Grace Hirst (née Bracken, 9 August 1805 8 September 1901) was a New Zealand businesswoman, farmer, nurse and midwife.[1]

Grace Hirst
Grace Hirst, circa 1850s
Born
Grace Bracken

9 August 1805
Midgley, Yorkshire, England
Died8 September 1901(1901-09-08) (aged 96)
New Plymouth, New Zealand
OccupationsBusinesswoman, nurse, midwife, farmer
Spouse
Thomas Hirst
(m. 1829; died 1883)
Children11
Parents
  • Jonathan Bracken (father)
  • Grace Appleyard (mother)

Biography

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She was born in Midgley, Yorkshire, England on 9 August 1805 as Grace Bracken. She was the daughter of Jonathan Bracken, a paper manufacturer, and Grace Appleyard.[2]

She had a stable and comfortable childhood, and appears to have been well educated, for she was widely read and literate.[2]

She married Thomas Hirst on 22 June 1829 at Halifax, West Yorkshire.[2] They arrived in Taranaki, New Zealand by the ship Gwalior in 1852.[3]

Hirst died on 8 September 1901, aged 96.[4]

References

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  1. Connor, Ian (1 July 2025). Grace Hirst: A Settler's Life in New Plymouth. Heritage Press. ISBN 9781991097200.
  2. 1 2 3 Dalziel, Raewyn. "Grace Hirst". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  3. "Grace and Thomas Hirst". Puke Ariki Collection Online. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  4. "Obituary". Taranaki Herald. No. 11762. 9 September 1901. p. 2 via Papers Past.