Here’s a misc beekeeping family relationship that I recently came across…
John Rentoul was a significant figure in NZ honey marketing for many years. He was involved with the NZ Honey Producers’ Cooperative Assn, the Honey Control Board, NZ Honey Company and the Internal Marketing Division (the Honey Section of the Marketing Department). He served on the National Beekeepers’ Assn Executive for 8 years, with 1 year (1916) as President.
Rentoul was joined in much of that time with Allan Bates, a Taranaki beekeeper. They served on the boards of many of these organisations at the same time.
I knew that Allan Bates left Taranaki in the middle 1940’s, first to Katikati and then a move to Matamata. He continued to raise queens and (with Cliff Bird) produce honey.
Allan’s son Don Bates was active in the NBA. He and Cliff Bird described a quite unique honey pump they had developed, and he attended at least one NBA Conference (1986, Rotorua). I think I was told some years later that he had gone to Australia, but that is maybe just my memory.
NZ Beekeeper magazine - June 1978 : National Beekeepers' Assn of New Zealand : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
NZ Beekeeper magazine - Spring 1986 : National Beekeepers' Assn of New Zealand : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Anyway… I sometimes cross over between NZ beekeeping history and genealogy work. For no good reason, I looked up John Rentoul’s will on the NZ Archives site.
RENTOUL John - Matamata - Company Manager
And there to find that John Rentoul left some money for one of his grandsons - Don Bates! It didn’t take me long to work out the timeline.
Allan Bates had moved north after his first wife died. When he re-married shortly afterward, it was to Elaine Rentoul - John Rentoul’s daughter. And so Don Bates was the son of Allan Bates, and the grandson of John Rentoul.
I never knew that…
John Rentoul was a significant figure in NZ honey marketing for many years. He was involved with the NZ Honey Producers’ Cooperative Assn, the Honey Control Board, NZ Honey Company and the Internal Marketing Division (the Honey Section of the Marketing Department). He served on the National Beekeepers’ Assn Executive for 8 years, with 1 year (1916) as President.
Rentoul was joined in much of that time with Allan Bates, a Taranaki beekeeper. They served on the boards of many of these organisations at the same time.
I knew that Allan Bates left Taranaki in the middle 1940’s, first to Katikati and then a move to Matamata. He continued to raise queens and (with Cliff Bird) produce honey.
Allan’s son Don Bates was active in the NBA. He and Cliff Bird described a quite unique honey pump they had developed, and he attended at least one NBA Conference (1986, Rotorua). I think I was told some years later that he had gone to Australia, but that is maybe just my memory.
NZ Beekeeper magazine - June 1978 : National Beekeepers' Assn of New Zealand : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
NZ Beekeeper magazine - Spring 1986 : National Beekeepers' Assn of New Zealand : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Anyway… I sometimes cross over between NZ beekeeping history and genealogy work. For no good reason, I looked up John Rentoul’s will on the NZ Archives site.
RENTOUL John - Matamata - Company Manager
And there to find that John Rentoul left some money for one of his grandsons - Don Bates! It didn’t take me long to work out the timeline.
Allan Bates had moved north after his first wife died. When he re-married shortly afterward, it was to Elaine Rentoul - John Rentoul’s daughter. And so Don Bates was the son of Allan Bates, and the grandson of John Rentoul.
I never knew that…
