Working on loose ends

Tuesday, March 8, 2010

Today I spent the day in Christchurch. They are getting ready for the Ellerslie International Flower Show. They seem to be shutting down all of downtown. It is set up at Hadley Park so it makes it hard to park. I made an executive decision to get all the things I needed done in downtown Christchurch until next week. I first gathered some information about Christchurch at the Information Center. They have a trolley that take people around and explains the high points of downtown Christchurch. I guess they also have a tram ride and boating on a small river through town; something to think about.
Then I went to the Library. I worked on several loose ends and burial places. Elizabeth’s husband did die on the north island as a Sergeant in the police but I still don’t know why. The Kioreroa Cemetery is at the very top of the north island in Otaika. The information I read said, “..a few headstones still remain at the edge of the wooded area. Quite a few headstones are missing, some have been knocked over and could not be shifted and some are broken and scattered over a large area.” But googling the cemetery, it sounds like they are renovating it which is good. Thomas’s stone still seems to be there:
“Sacred to the memory of Sergt THOMAS JOHNSTONE DRAKE, beloved husband of Elizabeth Drake, who died 6th June 1908, aged 48 yrs. “In the midst of life we are in death.” Erected by his loving family.” I will visit cemeteries on Thursday.
Then I went to the Canterbury Museum. I am always up for a good museum and I was not disappointed. First I went to their research area. I was looking for the “G R Macdonald Dictionary of Canterbury Biographies.” Macdonald was a man who went around talking to all of the early settlers. He would interview them or their families and write down something about them on a little piece of paper. He apparently had written something about Charles Watson Rowntree and George Farquhar. You probably don’t know who George Farquhar is. If you look in your genealogy Dad gave you for Christmas, you will see that Hannah Parks Rowntree had a sister. Actually she had two but I haven’t found the other one yet. Ann’s husband is “George Falkner” but it is actually Farquhar. So this is what I found about Charles and George:
“Charles Watson Rountree lab. man [labouror] Papanui ’63 Anna [Hannah] Parkes Papanui M.R.”
“Farquhar, George (1836-1912) was born in Co. Armagh and described himself as a farm lab. He arrived in N.Z. by the Mermaid 26.12.62 [26 Dec. 1862] with his wife Ann, 23 and his dau. Mary Jane. He [died] 13.5.12 [13 May 1912] at 83. Wife Ann 28.5.17 [28 May 1917] at 74. Only dau. Minnie [died] 23.1.23 [23 Jan. 1923] at 60.”
I was also able to go on a quick tour of the museum and found some pictures of several places. I will go back and see if I can get come copies of the old pictures: Harewood school, St. Paul’s Church, etc. Home late but a wonderful day.

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