Richard Tregurtha This Is Your Life
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
RICHARD TREGURTHA 1848- 1912 Life in Cornwall and New Zealand The branch of the Tregurthas from which Richard is descended is believed to have lived in Breage in W. Cornwall in the 17th century. The name Tregurtha then disappears from Breage and reappears in Gwinear with the marriage of John and Elizabeth in 1700 and continued there until James married Elizabeth Rodda in 1803 at St Levan. They had 10 children including Thomas, Richard’s father who was born at St Levan 1807. The 7 children born after Thomas were all born in St Buryan in the adjacent parish of St Levan. The Tregurthas of Richards line were based at Bottoms/Little Trethewey in western Cornwall (St Levan Parish) in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries (evidence from St. Levan church records-first reference 1797). They were a family of carpenters. Richard Tregurtha was born at Raftra in west Cornwall on the sixth of March 1848. He was the youngest in a family of 5 children born to Thomas, a carpenter, and Jane (nee Jacka). Raftra Farm 2010 Raftra Manor House 2010 Thomas and Jane married in 1831 and initially lived in the area called ‘The Bottoms’ at least until 1838. Thomas (b 1832), John (b 1839), Jane (b 1841), Charles (b 1845) were Richard’s older siblings (although a document received recently from a St Levan’s Historical Group suggested a daughter Jane died age 2 in 1838 and a son William Henry in 1850). Richard’s father Thomas at the time of Richard’s birth would have done general carpentry in the rural district of Raftra where the family had lived since 1843, and in the parish of St Levan. (Raftra was once part of a medieval manor; the manor house is still lived in today By 1850 the family had moved to Tresidder back to the area known as “The Bottoms’ where Thomas became a miller living in the Tresidder Mill House with its water wheel. Tresidder Mil Mill House 2010 Thomas’ brother Nicholas lived nearby and he was also a miller. The 1861 census records Thomas age 53 mill master, Jane 54 mother and housewife, Thomas 27 fisherman, John 27 agricultural labourer, Charles, 15, miller in father mill, Richard 13 scholar. By this time Jane had left the family home (she married Charles Williams in 1864 and died in Dorking, Surrey in 1916). We can assume Charles and Richard attended St Levan’s School just up the road from the Tresidder Mill house. The family probably attended the St Levan's Wesleyan Chapel at Little Trethewey at the top of the hill above the school. (A headstone in the cemetery here has the name ‘Evelyn Tregurtha died 29/8/1936 age 75; she is a member of one of the other three branches of Tregurtha family who lived in Cornwall). St Levan's School St Levan's Wesleyan Chapel Richard’s father Thomas died 6 December 1870 from asthma, bronchitis, age 63. He was buried in St Buryan's cemetery. After Thomas’ death the family moved to Penberth near the coastal fishing village at Penberth Cove. We are led to believe that Richard and his brothers were all fishermen by now. In 1871 brother Charles married Grace Cargeeg. The couple may have stayed with Jane and the other lads in Penberth but cottages there were particularly small; the St Levan history group suggest Charles and Grace were more likely to have stayed at nearby Treen with Grace’s family who lived on a large farm and would have needed labour. Penberth Cove 2010 In November 1871 Richard with his brother Charles and his wife Grace set sail for NZ from London on board the 962 ton sailing emigrant ship "Jessie Readman". On board were a crew of 31 and 28 passengers. Richard, Charles and Grace travelled as steerage passengers (20 altogether) in cramped conditions on the lowest accommodation deck. They left Cornwall on November 23, 1871 and travelled by train to London, a trip of 12 hours. With five days to kill in London they visited The Tower, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Royal Exchange, the monument as well as the office of the Emigration Commissioner. Due to delays with the boarding of the cargo they could not board their ship until the 27th November and set sail on the 29th. ‘Jessie Readman’ Arrival in Dunedin The trials and tribulations (rats, heat, storms, cramped conditions,) of the voyage are recorded in Richard’s daily diary. By 20 December they had crossed the equator. Christmas was celebrated in the heat with hymns and carols, pork pie and plum pudding! By January 16 they were in line with the Cape of Good Hope off Southern Africa ands began to sail east. On February 18 they went past the Snares a group of large high rocks off the SW of NZ. It was the first land seen in 80 days since leaving England. Finally on 23 February they arrived at Port Chalmers, Dunedin and the next day were taken by a steam boat to Dunedin and visited the Immigration Barracks. Richards first year in NZ was possibly spent in Dunedin working as a labourer. Wife to be Elizabeth Cargeeg (sister of Charles's wife Grace ) arrived in NZ aboard the ship “Euterpe” and they married in Trinity Wesleyan Church, Dunedin on 8 April 1873. Elizabeth was born November 12 1850 at Treen not far from Penberth. Trinity Wesleyan Church Dunedin Richard and Elizabeth made their way to Oamaru and from 1873- 1877 Richard was employed by the Oamaru Harbour Works as a labourer. A reference written by an inspector said Richard conducted himself in an ‘honest, steady and industrious manner. Their first 3 children were born in Oamaru: Frederick (1874), Richard (1875- sadly he lived less than 4 months), and Mary Jane (Minnie). Oamaru Frederick Mary Jane (Minnie) Richard’s widowed mother Jane (67) along with brothers Thomas (41) and John (36) emigrated to NZ from Cornwall aboard the “Margaret Galbreath’ on 1 October 1874 and arrived in Port Chalmers Dunedin on 9 June 1875. Total cost of passage 48 pound 10 shillings! They took up residence in the fishing village of Moeraki, North Otago where the boys continued their Cornish employment as fishermen. Jane, Thomas and John were buried in the one plot in the nearby Hampden cemetery (Jane May 1887, Thomas and John December 1893 within 6 days of each other) It is significant that in July 1873 Charles was appointed to a lighthouse keeping position at Taiaroa Heads, on the Otago Peninsula (well known an albatross breeding ground). His older brother appointment may well have encouraged Richard to apply for and be accepted for employment as a lighthouse keeper in September 1877. Richard began his 25 year career in that capacity at the Brothers Island Lighthouse on the western side of Cook Strait, the least popular of all NZ manned lighthouses. He may have been one of the first keepers at the Brothers Lighthouse as it opened in 1877. Richards time there was brief : four months as a provisional and then assistant keeper! 1 Brothers Lighthouse 2 Nugget Point 3 Centre Island 4 Manukau Heads 5 Farewell Spit 6 Pencarrow 7 Cape Foulwind Lighthouses manned by Richard Tregurtha By 1878 the family had moved to Nugget Point Lighthouse in South Otago where Richard was stationed as assistant keeper for almost four years (until 15/12/ 1881). Our records indicate Annie was born in July 1879 at Otago Heads; why there is a mystery. (Charles also began lighthouse keeping in 1873 and his first appointment was Otago Heads but how long he was there is unknown). Harold was born at Nugget Point in February 1881. Nuggets Lighthouse Nuggets Keepers House Harold Tregurtha At the end of 1881 Richard had moved to a manned lighthouse in Centre Island marking the dangerous western approach to Foveaux Strait at the bottom of the South Island. He was there as assistant keeper for 17 months during which time Edmund was born. (1882) Edmund Tregurtha By May 1883 Richard’s family were on the move again; this time to the other end of the country: Manukau Heads near Auckland. For the first time Richard was the principal keeper and he appears to have been here until the beginning of 1892. While stationed up north over the period of almost nine years, the family grew in number: Clara ( 1884, sadly only lived 4 years), Edith (1886), Hilda (1888), William (1890) and Sydney (1891) were all born either in Auckland or at Manukau Heads. Frederick Sydney Herbert Percy Edmund William Elizabeth Annie Edith Hilda In February 1892 Richard moved his family to become principal keeper at Farewell Spit Lighthouse at the top of the South Island. During the 2.5 years here Percy was born (1893). Farewell Spit Lighthouse Richard Tregurtha left Percy and family and keeper at and 2 other keepers Farewell Spit lighthouse 1954 For three years from August 1894, Richard was principal keeper at Pencarrow near Wellington Harbour. Herbert, the last in the family line-up, was born at this time (1895). Richard’s last lighthouse appointment was at Cape Foulwind near Westport. He began there as principal keeper in 1 August 1897 and retired due to ill health from the position at the end of June 1902, after 25 years service, age 54. A Marine Dept reference said ‘during the time he was in the service he performed his duties in a thoroughly satisfactory manner and his conduct we exemplary’ Cape Foulwind Lighthouse Richard and family at Cape Foulwind Richard and Elizabeth together with the younger children then moved into Westport a port at the mouth of the Buller River from which coal was a major export.