Dib Dib in NZ

Lorna Allison · Post by **Lorna Allison** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:48 pm

Hello All

My big excitement yesterday came via this very site. Three Cheers for Talking Scot. A new member in NZ (you know who you are!) saw my relative seeking tag and contacted me direct, wondering if her
Crossgroves from Crosshill, Ayrshire were related to mine. Joy unbounded. No wonder I couldn't find them here, the two brothers had upped and off to New Zealand in the 1860s.

Turns out the eldest brother James changed his name to Cossgrove and his eldest son David founded the Scouting movement in New Zealand having met up with Baden Powell during the Boer War. His wife Selina founded the Girl Peace Scouts there and there is loads on the net about them.

Compared to the hosts of Crossgroves in NZ - LARGE families - my husband's Crosgroves are a very limited edition.

Drat it, didn't even send my boys to the Scouts they were footie dedicated BB and daughter has never recovered from not being in the Brownies and being able to wear her uniform to school on Thinking Day. She says she was No 3, I had gone off the boil by the time she came along and I said the Guides were always collecting for their planned new hut. Seems I ruined her life

If only I had known about David Cossgrove then things would have been very different.

We had absolutely no idea about any NZ connection and the thrill of hearing fair set my husband up. (Carpe Diem with the plastic Lorna).

Thanks TS, so very much.

Regards

Lorna

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:22 pm

Great news, Lorna.

No wonder you are delighted.

Best wishes

Catriona

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:55 pm

Brilliant Lorna - what a stroke of luck!

daughter has never recovered from not being in the Brownies

Hmm... not sure I've ever recovered from being in the Brownies. Suspect it may be a no-win situation there!!! She'd probably be complaining if you had allowed her!!

Most memorable moment was taking along a pair of small sausages to a "sausage sizzle" and being given out of the fire, someone else's large, "raw in the middle big banger" to eat instead. I lived to tell the tale as you can see.... but only because I sneakily dumped said yukky banger behind a boulder...

It was full of bossy girls, the Brownies. And when you moved up to the guides you only ended up being ordered about by the same bossy girls. I left.

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **joette** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:55 pm

I was "asked" to leave the Guides as I was "too exuberant".
I now run a very lively Beaver Scout group which I love & as from this Jan we have to accept girls into our Group(some of the older members were less than delighted over this)
We invested five wee boys last Thursday & there were several large lumps in my throat as they all stood & faced the Beaver Flag made their sign & made the Promise"I Promise to do my best to be kind,helpful & too love God".I might add that we have children who are loving a Jewish idea of God,Hindi,Muslim & RC & Cof E. We celebrate Christmas,Eid,etc.
They are fascinated by the founding of Scouts & I will be delighted to tell them off a Scottish connection in NZ.

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:04 pm

Good news Lorna!

I was BB myself, and my son just started recently at the Anchor Boys. Can't believe what they have done to the uniforms though! We used to look like a First World War youth movement - now the modern Company Sections look like extras from Thunderbirds...! lol

Chris

Lorna Allison · Post by **Lorna Allison** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:43 am

Thanks All for joining in the joy!

Chris, my best memory from pre BB days (Shipmates in our case) was our oldest boy being delegated to push a wee lad, with spina bifida, in his wheelchair during the marching display on a parents' evening. There wasn't a dry eye in the house with the mobile youngster marching smartly and the wheelchair bound keeping his head boldly erect and his arms swinging as crisply as any good military man. A picture I will never forget.

Joette, so pleased to know that David Cossgrove from Crosshill (originally) will be getting a mention at your Beavers. Thanks for that.

Happy Hunting

Lorna

Lorna Allison · Post by **Lorna Allison** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:57 am

Me Again

Just to clarify the name situation. James CRossgrove who emigrated to NZ in 1859, encouraged his brother Henry to follow him apparently, which he did in 1864.

Unfortunately, seems the two brothers had a "falling out" and brother James dropped the R in his name becoming Cossgrove. Thus, at least the first five of his children were registered at birth as Crossgrove, but subsequently had their name changed to Cossgrove.

Must give credit for all of this to my husband's 3rd cousin once removed, Launa in NZ.

Lorna