Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Christchurch city trams before the 'quake


Once again, some images from Bryan Blanchard, with his permission.
"... Christchurch in happier days. All in the Square, except 244 coming out into the street at the east end of the square."







Update 29 March 2011: More pre-quake photos from Bryan, taken at Cathedral Junction at the east end of the square, 7 February 2009.



 No. 178 (all above): " a boon tram, this class were introduced in 1921". Below, the ex-Melbourne W2 244.



 Tram 11 & trailer.


  Trailer & tram 178 in the distance.



Tram 178. Bryan's comment: "When I rode on the trams as a school boy up on holiday from Timaru - I rode
on trams like 178, painted green & yellow from Spreydon shopping shops into the square route numbers on trams were 14 to Spreydon & 16 to St Albans. Cost to the square from Spreydon was one penny.

"178 painted red, was a trial colour done in the 1930s on one or two."


Tram 244.

More Ferrymead trams

Bryan Blanchard has sent more images through, and said I can share them here (thanks again, Bryan, you're making my day!). Again, anyone is welcome to email me or add a comment with more info and corrections. While I love trams, I'm certainly not an expert (but I love to learn). Information below from Bryan's email.


Above and below.  Hills, tram 24 waiting restoration & ex-Dunedin, Mornington cable car 111 under restoration.






 Above and below. Ex-Invercargill Birney tram under restoration in the tram barn. A Birney image from Trams Down Under, and article from Stuff.co.nz on the No. 15.




 Above: The Beast - 5w with tram used in the city circle = W2 244 in the village. Below, on the Ferrymead tramway line.


 Below: Tram 152 & trailer 115 normally used on the city circle.


Also, here are Bryan's photos of the restoration work being undertaken to repair the tramlines after the recent earthquakes. Quoting from his email:

This is some of the work we were doing. We worked in with the Ferrymead gang - Cleaning the liquefaction sand of the track area  ( all fall stuff to shift )- straightening the sleepers in the track bed that had moved & rebalasting them & also with the shaking of the earthquake, a number of the sleepers needed the ballast repacked round them. The sleepers that had to be straighten, had to have the attaching screws, locking the plates that hold the rail line in place, loosened, straighten up & screws tighten up again, locking the attaching plates onto the railway line.   The works tram = THE BEAST, fleet No. 5w supplied the power/air needed to run the compressor to operate the air gun.








Update:

In answer to Sandy's question below about damage to Ferrymead from the Canterbury quakes, here's Bryan's response and another photo from his collection:



"Only real track damage I saw was on Ferrymead railways as seen on one of their sidings."

Trams at Ferrymead

I've just received permission from Bryan Blanchard, of the Pleasant Point Museum & Railway, to put his photos of trams at Ferrymead near Christchurch on the blog. Thanks, Bryan!

As always -- I welcome comments, additional information and corrections from tram enthusiasts. The more info, the better.

W2 224 - ex Melbourne, normally used in the city circle. There's a page on W2.224 which was part of the Melbourne fleet, not sure if it is the same tram, though.


(Above) Tram 152 & trailer - normally used in the city circle.

Above: 236, former Brisbane tram. According to this site:
This is Brisbane's two-bogie drop-centre tram, although it has much in common with Sydney's toastrack L/P trams. The first to be introduced was No. 231 ...At first, despite their weight, the trams were equipped only with hand brakes; air brakes were a late refinement. Later, air brakes were fitted to hand-braked models in reverse order. This process got as far as tram No. 276 before it stopped. 


 

Restored Christchurch No. 1.

The colours of Paynes Lane, Onehunga


Paynes Lane, Onehunga. According to the Auckland Central Library's streets database, named after Ronald Payne, who owned property taken for the lane, which conveniently leads straight to DressMart. I was heading through Onehunga yesterday, picking up some provisions for a day out at Archives New Zealand bent over old bits of paper -- when I spotted this:



This was spray painted in November last year, according to the Onehunga Community News. From that month's online edition:

The first of what is hoped to be a series of murals adorming the blank walls of Onehunga buildings is to be produced by the Cut Collective on the weekend of November 13th and 14th. Four or five artists will spend the weekend on scaffolding at the top of Paynes Lane, using spray paints to colourfully depict a variety of local imagery. Glen Armstrong of House of Travel provided the original inspiration and impetus behind the Cut Collective ...Glen says the mural will "reference the local community" and will be finished in plenty of time for Onehunga's first Santa Parade.




Yeoman Warder at Tower of London clips

While these clip links from YouTube (sent overnight by a friend in England) aren't anything to do with NZ history, I'm putting them up here anyway -- mainly because I reckon those in our local heritage field leading informative walks (including me!) should learn from this chap as to how to make history fun and informative at the same time.

Sure, he has the vast canvas of English history and the Tower of London to utilise but -- oh, go on. Watch the clips, and see for yourself.




Sunday, March 20, 2011

Titirangi, Fringe of Heaven


Marc Bonny is a friend of mine, a committed local historian, West Auckland Historical Society member and someone with a real love for the stories of Titirangi and West Auckland in general. His book, launched today, fills in yet another gap in our knowledge base as far as the history of our region is concerned. It was  also very nice to be mentioned in the acknowledgements as helping towards Titirangi, Fringe of Heaven (all I did was point the research team of Marc and well-known historian Bruce Harvey in the direction of the old deeds references at LINZ, and do some proofreading).

Check it out as an example of a community joining together and finding their voice to relate, to the future, the stories of how their particular part of our region came to be.

Titirangi's ever-shifting war memorial


Spotted the Titirangi War Memorial outside the local community centre/war memorial hall today. Thought -- Hey, how come I missed this when I photographed the special clay tiles last year? Did I? Maybe. But that cement work and the pavers at the rear look quite new. Plus, the war memorials page for this one at NZhistory.net, where the photos date from 1986 and 2009, show slightly different locations. Looks like, since 1965 when the memorial seems to have been shifted from its original spot on Memorial Hill (near Titirangi School, across the road from Lopdell House to the north), it has probably  been moved at least twice. Maybe three times. What on earth have the local authorities got against this lovely pillar? I'll leave it up to the locals to tell me more, should they come upon this post.

Anyway -- more images from today.


"Erected by H Atkinson to record the names of the men of Titirangi who left New Zealand to fight for the British Empire and the human race."




Massey West Auckland: A Palimpsest


In Titirangi's wonderful "Gone West" bookshop today, I found an unexpected treasure: Gillian Ruffle's Massey West Auckland: A "Palimpsest". There's the new word her book has introduced to my lexicon (if I remember it):
I called this a "Palimpsest", but this is really abusing the term! Literally a palimpsest is an old manuscript that has been re-used for writing new messages after erasing earlier ones. Scholars have learnt how to decipher old messages that have been "written over" in this way, and I thought that I would like to view Massey in a similar fashion.
And then there is the way she has organised the book -- anchoring her research on her own property in Massey, she has gone back in time, to 1850, 1900, 1950 and 2000 to determine who would have owned the land, what it may have looked like, how to get there at each period, etc. Along the way, the book is festooned with maps, diagrams, tables of Crown Grantees and other relevant names and details.

I think I was very lucky to get my hands on this today. The only copy in the entirity of the 55 library system of Auckland Council is a reference only copy at Henderson Library. I couldn't find it at the National Library catalogue, and nothing at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. I certainly haven't seen this before.

So, if this has had limited publication, it's a real shame -- Massey West Auckland fills a gap in our knowledge of that part of Auckland, and is a real resource when it comes to research into the land ownership patterns and history of the area. Gillian Ruffles says this is a "work in progress". I hope someone comes along with funding, if she's still interested at this point, to continue such great work.

If you see the book, and can buy or borrow it, do so. Definitely worth a look.

National topographic maps online

Peter Hjorring emailed this link to Land Information New Zealand's collection of downloadable topographic maps.

31 regions covered, including the Chathams.

Thanks, Peter!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Tales from the Crypt


I've finally been able to get my hands on a copy of Matthew Gray's book Tales from the Crypt today (they were being sold today at the 125th anniversary commemoration function at Waikumete Cemetery). Based on his series of articles published weekly in the Western Leader, I found the book to be better than expected. Then again, the old trad in local history writing -- if you want folks to like the book, put their name in it -- probably has some effect on my judgement with regards to this publication. Seeing that Matthew Gray not only cited A Doctor in the Whau, he also cited Timespanner itself (two instances, the Castles of Waterview and Wesley Neal Spragg's memorial in the George Maxwell Memorial Cemetery). On top of that, he's also raised the subject of Clara Bethell's relocated headstone at MOTAT.

What I liked about the book is that he has taken time to source and reproduce photos of the deceased where possible, not just their headstones -- and has divided the book into sections, based on the cemeteries:

Bush Graves
George Maxwell Memorial Cemetery (Avondale)
Hobsonville Cemetery
Oratia Cemetery
St Ninian's Churchyard (Avondale -- actually, Matthew, this is a cemetery as well)
Swanson Cemetery
and Waikumete Cemetery

There are some errors (there are errors in every local history book published, somewhere, if you nit-pick enough), but -- I'm delighted I made the investment, finally got to briefly meet Matthew today, and ... yes, okay, okay, I'm quite thrilled to see this here blog, my pet project, cited as a resource. 

Heh. Thanks, Matthew. I enjoy your work, too.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Tsunami at Chatham Island, 1868

 Image from Wikipedia.

I probably missed this, when doing the post about tsanamis felt here in 1868 as a result of the 9.0 Arica earthquake, off the coast of Chile, because news got here to the mainland much later, via the schooner Rifleman. I'm reading an old Bateman's Contemporary Atlas of New Zealand (2003), and it referred to the devastating Chatham Island tsunami of 1868.

DUNEDIN, August 27.
The schooner Rifleman arrived at Port Chalmers this morning from the Chatham Islands, after a passage of six days, having left Waitangi on the morning of Friday, the 21st. She brings news of great disaster and loss to the inhabitants of the Chathams, who were suddenly awakened from their sleep by the water rushing into their dwellings, and were driven half-naked and trembling to the hills, while the receding waters carried away every relic of their property, and in one instance causing the loss of life. The following are the items as we received them.

Early on the morning of the 15th the Islands were visited with three immense earthquake waves, somewhat similar to those which visited the other islands of the colony on the same date, causing the almost total destruction of some of the settlements, and the loss of one life — a Maori. At the settlement of Tupanga, which was situated on the northern side of the island, the phenomenon was felt with greatest force. The settlement was entirely destroyed, and not a vestige left to indicate where once stood the habitations of natives — the whole place being covered with sand and piles of seaweed. The inhabitants, who were principally Maoris, narrowly escaped with their lives. They were roused from their slumbers by the first wave, which came rushing into their houses. They immediately fled in alarm to the bush, or sought safety on higher ground; but they had barely time to escape, before a second and larger wave came rolling after them, rapidly followed by a third, which completely destroyed and swept away the dwellings and everything they contained.

Captain Anderson's house, situate about four miles from Tupanga, was also swept away, the proprietor himself narrrowly escaping with his wife and children.

A Maori lost his life here while trying to save a boat; he was carried out to sea by the drawback, and drowned.

Further along the coast, facing south-westerly, Mr Hay, sheep farmer, lost his all. His house and other fixtures were carried to sea, leaving him without a shoe to his foot or a coat to cover his back.

At the settlement of Waitangi similar disasters occurred, and great loss was occasioned. Mr Beamish's accommodation house was wrenched from its piles, and a great quantity of Government stores and fencing were carried out to sea, together with some boats.

The beach presented a most disheartening spectacle after the phenomena had passed away. There was household property of all descriptions strewing the sands, intermixed with bags of flour and other stores, the whole being festooned with seaweed. How the people escaped is considered miraculous. On the eastern side of the island less damage was done — there being less to destroy. The only habitations destroyed were a few Maori huts. Some valuable boats belonging to the Rifleman, which was lying at Wangaroa at the time, fortunately escaped without accident; although in the same harbor some huge spars were carried away, and deposited high and dry on a flat on the opposite side of the harbor.

Wellington Independent, 29 August 1868

DETAILS OF THE EARTHQUAKE WAVE AT THE CHATHAM ISLANDS.

We published, some time ago, telegrams giving an account of the effects of the earthquake wave at the Chatham Islands. The Chatham Islands correspondent of the Hawkes Bay Herald has the following interesting account of the affair :—

On Friday, the 13th instant, the day was sunny and pleasant, with a very light breeze from the southwest, and during the day the sea was so low that rocks which had been usually submerged were high and dry. About one o'clock a.m. on Saturday morning, the first great wave rushed in with such force and terrific noise that the very fountains of the deep seemed broken up. This fortunately served as a premonitory warning, and without doubt prevented the loss of many lives. In ten minutes more, another wave, more terrible than the former, commenced its work of destruction, and, after a like interval, the third and list completed the catastrophe.

Indeed the full wrath of the ocean seemed to battle with the island, in fierce resolve to submerge it. Houses, pas, and bush in proximity with the shore were carried away and engulphed by the drawback; but in many instances human lives were preserved almost by a miracle. At Terake, on the western point of the island, stood the substantial dwelling of Thomas Osborne Hay, Esq, and the inmates, Mr. Hay and Mr. Amery (a gentleman who resided with him), had so narrow an escape that it seems a special intervention of Providence. On the approach of the first wave, Mr. Amery awoke and, feeling assured that a tidal wave was approaching, such as had been adverted to by a scientific writer, he at once aroused his friend Mr. Hay. The second wave was now gathering, and they had barely time to rush from the house, with what scanty clothing they could hastily snatch up when a vast breaker actually enveloped the mansion, and in another moment it was a mass of ruins; even of a massive stove chimney not one stone was left upon another. Half undressed, the late inmates hastened on to the rising ground and awaited the approach of a third wave, which came rolling in with most awful grandeur and thousandfold power, bearing down out buildings and stout old skeakes, which broke and cracked beneath its fury like snatchwood, and tending its weeds and waters high up the grazing land and into the bush, carrying away young cattle, and scattering the debris of the ruins far away amongst the weeds and bushes of an adjoining swamp. This, however, was the last great wave, and the work of destruction was over.

We regret to say that Mr. Hay has, in addition to the loss of a well-appointed establishment, had some bales of wool injured, and lost a considerable amount in cash; in fact, the inmates could save neither boot nor shoe— nothing, indeed, but the scanty clothing they had hastily put on. On the break of day, they pursued their way shoeless to the adjoining settlement of Waitangi West, five miles distant, to find Captain Anderson and his family enjoying a bivouac in the bush, and, like themselves, homeless. Captain Anderson and his family like Mr. Hay had been aroused by the first wave, but from the position of his dwelling the force of the sea passed obliquely by, and moreover it was elevated from the beach and surrounded by a stone wall. Hence, the work of destruction was less complete, and he was enabled to save the most valuable part of his furniture.

Here, we regret to say, an inoffensive and worthy old man, named Makare, lost his life in attempting to save Captain Andersons whaleboat, which had been washed away, some two miles distant, to Teraikopakipa Point. He was holding fast to the boat, when an unusual rush of water came in and carried him out. Being a good swimmer, the poor fellow contended fiercely with death but, getting amongst the kelp, he sank at once. The body was found this morning about half a mile from the spot.

Tupunga is destroyed, two European houses are demolished, and the Maori pa completely washed away. The condition of the poor Maoris is most pitiable— neatly all their clothing is gone, and they have lost from £200 to £300 in cash. Unfortunately, they had disposed of their cattle and every other available commodity, in order to raise a fund to pay their expenses to New Zealand; but all is gone, and they are destitute. The Rifleman is still at Whangaroa, and some fears were entertained regarding her safety, but beyond an extraordinary swell no danger was felt.

By a Maori, just arrived from Waitangi, we are informed that serious damage has been sustained there, and some houses destroyed, but no lives have been lost. Of this, however, we cannot give a succinct detail. The only remaining settlement from whence danger might be apprehended is Kaingaroa, but intelligence has reached from that quarter.

Without doubt, Tupuangi and the west point of the island were most severely visited. Indeed, so confident were the Maoris of a general deluge that, when driven from their pa, the whole body of them encamped on Maunganui, the most elevated spot on the island, about 700 feet above the sea-level.

Southern Cross, 16 September 1868


A plague of indecent postcards

In 1905 and 1906, court case reports appeared in both Australia and New Zealand  newspapers during what appeared to be a rash of incidents involving shopkeepers and their display, in their front windows, of “indecent” postcards. I found the following two reports by chance.

From the NZ Herald, 4 September 1906.

At the Police Court yesterday, before Mr C C Kettle, SM, Joshua Connolly [of Queen Street] was charged on four informations with selling indecent postcards, entitled, “It’s a Shame to take the Money”, and “Please help the Blind”. Sergeant Hendry conducted the prosecution, but the defendant was not represented by counsel.

Sergeant Murphy said that, in company with another police officer, he went to defendant’s shop and purchased the cards.

As the sale of the cards was admitted, Mr Kettle said the question was whether the cards were indecent.

Sergeant Hendry said the police had received complaints from the ladies of the YWCA, who had been very shocked and scandalised by the exhibition of the cards in the defendant’s window. Prosecutions had taken place in various provinces of the colony, and the remarks of the magistrates had been widely published in the press, so defendant must have noticed them.

Defendant said the cards were not indecent.

Mr Kettle: Could you get respectable women to come forward and say they are not indecent?

The defendant said he had them in his window for six months.

Mr Kettle: Of course, they are very mild to some of the cards you see about. Do you mean to tell me that any respectable woman would stand in the street in that position?

The Defendant: Oh, yes. You can see them like that every wet day. I would be very sorry to have the cards in my window if they were indecent.

Sergeant Hendry: These postcards are sold at 3d. There must be something spicy about them.

Mr Kettle: There must be an enormous profit. (To defendant) Where are the cards printed?

Defendant: I get them from Melbourne.

Mr Kettle reserved his decision, pending the hearing of charges against Barney Barripp.

Barney Barripp, for whom Mr Singer appeared, was charged on 12 informations with selling indecent postcards, entitled “After Dark,”, “An Australian Native Bare”, “Psyche”, “Reflections,” “The Early Bird Catches the Worm,” and “A Ballet Dancer.”

Constable Maher said he went to defendant’s shop and purchased some cards. He then asked defendant if he had any others, and defendant said, “Do you like suggestive ones?” He then purchased some.

Mr Singer (to witness): I suppose it was with hesitating mien and blushing face that you went into the shop?

Mr Kettle: Oh, don’t waste my time; get to business.

Mr Singer (to witness): Have you ever kissed a girl?

Witness: That is my business.

Do you consider it would be indecent?

No; it all depends on the circumstances.

Well, what indecent suggestion do you get from “After Dark”?

I would not like to say in open Court.

Mr Singer submitted that “Psyche” was a reproduction of a painting by one of the world’s most famous artists. Pictures by the best artists in New York, Paris and London were reproduced, and gave one an artistic education, and this ought to be encouraged. The cards were educative in an artistic way.

Mr Kettle: Yes, in their proper places.

Mr Singer contended that if the cards were indecent the statues in the Albert Park and the Museum were indecent. Postcards were the cheapest form of art education.

Mr Kettle: I question that you have to pay 3d each for them.

In referring to the “Ballet Dancer,” Mr Singer said it was seen at the theatre every week, and no one called it indecent. “Does Your Worship say the ‘Australian Native Bare’ is indecent?” and with regard to ‘The Early Bird’ the defendant does not remember selling it. In conclusion, Mr Singer drew His Worship’s attention to the fact that there had been no warning and no convictions against Barripp.

Mr Kettle said he was glad the police were taking steps to put this nuisance down. Shops were full of these cards. Connolly’s cards came well within the meaning of the Act, and as he had been convicted of similar offences he would fine him £5 of each of two charges. For the first offence the maximum penalty was £5 or three months, and for and subsequent convictions £10 or six months.

With regard to Barripp, Mr Singer had wisely left along “The Early Bird” card, which was most disgusting. “After Dark” and “The Early Bird” were both indecent, and the defendant would be fined £2 10s on each of the two charges. With regard to the other cards he would reserve his decision.

The question of costs was reserved till Mr Kettle gave his decision on the other cards.

Leave to appeal against the decision on the “After Dark” card was given [by] Mr Singer.

Mr Kettle said, in conclusion, that this was an offence which required to be put down by a firm hand. It was no use fiddling with it.

From the NZ Herald, 6 September 1906

At the Police Court yesterday Mr C C Kettle, SM, delivered his reserved judgement in the cases in which Barney Barripp, shopkeeper, was charged with selling indecent postcards.

In the course of his decision His Worship said that persons exhibiting or selling any picture or printed matter of an indecent, immoral or obscene nature, or which the Court was satisfied was intended to have an indecent, obscene, or immoral effect were liable, under the Offensive Publications Act, 1892, and the amending Act, to fine or imprisonment as therein mentioned. He had no hesitation in holding that the postcards “Reflections”, “Psyche” and “A ‘Bally’ Dancer” were clearly libidinous, and were calculated to have a pernicious influence, especially on the minds of boys and girls into whose hands they might fall. It was the duty of the Court to give full effect to the intention of the Legislature.

Convictions were recorded, and nominal fines of 5s imposed in each case. As the defendant had already been fined £5 and costs in respect of two other indecent cards sold by him. Mr Kettle intimated that if the exhibition and sale of such cards were continued, it might, perhaps, become necessary to impose heavier fines, or imprisonment.

Mr Singer reminded His Worship that he had given no decision on the “Australian Native Bare.”

Mr Kettle said that card was almost as bad as the others, and it was intended to have an indecent effect. On that information he would record a conviction also.

Mr Kettle allowed costs, £2 17s, in connection with the case.

Thanks to the NZ Truth, we have some idea of what these naughty cards were actually about.

"It's a shame to take the money."
It represented a small shoeblack attending to a swell tart's tootsie coverings ; her skirt and lingerie were drawn up to her knees and opening up a vast panorama, of naughtiness. Apparently that wicked shoeblack having gazed to his fill is supposed to ejaculate "It's a shame to take the money."

"Please help the "blind.”
This showed an individual labelled "blind" gazing in raptures on a lady attending her garter.

NZ Truth 8 September 1906

"An Australian Native Bare."
This is a pun on the words "native bear," and is absolutely nothing more offensive than a black blur in the shape of a human form, one hand of which is holding an iguana by the tail. It is ridiculous, pathetic, maddening to think that people can be found filthy-minded enough to see anything indecent or immoral in it, and a magistrate mad and old womanish enough to convict upon it. As well prosecute the man who sells and the mother who gives to her child one of those little undressed rubber dolls! There is no shading, no outline other than the curves of the black human-shaped blot.

"A Bally Dancer."
This is a crazy delineation in black and white of a ballet, dancer, high kicking. Only the two legs to the knee are visible out of a cloud of muslin lingerie, just as can be seen in flesh and blood any night on any stage, anywhere in the civilised world. Both these are from the pencil of that true artist and brilliant “black and white" man Souter, of Sydney, and have not a scintilla of evil suggestion about them that even the most debased mind could detect.

“Psyche”
A photograph copy of Psyche about to descend into the stream. This is pure art and carries no suggestion, except to the mentally diseased on sexual subjects. And magistrate Kettle convicted on these three examples. God help a country whose magistracy contains such men with such minds.

NZ Truth 13 October 1906

"After Dark", it seems, was just too terrible to describe.

The Truth, no fan of the police or of "wowsers", made the editor's feelings klnown about all this.
The subject of this tyranny of the few over the many is a wide one; it does not begin and end in an indecent prosecution on a false charge of indecency. 

That the police took action is not a matter for discussion. The average policeman, if he thought he could get a conviction to his credit, would prosecute his mother for wearing her boot heels over. Nobody believes that any sane policeman really considered the three pictures described are "indecent or immoral." The thing would be too ridiculous! No, the police were set on by a gang of crawling creatures who make a good thing out of the people under the pretence of piloting them to a Heaven that, if they are to be there too, no reasonable man wants to get to. No sooner did one weevilly wowser start the "good work" in one city than all his bitterly envious prototypes rushed to win fame similarly in their separate places of sojourn, and the police were forced into taking action or risk the snarling slanders of these atrocious beings, very few of whose lives will bear strict scrutiny, if the whole truth was known.

It is to be hoped that Magistrate Kettle, having become sane again, will stay so and that his only possible action— if we are not to be the butt of the whole world— in dismissing these idiotic "Psyche" charges, will bear fruit, and that it is the forerunner of other protests against the aggressive insolence of the pious, prurient-minded, pragmatical prigs who would fain rule us with a rod of iron and persecute us in the name of Christ.
NZ Truth 13 October 1906

The strange burial of Florence Lena Bell


Further to my previous post on the odd story around the first burial at Waikumete -- I asked my friend Margaret Edgcumbe for help in obtaining Florence's death registration. It does confirm that, according to what was documented back in 1886, she was the first burial indeed at Waikumete, but ... more questions seem to open up, even as solutions are found.


She died 16 March 1886, while living with her family on Mount Roskill Road. The confusion over her name (Lena? Sera?) is over that capital "L", flourished to look to the modern eye like an "S". But, everything verifies that Florence was "Lena", not "Sera", including the Auckland City Council's burial register for the Nonconformist interments from the time.

Her death at the age of 14 months was as a result of dystentry, as confirmed by Dr. Kenderdine on 16 March that year.

The registration clearly says that Florence was buried on the 18th of March, not the 19th (so according to this, today's the 125th anniversary of the first burial, not tomorrow when all the commemorations will take place). But -- when her father Edmund Bell informed the Council about the burial (see below), that register says 19 March. Six of one, half dozen of the other, as my mum would say (and I still do) ...

The minister at the funeral, Richard Barcham Shalders, is credited with founding both the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle (1855) and the YMCA in Auckland (1856). What is somewhat curious is that the witness to the burial taking place wasn't Florence's father, but someone named Peter Collins, a householder. Who was he? Someone who worked for the undertaker?


The signature for the undertaker looks like "Ro(?) Cranwell". There is a possibility that this is Robert Cranwell, a well-known cabinetmaker (one of the trades that, in those days, was part of the funerals field), and a partner in the firm of Garlick and Cranwell, furniture dealers, later Tonson Garlick Ltd after Cranwell's retirement.

From the NZ Herald, 12 September 1916:

The death of an old Auckland identity, in the person of Mr Robert Cranwell, took place at Cliffcot, Crescent Road, St Stephen's Avenue, Parnell, yesterday morning. Deceased, who was aged 81, had been living in retirement in Parnell for some time past, but previously he took an active part in affairs in Auckland and the Kaipara district, being very well known in both places.

He arrived in Auckland on the vessel Matilda Wattenbach over fifty years ago as a member of a Nonconformist party formed to settle at Port Albert, on the Kaipara Harbour. Mr Cranwell's family brought with them a spring cart -- the first imported into Auckland -- in which they had planned to drive to Port Albert. However, they found that the state of the roads necessitated travelling by bullock-waggon, which took six weeks to cover the distance from Auckland to the destination of the party.

After farming at Port Albert for some time, Mr Cranwell returned to Auckland, where he entered the furnishing trade, in which he was engaged for some twenty years, first as the head of Cranwell and Company, and later as a working partner of the firm of Garlick and Cranwell. He afterwards took an interest in fruit-growing and with two mothers established the Pomaria Estate at Henderson, which was one of the pioneer farms of the local fruit trade. 

Mr Cranwell was for some time a member of the Mount Eden Borough Council, and further evidence of his public spirit was his donation of a library to the people of Henderson.

Deceased is survived by three sons and two daughters, Messrs A H Cranwell, B F Cranwell and R B Cranwell, Medames H West and T Colebrook, besides grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
One of his grandchildren was world famous botanist Lucy Cranwell. His orchard at Henderson is today's Cranwell Park.

But ... why was the death registered so late, 65 days after Florence Lena Bell died? From what I understand of the regulations of the day, either the family or the undertaker had 31 days to register the death. Just another odd circumstance around this burial.

Here are the first 14 burials at Waikumete Cemetery, March-April 1886, as recorded in the burial registers (available on microfilm at the Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Central Library):

March 19 Florence Lena Bell (Nonconformist)
April 17 William Appleby Tye (Public)
April 17 William Long (Church of England)
April 18 Emma Eliza Wilson (Church of England)
April 18 Johanna Binning (Roman Catholic)
April 21 Essy Fuller (Church of England)
April 21 Maria Ruthe (Church of England)
April 21 John Taylor (Church of England)
April 22 Margaret Aitken (Presbyterian)
April 23 Reuben G Beacham (Public)
April 27 Violet Smith (Roman Catholic)
April 28 Sarah Violet Smith (Nonconformist)
April 28 Amelia Rastrick (Church of England)
April 29 William Richards (Church of England)

And here are the plot purchasers from the same period. Even considering that there were two public block interments, where plots weren't purchased by fees paid, this list doesn't match up with the list of the burials.

March 18 Edmund Bell
April 16 Charlotte Long
April 20 William Ruthe
April 21 Mary Jane Bright
April 21 W H Williams
April 21 John Aitken

When I get a chance, I'll do a full trawl through the papers and Council records from February to May 1886, to see just what on earth was going on at Waikumete back then -- what would cause that month's gap between the first burial, and then all the rest.

Update, 27 September 2011: Found this in the Auckland Star today, thanks to Papers Past:
The first burial took place yesterday in the new Cemetery, Waikomiti. It was an infant daughter of Mr Bell, architect. In the absence of the Rev. Thos. Spurgeon, Mr R. B. Shaldors officiated at the grave.
Auckland Star 19 March 1886

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Crafty caution sign


Spotted last night at the Corban Estate in Henderson, where there are traffic-slowing humps along the widing drives through the complex: I think they've had craft groups through there recently, as I saw bits of knitting around trees down by St Michael's Church building, and this.

I haven't knitted for ages, but it looks like knit 1, purl 1 to me ...