Elizabeth Wass was born in 1844 in England, the daughter of George Wass, a gardener. Elizabeth was a catholic and described as a tall thin woman, but no photos of her have been found. She travelled to New Zealand, aged 23, as a cook on the BLUE JACKET departing Plymouth on 15 June 1867, arriving Canterbury on 2 September 1867, after the death of her first husband, William Patrick O’Donoghue. There is a marriage recorded in Kensington, South London in 1861 and also a death record of a William Patrick O’Donoghue in 1867 in Kensington. She disembarked in Lyttelton before travelling on to Wellington. Elizabeth had a daughter in August 1868 who was born in Wellington and it therefore appears William could not be the biological father of Louisa Mary O’Donoghue (Lou) even though he is recorded as such on her birth certificate. According to Elizabeth’s death certificate she had been in New Zealand 30 yrs when she died in 1897.
Elizabeth married her second husband James Bishop at St Mary’s Church, Wellington, New Zealand in 1869 and had a second daughter, Adelaide Elizabeth Bishop (Addy) in 1870. There were also two sons, James Bishop who died 19/2/1872 at 2 months old and Frederick William Bishop who died 27/1/1875 at nearly 4 months old. There is a record of James Bishop on the list of graves that were destroyed for the motorway in the Bolton Street Memorial Park dated 10 September 1874, which would be Elizabeth’s husband as he died in Wellington Hospital on 8 September 1874 aged 49 years. She was eight months’ pregnant when he died as Frederick was born one month later. Four months after his death Elizabeth married John Reid on Christmas Eve at her home in Tinakori Road, Wellington. Sadly, Frederick died one month later.
James Bishop, a cooper by trade, was also a widower when he married Elizabeth, who is described as a nurse. She was actually a monthly nurse, an occupation which paid more than a midwife at the time. It is known James had at least one child from his previous marriage called Ellen, who was born around 1858. James was an abusive husband who drank heavily and on 8/10/1873 Elizabeth, supported by his daughter Ellen, took James to Court and applied for a protection order. On 13 October, five days later, James was charged with using threatening and abusive language to Elizabeth. He was ordered to be bound over to keep the peace for six months, himself on £20 and one surety also in £20, and to pay costs. James died eleven months later in Wellington Hospital of chronic bronchitis and heart disease and was living in Tinakori Road up to the time of his death. Various incidents during their marriage were reported in the local newspaper and copies of these are included at the end of this paper.
Plot: *Public/E/226
By Joy Tiefenbacher and Kay Wallbutton
Extract from Wellington Independent dated 8 October 1873:
Resident Magistrate’s Court, Tuesday 7 October 1873
A Very Bad Husband
Elizabeth Bishop applied, through Mr Quick, for a married woman’s protection order from her husband, James Bishop. She came provided with witnesses and “characters”. On being examined she told a tale that told very badly against her sottish and cruel husband. She said she had been married five years and had been constantly subjected to his illusage. A fortnight after marriage he threw the teapot at her, and since last New Year’s Day he had given her three severe beatings. Bad as his conduct had been generally, it was still worse during the last twelve months. Last week he came home intoxicated, smashed the furniture, swept the crockery off the table in the tablecloth and stamped on it with his feet. He then struck her on the wrist with a chair back and kicked her on the shin. She had to and call upon Dr Harding for the injuries received. She had frequently to sleep out at nights owing to the terror she felt when he was drunk and violent and his daughter would prove that. She had one child by him (husband – “yes, you killed the rest”) – a girl three years three months old and one five years old by a former husband. During the last twelve months she had to contribute very much towards the support of the house as he had not contributed more than 30 shillings per week at the very outside, though he was in constant employment. Witness was in the habit of earning between £7 and £8 as a monthly nurse. (Several certificates were handed in to show that witness was a sober and trustworthy person).
Eileen Bishop, the daughter of James Bishop, an intelligent looking girl of 15 years, corroborated all the statements of the previous witness and added that she had always found her a very kind stepmother. (The father tried to intimidate his daughter from giving evidence against him).
Caroline Beasley, who had been on intimate terms of acquaintance with the family for nine months, corroborated the previous evidence and said she had seen Bishop beat Mrs Bishop most cruelly last New Year’s Day. The wife was a hardworking women who was almost constantly out nursing.
It was only with great difficulty that the husband could be kept silent during the taking of evidence. He seemed to be even then partially intoxicated, though he had only just been released from the lock-up on a charge of drunkenness. When asked if he had any questions to ask the last witness he replied “This good woman don’t know anything of the matter and my daughter don’t know nothing either; and them’s all the questions Í’ve got to put. It’s a case between man and wife, and I don’t want no witnesses.”
His Workshop granted a protection order to Mrs Bishop and ordered the husband to pay 10 shillings a week for the support of his child by the present wife. Defendant admitted to be in receipt of £2.8s wages. James Bishop was fined 5s for being drunk.
Extract from Evening Post dated 13 October 1873:
James Bishop was charged with using threatening and abusive language to Elizabeth Bishop. He was ordered to be bound over to keep the peace for six months, himself in £20 and one surety also in £20, and to pay costs.
