Name of “Ben Roberts” from Brian of nzolivers.

Date and place of birth, date and place of marriage to Isabella Enid McCaul, date and place of death, place of burial as “Levin”, from “McCaul Family Scotland” (first compiled in 1991 and updated to 2002) by Marcia Barbara (Barbara) McCaul, Canada (b. 1932, d. 2002). Barbara was the great-great grandaughter of Gilbert McCaul (b. 1765) and Janet McFarlan (b. 1770). Brian of nzolivers.com is the great-great-great grandson of Gilbert and Janet.

Hon. Benjamin Roberts, M.P. Book written by his second wife, Enid Roberts (nee McCaul): “Remembered - From Ploughboy to Parliamentarian, The life and works of the Hon. Ben Roberts, Minister of Agriculture and Marketing 1943-46”. Printed and Published by Masterton Printing Co. Ltd., Lincoln Road, Masterton, New Zealand.

According to the biography “Remembered…”, year of birth is “1880” and not 1881. Place of birth Edgehill, Liverpool.

On page 5 of “Remembered…”, Ben journeyed to Holt in North Wales to work on his Uncle’s farm, “Commonwood”, where he learnt to plough with three horses in single file in the furrow.

On page 15 and 146 of “Remembered…”, date and place of first marriage (Hunter Street Methodist Church, Chester) - to Mary Baker. On the next page, “they had three sons and a daughter”.

On page 17 of “Remembered…”, Ben and Mary with children emigrated to New Zealand aboard the SS Fifeshire, arriving in Wellington on Christmas Eve 1907. They settled on a property called “Lowlands” in Featherston in the Wairarapa, North of Wellington. Later, he bought a house and 10 acres in Carterton. Then in 1916 he leased 100 acres at Parkvale, 3 miles south-east of Carterton. Ben and Mary had seven children by this stage.

Ben Roberts (politician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Roberts_(politician)
Benjamin Roberts (1880 – 17 November 1952) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party and a Cabinet Minister.
Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
1935–1938 25th Wairarapa Labour
1938–1943 26th Wairarapa Labour
1943–1946 27th Wairarapa Labour
Roberts was born in 1880. He was elected to Parliament in the Wairarapa electorate in 1935, and remained a member of parliament to 1946, when he retired.
He was Minister for Agriculture and Marketing, and Minister of Marketing, from 1943 to 1946 in the First Labour Government under Peter Fraser.
Roberts died in 1952. His wife, Mary Roberts, had died in 1936.

New Zealand Electoral Roll - Wairarapa General Roll for 1946, 1949
Roberts, Benjamin, Parkvale, farmer
Roberts, Isabella Enid, Parkvale, married

New Zealand Electoral Roll - Otaki Supplementary Roll No. 2 for 1949
Roberts, Benjamin, Read St., Levin, bank director
Roberts, Isabella Enid, Read St., Levin, married

Result from marriage search on New Zealand BDM website in August 2023:
1943/7972. Bride: Isabella Enid Dodds. Groom: Benjamin Roberts

Full date of second marriage of 29 September 1943 confirmed from further searching in August 2023 on BDM Search by incrementally changing the date range for the marriage.

Date and place of baptism, date of birth confirmed, from the Liverpool, England, Church of England Baptisms records found in September 2023:
Name: Benjamin Roberts
Birth Date: 20 Mar. 1880
Baptism Date: 25 Apr. 1880
Baptism Place: Edge Hill, Church of St Catherine, Lancashire, England
Parish: West Derby
Father: William Roberts, Railway Guard
Mother: Margaret Roberts
Abode: 21 Ash Street

Details of parents and siblings from of the 1881 England Census taken on the night of 3 April 1881 for the West Derby Parish, Liverpool, found in September 2023:
House: 21 Ash St
William Roberts, Head, Married, age 41, Occupation Railway Goods Guard, Born Worthenbury North Wales [circa 1840]
Margaret Roberts, Wife, Married, age 40, Born Eccleston Lancashire England [circa 1841]
John Roberts, Son, age 11, Scholar, Born West Derby Liverpool England [circa 1870]
William Roberts, Son, age 7, Scholar, Born West Derby Liverpool England [circa 1874]
Joseph Roberts, Son, age 4, Born West Derby Liverpool England [circa 1877]
Benjamin Roberts, Son, age 1, Born West Derby Liverpool England [circa 1880]

Benjamin’s father has remarried as per the 1891 England Census taken on the night of 5 April 1891 for the West Derby Parish, District of St Cyprian, Liverpool, found in September 2023:
House: 67 Needham Road
William Roberts, Head, Married, age 50, Railway Brakesman, Born Flintshire, Wales [circa 1841]
Sarah Roberts, Wife, Married, age 47, Born Gateacre Liverpool West Derby Lancashire England [circa 1844]
John Roberts, Son, Single, age 21, Printer Compositor, Born Liverpool West Derby Lancashire [circa 1870]
William Roberts, Son, Single, age 17, Railway Telephone Clerk, Born Liverpool West Derby Lancashire [circa 1874]
Joseph Roberts, Son, age 14, Chemists Messenger Born Liverpool West Derby Lancashire [circa 1877]
Benjamin Roberts, Son, age 11 Born Liverpool West Derby Lancashire [circa 1880]

Staying with father’s sister’s family (Mary Parry nee Roberts) in Wales, occupation, from the 1901 Wales Census taken on the night of 31 March 1901 for the Holt St Chad Parish, Denbighshire, Wrexham, Wales, found in September 2023:
House: Commonwood
John R Parry, Head, Married, age 45, Farmer, Employer, Born Holt Denbighshire Wales [circa 1856]
Mary Parry, Wife, Married, age 52, Born Flintshire, Wales [circa 1849] [Is sister of William Roberts b. circa1840]
Benjamin Roberts, Nephew, Single, age 21, Agricultural Labourer, Worker, Born Liverpool Lancashire, England [circa 1880]
Amelia Hughes, Servant, Single, age 18, Domestic Servant, Worker
Robert Jones, Servant, Single, age 52, Horseman on farm, Worker
James Wilson, Servant, Married, age 45, Cattleman on farm, Worker

Different place of burial, from Find a Grave website found in September 2023:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148744294/benjamin-roberts
Name: Benjamin Roberts
Birth Date: 1880
Birth Place: Liverpool, Metropolitan Borough of Liverpool, Merseyside, England
Death Date: 17 Nov. 1952
Death Place: Foxton, Horowhenua District, Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand
Cemetery: Clareville Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Clareville, Carterton District, Wellington, New Zealand

Biography on the Find a Grave website (found in September 2023) for daughter Iris reads, “….7 children (3 sons) of Benjamin Roberts (1880-1953) & Mary Baker (1879-1936) who married in England on 11 Sep 1901 and arrived into Wellington, from England on the Fifeshire, Christmas Eve 1907 with their 2 sons and a daughter. They proceeded to Featherston and built a cottage on the property 'Lowlands' owned and farmed by his old friend, Mt W. B. Sadler. In 1916 he leased 100 acres on the newly cut-up Carter Estate at Parkvale, Carterton. They had 7 children by then. Her father [Ben Roberts] was elected to Parliament in the Wairarapa electorate in 1935. He was both Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Marketing,1935-1946 in the First Labour Government under Peter Fraser”.

Record and reference of first marriage to Mary Baker from England and Wales Civil Registration Marriage records found on October 2023:
Groom: Benjamin Roberts
Bride: Mary Baker
Names on Page: Benjamin Roberts, Mary Baker, Ann Eliza Bradley
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep 1901
Registration district: Chester, Cheshire
Volume: 8a
Page: 834

Photo of headstone from the Regulatory & Licensing Administrator of the Carterton District Council in June 2024:
Sacred to the Memory of
Benjamin Roberts
M.P.
Minister of Agriculture
and Marketing
1943 - 1946
He loved God his fellow
Men and the Good Earth
Died 1952
Aged 72 Years

Sacred to the Memory of
Mary
Beloved Wife of
Benjamin Roberts
M.P. Wairarapa
Who passed away
August 1936
To live in the Hearts of those we leave
behind. Is not to die.