Walter Bartley and Alice Davis

We are continuing our series on the children of Robert BARTLEY and Esther KERBY.
This post also comes with a request. Are you able to add to the little we know about Walter's family? Would you like to do a guest post on this family? Any comments, links, images or information you have to share on the blog would be so appreciated by researchers coming along after us.

Walter Bartley was born at St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands on 24 November 1853. His Mother and Father stood as godparents at his baptism on 7 December 1853, recorded at the Town Church of St Helier. It is also likely, being a dissenter family, that an entry was made at their local Wesleyan Chapel.
It was, no doubt, a busy and anxious time for Robert and Esther. That Christmas they were preparing for the first stage of their journey to Auckland in the New Year.
The family arrived in New Zealand in October 1854, a month before Walter's first birthday. With no memory of Jersey, he is the first true colonial child of the family.
Robert took Walter into the building trade when he was old enough. He is listed on electoral rolls as a carpenter
In 1876 he married Alice Jane DAVIS (NZRBDM 1876/1515). Donated research tells us that Alice was born at Hastings, Sussex, England about 1853, a daughter of David Davis and Rhoda HAMPTON.
The couple lived at 8 St Francis de Sales Street in the part of Ponsonby now known as St Mary's Bay. In their day this area contained two and three bedroom cottages built in the 1860's as worker's accommodation.
We know of several children brought up in that house.
(Please be aware the following names and dates are subject to verification. Once again, if you are able to supply sources or more information, please do comment or get in touch.)
Robert Archibald 1877 - 1944, married Lillian HUNT; Frank Percy- 1879 married Ethel PEARCE; Eleanor Ivy 1883-1887; Walter Raymond 1887 - 1902; Edgar David 1892-1893; Gordon Wilfred 1893 - 1925 married Ann HOYES; Winifred.

It seems that Walter and Alice had more than their share of hardship- apart from the infant deaths which visited so many families in those days. Walter Raymond was known as Ray. He was 15 when he misjudged his step getting off the bus to school:

AES 22 Sept 1902

These facts were confirmed at the inquest next day and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Alice lived into her late 70's. She passed away on 16 March 1931. Her memorial may be found at Waikumete Cemetery, New Lynn in the Wesleyan section. Walter joined her almost exactly a year later on 19 March 1932.

Edward Bartley

Edward Bartley and Elizabeth Hannken in 

New Zealand

Edward was born on the 23rd of February 1839 and baptised at St Helier on the 17th of March.

He was the tenth child of Robert BARTLEY and Betsy BENEST.

At the time of the 1851 census Edward was a student living at home, aged 12. From about the age of 13 he worked in the building trade with his Father and his eldest  brother Robert. He left Jersey at the age of 15, travelling as part of the family of Robert and Esther Bartley.

Once in New Zealand, Edward worked first as a builder’s labourer and later with contractor Mr E.I.Matthews. In February 1859 he married Elizabeth HANNKEN. She was a daughter of the  German settler Frederick Hannken and his wife Eliza OTTO (nee NICOLLE). The young couple lived first in Union Street Auckland, on part of the Hannken property. They later moved to the The Strand, North Shore at Devonport.

Early Map showing the parishes on the North Shore

In the 1870’s Edward gradually shifted from building and cabinetmaking into architecture. 

During his long career Edward served as architect to the Anglican Church, the Auckland Savings Bank and the Auckland Hospital & Charitable Aid Board. By the time he was asked to supervise the construction of Saint Matthew's in the City in 1901, he had already designed more than 20 churches for various denominations. Today, his most familiar designs are his Jewish Synagogue, Princes Street; Saint John's, Ponsonby; ASB, Queen Street; and the Blind Institute Building in Parnell. All of these surviving buildings are designated Category One by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

 Edward’s wife Elizabeth was born in Sydney, Australia in October 1838 and came to New

Zealand in 1840 with her mother. The family settled first in the Coromandel, later moving to Auckland. She probably met Edward through the Auckland Choral Society. They were both amongst the foundation members in 1856.

Elizabeth died in December 1921 and was buried with Edward, and their sons Claude and Percy,  at the O’Neill’s Point Cemetery, North Shore.

Children of Edward Bartley and Elizabeth Hannken

Arthur Edward  (1859- 1940)

Frederick Adolphous (1862- 1899)

Alfred Martin (186?- 1929)

Matilda Louisa  (1867-1868)

Emily Bertha  (1869-1944)

Harold Edgar (1871- 1872)

Mabel Theresa  (1872-1873)

Albert Ernest  (1873- 1940)

May Elizabeth  (1875- 1951)

Eva Rosine  (1877- 1954)

Percival Leonard  (1878- 1908)

Amy Zealandia  (1879- 1880)

Claude Victor  (1881- 1919)

The Bartley Home in Victoria Rd Devonport

For those interested in more detail on Edward's career, his biography has been published: 
M.W.Bartley, Colonial Architect, The Career of Edward Bartley 1839 - 1919, Wellington, 2006 ISBN 1877391727. 
It is now out of print but we do intend to post excerpts on this blog in the future. If you are researching or have a particular building you are interested in please do email or post a comment to let us know how we can help you.