Family of Robert and Etara Jillett
The children were:
1. James Jillett 1845 - 1859 Died aged 13 years
2. Charlotte Jillett 1847 1913 m John Whitehouse
3. John Jillett 1851 1883 m Ellen Jane Cook
4. Robert Jillett 1852 - 1854
5. Susan Jillett 1855 - 1902 m William Whitehouse
6. William Jillett 1856 1903 m Mary Jane Whitehouse
7. Robert Jillett 1860 - 1916 m Emma McPenger/ Messenger
8. Sarah Jillett 1860 - 1863
In 10th September 1854, the baby Robert, drowned when he fell into a well.
Robert Jillett, aged about 19 months, drowned after tumbling in to a well at Whitewood's Hotel, Lower Hutt, of which his father was the publican. Coroner’s report [national archives] 1854, Box No. J 46/2
Cemetery Fiche for St. James
Anglican Church shows Burial Record Robert Jillett, Date: 29/9/1860, Aged: 47
The Wellington Independent 2nd October 1860 shows Died - At his residence,
Hutt, on Saturday, 29th September, Mr. Robert Jillett, aged 57 years - The
Friends of the late Mr. Robert Jillett are respectfully informed that his
remains will leave his late residence, next Whitewood's Hotel, Hutt, on
Thursday, 4th October, at 1 o'clock, p.m. Alfred Keys, Undertaker October 2,
1860 The Wellington Independent 5th October 1860 shows
The Estate of the Late Robert
Jillett Notice is hereby Given, that all persons having claims against the
above Estate, are requested to forward the same to the undersigned immediately
for payment, and all persons indebted to the above Estate are requested to pay
their accounts without any further notice. Thomas Mills, Hutt Acting Executor
Oct. 5. 1860
Note for: Robert Jillett, 25
SEP 1812 - 29 SEP 1860 Index Burial: Date: 4 OCT 1860 Place: St James Anglican
Church, Lower Hutt
His death was recorded in the
Tasmanian Newspapers - Extract from the Tasmanian Newspaper Mercury, Saturday
26 January 1861 DIED. At Wellington, New Zealand on the 29th September, 1860,
aged 5O, Mr. ROBERT JILLETT, brother of Mr. Wm. Young, of this city, and
Messrs. Thomas and John Jillett, York Plains.
Within 3 years, on 7th May
1863, his wife Etara, also died. She is buried at St James, Anglican, Lower
Hutt.
When she died the eldest child
was 16 and the youngest 3 years. Who then raised the children?
His great grandson John Jillett in his story provided the
following information:
All five of Robert and Etara's
surviving children subsequently married pakeha spouses. Three of the five,
Charlotte, Susan and William, married into the Whitehouse family. Descendants
of the remaining two, John and Robert, appear to have continued to live in
Otaki-Horowhenua-Manawatu areas, possibly in association with the Tainui marae
of Ngati Kapu at Pukekaraka. John became a butcher/farmer, first at Foxton and
later Otaki. He was secretary of the Otaki Racing Club which went bankrupt.
John Jillett Family
John
Jillett was 32 years of age when he died, and that is rather sad, and also very
young.
Family tradition was that he married Ellen Jane Cook, daughter of Peter Cook.
John and Ellen had a family of 4
young children and after his death she remarried Wilfred George Chrysostom
Legonia Lee. His father was a clergyman.
Perhaps his dedication to the
Church was the reason for naming his son after the Greek patriarch; archbishop
of Constantinople (398–404),
Chrysostom.
They married in Otaki New
Zealand, in 1885, and had another family, of 5 daughters and 2 sons..
But in researching, sometimes the
unexpected turns up, and so often in my case, late at night!
There was an advertisement in the
Sydney newspaper, regarding the death of John Jillett, the beloved son-in-law
of Mrs Robert Hans Cook, of Sydney and her daughter Mrs George William Foster.
A little confusing was the
reference to Gloucester Street Sydney, it almost infers that John Jillett was
living there. If he was, then that would
explain how he met and married Ellen Jane Cook, a girl from Maitland near
Newcastle. But how did Mrs Peter Cook
become Mrs Robert Cook?
John Jillett was born in 1851 and
his mother died in 1863, he was quite young.
The early deaths of many of the parents left so many young children as
orphans.
John moved to Otaki after his
mother Te Kaea (Etara) died 7 May 1863. John moved to Otaki, or more precisely somewhere near Pukekaraka hill, to
live with relatives of his mother's family. He went there with his
youngest brother, Robert, who was just 3 years old. Robert junior was born
three months after his father died in a horse and cart accident in October
1860. Hone and Robert would have spent time at Tainui marae on the other
side of Pukekaraka hill. Hone was a very active in the Otaki Catholic
Church and his grave is at the top of a small Catholic cemetery marked out on
front side of Pukekaraka hill.[1]
View looking south over Otaki
from Pukekaraka hill, showing St Mary's Catholic church and presbytery at the
right, taken between 1886 and 1888 by Wrigglesworth & Binns of Wellington[2]
The Otaki Historical
Society record the following information about Pukekaraka hill
1860-65
During the New Zealand Wars, Otaki was divided between ‘Kingites’ – who
supported the Maori King – and Queenites, who supported Queen Victoria and the
New Zealand Government. The Kingites raised their flag at Pukekaraka but there
were no hostilities in Otaki.
1860s
Otaki had a few stores and hotels, and a simple court house and gaol.
There were Maori constables, and a few Pakeha settlers.
1862
William and Mary Small and their baby son Alexander arrived in Otaki.
William built a store, house and blacksmith’s forge.
1866
A coach service began, carrying mail and passengers from Wellington to
Wanganui, later to New Plymouth. The route ran along the beach from Paekakariki
to Foxton. It turned off the beach along what is now Old Coach Road, Rangiuru
Road, Te Rauparaha Street, Convent Road and Old Coach Road again to the beach.
Otaki was a major stop.
An accommodation house built by William Davis, opposite Rangiatea, was taken over by postmaster Frederick Martin. Another accommodation house, run by Thomas and Mary Dodds, burnt down.
1869
A telegraph office opened in Rangiuru Road, later becoming a post
office.
1872
The Telegraph Hotel was opened by Frederick Martin, who transferred the
licence from the hotel opposite Rangiatea. A library also opened.
1874
William Small bought land, Waopukatea, south of the river on which he
later built his home, Clifden – now part of Bridge Lodge.
1870s
There were fewer than 200 Pakeha. In addition to stores and
hotels, there were a few bootmakers, blacksmiths, butchers, saddlers and some
settlers leasing land outside the town. A Working Men's Club, Racing Club,
Athletic Club, Rifle Club, Tennis Club and a Harmonic Society had been
established.
1875
The Telegraph Hotel was taken over by Frederic and Mary Ann Bright.
1876
The Government began buying land for a railway line but then ran out of
money.
1878
An Otaki Road Board was established. Two ships wrecked off Otaki beach:
the Felixstowe (four drowned) and the City of Auckland (no loss of life). The
mast of the City of Auckland remained on the beach until 1936.
1880
The first state school was opened in Rangiuru Road.
1881
James Gear and Isabella Ling began acquiring land in Te Horo.
1882
What is now the Family Hotel was built for Frederic Bright, taking over
the licence from Langley’s in Te Rauparaha Street.
1884
The Bank of Australasia opened an agency in Otaki. Possibly timber
milling began for the proposed railway.
The information regarding John
Jillett indicates his love of horses, and horse racing. He was the Secretary of the Otaki Race Club,
until his death in 1883.
The first official racing club at
Otaki was formed in 1880. This was a European one for which John Jillett, who
died three years later, was secretary. They raced on an area of land known as
the Rikiriki which formed the first circular course in the district. It was of
a mile in length, and on one side followed the Rangiuru stream not far from the
mouth of the Otaki River. After functioning for eight or ten years the Club
encountered financial difficulties, and the course became overgrown with dense
variegated thistle which in most places grew so tall that spectators were
unable to view the progress of the horses until they made the home stretch.
Attendances soon decreased until
the club was finally disbanded, being superseded in 1885 by the Otaki Maori
Racing Club. After spending £250 on reforming the course and a further £170 on
the construction of a Stewards stand and grandstand the Otaki Maori Racing Club
became firmly established. In 1896 they claimed to have never had a loss at any
meeting held. They also boasted in the following year that they had achieved a
record in the number of nominations for a hack race meeting anywhere in New
Zealand. Their entries on this occasion totalled 170.
It raises the question was John
working for the wealthy Racehorse owners, and was that the reason he was in
Sydney?
More importantly who were the
parents of Ellen Jane Cook?
[2] View
of Otaki showing St Mary's Catholic church and presbytery, Between 1886 and
1888 Reference Number: PA1-f-239-19 (http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=29569)
Their children were
1. Sabina Mary Ann Jillett 1877 1959
2. John Robert Jillett 1878 1950 m Dinah Maud McIlvride
Children John William Leslie Jillett 1903 - 1983 m Eve Amelia Barton
Douglas McIlvride Jillett 1908 - 1965 m Phyllis Blackburn
Gordon Jillett 1917 - 1941
3. Charlotte Ellen Jillett 1880 1937 m George Mitchell Wears Oglivie
Children Jean Ellen Ogilvie 1907 - 2006 m James Henry Wilkie
4. Joseph Frederick Jillett 1882 1968 m Etheline Ivy Matilda Connolly
Children Carter Douglas Jillett 1918 - 1989 m Olive Falkner
Joseph Henry Jillett 1920 - 1989 m Vera Smith
Sabina Jillett 1922 - 1996 m Uk Payne
Patrick Connelly Jillett 1926 - 2005
John Jillett m Ellen Cook:
1. Sabina Jillett. This beautiful lady became a nun, Sister Margaret Mary. She taught at Otaki.
Sister Margaret Mary - Sabina Jillett 11 November 1877 died 18 October 1959
Sabina Jillett was born on 11 November 1877. Her father was a descendant of Captain Tom Jillett, who was married to a cousin of Teraiti Tonohi. Sabina was proud of her dual heritage.
Her family was very musical, and a nephew was Fr Jillett of the Auckland Diocese, who was a gifted musician and artist. She became a teacher and taught in Otaki. While there she boarded with the Crompton family, whose own daughter was Sister Ita of the Sisters of St Joseph.
Sabina entered the Sisters of St Joseph on 7 July 1898 and was professed as Sister Margaret Mary on 2 July 1900. Her profession had been delayed on account of her ill-health.
Sister Margaret Mary was a member of the Foundation community when the Sisters began in Manaia, and was also a Foundation member of the Patea community in Patea. She also taught in Ohakune for a short time. However the major years of her life were spent in Otaki where she ministered from 1929 till 1940.
Margaret Mary is remembered in the Otaki Jubilee booklet as only pint-sized, but she had a quick brain, a soft heart, and great devotion to St Joseph. In the lean years she would place whatever was needed in front of Joseph's statue, such as a piece of wood, or a potato, and invariably have her faith rewarded by the donation of these much needed items. She was much more likely to forgive than punish misdemeanours, described as one parishioner as a sweet little thing, not always an asset in managing the bigger boys in the school. There was a playfulness and creativity in her interactions with the pupils that contributed to their fondness for her. • She also ran a small shop which pupils enjoyed browsing, and the hats from there were used on Sundays for girls who had forgotten theirs.
In her later years Sisters remember her great love of vocal prayer and constant recitation of litanies.Sister Margaret Mary died at Sacred Heart Convent Whanganui, on 18 October 1959. Mass of Requiem was celebrated in the Parish Church at Otaki. Her final resting place was on Pukekaraka, the hill behind the Parish Complex.
Records from Otaki Historical Society reveal the different roles that her family played within the community. Her brother Robert enjoyed racehorses, not unlike his great uncles and cousins in Tasmania.
2. Charlotte Jillett 1880 married George Mitchell Wears Ogilive
He was from a Scottish family who lived in Warwick, Queensland. He served in World War I and they had a daughter Jean Ellen Ogilvie.He was a plumber prior to the war, living in New Zealand.
Jean married James Henry Wilkie who served in World War 2.
They had a daughter Rhonda Jane Wilkie, who died in 201. She married Mr. Horin
The Otaki-Maori Racing Club is the only Maori racing club in New Zealand, and possibly one of a few truly indigenous horse racing clubs in the world. We welcome contact from other indigenous cultures, as we do promoting the many positive aspects of our own culture.
Prior to the club being formed in 1886, local Maori had raced horses shortly after the introduction of thoroughbred horses to the district – in the 1840s. The earliest documented Otaki race meeting appears to have been on the south bank of the Otaki River in 1854, and winners won goods, not money. Early New Year race meetings resembled carnivals and celebrations, and they attracted people from as far away as Rangitikei (85km) to the north and Wellington (70km) to the south … many in bullock drays! At this time there were very few Europeans living locally, and of the 3000-4000 attending large race days only some 200 were non-Maori.
There was an Otaki Racing Club, European-controlled, formed in 1879, which lasted only seven years. It would appear that the course was very poorly maintained - covered with ‘dense tall thistle’, and spectators were able to see the racing ‘only after the final turn for home’ – hence its demise.
The first actual Otaki-Maori Racing Club race meeting was held at Rikiriki on February 18, 1887 , and for more than 20 years the club raced there, establishing itself as a preferred lower North Island track, but with constant lease problems. Its early success resulted from the club’s management skills – including its first president, Hoani Taipua, who was also a member of the then House of Representatives for Western Maori (1887-1893). Praised as being ‘the most important individual in the early years’ was the club’s first secretary Henry Eager – who had worked for the ill-fated Otaki Racing Club previously. He was also secretary of the Otaki Library, ‘Clerk of the Otaki and Te Horo Bounds’, and an agent for several companies, including Northern Insurance.
Robert also worked at the Stables of the Central Hotel
Central Hotel (W. McKegg, proprietor), corner of Main road and Mill road, Otaki. This hotel was established in the year 1893, and was rebuilt in 1907, the old building having been destroyed by fire in December, 1906. It is an imposing wood and iron building, two storeys in height, and contains about twenty rooms, including ten bedrooms, four sitting rooms, two sample rooms, a commercial room, and a large dining hall capable of seating forty persons. The hotel occupies a central position in the town, and is lighted by acetylene gas.
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc06Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d36-d6.html
John Robert Jillett m Dinah Maud McIlvride
John was a butcher working at 190 Hine Street New Plymouth, when he was registered for World War 1. Early photos of New Plymouth
John and Dinah had three sons
1. John William Leslie Jillett 1902 - 1983 m Eve Amelia Barton (Payne) 1901 - 1990
2. Douglas McIlvride Jillett 1906 - 1965 m Phyllis Blackburn 1907 - 1976
3. Gordon Grant Jillett 1917 -1941 Died in World War 2 Missing in Germany
In 1975, he and his wife were living in Cremorne in Sydney. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force, in World War 2, in the War History Section. His records are online, he served in PNG.
When he enlisted, he was a journalist at the Courier Mail newspaper in Brisbane. His son followed in his footsteps. He worked at the Age.
Leslie Jillett wrote a series of books.
Moresby's few : being an account of the activities of No. 32 Squadron in New Guinea in 1942 / by Leslie Jillett ; decorations by Harold Freedman
Wings across the Tasman, 1928-1953 / by Leslie Jillett.
New Zealand Journalists' Association, 1912-1933 : a record of the first twenty-one years / [by Leslie Jillett]
A history of North Shore, Sydney : from 1788 to today / by Les G. Thorne ; edited by Leslie Jillett
He was also the editor of the Star Newspaper, in Dunedin. In 1970 he became the editor of The Anglican, the publication of the Anglican Church.
SYDNEY, Thursday. — The first issue of The Anglican under Mr Leslie Jillett's editorship is due to be published on August 17, a joint statement from Bishop J. S. Moyes and Canon H. M. Arrowsmith, on behalf of the Church of England Diocesan Information Trust, said yesterday.
They said a Melbourne firm's plans to publish a national Church of England journal have been suspended. The Anglican had stopped publication in February after the disappearance in China of the former editorial director, Mr Francis James.
Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), Saturday 12 September 1953, page 2
TRIBUTE TO TRAIL-BLAZERS Pioneers of Trans-Tasman Flying
AUSTRALIA and New Zealand, brought together in a bond of friendship, mutual co-operation and ' understanding, since the same pioneers colonised the two countries in the early 1800's, have never had a stronger link than today.
THEY have, much in common; and now, there is an almost daily air link between the two countries. This air link is comparatively recent. "Wings Across the Tasman" (Angus and Robertson, price 18/6; published to-today) puts the calendar back a quarter of a century to the days when a handful of carefree men and one woman, dared all to fly the Tasman. Christchurch's early spring sun shone brightly on Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith's "old bus," the Southern Cross, 25 years ago yesterday as it circled the city thrice and landed on its outskirts. The Tasman Sea had been flown for the . first time.
This famous airman and his co-pilot Charles Ulm, fresh from their conquest of the Pacific, four months earlier. H. A. Litchfield, navigator and New Zealander, T. H. Mc William, radio operator, had earned for themselves a niche in the hall of flying fame for this "hop," full of unknown hazards and more than normal share of thrills and danger. Leslie Jillett, New Zealand born journalist who has worked on newspapers in both countries, recalls these days — and many others just as exciting — in his ' Wings Across the Tasman with a down-to-earth, fact-packed account of the hundred and one experiences and thrills earned by those who chose to fly the Tasman, described by one as "a dirty stretch of water, - breeding a vicious type of young storm that rampages up and down for days before the meteorologists get wind of it.
Mr. Jillett, remembered for his "Moresby's Few," the story of No. 32 Squad-fn, R.A.A.F., and its "whispering death'? Beau-fighters, is well equipped to tell the Tasman tale. Former officer in charge of the R.A.A.F. War History Section, he has a fascinating flair for browsing through old flying records. To the new generation, who missed the days of the Tasman air pioneers or their parents who recall them hesitantly, here is a story of adventure, courage and endeavour, a story which typifies the fine spirit of the early airmen. Most of their names, on everybody's lips in the late 20's have been forgotten today ; In this book they fly again. Names like John Moncrieff and George Hood, first to attempt the crossing/ who failed and lost their lives; Kingsford-ford Smith and Ulm, Guy Menzies, first to fly the 1000-odd mile stretch solo; bearded Francis Chichester, with his Moth seaplane and island-hopping flight. .
No. 32 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force unit based at RAAF East Sale in Victoria. It currently flies training and transport operations. The squadron was raised in February 1942 for service during World War II. Equipped with Lockheed Hudsons, the squadron was tasked with anti-submarine, anti-shipping operations, bombing and reconnaissance missions in New Guinea. In late 1942, the squadron was withdrawn to Sydney and re-equipped with Bristol Beauforts, which it operated along the east coast of Australia until the war ended. The squadron was disbanded in November 1945, but was re-formed in 1989 and currently operates King Air 350s.
The 32 Squadron 1944
Leslie and Eve had two children
Neil Barton Jillett 1933 who married Joan Bull
Valerie Clare Jillett 1935 who married Noel Garnet Dodd.
Neil Jillett became a newspaper writer, playwright, and acclaimed critic, with the Age in Melbourne.
Valerie studied at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Neil Jillet began work as a journalist in 1952 and has been the Film and Dance Critic, Arts Editor and South-East Asia correspondent for the Age and Theatre Critic for the Melbourne Herald (1974-1978). He has written a radio play, 'Miss Bradford and the Little Monsters' (1991) and has contributed to numerous Australian and international newspapers and magazines.
Two thumbs down October 27, 2004
Sihanouk bathes in the Cambodian jungle; (right) reporter Neil Jillett in Cambodia. Photo: Supplied
What Jillett wrote
Norodom Sihanouk, who for the past 50 years has been a controversial player in global politics, has just abdicated as King of Cambodia. But in 1968 he banned Neil Jillett from his country for criticising his movie.
In 46 years of having paid opinions about dance, theatre, opera, films, television, books, politics and circuses, the strongest reaction I've provoked as a critic was when a king banned me from his country.
Norodom Sihanouk wasn't actually king at the time. He had abandoned the Cambodian throne to become the power in front of it, believing this would help keep his country out of the tussle between the world’s power blocs.
In November 1968, he issued a rare invitation to Western journalists to visit Cambodia so that he could lecture them on his neutralist philosophy and latest achievements.
These included the port and resort of Sihanoukville, which had been developed with aid from China, France and America, and a film festival that opened with the premiere of Shadow over Angkor, Sihanouk’s fourth feature.
This blend of fantasy and autobiography was about an Asian ruler who fell in love with a South American diplomat as he pursued idealistic international policies. As well as taking the lead role opposite Princess Monique, his beauty-queen second wife, Sihanouk wrote, directed and produced the film and received a credit for montages.
As The Age's South-East Asia correspondent, I wrote a slightly tactless report of the premiere and Sihanouk cancelled my visa. And I had thought the prince and I were becoming really good friends. After all, had we not held hands in the romantic twilight at Sihanoukville?
https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/26/1098667755744.html
The morning of that memorably royal day began with a harangue by Sihanouk, who had taken diplomats and journalists to the port, which was situated on the Gulf of Thailand, a three-hour drive from the capital, Phnom Penh.
"Journalists who come to Cambodia aren't working for the truth," he complained. "If you do nothing but make people despise us, we cannot easily find a place in the sun."
Set in the Papua New Guinea Highlands and shot over 10 years: First Contact (1983), followed by Joe Leahy’s Neighbours (1989) and Black Harvest (1992) have won 30 national and international awards, including an Academy Award® nomination for First Contact.
All three won the Grand Prix at France’s prestigious Festival Cinema du Reel, and AFI awards for Best Documentary.
“ ….a documentary classic and one of the great achievements of Australian cinema. It comes as close to perfection as any work by Australian filmmakers… a work of art as well as a dazzling exercise in anthropology and journalism.” – Neil Jillett, Chief Film Critic, Melbourne Age
The children of John and Dinah, all became very successful in their individual careers.
The family were all students at various New Zealand Universities.4
Douglas McIlvride Jillett married Phyllis Blackburn.
Neil Jillett wrote of his uncle:
Douglas, who was in charge of Maori education for New Zealand, died in Auckland. As part of the tribute to him by the Maori community, Kiri Te Kanawa, then 21 sang "I know that my Redeemer liveth" at his funeral. Sixteen year later she was to have another ceremonial outburst of Handel "Let the bright seraphim" at the Charles-Diana wedding in St Paul s Cathedral, London.
He served in World War 2 in the West Coast Regiment.
He and Phyllis had three children
Janice Mary Jillett 1934 - 2016 m Keith Huddleston 1933 - 1983
John Blackburn Jillett m Barbara Yvonne Jackson
Nancy Phyllis Jillett 1938 - 1995 m Barry Renshaw Driver
4 http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/university13.html
John Jillett University of Otago
To help make good use of this new resource the entrepreneurial Betty Batham applied to the Nuffield Foundation, which funded a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship in marine biology. That fellowship was awarded to John Jillett, who joined the permanent staff once the three years was up, eventually succeeding Batham as Director of the Marine Laboratory in 1974. Research into marine science continued to expand and in 1992 it became a full university department. As John Jillett comments, the oceanographic environment in southern New Zealand is unique, making it a wonderful location for scientists who come from around the world to research here.
Congratulations to Dr John Jillett on being awarded Life Membership of Otago Peninsula Trust!
John was a Trustee of the Otago Peninsula Trust from 1999 – 2018 and Chair 2007-2008.
John is a valuable member of the Education Advisory Board, which he was instrumental in setting up in 2000. The Otago Peninsula Trust Education Programme gained Ministry of Education funding in 2001 and has educated and inspired thousands of students since then. The Otago Peninsula Trust has a strong working partnership with the NZ Marine Studies Centre to create and deliver excellent educational programmes.
John has always had a focus on forming partnerships and during his time as Chair put particular emphasis on improving relationships between the Trust and the runanga, he was very supportive of the development of the partnership with the Korako Karetai Trust that resulted in the formation of the Pukekura Trust, the very successful Blue Penguins Pukekura tourism ventur
e.
http://otagopeninsulatrust.co.nz/dr-john-jillett-awarded-life-membership/#comments
John Jillett was the instigator of the Jillett Family Research.
Sergeant Pilot Gordon Grant Jillett
Gordon Jillett and his crew were tasked with bombing the Tirpitz, in 1941. Many sorties' were flown trying to bomb this huge ship. Later movies were also made. The Sinking of the Bismark, is what they were attempting to carry out.
He flew a Wellington Bomber. This mission would be his last. He and the crew were not found.
20/21 June 1941 - Kiel RAF Bomber Command - 47 Wellington, 24 Hampden, 20 Whitley, 13 Stirlings, 11 Halifax heavy bombers
Sergeant Pilot Gordon Jillett (Pilot, Wellington IC R1339) Killed Sergeant Mason Fraser (Pilot, Wellington IC R1713) Killed Sergeant Desmond Dacre, (Air Observer, Wellington IC R1713
English: Vickers Wellington Bombers of the RAF at RAF Stradishall on the 10th of July 1939. Ready to fly to Brussells and Paris as a show of strength from the RAF.
On the night of 20/21st June 1941, 47 Wellington medium bombers, 24 Hampden medium bombers and 20 Whitley medium bombers left England to locate and attack the Tirpitz. She often was under cover in Norway. Unsuccessful in locating the ship, they attacked the port of Kiel, in Germany.
Tirpitz was the second of two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (navy) during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and her hull was launched two and a half years later. Work was completed in February 1941, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Like her sister ship Bismarck, Tirpitz was armed with a main battery of eight 38-centimetre (15 in) guns in four twin turrets. After a series of wartime modifications she was 2,000 tonnes (2,000 long tons) heavier than Bismarck, making her the heaviest battleship ever built by a European navy.[3]
After completing sea trials in early 1941, Tirpitz briefly served as the centrepiece of the Baltic Fleet, which was intended to prevent a possible break-out attempt by the Soviet Baltic Fleet. In early 1942, the ship sailed to Norway to act as a deterrent against an Allied invasion. While stationed in Norway, Tirpitz was also intended to be used to intercept Allied convoys to the Soviet Union, and two such missions were attempted in 1942. This was the only feasible role for her, since the St Nazaire Raid had made operations against the Atlantic convoy lanes too risky. Tirpitz acted as a fleet in being, forcing the British Royal Navy to retain significant naval forces in the area to contain the battleship.
The Wellington Bomber By Martin W Bowman
On the Runnymede Memorial Overlooking the River Thames on Cooper’s Hill in Runnymede, Surrey, is Runnymede Memorial, sometimes known as the Air Forces Memorial.
The memorial commemorates more than 20,000 airmen and women who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and North and Western Europe who have no known grave.
The Royal Air Force saw some of the earliest action of the Second World War when on 4 September 1939, the day after war was declared, Blenheim and Wellington bombers attacked German shipping near Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven. In those raids seven aircrafts were lost and 25 airmen killed, the first casualties in what would become a worldwide struggle to gain mastery in the air upon which victory depended.
The memorial commemorates the men and women of the air forces of the Commonwealth who were lost in air and other operations over western Europe during the Second World War
Designed by Sir Edward Maufe, it is made of Portland stone and consists of a shrine embraced by a cloister
The shrine is adorned with three stone figures by Vernon Hill representing Justice, Victory and Courage
The engraved glass and painted ceilings were designed by John Hutton and the poem engraved on the gallery window was written by Paul H Scott
The memorial was unveiled on 17 October 1953 by Queen Elizabeth II
4. Joseph Frederick Jillett, was a Flax Mill employee at Floxton flax mill photo below.
Roadmap - Foxton Radio NZ
Flax workers at an unidentified Foxton flaxmill. Fisherman's hut, Foxton Beach.
Joseph served in the Boer War and again in World War I as a Gunner in 35th Reinforcement of the New Zealand Field Artillery and was wounded.
Boer War
8th New Zealand North Island Contingent
5039 Farrier Joseph JILLETT5
Jillett 5039 Joseph North Island Regiment- A squadron Eighth farrier surrey 1 February 1902 Hutt saddler Lower Hutt Wellington Lee Mrs Ellen Jane Otaki Wellington mother .
New Zealand decided to help fight for the Empire and sent 6,500 mounted troops to assist the British efforts, making the war New Zealand's first overseas military campaign. Virtually every man in New Zealand was desperately keen to get to war so the first soldiers to go were selected on the basis of who could afford to go. If a man could provide his own horse, rifle and equipment, costing about £25 in total, he could go to war. The first two of the 10 contingents paid their own way. The proposal to send the first contingent – 200 mounted riflemen – was approved by Parliament prior to the outbreak of war on 28 September 1899. Prime Minister Richard Seddon's proposition to do so was overwhelmingly supported, meeting opposition from only five members of parliament.
New Zealand - 8th Contingent
In December 1901 the Government of New Zealand offered further assistance, an offer which was at once accepted, and no time was lost in getting ready a very large contingent, nearly 1000 strong. It is worth noting that the Colonial Executive expressed the very reasonable desire that these battalions should not be split up and separated as some of the earlier ones had been.
The 8th contingent sailed in two portions: that from the north island on 29th January 1902, and that from the south island on 8th February, so that they saw comparatively short war service.
5 nzhistory.govt.nz
The 8th had a cruel misfortune on 12th April 1902: through a railway accident at Machavie they lost 14 killed and slightly over that number injured.
The following quotation from the despatch of 1st June 1902 shows how hard service in the last days of the war was, especially for mounted men who had been for some weeks on the sea. It bears ample testimony to the good work of the newly arrived Australians and New Zealanders. Lord Kitchener, in referring to a great drive under General Sir Ian Hamilton, from about Klerksdorp to the Kimberley-Mafeking railway, said: "On 11th May the whole force closed in on the Vryburg railway, when it was found our captures included 367 prisoners of war, 326 horses, 95 mules, 175 waggons, 66 Cape carts, 3620 cattle, 106 trek oxen, and 7,000 rounds of ammunition,—this loss to the enemy constituting a blow to his resources such as he had not previously experienced in the Western Transvaal. Most of the prisoners fell into the hands of Lieutenant Colonel De Lisle, who, with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Commonwealth Regiment, formed part of Colonel Thorneycroft's column.
In reporting upon this extremely successful operation, General Sir Ian Hamilton desires to draw my attention to the enthusiasm and energy with which the troops met the exceptional hardships and work involved by lining out and entrenching themselves on four successive nights after long marches in a practically waterless country.
On each of these nights every officer and man, after marching some 20 miles, had to spend the hours usually devoted to rest in entrenching, watching, and occasionally fighting. In this connection he draws special attention to the spade work done by the Commonwealth regiments—3rd New South Wales Bushmen, and the 8th New Zealand Regiment.
Every night while the sweep was in progress these troops dug one redoubt to hold 20 men every 100 yards of their front of six miles. The redoubts were so solidly constructed that they would have afforded perfect cover from artillery fire, and the intervals between them were closed by waggons linked together with barbed wire. The commander of each group of columns had his own particular system, and it may be interesting to note that General Walter Kitchener's force held the line assigned to it by similar works, constructed to hold seven men each, and placed at intervals of 50 yards apart. The work done by the troops under Colonels Sir Henry Rawlinson, Kekewich, and Rochefort was equally satisfactory, barbed wire and obstacles being freely made use of to close the points at which the enemy would be most likely to break through".
The 8th contingents sailed for home in July 1902.
Joseph married Etheline Ivy May Connolly 1897 - 1958, and they had four children
Carter Douglas Jillett 1918 - 1989 He was a grocer and married Olive Falkner
Joseph Henry Jillett 1920 1989 He was a carpenter, married Vera Smith
Sabina Etheline Jillett 1922 1996 She married Mr Payne who died before 1969
Patrick Connolly Jillett 1926 2005 He was studying as a Medical Practitioner
They lived at 25 and 27 Ranfurly Street Trentham
Their homes 25 Ranfurly Street and 27 Ranfuley st Trentham Upper Hutt.
Robert Jillett married Emma McPenger
It is likely that Emma was daughter of a Military Officer from England. There may be some incorrect information about this lineage, as it has been recorded that Emma was Emma Messenger. It is suggested through some records that the family had a link with the Premier of New Zealand, Mr Seddon. Emma Gertrude Messenger born 1873 died in 1882, she was the daughter of Col Messenger. The McPenger family come from England.
Emma was born c 1855, and married in 1876, William Mew Greenough. He was the son of John Greenough and Ann Mew. They had a son, William George Greenough.
William Mew Greenough was born in 1853 on the Isle of Wight. He was in the Royal Navy, and most likely arrived in New Zealand with the contingent to fight the Maori Wars. His father has also been in the Military.
William and Emma Greenough had the license of the Telegraph Hotel. William had, at times, been made to explain his actions in relation to the hotel license.
They had two children William George Greenough born 1877 and another born in 1879, with no name recorded.
William died in 1882.
Marriages of Greenough
Deaths of Greenough family between 1879 and 1920.
William died January 1882, and Emma then reapplied for the license. She married Robert Jillett in 1885.
Early photos of the Telegraph Hotel Otaki.
Otaki Historical Society records
We're located at 284 Rangiuru Road (cnr Rangiuru Rd / Tasman Rd) Otaki Village. As it is now.
Jillett
Otaki Historical Society records
We're located at 284 Rangiuru Road (cnr Rangiuru Rd / Tasman Rd) Otaki Village. As it is now.
Otaki Historical Society Journal
Rangiâtea Church in Otaki, New Zealand was the eldest Mâori Anglican church in New Zealand.
Nasmyth Wilson 2-6-2 locomotive at Otaki Station. ca 1886. NZ Railways Collection NZRE 947
Jubilee Hotel Otaki
Robert and Emma Jillett had two sons,
Arthur Robert Jillett 1888 1945 m Mary Louisa Bentley. Mary had been married to Peter Dorrian and had several children. Peter died in 1912. She married Arthur in 1918
Harold Thomas Jillett 1890 1977 m Emilie Minnie Symonds-1889 -1996
Harold was a blacksmith at Otaki railway The new railway station was built in 1911. He enlisted for World War I and was working at as a flax mill hand at Tokamaru.
These canvas and wood huts with corrugated iron chimneys were probably the living quarters of unmarried ‘flaxies’ employed at one of the mills in the Tokomaru area. Accommodation like this was typical of the flax milling industry until about 1907-1914, when the establishment of large permanent flaxmills and the efforts of the flax-workers union led to an improvement in accommodation and facilities.
Harold and Emily had a son
David Mostyn Jillett 1920 - 2006
He was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit.
The Reverend Father David Mostyn JILLETT, of Auckland. For services to music and the community. MNZM Note: Text as published in the New Zealand Gazette (Special), Wellington: Monday, 10 June 1996 – Issue No. 59 (1487 – 1490)
About the New Zealand Order of Merit
Instituted in 1996, the New Zealand Order of Merit has five levels: Knight or Dame Grand Companion (GNZM), Knight or Dame Companion (KNZM / DNZM), Companion (CNZM), Officer (ONZM) and Member (MNZM). Those appointed to the highest two levels are entitled to use the titles ‘Sir' or ‘Dame'. The award of titles was discontinued in 2000, but was reinstated in 2009.
Obituary for Reverend Father David Jillett who died at Ranfurly War Veterans Home, Auckland, 5 July 2006, aged 86. Event date: 5 July 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wha34lBunw
Father David Jillett, Auckland's priest composer, talks about the role of music in the Mass. He has composed a Requiem Mass, which has received approval as the official Requiem for Australia.
"No cloak, no dagger : New Zealand intelligence in Bougainville, the Solomons, Italy and Greece" / by Mostyn David Jillett.
Date: 2000 By: Jillett, David.
"14th Brigade Intelligence."
There's no profit in selling shrunken heads : the biography of David Jillett
by Stan McGuigan
The Bougainville Campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allied grand strategy in the South Pacific. The campaign took place in the Northern Solomons in two phases. The first phase, in which American troops invaded and held the Perimeter around the beachhead at Torokina, lasted from November 1943 through November 1944. The second phase, in which primarily Australian troops went on the offensive, mopping up pockets of starving, isolated but still-determined Japanese, lasted from November 1944 until August 1945, when the last Japanese on the island surrendered. Operations during the final phase of the campaign saw the Australian forces advance north towards the Bonis Peninsula and south towards the main Japanese stronghold around Buin, although the war ended before these two enclaves were completely destroyed.
The New Zealand Jillett records for World War I include Herbert Harry Jillett.
He was a miner working at the Gold mine. Herbert was a second cousin to the Jillett boys.
Herbert Harry Jillett of Komata North, a miner, was the son of Robert Alfred Jillett and Sophia Susan Whiteway. The boys were 2nd cousins. served in World War 1 in the NZ Army Komata North. He was also caretaker at the Auckland Harbour in 1963
The Golden Cross Hotel (later moved to Waihi) was built in 1899
Maori Attacks 1863
After the death of Robert Jillett and his wife, there were a series of battles between the Maoris and the Establishment.
ATTACK ON SENTRY HILL REDOUBT
THE MOST DESPERATE encounter in the first Hauhau campaign in Taranaki was the recklessly daring attempt of a band of two hundred picked warriors to assault a British fort, the redoubt on Sentry Hill, in broad daylight. Only the extraordinary faith which the newly converted disciples of Te Ua reposed in the mana and magical incantations of the fighting religion can explain this hopeless charge against a strong earthwork under the fire of scores of rifles at point-blank range. It was the first fight after Te Ahuahu, where the Hauhaus had scored so easy a success that their confidence in the virtue of Te Ua's system of charms and prayers was confirmed, and they advanced upon Sentry Hill fortified by an implicit belief that the karakia which they chanted and the cry of “Hapa, Pai-marire!” to avert the bullets of their foes, accompanied by a gesture, the right hand uplifted, palm to the front, as if warding off the balls, would secure them immunity from death or wounds.
The redoubt attacked stood on the crown of a round hill called Te Morere by the Maoris and Sentry Hill by the Europeans, near the right bank of the Waiongona River; the site is close to the present railway-station of Sentry Hill, on the Lepperton Junction-Waitara line. The hill Te Morere, one of the numerous rocky mounds of volcanic origin dotted about this part of Taranaki, was a Maori pa in ancient times; it derived its name, meaning “The Swing,” from a tall swing-tree or “giant's stride” which stood there, with long ropes attached by which the youth of the pa were accustomed to go flying out over a swimming-pool in the river—a favourite sport of the olden Maori. In the early days of the war in Taranaki the ruined hill fort was often used as a lookout place by the Manutahi Maoris, and from this circumstance it obtained its English name.
About the end of 1863 Captain W. B. Messenger and 120 men of the Military Settlers built a redoubt on the top of the mound; this earthwork, with a very high scarp of parapet, was presently garrisoned by a detachment of the 57th Regiment under Captain Shortt. A wooden barracks with accommodation for over a hundred men was built within the work. Shortt's force was seventy-five strong, with two Coehorn mortars.
The construction of this outpost, so near the Maori position in the bush at Manutahi, was regarded by the Atiawa Tribe as a challenge; it stood on their land. When the Pai-marire religion ran through the land like a fire through felled bush the Atiawa took advantage of this new patriotic impulse to propose the sweeping-away of the obnoxious Pakeha garrison on Morere Hill.
6
Their allies eagerly approved this test of battle, and a war-party was formed composed of the best fighting-men on the West Coast from the tribes lately inoculated with the maddening germs of Pai-
marire. Two hundred warriors were banded together under the prophet Hepanaia Kapewhiti, one of Te Ua's apostles. They were members of the Taranaki, Atiawa, and Ngati-Ruanui Tribes, with some Nga-Rauru from Waitotara and a number of Wanganui men. Among them were some young lads already used to the scenes of war. The Maori took to the war-path early; a well-grown boy of twelve was considered fit to take his place in a fighting expedition.
From Te Kahu-pukoro,* of Otakeho, probably the last of the Maori warriors who attacked the garrison of Sentry Hill, a dramatic narrative of the battle was obtained (30th August, 1920). This veteran chief was a tall, powerfully formed man, though his frame was bowed with rheumatism. His eyes glittered with something page 23 of the old warrior light as he told the story of his fighting youth. Te Kahu-pukoro was very young—in fact, he was only twelve—when he carried a gun in the ranks of the ope which marched against Sentry Hill on the 30th April 1864. Afterwards he was one of the picked fighters of Titokowaru, the “Tekau-ma-rua,” in 1868–69, and shared in nearly every engagement of the last campaign in Taranaki. He belonged to the Nga-Ruahine section of Ngati-Ruanui, of which his grandfather Tamati Hone was the leading chief. His father and uncle fell at Sentry Hill, and he himself received two bullet-wounds there.
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cow02NewZ-c2.html
"Capt. W. B. Messenger"
Major W.B. Messenger Wellington City Council Production
William Francis Gordon; copyist; circa 1895 Classification black-and-white negatives, copy Materials sheet glass, silver, photographic plates
Captain (afterwards Colonel) W. B. Messenger, N.Z.M. (Died, 1922)
As Ensign of Militia, William B. Messenger fought at Waireka and Mahoetahi and in other engagements. He became Captain in 1863, and served in the Military Settlers, and later in the Armed Constabulary as Sub-Inspector. For some years he was in command of the frontier redoubt at Pukearuhe, White Cliffs. In 1885 he was appointed to the command of the Permanent Artillery at Wellington, and in 1902 he went to South Africa in command of the 10th New Zealand Contingent. His military service extended over forty-three years.
New Zealand -1830
The first British Troops to spend any time in New Zealand, were members of the 57th Regiment from New South Wales, who were guarding a party of convicts bound for Norfolk Island. The convicts mutinied, overpowered the guards and took charge of the ship and when the water supply was low, compelled the crew to put in at a New Zealand Whaling Port. The troops went ashore, and the whaling fleet surrounded the mutineers’ vessel and captured the convicts who were subsequently hanged. The sergeant in charge was reduced to the ranks for inefficiency. One of the main whaling ports was at Kororareka, Bay of Islands.
Messenger or McPenger?
The Messenger family were rather well known in New Zealand. As the son of a Military man, William Messenger followed in his family footsteps. His father was William Messenger, and his obituary provides factual details of his life.
William and his wife had a large family, including a daughter named Emma Gertrude.
However Emma died in 1882, aged 9 years. Her brother was Colonel William Bazire Messenger,
He was on the staff of the Prime Minister Rt Hon R.J. Seddon, when he toured South Africa during 1902.
William Jillett, born 1856 and Mary Jane Whitehouse, c 1852 lived in Titahi Bay. William died in 1903, and is buried at Ohau. Mary Anne died 1916.
The first whalers arrived in Titahi Bay in the late 1820s, and by the 1830s shore-based whaling stations were established in the bay, and on Mana Island.
The stations would work closely together, harvesting their kill at one or the other, depending on the direction of the wind.
Whaling finished in the area in about 1851, but that was not the end of Titahi Bay as farmers had begun making their way to the area.
One of the most influential settlers was William Jillett, the son of a whaler who arrived in 1839. Jillett bought land in 1877 and has of
ten been called the true pioneer of Titahi
Bay.
It was he who started up a horse- drawn bus service to Porirua and became the first postmaster in 1902.
But even as more farmers came to the area, it was not long until the seaside again became dominant. By the early 1900s, Titahi Bay was being recognised as a premier resort.
In 1900, Jillett built the Club Hotel on the beach, providing a place for holidaymakers, and the first beach is believed to have been built at Christmas of that same year by the Sievers family.
By the 1920s, real estate and holiday brochures promoted Titahi Bay's "broad, deep sweep of sandy beach" as a natural and healthy destination. Most of these early holidaymakers would catch the train to Porirua and then the horse bus to the bay.
By the time World War II arrived there was a shortage of available housing, and in 1952 the Government imported from Austria 1000 pre-cut houses, half of which were built in Titahi Bay.
Still, it was not until the 1960s that community development began in earnest. The decade became a boom time and, by the 1970s, there was a shopping centre, although it struggled after the introduction of bigger shops in Porirua.
Driver is John Robert Jillet. Photo from Pataka Museum Collection, at Porirua Library ref P.2.74.
William Jillet was one of the earliest European farmers in the area, arriving in 1864, and he has often been called the ‘true pioneer’ of Titahi Bay. Jillet started up a horse-drawn ‘bus’ service from the Bay to Porirua and became the first postmaster in 1902.
From the 1920s real estate and holiday brochures promoted Titahi Bay's 'broad, deep sweep of sandy beach' as a natural and healthy destination. Most of these early holiday-makers would catch the train to Porirua and then the horse bus to the Bay. It is believed that the first bach was built in Christmas of 1900 by the Sievers family.
Titahi Bay Club Hotel.
Photos from Pataka Museum Collection, at Porirua Library ref (left) F.5.2 (right) F.2.47.
They were soon followed by businessmen from Wellington and Manawatu. Mrs Thornley, who from 1903 ran the Titahi Bay Club Hotel for thirty years, had a couple of cottages to let. The Titahi Bay Club Hotel provided accommodation and tearoom facilities throughout the twenties. Mrs Thornley’s son continued the business along with a little ‘sly-grogging’. After the Second World War, it was run as a nightclub. The Club was finally demolished in 1953.
William Jillett early farmer and landowner at Titahi Bay,
1864-1903. Operated a horse-drawn 'bus' service from Titahi Bay to Porirua.
He died at Otaki in 1883, and
is buried at Pukekaraka. John Jillett left a young family of four, two sons and
two daughters, of whom the eldest, Sabina was a teacher at Ohau before she
became a nun and taught at the Catholic Maori Mission, Pukekaraka. One son,
John, became a saddler, first at Lower Hutt, later at Urenui in North Taranaki
and, in between times, ran a coaching business at Titahi Bay. The other son,
Joe, served in both the Boer War and the Great War, later becoming involved
with horse racing at Trentham. Robert Jillett and his family have been
remembered in the township of Poreria by
Porirua City Council Records show William Jillett, Date of Death: Unknown, Date of Burial: 30/5/1903, Aged: 45 years, Cemetery: Porirua, Location: Church of England B Plot 33, Funeral Director: Robert J Cotton & Sons Ltd, P O Box 5191, Palmerston North Probate Record shows William Jillett, Place: Porirua, Occ: Sheep Farmer, Date of Death: 28/5/1903, Court: Wellington, Archives Reference: AAOM 6029 8365, Probate No: 8365, Date Filed: 9/6/1903, Type: Will, Archives NZ, Wellington The Evening Post 28th May 1903 shows Jillett - On the 28th May, at Ohau, William Jillett, of Titahi Bay, aged 45 years - Mr. William Jillett, of Titahi Bay, who had been ill for a considerable period, died at Ohau this morning. The deceased was the son of an early resident of Wellington, and was born in the Hutt Valley 46 years ago. The greater part of his life was spent in the Porirua district, where he owned a large portion of the Titahi Bay estate. He was a patron of the turf, and in addition to owning some racehorses, filled the office of Secretary of the Porirua Jockey Club for some years. He represented the Porirua Riding on the Hutt County Council for several terms, and proved himself a very useful member of that body. At the recent elections he obtained a seat on the Otaki Licensing Committee. He leaves a widow and family The Evening Post 29th May 1903 Funeral Notice The Friends of Mrs. W. Jillett are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of her late husband, which will leave the residence of Mr. H. Eastwood, Porirua, on Sunday, 31st May, at 2.30, for the Cemetery, Porirua F. Greer, Undertaker, Tawa Flat The Evening Post 1st June 1903 The funeral of the late Mr. William Jillett, of Titahi Bay, took place on Saturday, and was largely attended. The interment was made in the Porirua Cemetery. The Evening Post 31st August 1904
The Chief Justice was occupied this morning with a case stated between, on the one hand, Mary Jane Jillett, of Porirua, widow, and Herbert John Jillett, of Ohau. farmer (executors of the will of the late William Jillett, of Porirua, sheepfarmer), and, on the other side, the Commissioner of Stamps. Testator was a half-caste, and his children are by a white woman, his wife; part of, his estate in native land. The difficulty arose in deciding whether the beneficiaries are native or European; on their status and that of the land hinges the question of what duty is payable. The sum of £241 had already been paid on the whole estate, including the native land, under the Deceased Persons' Estates Duties Act 1881; the Commissioner claimed a further 10 per cent., on the value of the native land, under section 17 of the Stamp Duty Amendment Act 1885.
The question for the Court was whether duty was payable under the last-mentioned Act. Mr. Beere, for the executors, contended that the devise under the will was not a "devise in fee" under the section; and he made the further submission that where the language of the statute was doubtful, it should be liberally construed in favour of the subject as compared with the Crown. He detailed the several Acts dealing with stamp duty and deceased persons' estates, and showed that under one of them a child of deceased would be a native, under another a European, and so on. Mr. Myers, for the Commissioner, replied on the points of law. The Court reserved judgment. Hawera & Normanby Star 16/9/1904
Judgment was given by his Honor the Chief Justice on Wednesday morning in the appeal Mary Jane Jillett and Herbert John Jillett v. the Commissioner of Stamps. Plaintiffs are the wife (European) and son of the late Wm. Jillett (half-caste), and under deceased's will are trustees to convert his land and divide the proceeds among deceased's wife and children, as provided in the will. Section 17 of the Stamp Act, 1882, Amendment Act, 1885, provided that an additional duty of 10 per cent. be levied on every "conveyance on sale or devise in fee" of native land, "whereby the right to such land shall first vest in a person other than a native." His Honour said that deceased, being a half-caste, was a "native" under the Act mentioned, and that there is a "devise in fee" to persons (the trustees) who are not "natives" under the Act, but that it is not a "devise in fee whereby the right to the land vests" in the said trustees. The "right" to the land did not vest in the trustees. They could not have given a title to a purchaser without obtaining probate of the will from the Native Land Court. The transaction therefore did not come within the terms of the section. The appeal must be allowed with £10 10s costs. In the course of his judgment, his Honour remarked that the Court is concerned only with the interpretation of the statute, not with the possible harshness of a provision that if a native leaves his property to his children, and the mother is a European, the children have to pay, in addition to the ordinary duties payable by Europeans, a 10 per cent, duty beyond.
That sounds a little unfair!!!
Titahi Bay is a fabulous place for surfing and the beach has been a focal point of settlement. It was a food gathering place for the early Maori as early as the 15th century when there were Maori villages along the coastline, and then by the mid 1800's there were European whaling stations and villages. William Jillett was 21 when he bought some land in 1887 and established a resort for wealthy Wellingtonians and the development of the Bay as a holiday place continued until World War 2. It is a spectacular setting for the beach, peninsular, cliffs, rocks, Mana Island, harbour and the sea.
Children:
Herbert John Jillett was a Farmer at Titahi Bay, Makara
Herbert John Jillett 1879 - 1918 m Adeline Harriet Hare 1875 - 1938
Beatrice Mary Jillett 1882 - m John William Bell 1876 - 1929
Daughter Jane Jillett Bell 1920 m Herbert Nixon.
1893 Electoral Roll shows Mary Jane Jillett, Electorate: Suburbs
of Wellington, Residence: Porirua, Occ: Domestic Duties Porirua City Council
Records show Mary Jane Jillett, Date of Death: Unknown, Date of Burial:
26/4/1916, Aged: 74 years, Cemetery: Porirua, Location: Church of England B
Plot 33, Funeral Director: Wilson Funeral Home, P O Box 7123, Wellington
Probate Record shows Mary Jane Jillett, Place: Wellington, Occ: Widow, Date of
Death: 25/4/1916, Court: Wellington, Archives Reference: AAOM 6029 19132,
Probate No: 19132, Date Filed: 10/8/1916, Type: Intestate (Letters of
Administration), Archives NZ, Wellington The Evening Post 25th April 1916 shows
Jellett (sic) - On the 25th April, 1916, at her residence, 18, Roxburgh street,
Mary Jane, widow, of the late William Jellett (sic), late of Titahi Bay; aged
74 years. Funeral tomorrow (Wednesday), 26th April, arriving at Porirua
Cemetery at 3 p.m. The Evening Post 26th April 1916
Another of Wellington's old
settlers died early yesterday morning at No. 18, Roxburgh-street, in the person
of Mrs. Mary Jane Jillett, widow of the late Mr. William Jillett, of Titahi
Bay, where he followed farming pursuits. Mrs. Jillett was born in Wellington in
the year 1842, and was probably one of the oldest of native-born
Wellingtonians. She was a daughter of the late Mr. John Whitehouse, and was
born here just after the arrival of her parents from the Old Country. She
leaves two adult children Miss Beatrice Jillett and Mr Herbert Jillett, of
Porirua, farmer.
Note for: William Whitehouse,
15 DEC 1839 - 29 MAR 1919 Index
Individual Note: Name from
Passenger List and Lived in Inglewood in 1891 from Charlotte Martha
Whitehouse's Obituary Date of Birth and Place and Date of Death and Place from
M J Hislop's Notes
William Whitehouse and Charlotte Martha Lamby
were married in 15 November 1831 in St. Martin's Church, Birmingham.
John was born in 1801 the son of Joseph Whitehouse and his wife Mary. He was baptised on 27th September 1801 at Bickenhill at St Peter's.
Moat Lane Birmingham St Martin's Church in the back ground.
Drawing of the Bull Ring area and St. Martin's church by Thomas Hollins, 1811. Often described as the work of William Hollins (inc. the BMAG website),
Their children were Joseph, Thomas, William, John decd. Mary Jane, John.
Of the children, William, Mary Jane and John married Jillett siblings.
Thomas Whitehouse
Thomas was baptised in Birmingham, on 18th January 1836, his father was listed as a farmer.
Thomas Whitehouse married Margaret McGillivray, the daughter of James McGillivray of Inverness in Scotland, on 15th July 1860. They married at St. Peter's Church. He died in 1913.
Their children were Charlotte, Edith, Arthur James, William, May, Walter Hector and Harry Donald
His Obituary
Mr. Thomas Whitehouse, a very old settler in Wellington, died at his residence, in Dixon Street, this morning. For a time before his death he had been in bad health. Mr. Whitehouse, who was 76 years of age, was born in Birmingham, and came to New Zealand with his parents in the ship Lord Bentinck, in 1841, landing at Wellington. Seven years later he entered the employ of Mr. G. P. Wallace, grocer, who was drowned in the wreck of the barque Maria some years afterwards. The late Mr. James Wallace, who was for a long time secretary of the Manawatu Railway Company, took over the business, and Mr. Whitehouse was also with him for some time, leaving after sixteen years' service in the establishment.
In 1865 Mr. Whitehouse built a shop at the corner of Dixon street and Cuba street, opposite the Royal Oak Hotel, and he carried on a grocery business there for many years.
He then built premises at the corner of those streets opposite Te Aro House, which are now occupied by Messrs. Jas. Smith and Sons, and he removed his business there, continuing until 1885, when he sold out to Messrs. Barr and Co. In the early days he was in the militia, and for many years he was a member of the Wellington Bowling Club. He has left a family of three sons - Arthur (Sydney), Donald (Christchurch), Walter (Wellington), and three daughters - Mrs. Holgate (Wellington), Mesdames Jamieson and Nees (Christchurch). Mrs. Whitehouse died some years ago. The funeral, which will be private, will take place on Saturday morning. The interment is to be made in the Sydney Street cemetery
Charlotte Annie Holgate
(nee Whitehouse) was born
in New Zealand in 1861 to Thomas and Margaret Whitehouse. Thomas Whitehouse was
an earlier settler to New Zealand arriving in Wellington in 1841 and for many
years ran a grocery store in Cuba Street Wellington.
After finishing school
Charlotte trained as a teacher eventually taking up the position of
Headmistress of Thorndon Infant School, Wellington a post which she resigned
from at the end of 1886. Presumably she gave up the post to marry Joseph
Holgate in March 1887. Their marriage was short lived as Joseph sadly died from
heart disease in December 1891, they had no children.
Charlotte it seems was not one
to sit around and I am guessing that it was after her husbands death that she
departed for England where she trained to be a nurse and a midwife at the
Middlesex
Hospital, London. On completion
of her training she took up the position of District Nurse firstly in London's
West End and then in the poor district of the Royal Albert Docks in the East
End of London. Before finally leaving England she qualified as a masseuse.
On her return to New Zealand
she was appointed by the Red Cross Association in 1903 as District Nurse for
the sick and poor of Wellington. She approached the role with vigour,
tirelessly making a positive difference to those she treated. Below is a link
to an article which recounts some of her experiences. The article was a response
to a comment made by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Richard Seddon who
proclaimed "There is no poverty in New Zealand".
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19040615.2.45&srpos=30&e=-01-1900--12-1912--10-DOM%2cEP%2cMEX-21-byDA-on--2holgate--
She resigned from the position
in January 1905 and set up a Private Maternity Hospital for women in Wellington
until April 1911 when she took an extended trip to England. On her return to
New Zealand in November 1912 she took up the position of District Nurse in
Seddon.
When war broke out in 1914
Charlotte Holgate was 53 years old but age was no barrier to Charlotte and at
her own expense she embarked on the Ionic in December 1914 headed to Europe
with the intention of offering her services at the Front. She enlisted with the
French Flag Nursing Corps (F.F.N.C.) in France working in military hospitals
firstly in Lesieux and then Neufchateau, Vosges.
The F.F.N.C. was established in
1914 in Britain to supply trained nurses from Britain and the Commonwealth to
French military hospitals. In France most nursing up until WW1 had been carried
out by nuns as it was deemed unseemly for French girls to take up nursing as a
career and as a result there was an urgent need for qualified nurses at the
Front.
The scale of the medical care
needed after the bloody battles of World War One could not have been imagined
by Charlotte and the relentless work took a toll on her health and in September
1915 she was invalided back to England. Yet she still hoped to recover and get
back to the action. Unfortunately this was not to be the case and she remained
on the South Coast of England in poor health until she passed away on 20 August
1920. By all accounts Charlotte Holgate was a hard working, energetic and well
liked person. She actively strove to help those less fortunate than herself by
nursing and educating the poor and sick in London and New Zealand. She was also
a member of the Society for the Protection of
the Health of Women and
Children in New Zealand. When she embarked for war in 1914 she was laden down
with donations of clothes and monies for Belgian refugees and the soldiers
fighting. Whilst her contribution to the war effort was limited in time she
deserves our respect and admiration. For a widow of 53 years of age to
volunteer at her own expense was undoubtedly admirable. The standing and
respect held for her in the community of Seddon was reflected by their
remembrance of her on their war memorial despite the fact that she passed away
two years after the war ended. Nurse Charlotte Holgate deserves to be
remembered.
http://100nzmemorials.blogspot.com/2013/09/nurse-c-holgate-seddon-memorial.html
William Whitehouse m. Susan Jillett.
William Whitehouse (Abt 1839 – 1919) William Whitehouse was a prominent figure in early Levin.
The story of William Whitehouse and his descendants was compiled by Jocelyn Whitehouse, Helen Hawkins and Stephanie Van Berkel; July 2016.
William Whitehouse was born about 1839 at Bickenhill, Warwickshire, England. He was the fifth child of John Whitehouse and Charlotte Martha Lambly. William arrived in New Zealand on the 24th of May 1841. He had travelled to New Zealand on an emigrant ship; the ‘Lord William Bentinck,’ with his parents and three older siblings; Joseph, Thomas and John. (A sister; Mary Ann, had died during infancy before leaving for New Zealand.) The ‘Lord William Bentinck,’ had left Gravesend, England on the 8th of January 1841. Another sister; Mary Jane, was born at sea or soon after the family arrived and another brother; John, was born in 1845 (Windley, 2001; 119).
Shortly after arriving in Wellington the Whitehouse family moved to a property in Glenside on Old Porirua Road. Around 1847 the family began clearing a block of land on the northern end of a hill known locally as ‘Pikarere.’ The hill is on the western side of Porirua Harbour behind Takapuwahia. The Whitehouse block was expanded and was farmed and the farm came to be known as ‘Pikarere’.
William and possibly one or two of his older brothers attended Porirua School. On weekends everyone worked on the farm but there was time to take part in various sports tournaments that were held around Titahi Bay and Porirua.
In 1874, at the age of thirty-three, he married Susan Jillett daughter of Robert Jillett and Te Kaea (Etara) Te Morere. Six years earlier William’s younger brother, John, had married Susan’s older sister; Charlotte Jillett. And in 1879 William’s younger sister, Mary Jane, married Charlotte and Susan’s younger brother; William Jillett.
Shortly after their marriage William and Susan moved from ‘Pikarere’ to ‘Holly farm’ on Mountain Road in Inglewood. Over a period of fourteen years William and Susan had nine children. Around 1893 William and Susan and the children moved to Soliders Road in Ohau near Levin. A few years later they moved to Stuckey Street in Levin. Susan died in Titahi Bay in 1902 and is buried at ‘Porirua Cemetery’ in an unmarked grave. William died in Levin in 1919. Family records show he was buried in the ‘Makomako Road Cemetery but again the grave is unmarked.
This story continues with the life of Harold Whitehouse
The children were
1. Maude Whitehouse 1876 - 1877
2. Mary Jane Whitehouse 1878 - 1966 m William Hislop
3. John William Whitehouse 1880 1907
4. Frederick Charles Whitehouse 1881 1910 m Annie Angeline Elizabeth Olsen
5. Laura Rosamond Whitehouse 1883 1966 m Francis Stuart Thurston
6. Albert Victor Whitehouse 1885 1914
7. Ethel Winifred Whitehouse 1887 1914
8. Hilda Maud Whitehouse 1889 1908
9. Harold Owen Whitehouse 1892 1968 m Fanny Fletcher
2. Mary Jane Whitehouse married William Henry Michael Hislop, born 1873 in 1902. William was a butcher in Levin. They had four children and he died in 1914.
Valerie Alma Hislop b 1905 d 1958
Lynette Joyce Hislop b 1907 d 1986 m Keith Randall Aries 1910 - 1996 (Captain)
Frederick William Hislop 1909 1996 m Frances Armanalla Goldsworthy-Hobson
Harold Keith (Kenneth) Hislop b 1911 - 2005 m Marjorie Masters 1919
4. Frederick Charles Whitehouse m Annie Olsen 1883 - 1972
daughter Fredrica Margaret Mary Whitehouse 1910 - 2005
Frederick died due to a race accident , accidentally at the Bulls Racecourse.
5. Laura Rosemond Whitehouse 1883 - 1966 m Francis Thurston 1889 - 1964 in 1915
1. Merne Owen Thurston 1916 m Phyllis Audrey Prockter 1916
2. Stuart William Thurston 1918 - 1980 m Mona Therese Whitman 1916 - 1994
3. Athol John Thurston 1919 2016 m Lorna Dale in England
Athol was a Merchant Seaman in World War 2. He and Lorna lived in Ontario Canada.
He was an engineer, living at Hastings in Toronto.
9. Harold Owen Whitehouse was the youngest son of William and Susan and was born at ‘Holly Farm’, Inglewood on the 27 of September, 1892. Harold initially attended ‘Ohau District School’ and when his family moved to Levin he attended ‘Levin Central School’. with his wife Fanny; circa 1930
After leaving school Harold joined the telegraph department at the ‘Levin Post Office’. Harold enlisted for service in World War One on the 14th of June, 1915. He was in the ‘N.Z. Corp of Signals’ in Egypt, France and England. Harold was invalided home in July 1918.
After the war Harold took up a telegraphist position with the Post Office in Waipawa. In 1920 Harold married Fanny Fletcher from Waipawa and when Harold secured employment at the ‘Levin Post Office’ the couple moved to a house in Kent Street in Levin. It was in Levin that their two sons; Keith and Noel, were born. Sometime in 1933 the family moved to Pirie Street in Wellington. In Wellington Harold worked for the ‘Labour Department’ and ‘Social Security’.
Harold Whitehouse, like his brothers and uncles, had a great love of horses. He was a skilled horseman and worked as a judge at local horse sports. Harold died at his youngest son’s home in Levin on the 16th of March, 1986. He was aged 75 years. Harold is buried in the ‘Soldier’s Cemetery’ in Karori, Wellington.
Keith Owen Whitehouse was the eldest son of Harold and Fanny Whitehouse. He was born in Levin on the 13th of March, 1921. Keith was educated at ‘St. Joseph’s school’ in Levin and was awarded the Dux medal. After his family moved to Wellington he attended ‘St. Patrick’s College’.
Keith excelled at sport. He was Junior, Intermediate and Senior Champion in athletics. Keith played in the 1st IV and 1st XI and was in the senior tennis team. At the age of 16 he began working for ‘Prevost Brothers - Wool Merchants’ as a wool classer.
Keith enlisted in the ‘RNZAF’ in 1941 and trained as a pilot in Canada and England. He was posted to 75 Squadron, England. On the night of the 24th of July, 1944 his Lancaster (HK 568/K) was shot down over the ‘Forest Robertsau’ near Strasbourg, close to the German border.
Keith Owen Whitehouse (right); 1941 at Wigram airbase Christchurch
Keith and the six members of his crew are buried in the ‘French National Cemetery’, Cronenbourg, Strasbourg (L. 9, graves 5-11). Keith was on his 27th operation.Noel Fletcher Whitehouse was the second son of Harold and Fanny. He was born in Levin on the 28th of December, 1922. Noel attended ‘St. Joseph’s School’ in Levin, ‘Marist Brothers’ in Newtown, Wellington and ‘St. Patrick College’ in Wellington.
At the age of 16 Noel began work at ‘State Advances’, Wellington. In 1941 Noel joined the ‘NZ Armed Forces’. He served in Egypt and Italy where he was Mentioned in Dispatches (MID). He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Lance/Sergeant. Noel returned to work at the ‘State Advances’ and began studying Law at ‘Victoria University’. He graduated L.L.B. in 1950. In 1952, after working in Wellington and Napier he joined the law firm ‘Blenkhorn & Todd’ in Levin. The firm was later renamed ‘Todd Whitehouse’.
Above: Noel Whitehouse with his wife Jocelyn and children Helen and Paul; July 1993
Noel married Jocelyn Gregory on the 3rd of January, 1953. The marriage took place in Wanganui where Jocelyn’s parents; Horace and Cecily lived. Noel and Jocelyn had four children; Keith, Helen, Paul and Stephen. They all attended ‘St. Joseph’s School’ and ‘Horowhenua College’, both in Levin.
Noel was involved in many professional sporting and cultural organisations. In 2010 Noel was awarded a Horowhenua Community Medal for 50 years’ service to the Levin community. Noel died in Levin on the 2nd of September, 2011 and is buried in the ‘Services Cemetery’ in the Levin Cemetery.
Jocelyn also worked to serve the Levin/Horowhenua district. She has enjoyed being a part of many different organisations. These included Guides (at Kimberly Hospital), Plunket, Spinners and Weavers and Save The Children. In 1987 Jocelyn was made a Life Member of the Levin Little Theatre. In 1993 Jocelyn was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for Community Service. And in 2010 Jocelyn was awarded the Horowhenua Community Medal for 50 years’ service to the Levin community.
Among the other award winners was Jocelyn Whitehouse, who received the Queen's Service Medal for "an estimated 90 concurrent years of community service".
Dedicating more than 57 years to the Levin Little Theatre Society, almost 25 years to the Levin Save the Children Committee and many years as president of Plunket, Mrs Whitehouse said she felt "honoured" to receive the award.
Although civic honours are awarded every year, this was the first year the council recognised a lifetime of community service.
John Whitehouse m Charlotte Jillett
Their children were:
1. Henry Whitehouse 1868 - 1935
2. Sarah Ellen Whitehouse 1870 -1951 m Harry Eastwood
3. Alfred William Whitehouse 1875 - 1951 m Adeline Helena Greer 1873 - 1958
4. Blanche Mary Ada Whitehouse 1878 - 1908 m William Windley 1868 - 1937
5. Frances Whitehouse 1879 - 1940 m Jack O'Connor
6. Constance Whitehouse 1880 - 1927 m William Speirs 1851 -1931
7. Charlotte Whitehouse 1882 - 1882
8. Ernest Lambly Whitehouse 1873 - 1940 m Rachael Jane Stevens 1872 - 1937
Listed as a Sheepfarmer in the World War 1 Rolls
4. Blanche and William Windley had a large family
1. Joseph Windley 1897 1987 m Ada Bell 1908 - 1991
2. Frances Windley 1904 - 1959 m Hamilton Monteith Bennett 1902 - 1985
3. Thomas Windley 1897 - 1979 m Myra Bennett 1903 - 1990
4. Albert John Windley 1898 - 1976 m Coral Elva Boon 1901 - 1958
5. Winifred Windley 1899 m Thomas Percival Rickus (Sep)
Myra was the daughter of William Dacre Bennett and Alice Mary Buck. Her brother Hamilton Monteith Bennett married Frances Windley
Joseph Windley married Ada Bell - Children.
Joseph Windley (1897-1987) Married 1927
Children
Bruce Charles Windley
Carol Windley
Chris Windley
Frances Windley
Janet Windley
Frances Robina Windley (1928-2012)
William Trevor Keith Windley (1932-)
David John Windley (1938-2006)
Frances Sarah Windley m Hamilton Monteith Bennett.
Father William Dacre Bennett (1879-1968)
Mother Alice Mary Buck (1879-1962)
Spouse Mary OMalley (-1984)
Spouse Frances Sarah Windley (1904-1959) Married 1924
Children
Shirley Mary Bennett (1924-2006)
Winifred Maude Bennett (1925-)
Gordon Bennett (1927-)
Norman Bennett (1928-2003)
Margaret Coral Bennett (1929-)
William Dacre Bennett (1879-1968)
Mother Alice Mary Buck (1879-1962)
Spouse Thomas Windley (1897-1979) Married 1924
Children
Ngaire Jean Windley (1925-)
Donald Thomas Windley (1926-1997)
Roy Howard Windly (1928-1992)
Cyril Douglas Windley (1929-1984)
Ian Monteith Windley (1930-)
Rex Alexander Windley (1932-)
Jack Rolston Windley (1934-)
8. Ernest Lamley Whitehouse married Rachael Jane Stevens.
Rachael Jane Stevens (1872-1937) Married 1889
Children
Allan John Whitechurch (1899-1944)
Helen MayWhitechurch (1900-1967)
Elizabeth Evelyn Whitechurch (1902-1954)
Cyril Ernest Whitechurch (1903-1952)
Una AnnWhitechurch (1904-1979)
Ada Whitechurch (1908-1969)
Florence June Whitechurch (1908-1981)
Rachael Jane Whitechurch (1910-1975)
ErnestineWhitechurch (1914-1985)
Allan John Whitechurch married Flora Mary Seddon
Connections in High Places
What would Robert and Elizabeth Jillett think if they were aware that their great- great grandson married the niece of a popular and long serving Prime Minister of New Zealand?
From the hulks of a prison ship, half way across the world, facing the worst conditions possible, and then his direct descendant, Allan John Whitehouse married Flora Mary Seddon.
There is always a story to be uncovered when researching Family History.
Flora was the daughter of Richard John Sedden born 1874 - 1945 and Annie Buick 1876 - 1965
Richard was the son of Nathanial Seddon and Mary Ann Smith. Nathanial was born in Lancashire, 1822 - 1885. His father was Richard Seddon 1790 and Phoebe Prescott 1797. Richard was a Yoeman with 70 acres of land.
Richard and Phoebe had several children, including
1. Thomas Seddon 1817 - 1871 who married Jean Lindsay 1818 - 1868
2. Nathanial Seddon 1822 - 1885 who married Mary Ann Smith 1840 - 1887
3. John Seddon 1828
4. Ellen Seddon 1832
5. Richard Seddon 1835
As was the custom, the children named their offspring, the same names, by following the recognised naming patterns.
Thomas Seddon had a son whom they named Richard John Seddon. Richard was born June 22, 1845, and he died 10th June 1906. Richard was born in School Brow, Eccleston, near St Helens, Lancashire. He married Louisa Jane Spotswood. They had several children, among them John Stewart Spotswood Seddon.
Father Thomas Seddon (1817-1871)
Mother Jane Seddon (1816-1868)
Spouse Louisa Jane Spotswood (1851-1931) Married 1869
Children
Jane Anne Seddon (1870-1955)
Phoebe Alicia Seddon (1871-1944)
Louisa Jane Seddon (1872-1957)
Mary Stuart Charleston Seddon (1874-1946)
Catherine Youd Lindsay Seddon (1876-1877)
Elizabeth May Seddon (1880-1960)
Richard John Spotswood Seddon (1881-1918)
Thomas Edward Youd Seddon (1884-1972)
John Stuart Spotswood Sedddon (1887-1969)
Rubi Jessie Seddon (1889-1956)
When we think of R. J. Seddon we think first of the West Coast, the Golden Coast. It was there that the twenty-one-year-old Seddon set foot on New Zealand soil in 1866. He came from Victoria, but he was not many years out from his native Lancashire; the accent of his birth land was strong on his tongue all his life. It was the rough-carved, bold, manly life of gold-digging Westland that developed his spirit of enterprise and resourcefulness, vigour and self-reliance as it developed his burly frame. The first great rush of diggers was over, but the Coast was still a scene of amazing strident treasure-hunting activity, and Mr. Seddon had a taste of almost every phase of industry there. His name is associated most of all with the gold-sluicing township of Kumara; there he went into business, made his weight felt—very literally sometimes—in local affairs; he mastered the ways and laws of the goldmining industry, and raised a young family.7
He died of a heart attack while travelling back to New Zealand from Australia, 10th June 1906.
Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Tuesday 12 June 1906, page 7
DEATH OF M. SEDDON. ON BOARD THE OSWESTRY GRANGE AT SEA.
Sydney, June 11.
The startling news of the death of Mr. R. vi. Seddon, Premier -of New Zealand, on-board the steamer Oswestry Grange, while on the way to his own colony from Australia caused a sensation when it became known in the city this morning. The steamer turned back shortly after Mr. Seddon's death and reached 'port about 9 o'clock. Mr. Seddon's passing was tragically sudden. He died yesterday evening, quite without warning that death was upon him, in the arms of Mrs. Seddon, and in the presence of his principal secretary, Mr. Frank Andrews. Mr. Seddon had complained of feeling unwell in the morning and remained in his state room all the afternoon, reclining partly dressed upon the settee. The ship's surgeon (Dr. Minchin) visited him, and prescribed for what appeared to be but a trifling indisposition
7 http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Gov10_04Rail-t1-body-d4.html
His son was Captain Richard John Spotswood Seddon. He served in the Boer War as a 19 year old. His mother even visited him in South Africa. The quirks of being married to the Prime Minister.
Then he enlisted in World War I. He died in battle, and is buried in France. His mother tried desperately to be able to bring his body home.
She was no different than the hundreds of thousands of other mothers who waved goodbye to a son, never to see him again.Dec 2nd 1918
Dear mother, … All that can be done is being done….As regards having Dick taken home I don’t think that they will allow it because if they allow one, thousands will want theirs from all lands Gallipoli, France and they couldn’t do it….It is very hard for you mum, and I wish we could do more… From your affectionate son Stuart
Louisa Seddon was one of over eighteen thousand New Zealand women to lose a son in the Great War. The bodies of all of these men lie buried overseas in graves tended by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This brass plaque at Old St Paul’s was empty consolation for a grieving mother. 8
https://osphistory.org/2016/04/24/memorial-for-a-much-loved-son/
The photo is one of the two wooden crosses that Louisa Seddon's daughter, Louie, brought back from Captain Seddon's grave in France. It now hangs in the Seddon family mausoleum in the Bolton Street Cemetery, Bolton Street, Wellington
https://www.walkingwithananzac.co.nz/richard-john-spotswood-seddon/
8 https://www.historypin.org/en/r-j-seddon/geo/-41.303663,174.783201,19/bounds/-41.304363,174.782704,-41.302963,174.783698/paging/1/pin/1013805
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