George died in 1913 and was buried in the Church of England 2 section. On 22nd September 1916, the Town Clerk received a letter from his widow asking if the plot had been paid for. She had paid Mr Dunne to complete the purchase of the plot and to place a headstone on it.
The Town Clerk conferred with the Sexton who confirmed the plot was paid for, but no headstone had been placed. This information was sent to Mrs Barford a few days later. We can confirm from the present state of the grave that the headstone has since been provided with a concrete surround, ledger and marble plaque.
George was born in New Zealand about 1860. At the young age of 20, George was the Postmaster at Inglewood. In 1883 the New Zealand Gazette announced George’s appointment as the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and the Vaccination Inspector for the District of Waitara. The 1891 Gazette announced his appointment to the same post, but transferred Brunner. On departing for the west coast, the Taranaki Herald wrote that George was ‘a universal favourite’.
George retired from the Post and Telegraph Department and went to South Africa. On his return, he joined the Signal branch of the Railway Department and located himself in Wellington.
In 1902, George married Jane “Jenny” Francis Waldrom. George was Jenny’s third husband. She was divorced from John Robert Lever in 1889 as a result of his adultery. Her second husband, Henry William Marsh, died in 1892. Jenny had six grown up children from her first marriage.
George died suddenly after an operation at Wellington Hospital on 5th October 1913. He was 51 years old. Just prior to his becoming unwell, he had planned to take a holiday before moving to Te Kuiti and starting his own business. Members of the Lodge Tutanekai 156 and the West Coasters’ Association were requested to attend his funeral. Jenny died in 1928 and is buried in Auckland.
Plot: *Ch Eng 2/A/1
Wellington City Council Archives, 00233-1916/1384
