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| JOHN AUGUSTINE AND ELIZABETH HICKMOTT John Augustine, my grandfather, arrived in New Zealand at the Port of Canterbury on the 29th April 1876 on the "Countess of Kintore" which left England on the 2 February 1876, a journey of approximately 3 months. He was listed on the ship's register as aged 26 coming from Kent and his occupation was given as a stonemason. He paid 14-10-0 for the passage. Also listed on the ship was Elizabeth Hickmott, aged 24, occupation - cook - from Kent, England. From records of Stephen and Harriet's family, it seems safe to assume that she was John Augustine's sister. Ages of both, shown on the ship's passenger list, checked out with family records passed down through the family. As yet, no confirmatory details are available nor any information of her activities in New Zealand. She may possibly have returned to England as many others did following the wretched living conditions that prevailed in Christchurch at the time of their arrival. In 1879, three years after his arrival, John Augustine, aged 29, married Sarah Agnes McVeigh, aged 27 in the Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch. His occupation was listed on the marriage certificate as sculptor, and hers as servant. Witnesses were: James McVeigh - Engine Driver Rose McGill - Attendant at the Asylum. Sarah McVeigh was one of the family of eight, five of whom with their mother and father came out to New Zealand in 1866, from Glenavy, Co Antrim, not far from Belfast, Northern Ireland. James, shown above as a witness at the marriage, was Sarah's brother. For the next 27 years, John and Sarah resided in Christchurch and raised a family of five: Catherine b. 1880 John Bernard b. 1882 Charles Francisb. 1884 Frederick Augustineb. 1886 Arthur James b. 1886twins Wise's directory shows them first living in Montreal Street, Sydenham, from 1880 to 1885. A Lands and Deeds Department letter and Certificate of Title show John purchasing a property in Montreal Street on 22 July 1885, maybe the house they were already occupying. However, the department also recorded the sale of this property within a year - 6 March 1886 - to Alfred Rudkin who used it and neighbouring properties to establish the firm of Lane Walker Rudkin Limited. In John's first nine years in Christchurch 1876 - 85, he most likely worked at his trade as a sculptor. Years ago I met a Christchurch lady who knew the family well - was a special friend of Kit (Catherine). She also remembered John in his "yard". However in 1886, John is shown in Wise's directory as a fruiterer at 209 Cashel Street, with his residence also recorded at 42 Cashel Street. Obviously economic conditions at the time (see later) were not helpful to his business as a stonemason. John's brother William had arrived in the country about this time and by 1885 had also established a business in Rangiora as a fruiterer. For the next 20 years 1886 - 1906, John and Sarah raised their family to adulthood. Schooling was centred around the Linwood area and their fortunes around the shop in Cashel Street. Later 1899-1900, John commenced a second fruiterer's shop at 238 High Street. Many stories were told by the family in later life about their activities in the running of the fruit shops - the making of fruit and vegetable wines in the basement of the shops and the social gatherings after the late night's trading. Living conditions in Christchurch during the period 1878-95 were very bleak. Diminished returns for wheat and wool caused difficulties in business. Subsequent lack in confidence and credit started a depression in the area. W H Scotter in his book "History of Canterbury: records the passage of this depression as follows: 1878 - 81Business in difficulties following depressed prices in wheat and wool. There were many bankruptcies , and unemployment totals were rising. There were organised meetings of the unemployed, and marches through the city. 1881-82 Conditions improved. 1883 Bad year for all - starvation wages 2s/6d. to 4s/6d. a day were the order at the Addington workshops. 1884 Unemployment high. 1894 Worst year of depression. 1895 Conditions improve. Every year after 1883, more people left for than arrived from Great Britain. The port of Lyttleton alone recorded 10,000 immigrants returning to their homeland. In 1886 some hundreds left for Australia for the Gold rush in Kimberly, but Canterbury's main stream of emigration was directed to the North Island. The Post Office Savings Bank give the years 1879, 1883 and 1886 - 94 as the bad ones in the depression. Life during this period must have been a struggle for John and Sarah as indeed it must have been for other families too. Construction on the new Catholic Cathedral in Christchurch was to begin in 1901 and John became the Clerk of Works on the project - a job that was to take him through till 1905, the date the Cathedral was completed. The family obviously ran the shop during this period. The Cathedral replaced the Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament where John and Sarah were married in 1879. The year 1906 ended a 30 year stint in Christchurch for John and 40 years for Sarah, and their family were now all in their 20's. Mainly for health reasons he brought them to Wellington in 1906 and commenced business as a monumental mason. He had been advised by his doctor to leave Christchurch because of the cold winters. Wellington obviously offered scope also for his skills as a stonemason and certainly better business conditions than had been experienced in Christchurch. For a short while, the family lived at 14 Thorndon Quay in Wellington and later, 1909, were shown in local directories at 31 Thorndon Quay - John Augustine being listed as a monumental sculptor. In the year 1910, the firm of Hickmott and Sons was listed at 31 Thorndon Quay and the next year at 29 Thorndon Quay. Originally the four sons all worked with their father in the business which soon made it's mark in Wellington. One of their bigger assignments in the City was the supply and installation of the marble work in the Opera House, built in 1913. These days it is known as the State Opera House and in its refurbishing the beautiful marble staircase leading up from the foyer to the dress circle has been overlaid with carpet. later, the firm was involved with the marble work in St. Gerard's Monastery and also St. Mary of the Angels, both in the city. Later still, they put in place the lovely brick and marble gates, which still grace the entrance to the Wellington Botanical Gardens. Wedding bells commenced to ring for the Hickmott family in 1907, when Catherine married Edward John Turkington at the Basilica, Wellington on Boxing Day. John Bernard married Grace Violet Harris in 1907 at St. Mary's, Manchester Street North, in Christchurch. Charles Francis married Josephine Margaret Lavin at the Basilica, Wellington in 1912 and Frederick Augustine married Ethel May Grist also at the Basilica, in 1916. By this date Frederick had left the business of Hickmott and Sons and was working in the city as a salesman. A few years later (1919), Frederick, May and their young daughter Kathleen, left for Australia where they settled, returning to New Zealand in 1939. Arthur James went overseas in World War I and in 1919 married Annie Lily Cable in Bournemouth, England. Two of Annie's sisters also married New Zealand soldiers after the war and three couples arrived back home in 1919. One of Annie's sisters married Harry Christmas and they settled in Palmerston North. While on leave from the Army, Arthur stayed a few days with his cousin Alice Ashby (nee Hickmott) in Maidstone, Kent. Alice gave him detailed information of the Hickmott family from Boughton Monchelsea, and it formed the starting point of this genealogical study. During World War II the writer also met the Ashby's and later my parents, on a World Tour in 1955, stayed with Alice and her husband Harry in their home in Maidstone. John Augustine died at the age of 70 on the 4th October 1919 at his son's (Charles) home - 96 Waipapa Road, Hataitai, Wellington. His wife, Sarah Agnes, passed on two years earlier. She died at her daughter's (Kit) home, 5 Northland Road, Wellington on 14 August 1917. ARRIVAL OF THE COUNTESS OF KINTORE (From the "Lyttelton Times", May 1, 1876) Arrived, April 29, Countess of Kintore, ship 738 tons, Norie from London. Passengers - Saloon: Mr and Mrs Galway and family (8), Mr and Mrs Parsons, Mr and Mrs Phillips, Mr Elder and 180 immigrants. The ship was signalled on Friday evening, ran into harbour on Saturday morning and anchored off Ripa Island at 11.45 a.m. On the Health and Immigration Officers arriving alongside the health report was handed to them, which set forth that there were 197 passengers all told on board and that the saloon passengers and crew had been free from sickness throughout the voyage. Among the immigrants measles had broken out on February 5, just after leaving. The last case occurred on April 19. There were twenty four cases altogether, and four deaths among the children, none of whom being more than three years old. One infant also died from inanition. One case of malignant scarlet fever has also occurred during the latter part of the voyage. Every precaution to prevent the spread of the disease was taken. Patients were kept well apart from others and clothes, etc., thoroughly fumigated. The ship was at once placed in quarantine and the yellow flag was hoisted accordingly. On the return of the launch, the s.s. Gazelle was dispatched to the ship to tow the boats from the vessel to Ripa Island. This work was carried out under the superintendence of Mr March, Immigration Officer and was safely accomplished by 5.30pm on Saturday. As all communication with the ship was strictly interdicted, our reporter was unable to obtain a full report of the voyage. Mr March kindly furnished the following information: - The passage had occupied eighty-three days. Dr Davidson was the surgeon-superintendent, and Captain Norie in command of the ship. Alfred Stokes, the patient suffering from scarlet fever, is now convalescent, and the remainder of the immigrants are in good health. A meeting of the Board of Health will be held in Christchurch at 10 am today to receive the report on the ship. JOHN AUGUSTINE HICKMOTT29 married SARAH AGNES McVEIGH 27 DATE 30 JANUARY 1879 WHERE CHURCH OF THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT, CHRISTCHURCH OCCUPATIONMSCULPTOR - BACHELOR FSERVANT - SPINSTER BIRTHPLACE MBOUGHTON MONCHELSEA, KENT, ENGLAND FGLENAVY, CO. ANTRIM, IRELAND RESIDENCE MCHRISTCHURCH FCHRISTCHURCH PARENTS MSTEPHEN HICKMOTT - CARPENTER HARRIET HICKMOTT, (Nee) SMITH FDANIEL McVEIGH- FARMER ROSE McVEIGH, (Nee) MULHOLLAND OFFIC. MINISTER WITNESSES JAMES McVEIGH - ENGINE DRIVER ROSE McGILL - ATTENDANT AT THE ASYLUM |
