Northcote legend
Ben was the seventh son of master mariner Capt. George Mayall of Northcote and his wife Annie, who had 11 children in all. Born in Lancashire in 1852, George Mayall emigrated to New Zealand with his family around 1870 where they initially had a sheep farm at Tryphena, Great Barrier Island.
George married in 1877, obtained his master’s ticket, and by 1883 the family were at Thames. His career included spells as master of the scows Portland and Alert and as first mate of the Bailey & Lowe-built ketch Edna, part-owned by the Couldreys.
Ben was born at Northcote in October 1892 and left Northcote School at 13. He went to sea, probably on his father’s commands. At the outbreak of WWI in August 1914 he was ashore working at the Colonial Sugar Company at Chelsea.
