and Ann Jamieson arrived in Auckland from Scotland on board the Duchess of Argyll in 1842."
Mr Jamieson told the newspaper that "history books revealed that they did not have enough food when they first set foot here, and survived only because Maori fed them." He went on to say that "we should all remember our migratory roots."
"I don't think I'd be around today had it not been for what the Maori had done for my folks back then,' Mr Jamieson, 84, told The New Zealand Herald.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Read the full article by journalist Lincoln Tan, titled 'Put out old welcome mat,' in The New Zealand Herald.
Mr Jamieson and his family are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
Watch a video titled ‘What’s your story?’ about how to get started in family history research.
Learn more about family history, the Church’s website FamilySearch, and where to go for help in researching your family tree.