Lincoln and Districts Historical Society
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Number 46 October 2018 President: Dr Rupert Tipples 3295 634 Secretary: Lincoln and Districts Adriana de Groot 3253 320 Editor: Historical Society Dr Rupert Tipples 3295 634 ploughs now stands as a memorial to early settlers outside Pioneer Hall in Lincoln. On 3 April 1871 ‘The Star’ described Watson’s premises: “At the Editorial onset only the proprietors worked on the premises but now the average is five hands besides Mr Watson. Mr Watson has earned some credit 2018 is a year of centenaries. We have already remembered the as a maker of ploughs, and although it is only three years since he first ‘Black Flu’ of 1918, and the end of World War I completes the directed attention to exhibiting them he has taken several prizes. He has various centenaries marking the four years of that war. 2018 is also essayed well in the larger class of implements. Last harvest he made also the 150th anniversary of the foundation of Springston School, six reaping machines, and this year he has thus far got through the same another local school safely reaching that milestone. Also, it marks number…At the time when the business was first commenced there were 125 years of women having the vote in Aotearoa. For the Society it only two buildings in the township, but these have been considerably has also been a time of to celebrate with two of our members who augmented…Mr Watson’s premises are situated on half an acre of land, have received New Zealand honours – Dr Garth Carnaby, formerly and the respective buildings are a blacksmith’s shop and a fitting shop, 20ft of Wool Research, who has been appointed a Companion of the by 18ft. In the former there are three fires, and in the latter is a lathe with a New Zealand Order of Merit for Science and Business Adminis- 10 inch centre and a 15-feet bed.” tration, and Margaret Morrish, who has been given the Queen’s Service Medal for services to Heritage Preservation.Watching Margaret’s investiture I was struck by the emphasis of the pro- ceedings. It was the Queen of New Zealand, in the person of the Governor-General, thanking the recipients for their contribution to New Zealand. Rupert Tipples Editor 14 William Street, Lincoln In March 2017 my wife Tess and I moved into the ‘Blacksmith’s cottage’ at 14 William Street in Lincoln. We both work in the natural sciences Watson teamed up with his brother James Cooper Watson, but in mid- and in particular with the ancient DNA of extinct species, and so have 1872 ‘Watson Bros. Blacksmiths’ filed for bankruptcy. That September the an ingrained interest in the past. Therefore it wasn’t very long before property was sold as part of their bankrupt estate to another blacksmith, we decided to also delve into researching the history of the property. Charles McPherson, for £100. McPherson ran the business until his Beginning with Neville Moar’s brief mention of the property in his book retirement in 1909. His obituary, published in ‘The Press’ in 1917, read: “Fitzgerald’s Town”, we began to expand many of the details about the past “Born in 1832 near Brechin, Forfarshire, Scotland, Mr McPherson, on owners (largely using Papers Past), uncover changes to the property over leaving school, was apprenticed to the blacksmithing and engineering the years, and document some of the cottages construction features. The trade. His apprenticeship completed, he was for some time engaged in following is a summary of the information we have collected to date, but one of the principal engineering works on the Clyde. Later he went to we would love to hear from anyone who might have further information Paisley, where, during his term of office as secretary of the Blacksmiths’ on the history of the property or early photographs. Association, William Arrol - afterwards Sir William Arrol, builder of the famous Firth of Forth Bridge - was enrolled a member. Attracted to the The Lincoln blacksmith business colonies, Mr McPherson landed in Lyttelton in 1867, and worked first as On 3 May 1864 the section that is now 14 William Street, Lincoln, foreman blacksmith for the late Mr James Blyth, of Prebbleton, and then was sold by James Edward Fitzgerald to Sydney Burrows Stiffe, a as a partner in the firm of P. and D. Duncan, the well-known agricultural Christchurch-based commission agent. On 17 June the following year engineers. It is worthy of note that he was the first in Canterbury to make it was purchased by blacksmith Keith Forbes Gray for the sum of £15. the bent mould-board for ploughs, which previously had to be imported. Gray partnered with another blacksmith, William Keith Watson, and by In 1873 Mr McPherson took up a blacksmith and engineering business December 1865 they were advertising to hire a country blacksmith and at Lincoln, where he resided for thirty-six years, taking an active part fitter for their business, ‘Gray & Watson blacksmiths’.The partnership, in the affairs of the district, being a member of the School Committee, which also involved a third blacksmith by the name of George Johnston, of the Domain Board, and of the Lincoln A. and P. Association, and a did not last. It was dissolved on 3 August 1866, and on 25 August Gray staunch and devoted supporter of the Lincoln Presbyterian Church. Till sold the property “together with all the appurtenances thereon” to Watson he retired from business, Mr McPherson was instructor in blacksmithing and Johnston for £140. Johnston soon moved on, and on 5 October 1867 to the students at Lincoln Agricultural College.”When McPherson retired he sold his share to Watson, who then became the sole owner of the in 1909 he sold the property to the local wheelright Charles Thomas property, together with the adjoining section (now 12 William Street). Restall and his son John Herbert Restall. Trading as ‘C. T. Restall and Son’ the pair ran a wheelright, undertaker and blacksmith business. In Watson went on to become a blacksmith of some repute. In 1868 he September 1912 Charles retired, and ‘The Press’ published a description showed a rotating harrow at the Christchurch Show, and one of his of his property, which was for sale at the time: “The property comprises 2 Houses - one of 8 and the other of 5 rooms - large Wheelwright’s leads into a small orangery, perfect for growing the more climatically sensitive plants. The cottage stands on volcanic rock foundation stones, and the structural timbers and floorboards are constructed almost exclusively from pit-sawn kauri. Original rough-sawn timber board wall linings are still evident in the upstairs of the house. The sash windows in the front bedroom and southern end of the living room are kauri and may be original. The steep, narrow staircase (which we are currently restoring) located just inside the front door is also made from kauri and the newel post and balusters match the style of those in other 1860s buildings (e.g. Leithendel in Dunedin). Rimu door frames, windows and skirting boards appear to be later additions (1920s-40s?) with the latest additions Watson plough by Pioneer Hall, Lincoln (including an extended living room and orangery, 1980s-90s) being Oregon pine. Beneath the stairs, Victorian-era blue and purple wallpaper Workshop, well fitted up with all requisites; large Blacksmith’s shop, 2 still covers a horse-hair plaster and lath wall. A peeling section of this Forges, Lathe, and all requisite tools.” However, it seems that the property wallpaper revealed a backing of newspaper; a copy of ‘The Press’ from 9 and business never sold, and in April 1918 it was taken over by his son May 1879, which serves as evidence for the minimum age of the building. John. Charles died in September 1920 and the property was transmitted to However, beneath this in some areas there is another, earlier, wallpaper John as executor of his will.However, the business had been experiencing with orange, red and green motifs (possibly the original wallpaper dating difficult times through the 1920s and in 1926 John found it necessary to to the 1860s). sell the property due to bankruptcy. In ‘The Press’ it was reported that the Jamie Wood business had been operated in two separate parts, the blacksmiths and the wheelwright’s yard. When John had taken over the blacksmith business it was “very involved financially” and he could not keep it, but rented it out ARTHUR PYNE O’CALLAGHAN MHR at 15 shillings a week. However the shop was untenanted for long periods, and those that did tenant the shop often left owing significant sums of (1837–1930) THE EARLY YEARS IN money. Unable to make an income running the shop as a blacksmiths, John eventually let it out as a residence for 10 shillings a week. After NEW ZEALAND needing to go into hospital for an operation, and subsequently being off work for a period of time, the financial pressures became too much and After James Fitzgerald Arthur O’Callaghan would be the most significant bankruptcy was filed for.The property was sold to Cyril William Robson person to have farmed what started off as Springs Station or The Springs, for £352 on 18 October 1926. Robson published an advertisement in and then became Springs Farm, Lincoln. Surprisingly he is not featured the ‘Ellesmere Guardian’ notifying the public that he had “commenced in the 5 volume The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (1990-2000) business as general blacksmith, shoer and wheelwright” with “farm although he had featured in Scholefield’s 1940 Dictionary of New Zealand implements a specialty”.