Searching for more on Edna Witheford

This post is in response to a request for more information about Edna Witheford, daughter of J.H.Witheford. If this is your family line and you have more detail to share please link up here or at the main Witheford page http://localhistorybartley.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/joseph-witheford-member-of-seddons.html

Edna was born on 17 July 1889.[i] She was the youngest of her family. When she was little she was sometimes under the guardianship of her brother in law Ted Barber, Ida’s husband. Her father’s political career and her mother’s health made this arrangement necessary.

Despite moving between Northcote and Ellerslie schools, Edna was an able student.  Later she is listed with her cousin Myrtle Rountree as a prize winner at ‘The Willows’. This school was a select private college run by Mrs Williams in Wynyard St, Auckland.[ii] Edna continued her education at Victoria College in Wellington, being listed there on the 1919 electoral roll.

In 1923 Edna married Ernest Hansch, a son of John and Louisa Hansch of Alfriston. This family is remembered in the district by Hansch Rd, as they were early settlers there. Three sisters and a brother are included in Ernest’s family plot at Christ Church Anglican Cemetery in Clevedon.

Their name was well known all over New Zealand because of a tragedy which occurred in 1918. Ernest’s sister Freda was the victim of a savage attack. Her father saved her life, but they were both wounded and her home was damaged by fire. This tragic but sensational event was reported widely in New Zealand and Australia.[iii]

Ernest and Edna lived at Alfriston, on family property. This was a farming district in the early twentieth century. Their first child, born in January 1924, was a son who did not survive. Margaret Edna came next, on 12 January 1925.[iv] A second daughter, Mary Elizabeth, arrived on 25 November 1928.[v]

It had not been an easy few years. Ernest’s father died in 1926 and part of the property was sold. Mother, Louisa, died in December 1928, a month after Mary was born. Brother Carl lost his home in a house fire in February 1929. This event was almost an exact replication of a fire in 1899 in which their original family home had burned to the ground.[vi]

Edna was not happy in her marriage. When her father died in 1931 she was living in Glenfield with her children. Their 200 acre block at Tomarata, north of Auckland, was sold in 1932. Ernest filed for divorce in 1934, on the grounds of desertion.[vii]

Edna continued to raise her daughters on Auckland’s North Shore, in the Birkenhead area where she had a good network of family and friends.

The Children's page AkStar 13 June 1936 - Edna's daughters Margaret and Mary amongst friends

Edna died in Auckland in 1967.

Research by M Bartley

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[i] NZRBDM 1889/3336

[ii] Auckland Star 15 Dec 1904

[iii] North Otago Times 8 Oct 1918

[iv] NZ Herald 15 Jan 1925

[v] NZH 29 Nov 1928

[vi] NZH 21 Oct 1889

[vii] Refer National Archives; NZH 17 August 1934

Joseph Witheford - Member of Seddon's Government, Mayor of Birkenhead and champion of Calliope Dock

 It feels wonderful to be back researching and writing again.
 In this post we are once again indebted to the generous researchers descended from Robert Bartley for the use of their donated images and research notes.

Joseph Howard Witheford was a son of Clement WITHEFORD (1817-1891) and Elizabeth WOODCOCK. His family came from Worcester in England. When he was born at Bromsgrove in July 1848 his father's occupation was listed as school master.
Clement and Elizabeth emigrated with their four sons Clement, Joseph, Edward and Walter. (see DSC11Feb1863)
The family arrived with other Albertland settlers on SS Gertrude on 9 February 1863. Walter and Edward took up land at Okahukura in the Rodney district. Joseph remained in town where his parents had a house and plumbing shop on the corner of the Manukau Rd and Rutland Road, Parnell. (ref Rates Books PRN 16 p28 1873-1875)
He worked at first with his father in tin smithing and plumbing supplies, but that was not to be the case for long.

Joseph Witheford  Image AWN 04 May 1900

Emma Bartley, a daughter of Robert Bartley and Esther Kerby was born in St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands on 1 March 1849. She came to Auckland, New Zealand with her family in 1854.

In Auckland she met Joseph Witheford, whom she married in 1870. 

Emma Bartley BFA Image

Witheford/Bartley marriage cert BFA donated Image

Joseph was a man of ambition. Emma’s nature was far more sensitive and retiring. At the time their son Robert was born, in 1877, Joseph’s occupation was listed as Traveller. He settled his young family near to his father's premises in St George's Bay Rd, Parnell (Section 1 Allot.85 ER 1881) The mortgage to his father in law Robert Bartley was discharged in October 1881

 In 1885 when daughter Olive was born he was working as a journalist and agent .

NZH 19 October 1886 p4

By the time a new century dawned Joseph was a public figure of some note and Mayor of the North Shore Auckland suburb of Birkenhead.
Joseph and Emma had a family of six children:

• Elizabeth Anne (1871-1963)
• Ida (1874 - 1918)
• Robert (1877 - 1936)
• Sydney (1880 - 1945)
• Olive (1885 - 1979)
• Edna (1889 - 1967)

Joseph's rise is most favourably documented in this extract from his obituary (AES 30th October 1931 p3)

‘Mr. Witheford did things on a big scale. His success with the Admiralty was the sequel to a long residence in the Old Country, during which he made a fortune.

 It was the late 1890s the days when there was a mining boom in New Zealand. Waihi was such a rattling success that speculators in the Old Country were eager to snap up anything that had been surveyed and had anything even approaching a chance of success. Mr. Witheford went Home with a number of mining properties, including the famous Hauraki mine, at Coromandel, was so successful in floating them on the London market that he made a fortune—reputed to be £83,000, which in those days really was a fortune for a New Zealander. 

Probably no other man in New Zealand could have made such a success of such large flotations as Mr. Witheford effected. He knew the gold fieids intimately, knew all about the wonderful "golden days" of the Thames, and he was also an experienced share broker. Back to New Zealand. It was daring his residence in London that Mr. Witheford, though merely a private person, though it is true he had, been a member of the Auckland Harbour Board, managed to induce the Admiralty to subsidise Calliope dock to the handsome tune of £5000; a year. When he came back to New Zealand he was most cordially received, and for several years loomed largely in the public eye. He was again elected to the Harbour Board, and that body showed its appreciation of his services over the Calliope dock by electing him to the chair in 1900.

In 1901, when the present King and Queen were here, Mr. Witheford was asked to stand for the mayoralty, of Auckland, but refused when it was known that Sir John Campbell was to be chosen, as a mark of appreciation for his gift of Cornwall Park. Mr. Witheford was Mayor of Birkenhead, and in 1900 he was elected by a large majority at the head of the poll for the Auckland City constituency. At one time Mr. Witheford represented Auckland in Parliament. 

In later life Mr. Witheford was not so prominent in public life, but even when times were not so prosperous as when he was one of the best known hosts at the Hotel Cecil, then "the" hotel in London, he never lost his jauntiness and his enthusiasm. With flower in buttonhole, he might be seen at over 80 years of age, interviewing city business men and extolling the virtues of his suburban "cutting up" proposition. He was a man of astonishing energy, such as the present generation seldom produces.’

During his rise to public office the family moved to the North Shore. His home there, near Northcote College, was referred to as 'Calliope' in reference to the success of that project.

J.H.W in his study at 'Calliope' Donated Image BFA

He was also one of the first to invest in the Hellyer's Creek area. When Tramway Co land was offered for sale Witheford purchased 150 acres. With Henry BRETT and R CAMERON he built a road to the wharf they had lobbied for and contributed to. This facility was capable of taking large vessels, greatly improving access to what was predominately a fruit growing area. A further section was set aside at this time between the Chelsea Sugar Works and Hellyer's Creek for a steam ferry service. Clement Bartley also purchased land here. His block was on the eastern side.
Joseph Witheford constructed his summer residence at Hellyer's Creek. About 40 acres was left in native bush and a substantial orchard planted to supplement the recreational facilities - private jetty, boat sheds, stables, tennis court and gardens. He entertained a good deal there, particularly during his years in Parliament.

Members of the Indian Contingent visiting Witheford's property at Hellyer's Creek AWN 1 March 1901

The two eldest daughters accompanied their father to England during the 1890's. They enjoyed the London Season. Ida was married there to Edward BARBER who had followed the Witheford's to London.
After a second trip lasting seven years Joseph Witheford returned to New Zealand in 1912.

NZH 8 March 1912 p 7

Life took on a different tone after Great War. Emma Bartley died in 1916 after a battle with cancer. She was aged 66.
The Hellyer's Creek property was sold in parcels for subdivision, including the bush reserve. (NZH 20 Jan 1925)
In 1927 his friend, neighbour and fellow newspaperman Henry Brett passed away. Joseph Witheford followed after him in 1931.