John Macfarlane Proctor^{[1, 2]}

1872 - 1952  (80 years)

• Name	John Macfarlane Proctor
  Birth	17 Oct 1872	Waimate, South Canterbury, New Zealand
  Gender	Male
  Death	25 Nov 1952	Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand   [2]
  Person ID	I282740898933	MacFarlane
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2026

  
  

  Father	Alexander Proctor,   b. 4 Apr 1850, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland d. 20 Jun 1933, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand (Age 83 years)
  Mother	Isabella MacFarlane,   b. 2 Feb 1844, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, Ireland d. 30 Aug 1934, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand (Age 90 years)
  Marriage	22 Jan 1871	Waimate, South Canterbury, New Zealand   [3]
  Family ID	F54	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Alice Maude Mary Davies,   b. 1876, New Zealand d. 13 Oct 1913, Auckland province, New Zealand (Age 37 years)
  Marriage	1901
  Children	1. Junietta Summers,   b. 9 Aug 1891, Angus, Boone, Iowa, USA d. 22 May 1980, Longview, Cowlitz, Washington, USA (Age 88 years)   2. Mary Edna Summers,   b. Dec 1894, Le Sueur County, Minnesota, USA d. 29 Mar 1951, Clackamas County, Oregon, USA (Age 56 years)   3. Amanda Lodema Summers,   b. 02 May 1898, Ottawa, Le Sueur, Minnesota, USA d. 12 May 1938, Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon, USA (Age 40 years)   4. Clifford Edward Summers,   b. 26 Dec 1899, Wrightstown, Minnesota d. 2 Apr 1924, Los Angeles, California, USA (Age 24 years)   5. Gladys Margaret Leona Summers,   b. 6 Apr 1909, Fargo, Cass, North Dakota, USA d. 6 Jul 1975, Longview, Washington (Age 66 years)   6. Roland Edward Summers,   b. 20 Dec 1914, Missoula, Missoula, Montana, USA d. 13 May 1955, Multnomah, Oregon, United States (Age 40 years)   7. Eidee Summers
  Family ID	F57	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2026

  
  

• Notes

  NZ Birth 1872/10615 Studied accountancy in Timaru (John Wilson notes, Feb 2010) John Macfarlane Proctor married Alice Maude Mary Davies (NZSG record number 1901/5603; NZBDM Marriage 1901/5011) John Macfarlane Proctor, Accountant, was living in Islington, London at time of 1911 census. Recorded as a widower John Maitland Proctor died in 1952, aged 80 (NZBDM 1952/27314). See notes below. The 10th New Zealand Boer War Contingent, known as the "Trusty Tenth", embarked from South Island on the SS ?Norfolk?, 19 April 1902. The contingent included 9105 Orderly Room Sergeant John Macfarlane PROCTOR Source: Australian Light Horse Studies Centre NZ Boer War Embarkation Database has the following entry Reg No: 9105 Surname: proctor Given Names: john macfarlane Unit: South Island Regiment - Regimental Staff Rank: orderly-room-sergeant Contingent: Tenth Ship: Norfolk 19 April 1902 Occupation: clerk County/City: christchurch Address: 55 peterborough street christchurch Next of Kin: proctor mrs alexander Next of Kin Address: wildnerness road addington Relationship to Soldier: mother Source: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/soldier/john-macfarlane-proctor John Macfarlane Proctor also fought in WW1and was one of the survivors of the first Battle of the Somme. He worked in Portuguese East Africa, England and South America working along the Amazon and on ranches in Argentina. Source: John Wilson email dated 26 Nov 2009 Lt. John Macfarlane Proctor, Durham Light Infantry entered France theatre 21 June 1916. Applied for medals 6 Apr 1920. Entitled to British War Medal and Victory Medal. Source Information: Ancestry.com. British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 [database on-line]. Reg Number possibly NW/7/6382 The British War Medal 1914-1920, authorised in 1919, was awarded to eligible service personnel and civilians. The basic requirement for army personnel and civilians was that they either entered a theatre of war, or rendered approved service overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918. The Victory Medal 1914-1919 was also authorised in 1919 and was awarded to all eligible personnel who served on the establishment of a unit in an operational theatre. He is believed to have been at the Battle of the Somme. The opening day of the battle on 1 July 1916 saw the British Army suffer the worst one-day combat losses in its history, with 57,470 men becoming casualties. Multiple DLI Battalions were involved. [During the Great War 37 Battalions were raised and 12,606 members of the regiment were killed or died of wounds.] He returned to NZ in 1927 and was an accountant with the Ministry of Works. He tried to enlist again in 1939 but was not accepted on grounds of his age. He retired to Rotorua. Source: Proctor Family papers (John Wilson, Feb 2010) A John Maitland Proctor is recorded as having died in 1952, aged 80 (NZBDM 1952/27314). From John Wilson's information that he died in Rotorua, I checked the Rotorua Cemetery records and confirmed that he is buried there (died 25 Nov 1952, buried Block 6, RSA plot 33). The age fits, and as Maitland was John's grandmother's maiden name (Proctor side) it seems probable that whoever reported the death simply made an error. Interestingly, his headstone identifies him as J McF Proctor so at least the RSA got their facts right!

  
  

• Sources

  [S1027704059] Donald Featherston Macfarlane, Donald Featherston Macfarlane NZ, (Gedcom recieved as e-mail attachment 5 November 2009). [S1027704080] John Wilson notes Feb 2010. [S1027704605] Ancestry.com, New Zealand, Historical Marriage Index, 1840-1901, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Department of Internal Affairs; New Zealand; New Zealand, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1840-1901.