Old residents of Oriental Bay
John was born at Prescot, Lancashire in 1840, the son of a labourer. In 1861 he was working as a joiner in Salford. He arrived at Lyttelton on the ship Amoor in 1864 and quickly shifted to Wellington.
In 1868 John married Grace Whebby whose parents, Thomas & Edith, had arrived in Wellington on the ship Clifton in 1841. They were from Somerset. Thomas worked as a milkman who lived in Oriental Bay but he died in 1857 and Edith went on to be a leading figure in Oriental Bay affairs. She raised her 8 children alone. In 1865, Edith was charged with a breach of the Scab Act as her sheep were unclean!
John also contributed to the “progress of affairs” in Oriental Bay in the early days. He also laid the telegraph wire with Samuel Brown between Wellington and Masterton. He constructed a large number of buildings in early Wellington and was proclaimed “an expert craftsman” (Evening Post 9 Sept 1914). Later in life he worked in the Public Works department.
In 1893, the Twist house in Hay Street, Oriental Bay burned down. Owing to the high situation of the house, the Brigade were unable to get water up to it. All that could be done was to remove some furniture, including a piano. The house and contents were insured for £300. The property was known as ‘Te Ngaio’ and shortly after the fire, Grace who owned the property, auctioned the bare land off.
In 1895, Grace died. Her funeral departed from their new home at 53 Ghuznee Street. She was 49 years old. Her Will (dated 1891) stated that her piano should go to her daughter Edith. How fortunate it had been saved in the fire!
John died in 1914 aged 74. His funeral left his son’s house at 13 Garden Road, Northland for Karori Cemetery. He was survived by six sons and one daughter.
