David Martin Cole

David Martin Cole b. Ireland 1836 d. Mangapai 1874 m. NZ 1859 to Catherine Moore b. 1822 d.26 Nov 1887		Margaret Catherine Cole b. Whangarei 24 Oct 1860 died in infancy
		Foster Child Lucy Catherine Johnson b. Auck 1851 d. Waikiekie 1921 m. Mangapai 1872 to Robert Cassey Pigeon b. England 1836 d. Waikiekie 1910
		Foster Child Mary Maria Johnson b. Auckland 1854 d. 16 Sep 1945 m. Waikiekie 1881 to Henry John Walker

David arrived in Mangapai in 1859
His sister Ann Martin (nee Cole) followed at some later date, presumably following the death of her husband, to live permanently with David and Catherine

Lucy & Mary Johnson lived with the Coles at Mangapai from 1860 and were possibly fostered by them
Nothing is known of their whereabouts between 1858, when their parents died, and 1860 when they arrived at Mangapai

Catherine Cole (nee) Moore was sister-in-law to William Harrison who was the other storekeeper at Mangapai

MANGAPAI: FATAL ACCIDENT. On Saturday, the 26th ultimo, Mr. David Cole, storekeeper, of Mangapai, met his death under the following circumstances It appears he had been drawing some goods up from the landing to his store about 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon, with a pair of newly-broken-in bullocks, yoked to a dray, and in driving them from his store to the place where he usually unyoked them, he had gone to the off side to prevent them going past, and to turn them through the slip-rails, the bullocks appear to have shied, and run the near wheel of the dray up the bank side, and thus capsizcd it, bringing it on to Mr. Cole, killing him on the spot. Mrs. Cole, thinking he was long in returning, went to look for him, and to her horror and dismay found the dray upset, and her husband quite dead, His skull being very much fractured. Although within about 150 yards of his residence, it is supposed he had been dead nearly two hours when discovered. True it is, That in the midst of life we are in death." He leaves a widow (but no children) to mourn her loss. Mr. Cole's death has cast quite a gloom over the district, he having been treasurer to the Highway Board, and otherwise connected with many undertakings in the district. He is to be buried to-day in the Presbyterian Cemetery, Mangapai. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church. I have not been able to ascertain his age, but he must have been near 40, as it is nearly 15 years since he first came here to settle. Mr. Carter was the first settler in Mangapai, and Mr. Knaggs the second, just five days after Carter Mr. Cole arrived five or six weeks after.
New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 4025, 6 October 1874