Alice Bartley and Stephen Gilbert

This is the last of our posts on the children of Robert Bartley and Esther Kerby.

Today we are with Alice Bartley who was born at home in Chapel St, Auckland on 21 February 1858. We know very little about Alice herself. It is likely she met Stephen through his family relationship to her brother in law. Their families also shared adherence to the Wesleyan faith.

The Gilbert family travelled to New Zealand on the same ship as their cousins, the Rountree family. (Stephen Gilbert Rountree later married Julia Bartley). Their intention was to take up land north of Auckland. Parents, James and Eliza Gilbert, travelled with four daughters and three sons, one of whom was Stephen. Their ship SS Portland set a record time from Gravesend to Auckland. 181 passengers arrived in New Zealand on 22 July 1863, after leaving port on 31 April of that year.

The Gilberts did not farm their land for long. Their property, around the Waikiekie/ Matakohe area was rough country with poor access. These settlements around Port Albert and the western side south of Whangarei were originally established by immigrants with shared religious and cultural values. Many prospective settlers in this area made a second, more informed decision, about their likelihood of success once they had first hand experience of the conditions.  Instead of farming the Gilbert family moved to Auckland. James worked a few years for the 'New Zealander' before establishing a drapery in Parnell.

Stephen's first employer was the manufacturing pharmacist J. N. Manning. He continued his apprenticeship when the business was sold, working under the new owner James Sharland.
By 1879, when he married Alice Bartley, he was qualified and ready to his set up his own premises.

Ak Star 4 June 1881

The Gilbert Pharmacy opened at 223 Queen St in May 1881. The following year he moved to a better position at the other end of Queen St.

Ak Star 3 June 1882

  He continued to trade there until the business moved to K Rd in 1907. The new pharmacy was in Probert's Buildings on a good corner site which is recognisable today.

A 1909 view of the pharmacy. Image SGGSC 7-A4756

Alice and Stephen had one daughter, Flora who was born in 1882. She later married Reginald Hooton.

Stephen predeceased Alice. He died in 1938, at Epsom, Auckland. Alice followed almost ten years later in 1947.






Research by M W Bartley

Edwin Bartley Artist, son of Robert Bartley and Esther Kerby

South Island Mountain Range

Edwin, son of Robert Bartley and Esther Kerby, was born at home in Nelson St, Auckland on 27 September 1870.[i] He showed early promise as an artist.
His first formal tutoring outside his immediate family circle was with Frank and Waiter Wright, at Wright's Studio in Victoria St, Auckland. He became a member of the Auckland Society of Arts. This organisation grew out of the Society of Artists, of which his uncle Edward Bartley was a founder member. 

Edwin's drawing skills received favourable comment in the 1891 ASA annual competition when he entered a sketch from a bust in the amateur and students category. He entered work in both watercolour and oils in 1892 and 1893. The reviews of his work show him developing confidence as a colourist. In 1893 his work won a silver medal for the special award of 'second best work in the whole competition, with colour'. [ii] 

It was his talent for drawing and draughtsmanship which drew him into his future career as an illustrator. As far as we are aware his first formal employment was with the New Zealand Herald.

 During the latter part of the 1890's Edwin moved to Christchurch. He was employed by the Lyttelton Times in 1898,as draughtsman and designer on their evening paper ‘The Star’. The job also involved design and illustration for clients using the lithographic printing services of the company. It also allowed plenty of opportunity to build on his interest in photography.

The Star 6 April 1898

One of the first organisations Edwin joined after his move to Christchurch was the Canterbury Society of Arts.[iii] The CSA was formed at a meeting on 30 June 1880. The inaugural exhibition was held in June of the following year. Bartley is recorded as a working member from 1899. He took evening classes and regularly entered the annual competitions for drawing, watercolour, oils and for what we would call graphic design today.

One design competition developed the flavour of a newpaper contest. The 1898 catalogue design was won by the Christchurch Press, but Edwin would return in following years to better his result.

CHP 7 May 1898

Edwin also joined a more informal grouping, the Christchurch Artist's Club which met regularly for sketching and drawing.

PA COLL 5374-2 Edwin is second from left, partly obscured by the model's fan, in this 1912 record of the sketching group.

 Photography and amateur dramatics were also interests of Edwin's. He made lasting friendships amongst those like minded people he met in Canterbury.

In March 1910 Edwin finalised arrangements for his trip to England.

CHP 5 May 1910

CHP 5 April 1910

The trip had a definite flavour of professional development for Edwin. 

He booked to receive tuition from G Sheridan Knowles, an academic painter who specialised in the idealised and sentimental subjects so popular in the Victorian period. He was academically trained and somewhat influenced by Impressionist techniques. Most importantly for Edwin, Knowles' strength was as a colourist who selectively employed the latest approaches in brushwork. He was both an exhibiting member of the Royal Society of British Artists and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour, and of Oils. 

Signing the marriage contract. Signed and dated G.Sheridan Knowles/1905. Oil on canvas. 61 x 101.6 cm. Image Bonhams

Edwin would not be breaking any barriers into the avant-garde in Europe. Indeed there is no indication that he ever had any inclination to do so. Although his career takes him well into the twentieth century, his life and work is essentially Victorian in character.

London News in the Press, 2 March 1911

His nephew Harry Rountree was already becoming well known as an illustrator of advertising and children's literature. Harry was the younger by eight years but he had already benefited from greater means and the opportunities offered by his residence in England. 

Edwin married Gertrude Amelia Featherstone in 1915. Ethel, as she was known, was a daughter of Henry Ashford Featherstone and Matilda Pearce, both of Hobart.

During and after the war Edwin is listed in Wise's Directory as an artist resident in Christchurch, suggesting he was living by his painting and illustrating rather than outside employment
One publication he illustrated was well known to Girl Guide and Scouts families. This was Lieut-Colonel Cossgrove's 'Nga toro turehu: the Fairy Scout of New Zealand' published in 1918 by the Lyttleton Times.
Hocken hold examples of Edwin's work. The watercolours purchased by the CSA were transferred to the McDougall in 1989.

To view further examples of Edwin's work see:
http://www.aasd.com.au/index.cfm/list-all-works/?concat=BartleyEdwin

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[i] NZRBDM 1870/15435; DSC 29 Sept 1870

[ii]  NZH 25 Feb 1893. Also refer Nineteenth Century Artists - a Handbook. Note birth date is incorrect.  nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/name-124560.html
[iii] working member CSA 1899-1900, 1903-1905, 1907-1908, 1910, 1912-15, 1917-1919, 1921-1922, 1924-1942

Edwin's work features in CSA Jubilee Catalogue 1881-1930
82 A Rocky Glen
370 Near Twickenham Ferry

CSA 1927 Cat
224 B'limits Arthurs Pass
265 Lake Guyon
310 Spencer Range Ada Valley

CSA 1928 Cat
4 The Terrace
16 Autumn Tints
210 The Flooded Stream

CSA 1932 Cat
270 Mt Roon, Franz Josef Glacier
184 Autumn Tints

Julia Bartley and Steven Rountree

Julia Bartley was born 24 December 1851 St Helier Jersey, a child of Robert Bartley and Esther Kerby. Julia married Stephen Gilbert ROUNTREE in Auckland on 19 December 1874.

Julia Bartley as a young woman, Image Steven Album, BFA

Gilbert, as he was known was born 5 November 1851 at Portadown, Armagh in Ireland. He was a son of Meredith Rountree and Margaret Ann GILBERT. They came to New Zealand by SS 'Portland' in 1863, accompanied by other members of the Gilbert family.

Waikiekie, Northland, NZ Image BFA 2013

Ruarangi, the place where the Rountrees took up land, is a place south of Whangarei and inland from the coast. This district around Waikiekie, right through to Mangapai was good land but with diabolical access to the settlements. Even in summer the roads were challenging, especially the road south to Waipu. All supplies had to be fetched from Oakleigh, a return journey of several days which was treacherous in all seasons. When one of the Rountree's children died in 1867 the family had to inter their son on their own land. The only road was in impassable from any direction in March.

The former Waikiekie Post Office, store and boarding house Image BFA 2013

Gilbert's father died at Ruarangi  in November 1870. His death was the result of an accident.  Gilbert's mother left the farm and lived at Birkenhead on Auckland's North Shore until her death in January 1903. Jones Rountree, Gilbert's brother, continued to farm in the district. He was active in local body affairs and influential in cooperative expansion to the dairy industry in the district.

Gilbert left the farm and went to Thames as a young man. He later pursued the career of accountant, joining the Auckland Savings Bank. His brother in law Clement Bartley was employed there as manager . Like Clement, Gilbert rose to the rank of manager during the course of his long banking career.

Julia and Gilbert lived at Bayswater on the North Shore. As a couple they were very involved in their Baptist church and with the Sunday School movement.

Julia Bartley Image BFA

Image K Turner, BFA

Julia and Gilbert’s family consisted of:
Eva, born 16 February 1876 who later married Arthur FERNEYHOUGH
Harry born 26 January 1878 who went to England, married Stella STEWART and died 1950 at Penzance, Cornwall
Maud born 8 April 1879 who became the wife of Samuel BARRY
Vera born 23 December 1881 who later married Percival MOURANT and died in 1961 at Takapuna
Zillah born 8 August 1884 who became Mrs William Ray ELLINGHAM
Myrtle born 15 November 1888 who married Horace RICHARDS and died 1966 in Christchurch
Edward Gilbert born 14 May 1890, who was known as Ted. He married Anne RAE and died 1976 in Thames

Image K Turner, BFA

Gilbert died at 67 at home in Bayswater on 9 September 1918

The Rountree Grave at O'Neill's Point Cemetery, North Shore, Auckland

Refer: Daily Southern Cross 01 August 1863; 13 March 1867; Northern Advocate 25 August 1921
Thanks to family researchers D Barry, K Turner and Witheford descendants for their contributions to the Archive. Additional research by M Bartley.

Robert Bartley and Esther Kerby

In this next few posts I would like to share some of the images donated by the descendants of Robert Bartley (Jnr) and Esther Kerby. Thanks to all of the families who gave of their time, research and photographs.

Obituary Robert BARTLEY from New Zealand Herald Friday, 5 Sept 1913

Death of a Jerseyman in New Zealand: An Early Settler

Another of the rapidly diminishing band of early settlers, in the person of Mr Robert Bartley died yesterday at the age of 87, at his residence at Devonport.

The late Mr Bartley was born at Jersey, in the Channel Islands, in 1826, where he was brought up to the building trade. With his wife and three children, he arrived in Auckland by the ship Joseph Fletcher in 1854.

The deceased commenced business here as a builder and contractor, and carried on this work for many years. On retiring from his business he was appointed yard manager for the Kauri Timber Company, which position he held for some time.

For some years past, Mr Bartley has been living in retirement at Devonport. He took a keen interest in public affairs, and was always willing to help forward any deserving cause brought under his notice.

He leaves a widow and the following sons and daughters: Messrs Walter Bartley

(Ponsonby), Charles Bartley (Richmond Rd), Clement Bartley ( Ponsonby Rd),

Edwin Bartley (Christchurch), Mesdames J H Witheford, S G Rountree. S Gilbert & R Tudehope.

Robert and Esther's daughter Julia was born at St Helier on Christmas Eve 1851. Her baptism has not been found in the parish register at St Helier, but it likely to be recorded in the records of the Wesleyan chapel there.
In Auckland, New Zealand Julia met and married Stephen Gilbert ROUNTREE, son of Meredith Rountree and Margaret Ann GILBERT, of Co Armagh, Ireland.
Julia and Stephen were married at the Bartley home in Nelson St, Auckland on 19 Dec 1874.

Julia Bartley

The Children of Stephen Rountree and Julia Bartley

Eva 1876 - 1933 ( m Arthur Ferneyhough)

Harry 1878-1950 (m Stella Stewart)

Maud 1879 - 1965 (m Samuel Barry)

Vera 1881 - 1961 (m Percival Mourant)

Zillah 1884 - 1974 (m William Ray Ellingham)

Myrtle 1888 - 1966 (m Horace Richards)

Edward (Ted) 1890 - 1976 (m Anne Rae)

Search copy of Marriage Register Entry

Julia