Helen Tanzin Griffin (1905-2003) was born on 17 August 1905 in Reweti (west of Riverhead and north-west of Kumeu). Helen was the fourth and final child of Sarah and James Griffin. She had two sisters, Clyde and Ruth, and a brother, Roger. Helen was baptized on 28 August 1909.
Helen Tanzin wrote the following for one of her great-grand son’s kindergarten project about ‘Life in the Olden Days’, when she was 5 or 6 years old:
“I was the boys’ age around 1912. We lived in the country and I was the youngest child of four, with my two elder sisters, Ruth and Clyde, and my brother, Roger.
For transport we all had horses. I had a pony called Tiny who was not good or kind. He was hard to catch and tricky to ride and I often fell off, and I still know how it hurt landing on the ground. He threw me off once, and I broke my right arm, but it healed well and still works 88 years later.
I remember a birthday party around this time. I had one guest and we shared a table covered in nice little things. There were no birthday cakes then and no small coloured candles.
Motor cars were not common and, if we heard one coming, we all ran out of the house to watch it go past. Our house was right on the road” (narrated to Jo and Grant Knight around 1997-98 for great-grandson, Miles Tidmarsh).
Helen attended a two-teacher primary school in Woodhill, then moved to Epsom and attended Auckland Girls’ Grammar for three years.
Helen Tanzin Griffin was a pupil teacher at Mt Albert School. In 1926-27, Helen attended Teacher Training College and was awarded a Bronze Medal as Tennis Champion in 1927.
For six months in 1928, Helen was probationary teacher at Bayfield School, then from July 1928 through 1929, she was assistant teacher at Ngakonui School. Helen then taught at Mercury Bay School (1930), Hodderville School (February to May 1931) the Bombay School (May 1931 to 30 November 1933).
Helen Tanzin’s first marriage
Helen Tanzin Griffin married for the first time at the age 28 to William Johnson Shanly, age 32.
William Johnson Shanly was a son of William Ignatius Shanly and grandson of William Augustine Shanly.
William Augustine Shanly (1837-1911)
William Augustine Shanly was born in Middlesex, England to William and Mary Shanly. He had a brother, Francis.
The Shanly family migrated from Exeter, Middlesex, England to Hawkes Bay, New Zealand on the Halcione. The passenger list, dated 24 March 1874, has William Augustine Shanly, his wife Mary, and children William Ignatius, aged 8, Agnes Mary, aged 4 (1870-1942) and Winifred Mary, age three months (1873-1935).
The family settled in Hawkes Bay where they had four more children, two of whom survived infancy: Edwin Bernard (1877-1878); Arthur Aloysius (1879-1944); Amy Gertrude (1881-1881); and Maud Cecilia (1883-1965).
William Augustine Shanly continued his craft as a jeweller. On 14 March 1878, the Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay newspaper reported that ‘Nineteen members of the Napier Artillery Volunteers mustered at the Tutaekuri rifle range at 6 o’clock yesterday morning, to take part in the competition for a very handsome medal, presented to the company by Mr W A SHANLY, working jeweller, of this town.’ Also reported: ‘The medal like all the other medals was made by Mr SHANLY, and certainly does him great credit. On one side is a fireman’s helmet, with crossed axes, and the reverse side inscribed…’
In 1883, William A Shanly was appointed to new Education Board committee, as reported in the Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay newspaper.
In 1901, William A. Shanly married a second time, to Ada Elizabeth Yates.
On 12 May 1911, William A Shanly died (intestate).
William Ignatius Shanly (1865-1918)
The 1890 Electoral Roll for Hawkes Bay had William Ignatius Shanly, tinsmith, living in Hastings, along with his jeweller father William A. Shanly.
In XXX, William I Shanly moved to Greytown, Wellington, and worked as a plumber.
On 31 May 1869, William I Shanly married Sarah Shirkey. Sarah was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The couple had three children, two of whom survived:
- William Johnson (1901-1965)
- Frederick Paul (1904-1953), a compositor, lived in Miramar
- Catherine Agnes (1906-1906).
In 1900, a newspaper advertisement of farming and other properties for lease had William I Shanly, occupation tinsmith, with goods on consignment for sale. On 30 April 1907, a newspaper reports William I Shanly as bankrupt with debts of 222 pounds.
The NZ Army WWI Roll of Honour lists Private William I Shanly, attached to the NZEF, dying in training in New Zealand on 29 September 1918. He is buried in the Greytown Cemetery. His wife, Sarah Shanly died on 19 May 1941 and is buried in the Wairarapa Cemetery (plot 34).
William Johnson Shanly (1901-1964)
William Johnson Shanly was born on 1 February 1901 to William I and Sarah Shanly.
Leaving behind the straightened circumstances of his parents, by 1926 at the age of 25 he was already a rising civil servant in Wellington, appointed to the position of Private Secretary to New Zealand’s the Hon. W. Noseworthy, Postmaster-General:
Shanly’s first marriage and child
In 1928, William J Shanly married Edna Hare McDonald. They lived in Wellington North and Palmerston, Wellington, and had a son. When he and Edna divorced in 1932, she was living in Nelson. The decree absolute is dated 12 April 1933.
Helen Tanzin Griffin and William Shanly’s marriage
On 6 October 1933, six months after the decree absolute of his first marriage, William J Shanly and Helen Tanzin Griffin married at St Luke’s Church in Remuera, Auckland. The couple lived in Kelburn, Wellington.
On 3 April 1935 their daughter, Helen Meril Shanly, was born. Family lore has it that William J could not be located on the night of his daughter’s birth, being out on the town with a lady-friend.
For a couple of years, Helen Tanzin Shanly enjoyed a high-profile social life, receiving with her husband numerous invitations to balls, receptions and ‘at homes’ including:
- 9 May 1935: Governor General and Viscount Galway to Naval and Military Jubilee Ball, Town Hall
- 21 August 1935: Civic Reception to celebrate return of the Prime Minister, G.W. Forbes and Minister of Finance J.G. Coates at the Town Hall, Wellington
- 29 August 1935: ‘At Home’ Parliament House with the Prime Minister and Mrs Forbes
- 25 March 1936: Civic Reception for the Prime Minister, M. J. Savage.
By late 1936, William Shanly had left Helen Tanzin. The leather-bound, gilt-edged books, and a few other objects he left behind, indicate the relative wealth Helen Tanzin enjoyed for three years she spent with William J Shanly, especially compared to the poverty she experienced after he left.
William J Shanly continued to enjoy a prominent professional and social life leaving behind two ex-wives, each with a child to raise.
On 12 May 1937, William J Shanly attended coronation of King George VI as Private Secretary to the New Zealand Minister of Labour, H. T. Armstrong. He sent back to his infant daughter, Helen Meril, the of the Coronation of the Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth: Official Souvenir Programme and the Illustrated London News: Coronation 1937 (images below).
In June 1937, William J Shanly attended the Council of the League of Nations in Geneva with the Minister for Labour for whom he was Secretary. The New York, Passenger and Crew List for S.S. Queen Mary departing Southampton on 4 August 1937.
On 11 December 1939, the Evening Post reported the decree nici in an undefended divorce suit by Helen Tanzin Shanly from William Johnston Shanly, citing separation.
In 1940, William J Shanly married his third wife Gladys Norma Thomas (1916-1998) and together they had four children living in Island Bay, Wellington (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,503069.0.html).
(photo courtesy of Gai and Mari).
Shanly went on to have a profession in aviation as reported in Flight International shortly after his death on 18 May 1964 aged 63:
We regret to record he death in Wellington recently of Mr William J. Shanly, a leading figure in New Zealand aviation. After retiring from the RNZAF in 1946 as Director of Manning, Mr Shanly became general secretary of the NZ Aircraft Industry Association and later secretary of the Aerial Work Operators’ Association, which he built up from a body representing only aerial topdressers to one covering all branches of NZ commercial aviation.
Life as a single parent
The widowed Sarah Griffin moved in with Helen Tanzin Shanly to look after two-year old grand-daughter, Helen Meril (Little Helen), while Helen Tanzin worked as a teacher.
Between October 1936 to 13 March 1941, when she resigned, Helen Tanzin Shanly taught at Manakau School (south Auckland). In recognition of her contribution to the community as a teacher and to the drama society and tennis club, Helen Tanzin Shanly was gifted a walnut Enfield clock from the residents of Manakau.
The family of three — Sarah, Big Helen and Little Helen — moved from Manakau to Putaruru (in the Waikato district) where Helen Tanzin Shanly was Senior Assistant Mistress at the Putaruru District High School.
Helen Meril adored her grandmother, who died on 29 September 1943 at the age of 82. Sarah Deacon is buried at Putaruru Cemetery where some of the ashes of her grand-daughter, Helen Meril Tidmarsh, are buried at the foot of her grave.
Helen Tanzin’s second marriage
On XXX 1947, Helen Tanzin Shanly married Ralph Fergus Cahill (5 March 1906-1974?). As the offspring of two Deacon sisters, Helen Tanzin Shanly and Ralph Cahill were cousins.
Spouse’s background
Ralph Cahill’s parents, Mabel Thomasine (nee Deacon) (1869-1918) and Thomas Francis Cahill (1864-1918) were married in 1898.
Mabel and Thomas Cahill both died in late 1918 from the Spanish Flu. The 12-year old Ralph was orphaned along with his older siblings Arthur and Sylvia. The three children were raised by their nanny, Biddy.
In 1933, Ralph married Grace Maud Main (c.1909-1945). The 1935 Tauranga, Bay of Plenty electoral roll listed Ralph Cahill as a labourer.
In 1942, he was listed in the WWII Ballot Lists as a head timber machinist, of Frankton Junction. The NZ Army WWII Nominal Rolls 1946-48 list Ralph Fergus Cahill as T/Cpl, Inf. Corp, Hamilton as a Lorry Driver. His marriage status was ‘widowed’, as Grace Maud had died in 1945. His address and next of kin were listed as ‘Mrs H.F. Shanley, of Tirau Rd, Putaruru (cousin)’.
Ralph Cahill served in Japan….[more info]
Second child
After they married on XXX 1947 in XXX, Helen Tanzin and Ralph Cahill, and 12-year old Helen Meril Shanly, moved to the suburb of Spreydon in Christchurch.
Helen and Ralph’s daughter, Joan, was born on 14 April 1948.
Life in Christchurch
Ralph Cahill worked in Christchurch as a carpenter and machinist (NZ Post Office Directory 1950-51 and Canterbury, Riccarton, Electoral Roll 1954), retiring in ?
1974, travel with Ralph to Europe
Death of Ralph….
After her second husband’s death in XXX, Helen Tanzin remained living at 6 Bayley Place, Spreydon in Christchurch. She continued to teach at St Michael’s private church school.
Travel to Europe with Knights….
In 1978, Helen Tanzin commenced a Certificate of Liberal Studies at the University of Canterbury, completing it in XXX with excellent grades in English Literature, Architecture, History and American Studies.
She then travelled to the city of Griffin, Georgia, United States, to meet the descendants of her father, James Griffin. The American relatives subsequently travelled twice to New Zealand, visiting Auckland and Dunedin.
Helen Tanzin was a keen and regular bridge player throughout her later years. She said that she found bridge to be a life-line to maintaining an active brain and a pool of friends (old birds who keep falling off their perches).
From XXX, Helen Tanzin lived with her younger daughter, Joan, and son-in-law, Grant Knight, and their sons Andrew Joshua and Oliver in Birkenhead, Auckland. In XXX, Helen Tanzin moved with the Knight family to Dunedin, New Zealand.
Helen Tanzin’s elder daughter, Helen Meril Tidmarsh, also lived in Dunedin, having moved there in 1970 after four years in England with her then husband Brian and their daughters Angela and Stephanie.
When the Knight family moved back to Auckland in XXX, Helen Tanzin remained in Dunedin residing at the Highview Rest Home, with Helen Meril a regular visitor.
Helen Tanzin died peacefully upon waking on the morning of XXX 2003, just a week shy of her 98th birthday.
