FITZGERALD’S TOWN LINCOLN IN THE 19TH CENTURY NEVILLE MOAR 1. James Edward Fitzgerald. Photographer H.C. Barker, courtesy of the Canterbury Museum. First published in a print edition in 2011 by N.T. Moar Copyright © 2011 Neville Moar and photographers as named Edited by Alison Barwick This second edition published digitally in 2018 by the Lincoln and District Historical Society in collaboration with the Lincoln University Museum and Documentary Heritage Committee Copyright © 2018 - CC-BY-NC-ND Edited by Roger Dawson, Joanne Moar, Rupert Tipples ISBN 978-0-86476-430-0 (PDF) FOREWORD When Fitzgerald’s Town – Lincoln in the 19th Century was first published in 2011, Neville Moar’s history of Victorian Lincoln, New Zealand, added to the growing body of serious studies of a small colonial community. He published the book himself with support from Selwyn District Council’s Creative Communities Scheme. Over the next two years, Neville distributed the 205 copies of the book via the Manaaki Whenua Press Bookstore and at the Lincoln Farmers & Craft Market. By the time of his death in June 2016, the book was well and truly sold out. Neville had been President and subsequently Patron of Lincoln & Districts Historical Society (L&DHS newsletter, Issue 42, December 2016). He left the rights to his book and his research materials to the Society. When studying the computer files for the book Fitzgerald’s Town – Lincoln in the 19th Century, it became apparent that the published version had fewer pictures and plans than Neville had originally intended. Subsequently, as a memorial to Neville, the Society decided, with the agreement of the Moar family, to produce a second edition. This was to be supplemented by the previously unused photos and plans and others thought useful in illustrating the subject matter. To keep the costs of a second edition down an e-book format was suggested, hosted on the Lincoln University Living Heritage: Tikaka Toku Iho site. This had the added advantage of making Neville’s book available worldwide to anyone with access to the internet. Thus Neville’s carefully researched history would be available to school children and students as well as older readers, and at no expense. The new edition is provided in A4 rather than A5 format and a larger font on the advice of Roger Dawson who manages the Living Heritage site. Roger had also helped Neville with some of his property research on early Lincoln. He has been instrumental in facilitating this new edition, spending many hours researching and rescanning photographs. He joins Joanne Moar, Neville’s daughter and myself, Rupert Tipples, on the editorial panel overseeing the work. We have made some editorial policy decisions about the images used in this new edition. Where we have been able to source an adequate nineteenth century photo where Neville had used a twentieth century one we have preferred the older picture to give a feel for the times. Thus the cover photo is now Gerald Street looking east to St. Stephens Anglican Church, not a modern photo of the Mill Pond, and we have new pictures for the final chapter “The end of the century”, which reflect the end of the Victorian era and the start of Edwardian times. Even since the book was first published in 2011, change in Lincoln has been exponential. With this second edition we wish to make Neville’s valuable “labour of love” a lasting resource, accessible to all. To finish with Neville’s words: “This account deals with the foundation years from 1862 to 1900, and it is left to others to take the story forward into the 20th and 21st centuries.” The editors, Roger Dawson, Joanne Moar and Rupert Tipples. February 2018. ii CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 THE BEGINNING ..................................................................................................... 4 THE BUYING OF LINCOLN ....................................................................................... 9 BUTCHER, BAKER AND CANDLESTICK MAKER ....................................................... 17 THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST ............................................................................. 38 The Lincoln Fair Company................................................................................................ 41 The Lincoln Farmers’ Club ............................................................................................... 43 The Lincoln A. & P. Show ................................................................................................. 47 Ploughing Competitions .................................................................................................. 53 The School of Agriculture ................................................................................................ 57 DEVELOPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................... 63 CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................... 73 The Railway .................................................................................................................... 73 The Post Office ................................................................................................................ 84 The Police ....................................................................................................................... 85 READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC ................................................................. 93 THEY CAME WITH FAITH .................................................................................... 102 The Church of England ...................................................................................................103 The Baptists ...................................................................................................................106 The Presbyterians ..........................................................................................................108 iii The Methodists ..............................................................................................................110 The Roman Catholics ......................................................................................................112 The Unsectarian Sunday School ......................................................................................116 DRUIDS, MASONS AND HIBERNIANS .................................................................. 120 Antient, Free and Accepted Masons ...............................................................................120 The Druids .....................................................................................................................122 The Hibernians ...............................................................................................................124 PLAYING THE GAME ........................................................................................... 127 Cricket ...........................................................................................................................127 A Day At The Races ........................................................................................................132 Lawn Tennis Club ...........................................................................................................139 Swimming ......................................................................................................................140 Pigeon and Sparrow Club ...............................................................................................142 Rifle Club .......................................................................................................................142 KICKING UP THEIR HEELS .................................................................................... 145 Tea meetings .................................................................................................................145 School picnics ................................................................................................................147 Dinners ..........................................................................................................................148 Concerts ........................................................................................................................149 Choirs ............................................................................................................................150 Balls ...............................................................................................................................151 Chess and Draughts ........................................................................................................151 The Improvement Society ..............................................................................................152 iv Other societies ...............................................................................................................153 THE LIBRARY ....................................................................................................... 155 ACCIDENTS AND OTHER DISASTERS ................................................................... 163 Accidents .......................................................................................................................163 Fire ................................................................................................................................164