John Thomas Wann (Tom)

John Thomas Wann was a grandson of John and Eleanor Wann of markethill. He was know as "Tom".
Tom Wann was born 1844 in Auckland, New Zealand.
His father Charles Edmund Wann died in 1848. Tom's mother Mary Wann (nee Menary) later married Captain Thomas James Millon, a seafarer from Orkney Island. About 1850 Tom's family moved to the homestead Capt Millon built on his land at Matakana, in the Mahurangi district. This house, believed to have been built of the first kauri cut on the property- all the kauri timber being pit-sawed, was still standing in 2005. The house featured a narrow staircase leading to the upper rooms. It is said that Tom's step-father spent a lot of time in the upper room of this house, looking out for sharks.
Sailing also interested Tom who owned a sailing boat and a cutter in the 1870s. Tom Wann ran the family farm at Matakana. There were many visitors to the farm at Wanns Bay; both friends and relatives enjoyed sailing and fishing trips with Tom.
When a later owner of the property subdivided the land at the beachfront, the area came to be know by the name of Buckleton. It was in 1990 that the Wann name was restored to the area , and the name of Wanns Bay was gazetted.

In 1873 Tom Wann obtained his Master Mariner's Certificate. In Auckland 1873 Tom married Margaret Graham. They had 3 children. In 1911 Tom Wann sold the farm and retired to Howick, Auckland. He died in 1916 and is buried at St Andrews Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Howick.