William Spurdle was a carpenter in Dorset when he uprooted his family and emigrated to New Zealand, arriving in 1842. Building a Future follows the lives of this family, and the contributions William and his sons, also carpenters and wheelwrights, made to building the new colony while his wife Sarah and their daughters embraced the trials and tribulations of a new home, building their own families. Building a Future delves into the families’ backgrounds in Somerset and reflects on their lives and times in newly colonised Taranaki and Whanganui from 1842 to 1914. It explores what drove the Spurdles to leave England with only their household possessions, and celebrates their achievements, such as Fred’s election to the Whanganui mayoralty less than 50 years later. Along the way we read about the tragedies that every family is likely to encounter, and even manage to solve one or two century-old mysteries!