1870-1922

Looking at this headstone you may wonder what relationship Julia has to the others in this plot, and the answer, possibly, is a friendship.

Julia Burrell came to New Zealand in 1913 after the death of her mother, Christiana Burrell (nee Hall), whom she had cared for at home in South Bury, Lancashire. Bury, in the heart of the cotton mill industries, was a place where life expectancy was short. Her father was a reporter, printer and compositor there. Like her sister Susan, Julia began employment as a felt hat trimmer at the age of 15 years. Susan had emigrated in the 1870s to Otago, New Zealand.

Soon after arriving in Petone Julia married James Scotson, a very recent widower with three young children. Julia would have known James and his first wife as they too had grown up in the same small neighbourhood of South Bury a couple of streets over. Maybe they had all attended the local Holy Trinity School together. James, and his young family had emigrated to New Zealand in 1910.

Julia and James married in December 1913 at the St Augustine Church in Petone, she was 43 years old and he, 35 years.

James was a man of many jobs and schemes. He liked a drink which led to frequent police charges. None of his ventures seemed straight-forward; the licensing and selling of grocery vans, a newspaper agency, and, in 1922 their newly built house in Lowry Bay burnt to the ground, a home that would have replaced the house on the five-acre orchard and gooseberry farm in Gracefield Rd. The children attended school in Petone.

Julia and James knew an Ada Metcalf who also lived in Petone. (A Jessie Metcalf was a witness at the Julia’s wedding and may be connected). About the same time that James’ wife died in January 1913, was when Ada’s husband John Metcalf died. John was buried in the Karori cemetery in Church of England 1, 49 G, a plot purchased by Ada. Ada later remarried a Mr Houldsworth.

Were Ada and Julia close friends, or had known each other back in Lancashire, or was Ada or John a relation of James Scotson? The answer escapes me, but, when Julia died in 1922 at the age of 52 years, she was buried with Ada’s husband John Metcalf and her name added to the headstone. Much later, in 1955, Ada was buried here too.

James remarried within two years, living in the Gracefield Road home until he and Carolyn divorced in 1929. He then married Delia, his wife until his death in 1939.

Plot Church of England 1, 49 G

Ally McBride, Great-great niece.

Little Walter

At one of our recent working bees, a young volunteer noticed the headstone for Little Walter. The Karori Cemetery burial register shows that Little Walter’s full name was Walter Frederick Mildenhall.

Walter was born to Kathleen and Ernest Frederick Mildenhall of Adams St, Brooklyn, in 1903 and he was their second child. Their first child was Ernest Gordon who was born in 1901. A third son, Maxwell Austen, was born in 1906.

The little family lived Adams St, Brooklyn and Ernest was employed as a carpenter. Ernest was born in Wellington in 1877. We haven’t yet found a record of his marriage to Kathleen but they are noted as married on the electoral roles in 1903.

Sadly Walter died aged 1 year and 7 months on 27th November 1904. He was buried at Karori Cemetery on 29 November 1904. The burial register records the minister who officiated his funeral as Mr Lamb.

Following Little Walter’s death, the family moved to Johnsonville.

Ernest died on 29 December 1955 and Kathleen died on 12 Feb 1957. Both were cremated at Karori Cemetery.

Public2 28E

Mildenhall plot

Mildenhall headstone

Andrew, Stanley Polkinghorne, 1878-1964. Andrew, Stanley Polkinghorne 1879?-1964 :Photographic portrait of Arthur Thomas Bothamley. Ref: PA7-28-06. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22800249

Bothamley plot

James William Grant Fraser was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1832 and aged 16 he was apprenticed to the sea in the East India Company. This meant he was a proficient linguist in a number of languages. For a period he was engaged in transporting troops to the Crimea. In 1858 he came to New Zealand as chief officer of the “Robert Small” and was so much taken with what he saw, he decided to stay and settle in Wellington. He was the appointed outside pilot for the port of Wellington.

In 1874, Captain Fraser was appointed to the command of the steamer ‘Jane Douglas’ in its Wellington-Foxton service, and then between Lyttelton and Akaroa. After that he was employed casually as a tall-clerk in various shipping companies.

James died in 1899. ‘The flags in Wellington were flown at half mast as a mark of respect to a most popular mariner’ (Manawatu Herald 12 Dec 1899).

Mary Cecilia Prince was a daughter of Edward Prince and his wife Mary Bevan. Mary Cecilia was born, married and died in Wellington. Her parents were married in Chester in 1828, although both were natives of Wales. The emigrated from Gravesend in 1840 with their six surviving children. Sadly their youngest died while they were at sea. Three further children were born in Wellington, including Mary Cecilia in 1844.

The family lived in Hill Street and Edward was a well known builder and contractor. In 1858 he was fined for 5s for permitting his pigs to wander at large in public streets. In 1860 Edward and Mary were charged with drunkenness. He was fined 10s and she 5s. Edward died in 1862 and Mary in 1875. Both were buried in the Catholic Cemetery at Mount Street.

Mary Cecilia married James Fraser in 1862, aged 19. They had twelve children. Mary died at the family home in McFarlane Street in 1906 and she is buried with James near the Shelter at Karori Cemetery.

Plot: *Public/L/19

Fraser plot courtesy of FindaGrave

Elizabeth Dark (previously Hastings, born White)

Elizabeth was the second wife of William John Dark. William’s first wife Hannah died in 1871 leaving him with a small daughter.

William married Elizabeth Hastings (nee White) on 1^st June 1872. She was the widow of John Hastings and had six children by her first marriage. She was 34 years old and William was 41. William and Elizabeth Dark had four daughters together: Emily, Alice, Williemena and Mabel were born 1873 – 1881.

By September 1872, things were already deteriorating in their relationship. William advertised that he was not responsible for any debts contracted by his wife. In October the following year, Elizabeth applied to the court for a protection order against her husband. He did not appear and the case was struck out.

In 1877, William was made bankrupt and then charged with defrauding his creditors. The following year Elizabeth again requested a protection order against her husband. She said that William had repeatedly beaten her with a stick. In his defence, William said that Elizabeth was addicted to drinking,  had beaten him with a pair of boots, threatened to rip out his heart and that there was nothing to eat when he came home. He would very much like to be separated from her but he could not afford the 25s maintenance as he had a child from his first marriage to support. The Magistrate said that unless Elizabeth could disprove William’s statements ‘it would be the worse for her’.

Elizabeth must have had some success because in 1880 Willliam was charged with failing to support her. She stated she had been obliged to leave him because of his ill treatment and needed support for the children. She said she could earn a living to support herself. We don’t know the outcome but in 1882 William was again made bankrupt. He was also imprisoned that year for for committing a breach of the peace with his brother-in-law. During this time Elizabeth applied to the Benevolent Institute for assistance which was granted.

In 1883 an order was made against William to pay 5s per week for the maintenance of his children and the protection of his wife. As a result, William sold all of the household goods and moved to Australia, leaving Elizabeth and her young children destitute. She had ‘neither furniture, bedding or common necessities’. She was awarded 5s per week from the Benevolent Institute.

The following year Elizabeth replied for relief again. This time she was reported as being intemperate and that her husband had offered to pay the children’s passage to join him in Sydney. No action was taken.

Having presented himself as a widower, in 1887 William bigamously married the widow Ann Parkins at Penrith NSW.

Things caught up on William when Ann intercepted some mail indicating Elizabeth was still alive. He declared he would go to New Zealand to confirm his wife was dead. He returned a month later and said he had gone to her burial place. A further letter arrived from Elizabeth asking for maintenance for herself and the children. This was too much for Ann and she left William. But seven years later William reappeared in Ann’s home town saying that his wife was finally dead. He said that she had been accidentally poisoned and that Elizabeth’s daughter was implicated. William was arrested and charged with bigamy. Elizabeth travelled to Australia to give evidence in court. He eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months jail at Darlinghurst.

Elizabeth died at her daughter’s house in Holland Street on 30 November 1898. Her death notice read ‘Her end was peace’.

Elizabeth is the first of 11 internments in this family plot. Her daughter Agnes Brown (nee Hastings), granddaughters Elizabeth Schofield (nee Brown) and Ethel Brown and great grandchildren (infant twins) Edna and Neil Schofield are also interred here.

Plot: *Public/K/21

This story was inspired by an entry about Elizabeth in the book ‘My Hand Will Write What My Heart Dictates’ by Charlotte Macdonald and Frances Porter (eds) and also by a biographical entry made on Elizabeth’s FindaGrave webpage.

By Julia Kennedy

Elizabeth Dark’s headstone

Elizabeth Dark’s inscription

Olympic Medal Winner

Just over 100 years ago at the Paris Olympics, New Zealander Arthur Porritt won a bronze medal in the 100m dash.

Arthur Espie Porritt was born in 1900 in Wanganui. His mother died in 1914 and his father Ernest headed off to WWI. Arthur became a keen athlete and like his father he studied Medicine. He won a Rhodes Scholarship and continued his studies at Magdalen College, Oxford 1924-26.

Porritt represented New Zealand at the Paris summer Olympics in 1924. Harold Abrahams (Great Britain) took the gold in the 100m race in which Porritt earnt his bronze. Every year until Abrahams’ death in 1978, Abrahams and Porritt with their wives would dine together at 7pm on the 7^th of July (the time of the 1924 race).

Porritt’s participation in the 100m race is immortalised in the film ‘Chariots of Fire’. His name was changed to ‘Tom Watson’ as he was too modest to be named and it was many years later that he was prepared to watch the film.

Porritt was captain of the Olympic Team at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam and managed the team at the Games in Berlin in 1936. He held three Olympic Records.

In 1940, Porritt was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He served in France until the evacuation of Dunkirk and then in Egypt. He later landed in Normandy on D-Day. He ended his military career in 1956 with the honorary rank of Colonel in the Territorial Army.

Porritt was King’s surgeon to George VI from 1946 to 1952 and then was Serjeant-Surgeon to Queen Elizabeth II until 1967. At this time he returned to New Zealand to be appointed as 11^th Governor General, and the first to be born in New Zealand. At the end of his term in 1972 he returned to England. He died in London at the age of 93 in 1994. His wife died in 1998.

Porritt is interred in the Soldiers Section at Karori Cemetery with his father.

Honours:

1943 Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire
1945 Promoted to Commander (CBE)
1950 Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG)
1963 Created a Baronet of Hampstead
1967 Promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GCVO)
1973 Elevated to Life Peer and created Baron Porritt of Wanganui and Hampstead

Plot: Soldiers/Y/3/41

Lord Porritt features in the WCC self guided tour at Karori Cemetery called Warriors Walk. A copy of the tour guide is on this link:

https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/maps/files/warriorswalk.pdf?la=en&hash=7078DCD39F044CB2E7283F302809F6772F1C3716

By Julia Kennedy

1924 Olympics, photo source: Getty

Porritt plot

‘the inquest on the death of a man found dead in a gully on the (Rhodes) Wadestown Estate failed to disclose the name of the deceased’.

The body was found on the morning of 14^th September 1906 by a young man named Valence Hardie.

 The body of the man was described as 5ft 4in in height, slight build, long grey hair, a ginger moustache and a large carbuncle on the side of the left nostril. The body was clothed in a blue serge sac coat, dark grey check waistcoat, dark grey saddle tweed trousers, blue and white stripped cotton shirt, light salmon coloured knitted singlet, white woollen scarf with the initials ‘I.M’ worked in red on it, dark brown woollen socks and blucher boots ‘very much worn’. There was evidence that the man had ended his life.

Dr Fyffe made a post-mortem examination on the body and said he thought that the man was aged between 55 and 60 years. On the neck was the tattoo of an anchor, heart and cross on the left arm and a thistle on the other. There was also an anchor on the back of the left hand. The man had been dead between three and four weeks but it could be twice that, he couldn’t be certain.

Arthur Penny of the Willowbank Boarding House on Plimmer Steps identified the body as that of John Malling who he last saw alive on 19^th May. He said he recognised some of the clothing and the carbuncle on his nose.

Henry Starr and Robert Costello thought the body was that of Fred Brown (aka Fred Hedgelong), a fellow seaman. They recognised the clothing on the body and said Fred had been missing from the Otago Buffet for about a month. Henry had seen Fred working with his arms bare but couldn’t recall any distinguishing marks.

Constable Hawke’s evidence depended the mystery. When Fred Brown was reported missing from the Otago Buffer, he went there and examined his room and belongings. There was a ship’s crew discharge paper that made his age to be 39 years. And on an outpatient hospital ticket, which gave Fred’s age as 46. A pocket book among his possessions had the address of Weybridge, Surrey.

The jury were unable to do more than arrive at an open verdict.

‘The mystery will probably only be cleared up by Brown or Malling , whichever of the two still be living, declaring himself’.

The body is interred in an unmarked plot:

Plot: *Ch Eng/X/192

There is a second burial in this plot: Henry Brairley, a labourer aged 60, died 1908.

By Julia Kennedy

Clipping from the Burial Register

Plot: *Ch Eng/X/192 courtesy of FindaGrave

On 24^th March 1909, a magisterial enquiry was held into the cause of death of Thomas Henry Randall whose body was found floating in Wellington Harbour.

Constable Walter Young was swimming in Thorndon baths when some other bathers alerted him to a body in the water outside the baths. He got a boat and recovered the body, which was fully clothed. There were no marks of violence.

There wasn’t any money in the pockets but several papers including a discharge form from the Birmingham Waggon Company and a membership certificate for the Lorne Lodge of Freemasons, Capetown, dated 1908.

Constable J Gallagher identified the body as that of Thomas Randall. Thomas had appeared before the magistrate on 6^th February on a charge of vagrancy. He stated he was a fitter by occupation and 45 years old. He had recently come from Australia and had not been able to find any work.

Thomas was married in 1884 to Alice Pantry and they had three children together. In 1901, Thomas was living as a boarder with his two sons in Staffordshire. Meanwhile, Alice was living in Kent as the wife of Frederick Bryan, with her daughter Mabel Randall.

By December 1908, Thomas was on the police ‘Missing Friends’ list. When he was arrested in February, he appeared despondent. The decision of the Magistrate was that it was an apparent case of suicide.

Alice officially married Frederick Bryan in 1910.

Plot: *Public 2/K/113

By Julia Kennedy

Randall plot

Littleburys (Firm). Thorndon Esplanade and swimming baths, Wellington. Walker, A (Mr), fl 1968 :Postcards of New Zealand towns. Ref: PAColl-6639-001. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22487991

Died 1897

Mary Gardner (or Gardiner) married John Stockbridge in Wellington in 1883 when she was 18 and he was 32. John was born in Wellington to Stephen & Mary Ann Stockbridge (buried at Bolton Street).

Initially the couple lived at ‘Kaiwarra’, although John had land interests at Ohiro. Together they had seven children: Ada, Eva, Alice, John, William, Harry and Annie.

In 1887 the family were living in Cottleville Terrace, Thordon. John was selling off their posessions: ‘8 chairs, 5 large pictures, 2 tables, 1 fender, I looking glass Being hard up, I will sell them cheap’.

Their fortunes must have changed as by 1889 the family lived in Russell Terrace, Newtown and John was letting out cottages he owned.

Mary died on 29^th April, 1897 aged 31. Her children ranged from 16 months to 12 years old.

John, ‘given to distraction by grief’ started drinking heavily. A medical professional was called to see him and he advised John to refrain from drink. He continued however, and on the Sunday took a bottle of whiskey home with him. On the 9^th of June his little daughter called in some neighbours for help. They found John ‘in extremis’ and he died shortly after. He was not ordinarily a heavy drinker. Dr Alexander who was called in when John died refused to certify as to the cause of death. The coroner did not deem an inquest necessary.

On 14^th July at the Magistrate’s Court, George Dennis of the Waverley Hotel Newtown, was charged with having sold a bottle of whiskey to a girl named Ada Stockbridge, a girl under the age of 13 years, for consumption off the premises. After calling several witnesses, Mr Gully said he could not press the case and the charge was dismissed.

John’s estate was managed by the Public Trust and was valued at £1100. Presumably the children were raised by the aunts and uncles. We can see that Ada, Eva, John and Willie Stockbridge attended St Paul’s Sunday School 1899-1900.

We traced what happened to John and Mary’s children:

Ada Stockbridge ‘of Kaiwarra’ married Alex Lindop in Carterton in 1905. She was given away by her uncle Charles Gardiner. There was a family with the surname Gardner living at Kaiwarra, including a Charles Gardner. They all worked as butchers. But we have not been able to connect Mary to them as their sister.

Alice ‘of Kaiwarra’ married Thomas Skipage in 1907. John junior fought and was wounded in WWI. Annie married William Hopkin in 1924. Eva married Edward Hawker in 1932. William trained as a butcher and married Sarah Darragh in 1928.

Plot: *Ch Eng/B/60

By Julia Kennedy

Stockbridge plot

Stockbridge headstone

200 Willis Street has recently been up for sale. It was originally known as the McGavin House as it was designed by the architect William Turnbull  for Major General Sir Donald Johnstone McGavin. It is in the Edwardian Tudor style. The house was built in 1907 and was both a home for Donald and his family and also consulting rooms for his medical practice.

Donald was born in 1875 in Chatham, England. He undertook his medical training at Mason University College in Birmingham and afterwards at the London Hospital. He served as a civilian surgeon in the Boer War before coming to New Zealand. In 1903 he married Mary Allan Chapple. The following year he commenced practice in Wellington as a surgeon.

In 1915, Donald went overseas on active service to command No 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital. This was initially located at Port Said and the Hospital received casualties from Gallipoli. In 1917 he was made DSO for his role in the evacuation of the wounded during the heavy offensive at Messines. In 1918 he was made CMG and in 1919 he was recalled to New Zealand. He was knighted in 1921 for his services to medicine.

From 1920 to 1924 he was honorary surgeon to the Governor General. He was a member of the Prisons Board and the War Pensions Medical Appeal Board and a president and trustee of the Wellington Club.

In 1930, the family relocated to a new house on Oriental Parade designed for them by the architect William Meek Page. It is in the Georgian Revival style.  Donald lived in the house until his death in 1960. Mary died in 1955. Both were cremated at Karori Cemetery.

Major-General Sir Donald McGavin, 1924. Courtesy of Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19241023-43-01

McGavin house courtesy of https://wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz/buildings/301-450/351-mcgavin-house-and-surgery

300 Oriental Parade courtesy of https://wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz/buildings/151-300/244-apartment-building-300-oriental-parade