Menzies

This double width ‘hip tomb’ is for Duncan Robertson Menzies and his wife Dorothy.

Duncan was a grandson of Isaac Featherston who after Featherston and Featherston Street are named.

Dorothy was a daughter of William Jarvis Willis who married Amelia Riddiford. After her death, he wanted to marry her sister Eliza, but had to go to Australia to do so as it was not legal in New Zealand. Amelia and Eliza were both daughters of Daniel Riddiford for who Riddiford Street is named after. Dorothy is a child of his second marriage.

Duncan and Dorothy married in 1907. They married at Marton and the reception was held at her father’s house ‘Woodendean’. Their daughters Mary, Jean, Egidia and Dorothy were born 1908-1915.

Dorothy died in 1921, aged 41.

Duncan then remarried to Lucy Dorothy Brandon in 1927 when she was 42 and he was 51. She was a daughter of Alfred de Bathe Brandon. Brandon Street was named for her grandfather. We have covered two of her Brandon cousins previously:

Duncan was a member of the Wellington Club, the Wellesley Club and Wellington Golf Club and president of the Incorporated Institute of Accountants of New Zealand 1923-24, a trustee for the New Zealand Olympic Association. He had represented Wellington at hockey.

Duncan died in 1945 and is also interred in this plot. Lucy died in 1979 and was cremated.

This plot was cleared at our recent working bee by Sarah and Philippa.

Plot: *Public 2/M/262

Duncan Menzies. Evening Post 31 January 1945
Menzies plot, after cleaning.
Menzies plot detail