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Thomas Liez (or Leiz) was born in St Peter Port, Guernsey in 1829. The family had been in Guernsey since at least 1700. In 1851 he was baptised into the Church of the Latter-Day Saints and became an elder three months later. He then became a pastor of a French Mission at Le Harve. In 1856 he married Caroline Foreman at Dover, Kent. His occupation was a carpenter.

By 1860 they were living in Preston where Thomas was president of the Preston Conference of Latter-Day Saints. In May 1862 they departed from Liverpool heading to New York with their two young children Thomas junior and Selina along with several hundred Latter Day Saint emigrants. On arrival, the established route was a steamboat from New York up the Hudson River to Albany, then by train to St Joseph, Missouri via Niagara, and then finally a steamboat to Florence, Nebraska.

On 10^th August 1862, the family departed the outfitting post at Florence on a ‘church train’ of wagons, led by Horton D. Haight, a seasoned leader of ‘down and back’ wagon trains. There were 509 people taking part in the train. They arrived at Salt Lake City on the 19^th October.

Caroline’s mother and sisters Louisa, Eliza, Charlotte with their families had travelled a similar journey the year before.  Sadly on that journey her mother died from injuries after being run over by a wagon and never made it to Salt Lake City.

Caroline died in 1865 and in 1866 Thomas remarried to Annie Mitchell who was born in London. She likely travelled to SLC with her siblings in a different 1862 Company. Their children George Mitchell, Caroline Annie and Eleanor Ann were born in SLC. By 1870 Thomas has joined the Reorganised Church of the Latter-Day Saints.

They arrived in Nelson in 1874 on the ‘Ocean Mail’ from England. Daughter Clara was born in Nelson in 1876 and by 1878 the family had moved to Wellington.

In 1880, Thomas attended a meeting advertised for the unemployed held on Flagstaff Hill, Mt Victoria, primarily to discuss the misleading books and pamphlets circulated in England and to consider asking the ‘Home government’ to relieve them, as the New Zealand government did not appear to care about their welfare. Thomas was voted to the chair (or boulder as it was in this case). It was agreed to form a committee to wait on the government.

His children Thomas junior and Selina went to Melbourne. In 1886 Selina was admitted to Fairfield asylum suffering from ‘mania’ and died at Beechworth in 1933. Thomas junior was a coach smith and died in 1929.

Annie signed the women’s suffrage petition in 1893.

Thomas died in 1902 at his residence 168 Adelaide Road. His funeral service was conducted by Rev Bond, a Wesleyan church minister.

His son George became a farmer and lived in the Manawatu. Daughter Clara became a teacher at Mt Cook school, married an accountant and moved to Auckland. Daughter Eleanor became involved with charitable work at the Missions to Seaman Church. She married William Cook. Caroline worked as a boot machinist. Annie died in 1925 aged 93.

Thomas & Annie Liez, daughter Caroline Annie Liez, and Eleanor & William Cook are buried in this plot.

Public/P/35

‘Having helped many to live, she passed to her rest on the 18^th August, 1928 in her 98^th year’.

She was the daughter of cousins Wilbraham and Caroline Liardet, whose ancestor had emigrated from Switzerland to London in the 1780s. Her father was also a descendant of the writer John Evelyn who was the author of ‘Sylva’ and her mother spent the early part of her life at court in France. Wilbraham inherited a fortune of £30,000 and had spent it by the time the family emigrated to Australia in the 1840s. Josephine was present at the coronation of Queen Victoria as a child.

In 1854, aged 23, Josephine married Captain John Vernon Venables in Melbourne. Their first two children were born in England before the couple returned to Melbourne. John died in January 1864 at Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum and Josephine was left a widow with four children. The eldest was born in Auckland three months before John’s death.

In September of 1864, Josephine was having success running a Registry Office (labour exchange) in Auckland, so much so that she has ‘been induced to take more Business Premises in Wyndham Street’.

She continued advertising heavily for positions wanted.

In August 1866 Josephine is now advertising her Registry Office on Willis Street, Wellington: ‘Wanting engagements, several highly respectable female servants’. Only a few weeks later she married John Parker MacDonald . He was born in 1822 in Tasmania and also used the name John Poniatowski MacDonald. A month following the wedding, the advertisements for the Registry Office stopped and the family moved to Hokitika.

In October 1867, John MacDonald was charged ‘on the information of Ellen Bellringer with having neglected to support his illegitimate child’. He was ordered to pay £3 5s for thirteen weeks’ arrears. A few weeks later, Josephine was charged by Ellen for assaulting Ellen’s daughter, Sophia Catherine MacDonald, by striking her on the back with a piece of wood. It was said in court that considerable ill feeling existed between the two women. The case was proved and Josephine was fined £2 plus costs.

John and Josephine had three sons all born on the west coast: Alfred, Evelyn and Sylva.

In 1879, Josephine set up business again, this time in Pirie Street, Wellington, manufacturing ‘surgical belts, anti-rheumatic corsets, Indian quilted caps’. In 1899 she is living in Abel Smith Street, occupation: surgical belt maker. John died at Ngaruawahia in 1900 and is buried there. She involved herself in fundraising for the Blinds Soldiers and Sailors Funds and the Congregational Church well into her 80s.

She died at her home in Coromandel Street. Her son Sylva having predeceased her in 1905 following a bicycle accident. Her other son Thomas Vernon Venables is the third burial in this plot in 1940.

Josephine’s parents are buried at Bolton Street Cemetery.
Liardet Street in Vogeltown is named after a cousin.

Public 2/F/11

On the evening of 28^th May 1917, a tramcar motorman was driving his tram towards Lambton Station when a man stepped off the footpath in front of him. He sounded the gong and the man seemed to stop and stagger. He then applied the emergency brake but the man was struck by the advertisement side of the car and knocked down. The injured man was carried to the Central Hotel with the assistance of a solider. He never regained consciousness on being admitted to hospital and died at 8am the following morning.

An inquest determined that death was due to internal injuries and haemorrhage of the brain caused by a fracture to the skull. The doctor noticed a faint smell of alcohol about the victim. There was no blame attached to the tramcar motorman who  it was observed ‘used every care’.

The deceased was described as:

‘… about 48 years of age. 10st in weight, 5ft 5in in height, with dark hair and a brown moustache, both turning grey, and was dressed in an almost new brown suit, a soft shirt, a grey flannel, a dark grey overcoat, a pair of lace-up boots (No. 7 with the New Zealand clothing company’s tabs on them), and a pair of grey woollen sox. He has a full set of upper teeth’.

The man was never identified. He was buried in a pauper’s plot on 4^th June 1917. The plot was purchased by R.H. Wilson, a local funeral director who organised the burial.

There are two others in this plot, also buried in 1917:

Daniel McDavitt
His last address was 11 Frederick Street. He appears on official records with the surname McDevitt, firstly in 1902 stationed aboard the s.s Taviuni in Auckland, then on the 1911 electoral roll living in Frederick Street and his occupation was a seaman. He appears lastly on the army reserve roll in 1916, occupation is a labourer. Buried 26^th June 1917 aged 49.

Raffailo [Rafaelllo] Peter Quilici

He was an Italian immigrant from Rome. He worked as a foreman on the railways and in 1886 he was riding on a trolley to get to his work north of Featherston when a special train from Masterton struck the trolley and threw Raffaello off over an embankment. He was cared for at this brother Joseph’s [Giuseppe] house in Tinakori Road. He suffered a similar accident in 1902, this time losing most of one ear. He became and naturalised citizen in 1887. He was granted an old age pension in 1905 having been living in New Zealand for 28 years by that point. His brother and sister-in-law died in 1912 and 1916 respectively and are buried in ROM CATH/B/47 along with his nephew and great nephew. His only other relative was an orphaned niece who was age 20 at the time of his death. Rafaello was buried in this plot on 16^th July 1917 aged 76, having been resident at the Ohiro Benevolent Home in Brooklyn.

Plot Roman Catholic/U/38

Thanks to Maryann at the cemetery office for help confirming the plot number and location for us.

By Julia Kennedy

Toomath’s Buildings

We are very sorry to see that the Toomath’s Buildings at 43-47 Ghuznee Street will now be demolished after the recent fire there. The classical Edwardian building was built in 1900 by the estate of Edward Toomath, a well-respected early settler regarded for his contribution to education.

Here are some stories of the early tenants of this building:

Shop 43: Joseph McCabe – hairdresser and occupier 1915 – 1935

Joseph was a long-term tenant of this shop. In 1926 he suffered a break in when he discovered his till lying empty on the floor. Cigarettes, safety razor blades, other goods and cash were taken. Albert Duncan, a painter and James Frost, a barman were convicted.

In 1932, Joseph was fined £20 for using his hairdressing shop as a betting premises. Undeterred, he was fined again in 1935, this time £50 for ‘keeping premises as a common gaming house’. At the same time, Frederick Harding (a watchman) was fined £1 for having been on Joseph’s premises. He had been collecting a dividend. ‘I’m afraid this is going to cost you your winnings’ said the magistrate. Joseph died in 1940, age 74. His wife Elizabeth died in 1953. They are buried in plot Public 3/F/203.

Shop 45: Bitossi & Co – piano tuner and occupier 1925

Pilade (Peter) Bitossi was likely born in New Zealand but it is unclear whether his father is his mother’s first husband Giulio Orlandi, or second husband Antonio Bitossi. Shortly before Antonio’s death in 1929, he registered the births of all of his adult children and Pilade was not among them.

He was born in 1880 and by the ag of 17 was working as a hawker selling merchandise for his parents. It was at that time he got into some strife breaking the shop windows of Mr Carolin in Dunedin. This was in response to Mr Carolin not paying for an ornament he had purchased from Pilade. The judge felt that Pilade had suffered somewhat from spending 48 hours in a cell. He was convicted and discharged and had to pay 15s for the replacement windows.

By 1900 he was in the employ Edward Falkner who in 1909 charged with eighteen fraudulent dealings in pianos. In 1906 he married Blanche Hargood and they had four children.

He is buried in Ch Eng 2/E/242 with his wife and infant son who died in 1919.

Shop 45: Joseph Devlin – grocer and occupier 1908-1916

Joseph was born in Arboe, County Tyrone, Ireland and came to Wellington in 1880. His obituary said that he was ‘one of those who saw Wellington grow from practically a township and he had many interesting reminisces of the old days in this city’.

He was a long-time trader at 30 Cuba Street but in 1908 his premises were put up for sale for removal by R Hannah and so he moved to Ghuznee Street.

In 1910 he appeared to be missing a boy:

‘Wandered from 47 Ghuznee Street, Boy aged 5, blue jersey, blue pants, tan socks and black boots. Would any person knowing of the same please communicate with J Devlin, grocer’. There were no further updates printed, so it is presumed the boy was found.

He died in 1937 aged 84. He is buried in plot ROM CATH/P/3 with his wife Bridget (nee Dalton) who died in 1943.

‘he was of a lovable disposition and widely respected’.

Recently one of George’s descendants, Carol Bennett, contacted us seeking information on his grave. She has kindly shared this photo of the family to accompany his story:

George was born in 1835 in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. Growing up, his whole family were engaged in the business of shoemaking. A widower at age 23, he married as his second wife Fergus [Ellen] O’Connor Love in 1859. She was the daughter of a fellow cordwainer (shoemaker).

In later years George proudly recounted that he took part in the 1866 Hyde Park demonstration and other social and political reform movements of the era. By 1871 the family had grown to include children Lucy, George and Thomas and they were living in Northampton. At that point was George recorded on the census as being deaf.

The family came to New Zealand in 1873 where sons Harry and William were born. William died at 5 days old.  George set up shop on Tinakori Road on the corner with St Mary Street and lived in Thorndon the rest of his life.

In 1883 Mr Milner Stephen ‘a gentleman possessed of marvellous power of curing all diseases’ visited Wellington and performed at the Athenaeum Hall. He asked all those in pain to come forward, but to keep a distance of at least 14 feet otherwise his power became disseminated! George was his 11^th patient, having been ‘quite deaf for 20 years’. After breathing in to George’s ears, Milner said there appeared to be little improvement. ‘The power however had gone in, and further improvement would follow’. None has been recorded.

In 1885 George exhibited at the Industrial Exhibition:

‘Mr G H Poynter, Tinakori Road, Wellington has a very neat case of shoes and boots, the work in which appears to be a very superior kind.’

In the same year he applied for a patent for ‘an improved lawn tennis and cricket shoe’.

In 1886, the following was published in Lloyd’s Weekly’s long lost relatives column:

‘George Poynter with his wife and three children, left Northampton and sailed for Wellington, New Zealand some years ago. He was last known to be living at Tenigora Road. His father, 85 years old, would like to hear from him or his grand children’.

He then went into business with his son Thomas, the sign over the door then read ‘G H Poynter & Son’.

Ellen died in 1901 at 152 Tinakori Road after a painfull illness. His daughter Lucy (married to Edward Barnett) died in 1903. Edward is buried with their infant son at Bolton Street.

George Hutton Poynter died in 1905.

Ellen, Lucy and George are all buried in Public/Q/8.

By Julia Kennedy

To remember Armistice Day, we are sharing this photo of the Girls’ Club of the Women’s National Reserve, who as the caption describes, have not allowed a week to pass without placing flowers on the soldiers graves.

This photo was published in 1922 in the Auckland Weekly News.

It was in 1919 that the Girls’ Club first pledged to ensure that flowers were placed every Saturday on the graves at Karori in the newly formed Services Area. Donations of flowers were frequently requested.

‘It is the more creditable because all the girls are at work during the week, and to give up their Saturday half holiday must very often be real self-sacrifice. It is to be hoped that people with gardens will take note and that the girls will never lack the necessary flowers’.

In 1921, the flowers decorating the RSA hall for a ball, on the corner of Featherston and Brandon Streets, were gifted to the girls for use at the cemetery. Later the same year, they fundraised to purchase uniform green vases to attach to the graves as the wind was proving troublesome to keep the flowers on the graves.

In 1923 the club asked the public to help transport the wreaths left at the cenotaph out to Karori, explaining that if the girls took them by tram they would not be back in time for the afternoon service.

Winter made it hard to procure flowers and a 1926 newspaper article requested that those with anything spare in their gardens to leave flowers with a Karori tramway conductor who will leave them at the Karori depot.

Reports of the Girls’ Club maintaining the graves weekly, and then at holidays, continued up until ANZAC Day 1930.

If you want to read more about the sundial pictured in the background, please visit the story of Mathew & Elsie Holmes on our website:

“one of those steady but undramatic designers who never sought, nor was subject to, the limelight.”

William was born in Lancashire and undertook his architectural training in Manchester. He came to New Zealand with his wife Lily (nee Midgley) in 1908 and set up his own practice in Wellington the following year. He designed nearly 300 buildings. Some of his most notable are:

Capitol Theatre, Miramar (now known as the Roxy theatre)

Congregational Church, Cambridge Terrace

Wellington Trades Hall, Vivian Street

Ward Memorial Methodist Church and Hall, Northland (now known as St Anne’s church)

William was also the architect of the Evening Post building on Willis Street. It was constructed in 1928 in the Chicago style.

‘The lower stories will be faced with polished granite in delicate tints of vitreous glazed terracotta. The construction will be steel framed and reinforced concrete, so that the premises will be both fire and earthquake resisting ….. Lavatories and strongrooms are to be provided on each floor’.

(the tiles have subsequently been painted over)

In the infancy of radio, the ‘Evening Post’ displayed the election results on its building. In anticipation of the 1935 election results, the newspaper reads ‘In addition to posting up of returns, results will be announced as they come to hand through a public address loud speaker system, installed for the occasion so that those on the fringe of the crowd unable to view the entire board will be at no disadvantage’.

William was elected a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 1915. He served as chairman of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. He was also a member of the Hataitai Bowling Club and represented New Zealand at the 1930 British Empire Games in Toronto.

William died in 1946, aged 70. His funeral service was held at the Congregational Church he designed. Also in this plot is his wife Lily who died in 1951. And his mother Mary (nee Turnbull) who was the first interment in 1916.

Plot: Public/M/228

You can read more about the Evening Post editor of the time, Joseph Parker and the Evening Post founder on our website.

https://friendsofkaroricemetery.co.nz/joseph-parker/

https://friendsofkaroricemetery.co.nz/john-blundell/

Reference:

https://wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz/architects/william-fielding

By Julia Kennedy

‘he was a young New Zealander – tall, handsome, kindly, chivalrous, with some of the old world culture as an added grace – a man of whom all men spoke well and whom all men liked’.

John was the second son of Rev John Chapman Andrew of Ica Station, Wairarapa. His mother was Emma Fendall and the Christchurch suburb of Fendalton is named for her brother’s landholding there.

On 7 April 1904, Inspector Ellison received a cable from a constable at Martinborough to say that John Andrew was lost in the bush. He had been on his first deer stalking mission over Easter with friends James Wilson and W.E. Hughes on the Whatarangi Station.

They had set up camp 25 miles southeast of Martinborough. On the Tuesday morning John left camp on a solitary stalk saying that if he was not back by nightfall, they shouldn’t worry as he may camp out overnight. It had been arranged between the party that if any one of them ‘got bushed’, the signal to be used was five shots from a rifle. Recent visitors to the station reported thick fog in the area which may have accounted for the delay in his return.

The Premier, Mr Seddon, on his arrival in Featherston for a holiday requested that a selected detachment of artillerymen skilled in bushwork be sent from Wellington to assist with the search. By the 11^th April it was estimated that over 100 men were involved in the search and were being paid 10 shillings per day. A substantial reward of £400 was also offered.

On 12^th April the sad news reached Wellington that John’s body had been found by Frederick Steffin, a member of another hunting group. For three days Steffin’s party had heard shots in the Ruakokoputuna district in response to their firing but attached no importance to them until they arrived in Martinborough and heard of the missing man. Steffin and his friend Jack Ross went back to where they had heard the shots the previous week. They found John’s body with a rifle and empty cartridges were lying next to it. All of the ammunition had been used.

An inquest was held in Martinborough. Dr Andrew, brother of John, examined the body and determined he had died several days earlier. His opinion was that John had died due to exposure to damp and cold.

John was born in Wellington and attended Nelson College where his father was headmaster. He attained a BA at Oxford University and on his return to Wellington was admitted to the bar in 1891. He married Jessie Morrison in 1894, the daughter of another Wairarapa settler John Morrison of Blairlogie. The couple have five children, then youngest of which was only 9 months old when he died.

He was member of the Council of the Wellington Law Society,  a member of the Wellesley Club and vestryman of St Mark’s Church.

The funeral was held at St Mark’s Church conducted by the Rev Coffey. The Premier, Mayor and several members of the city council attended. The last rites were performed graveside at Karori Cemetery.

Jessie remarried and his buried in Nelson. John is the only interment in this plot.

Ch Eng/O/61

By Julia Kennedy