Ferris-Raad Family

Boulos (Paul) Ferris-Raad arrived in New Zealand with his mother Fouteen in 1893 at the age of 12 years. Fouteen's husband had died some years earlier and they decided to settle in Dunedin with relatives who had previously settled here. They lived in Walker Street (now Carroll Street). In those days a special school was established to teach the new arrivals English, and Boulos excelled.

In 1908 Boulos returned to Hasroun, Lebanon, where he married Rosa Matta. She was actually born in Montreal, Canada, when her parents were there on a business trip, and taken back to Lebanon while still a baby. Later an aunt of hers, who was a Nun stationed in France, took her there for a year or two, where she studied.

Intending to settle in Canada when they got married, where Rosa had two brothers, Boulos and Rosa decided to visit Boulos' mother in Dunedin en route, and upon arrival Rosa discovered she was pregnant with their first child and could not travel, so they set up their home in Caversham. On two other occasions they planned to go to Canada to live, but on each occasion Rosa was pregnant and they could not go!

They had eight children: Madeline, Fouteen (Flo), Ferris (Fred), Edward, Violet, Joyce, Marie and Raymond.

Until school age Rosa and Boulos would take the children with them in the horse and cart and move around the countryside selling (hawking) drapery and linens. Later, Boulos with a growing family decided to take employment at Crittalls, a local Metal Window Manufacturer. He would later gain employment for his eldest son Fred there.

Once the children were at school, approximately 1915-1920, they didn't like the idea of having the two surnames, so consequently the name was shortened to Ferris.

Boulos (Paul) Ferris-Raad died in December 1968 and Rosa in May 1972.