Born in 1824, Philip Pidgeon left Devon and somehow, perhaps with the Royal Navy, found his way to Bank's Peninsula on South Isand. By 1852 he had settled at Purple Peak, near Akaroa. Many of his descendants continue to live on Bank's Peninsular and in nearby Christchurch.

Alfred Pigeon was born in 1819, the son of a London wine and spirit distiller. He sailed to New Zealand in 1854 on the Roayal Stewart, arriving at Lyttelton Harbour (South Island) on 4th Jan, 1855. After farming for a while near Christchurch, he moved south and settled near Timaru.

Robert Cossey Pidgeon was born at Kenton, Devon in 1836. He emigrated to New Zealand sometime before 1872, when he was married at Mangapai, Northland (North Island). He settled at nearby Waikiekie.

Benjamin Pidgeon was born at Walthamstow in 1843, and emigrated to New Zealand about 1873 with his wife and eldest son. They settled at Waikouaiti near Dunedin in Otago (South Island).

Hugh Pidgeon was born in Bristol in 1874. After qualifying as a Surgeon in Montreal, Canada he returned to England and eventually emigrated to Auckland in 1902. He was married at Wellington, and died at nearby Wainui-o-mata (North Island).

Six siblings (four brothers and two sisters) of this Shropshire family emigrated to New Zealand in the 1880s. Three of the brothers settled at Christchurch (South Island), but the other, Charles William, a mariner, was lost at sea off the south-east coast of South Island. One of the sisters married Richard Bestall and they owned a departmental store in Napier (North Island) which was destroyed in the 1931 earthquake.

James Delabere Pidgeon was probably the first of the brothers to arrive in New Zealand, where he started a tinker business. After he died at the age of 33, the business was taken over by his brother Edward who developed it into the general merchant business of E W Pidgeon & Co, with a store in Christchurch.

William Franklin Pidgeon was born at Poplar, London in 1871 and emigrated to New Zealand sometime in the 1890s. He was married at Rongotea, near Palmerston North (North Island), and eventually settled at Hastings.