Joseph Crocome had an adventurous life. He
was reputed to have been the first qualified Doctor to practise in the
South IslandJoseph Crocome was born in Bath to wealth parents who part
owned a sugar plantation on the Island of St. Vincent in the West Indies.
After qualifying as a Surgeon in 1833, Joseph signed up as sugeon to
the Whaler Lucinda under Captain James bound for the South Seas.
Arriving in Sydney in 1836 after being rescued following being
shipwrecked near New Caledonia, he travelled across the Tasman to the Wellers Brothers
whaling station at the the Otago Heads. In 1838 for some reason Edward
Weller turned on Joseph and attacked him with a bludgeon. Joseph then
returned back to Sydney after recovering from his head wound.
In 1839 he returned to Otago to work at Johnny Jones settlement at
Waikouaiti as a doctor, clerk and tutor. He attended to the early settlers
on the coast by travelling on foot, horseback or by whaleboat.
He was married to Ruareka a local Maori woman from Blueskin Bay on
25
June 1844 by the Rev. Watkin. The two children already born to the couple
James and Eliza were baptized at the same time. Ruareka died in 1850 leaving two children to be brought up by
her family.
Joseph was married again, this time in1854 at Tumai near Waikouaiti to Mary Ann
Warden who had arrived on the Stately in November 1852 and had gone
into service for the Suisted family at Goodwood. They went on to
have six daughters and a son. They became respected members of the growing
community with Joseph being appointed
the first Postmaster for the district
Mary was left a widow when Joseph died in 1874 of Typhus leaving
her with seven children to bring up. Joseph is buried in the
Waikouaiti beach road cemetery.
Mary went on to live to the ripe old age of 102
