Stace Plot

Lucy Cornford married Albert Stace at St Mark’s Church on 4^th June 1887. She was the youngest daughter of William and Fanny Cornford of Makara, and he the fourth son of Thomas and Amelia Stace of Pahautanui.

Both families were early Wellington settlers. Lucy’s parents had married at St Paul’s in Wellington in 1854. Cornford Street in Karori is named after her father. Albert’s parents met and married in Tasmania in 1841 and moved to New Zealand in 1853, bringing Albert’s grandparents with them.

At the age of 16, Albert decided that following his father in farming was not for him and so started a job in the Government Printing Office. He had been lodging for a few years at Mrs Alexander’s boarding house in Murphy Street when it caught fire one night in 1880. Eight were sleeping in the house at the time and all escaped unharmed. But the fire spread so rapidly that none of the contents could be saved. The brigade had difficulty connecting to the mains and had to make a connection 100 yards further along the street. They did this in time to save the neighbouring property belonging to Mr Cosgrove.

In 1888, while working at the Printing Office, a large pane of glass was blown in by the wind and struck him on the side of the head. He received a cut an inch long to his head. Another window was blown out later that night and carried right across the street.

Albert and Lucy had three children. Their first child, Iva Muriel, was born in 1887 followed by Arthur Percival in 1889 and Doris Amelia in 1891. Lucy died at her home on Tinakori Road on 31^st October 1896. She was 33 years old and was the first interment in this plot.

Albert and Lucy’s son Arthur married Annie Dalrymple in 1910. Daughter Iva married Albert Cadwallader at St Mark’s Church in 1916. The reception was held at Godber’s. The groom’s present to the bride was a horse and rubber-tired gig. Her sister Doris married Andrew Latimer at St Mark’s in 1921. Their reception was held at Dustin’s in Cuba Street.

Albert retired as officer-in-charge of the Issuing Department of the Government Printing Office in 1922 after forty-six years of service. He married Maude Robieson in 1924 and lived in Pitt Street, Wadestown. Maude was the president of the District Nursing Guild of St John.

Albert died in 1934 after a brief illness followed by an operation. His obituary recorded that he was a member of the Thorndon Bowling Club and for a time the president of the Wadestown and Highland Park Progressive Association. Albert is buried with his first wife, Lucy, at Karori Cemetery. Maude died in 1936 and she was cremated. Her ashes are located in a niche at Karori Cemetery (Plot: Niche/Div C /208).

Plot: *Ch Eng/G/26