Moses and Jessie

Moses Campbell was born in 1787 at Auch in Upper Glenorchy, Ayrshire, a farm that had been held by the family for three generations. Jessie Cameron was born in in 1807 at Fort William, Invernesshire, where her father was the Governor. They married in 1827 after Moses left the army, and lived first at Inverliver in Argyllshire and then at Achindale near Fort William. After selling Inverliver, on 25 August 1840 they boarded the Blenheim at Greenock and on 27 December they disembarked at Kaiwharawhara, Port Nicholson (Wellington), New Zealand. In 1841 they embarked on the Clydeside to Whanganui, where they lived in town until taking possession of their farm at Wiritoa, 7 km (5 miles) south of Whanganui, in 1843. Moses died in 1862 and Jessie in 1885, leaving 8 living children.

The Campbell family still farm at Wiritoa. This is their story.