Monday, December 14, 2009

John Kinder's House



Image: Kinder House, 1995, from AWHS collection



Rev. John Kinder, and emblem of the Church of England school at Parnell.

I was privileged to be in attendance yesterday at Kinder House in Parnell (I am delighted and honoured to say that I'm a member of the Society connected to the House, although sadly I'm unable to squeeze in time to help them on a volunteer basis at the moment). Yesterday was a dual celebration: commemorating the 150th anniversary of the wedding of John and Celia Kinder, and a wonderful new booklet to add to the collection available for purchase through the Society, Maria Ellen -- the Other Mrs. Kinder, by Diana Stuart Masters. Maria married Rev. Kinder's brother Henry, and thus started a story well worth reading, laced with intrigue, scandal, murder in Australia and dark whispers in New Zealand.

Follow the link (also added to the left sidebar) to find out more about the house, Rev. Kinder and the early Church of England school to which he and the house were connected.



Display for the 150th wedding anniversary of Rev. John and Celia Kinder.

6 comments:

  1. I am a volunteer guide at 'The Elms' in Tauranga and Kinder is mentioned often, mostly due to his marriage to Celia Brown.

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  2. Thanks for your comment. I know -- I was at the Elms one time, and listened to one of your team there mention Celia and John Kinder. The 150th anniversary talk by Diana Masters would have been of interest to you, for that reason alone.

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  3. Do you know about when and where Maria Ellen Wood/Kinder/Williams died, please? I live at Herald Island. Margret

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  4. Hi Margret.

    According to Diana's book, Maria married Humphrey Minchin Carden, not Stanley Williams, on 29 May 1867 and died as Maria Ellen Carden on 2 April 1883, buried in the Masonic cemetery in San Francisco.

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  5. Many thanks. You were quick to help.
    Based research on newspapers for 1867 recorded that: MARRIAGES.
    Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3090, 12 June 1867, Page 4
    'On May 29, at the Grey River, by the Rev. Mr Shaw, Stanley Williams to Maria Ellen Kinder.

    website: bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz, had:
    1867/4234 Maria Ellen Kinder
    married Humphry Miuchiu Garden (sic)
    transcriber informed about spelling.
    You have been very helpful. Thanks, again. Margret

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  6. You're welcome, Margret. Diana suspected that the confusion may have come from the name of the owner of the United States Hotel where Ellen married Humphrey -- one Mr. S. Williams.

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