EADES, Florence
Born 1895; died 21 November 1918; buried 21 November 1918; age 23
Florence EADES was buried the same day she died of the flu. Her baby, one day old, also died and was put in the same grave at Karori Cemetery. Florence had been divorced and remarried less than three weeks before.
Florence was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Mary Philips, née KIDDIE or KEDDIE and Daniel McPHERSON, a master mariner. Florence’s parents had married in 1887 in the Blackfriars district of Glasgow, when he was a seaman in the merchant navy aged 28, and she was a 23-year-old muslin warehouse worker. Florence appears to be their only child.
No record has been found about Florence’s childhood, and perhaps reflecting the itinerant nature of a seafarer’s life, there is no census record for Daniel or for Mary. In 1911, however, when Florence was 16 (i), she and her mother embarked for a new life in New Zealand.
In 1914, when she was 19 she married Benjamin HYAMS, a waiter living at 73 Kent Terrace, Wellington. They had a daughter, Alice Maud, in the same year and a second daughter, Edna May, in 1917.
In August she discovered that Benjamin had been seeing another woman, and further, that he had contracted a venereal disease. On 17 November 1917, her divorce case was reported discreetly (ii), with reference to allegations about his health and a comment that the case involved ‘some rather revolting features’. The evidence was persuasive: the judge granted Florence the divorce she was seeking and the custody of her two children.
The uncontested divorce was finalised on 5 November 1918. Benjamin Hyams may then have left New Zealand as he disappears from the records.
Two days later, in the Wesley Church in Taranaki Street, Florence married Francis (Frank) Edward EADES, described as a contractor. Their marriage was short-lived. Florence caught influenza while living at 21 Barker Street, probably with her parents. She had been expecting another child but unfortunately, women giving birth were especially vulnerable to complications from flu. She was taken to the Normal School temporary hospital in Thorndon and died there, aged 23. Her baby also died, just 1 day old, and was buried with her.
It seems likely that the two older girls then began living with Florence’s parents who, shortly after Florence’s death, moved to 23 Home Street, off Kent Terrace, where they remained for many years. It seems that with grandparent support, they did well. In particular, Edna attended Wellington Technical College and won prizes for academic achievements in 1931 and 1932 of which her mother would have been proud.
Meanwhile, Frank moved back to 20 Frederick Street, the home of his older brother William, where he had been living before his marriage. Both men continued working as drivers.
Frank paid the account for Florence’s funeral, in four £1 instalments during June and July 1919 (with the balance of £6/5/- met by the Health Department). He was less attentive to his financial obligations in later years. On 1 October 1923, the Evening Post reported that his arrears for the children’s maintenance amounted to £124/8/- and he was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment, suspended if he contributed £1/5/- weekly. Less than a year later, on 19 August 1924, the Evening Post reported on a further lapse in payment of maintenance, this time for £47, leading to a prison sentence of 4 months.
Florence’s grave is in the CH ENG 2 Section, Plot 100 E.
Researched by Hillary Lamb and Max Kerr, written by Max Kerr
(i) This year is calculated from her death record which says that she had been in New Zealand for 7 years when she died.
(ii) There were brief reports in The Evening Post on 17 November 1917 and in The Dominion and the New Zealand Times, both on 19 November 1917.
Born 1895; died 21 November 1918; buried 21 November 1918; age 23
Florence EADES was buried the same day she died of the flu. Her baby, one day old, also died and was put in the same grave at Karori Cemetery. Florence had been divorced and remarried less than three weeks before.
Florence was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Mary Philips, née KIDDIE or KEDDIE and Daniel McPHERSON, a master mariner. Florence’s parents had married in 1887 in the Blackfriars district of Glasgow, when he was a seaman in the merchant navy aged 28, and she was a 23-year-old muslin warehouse worker. Florence appears to be their only child.
No record has been found about Florence’s childhood, and perhaps reflecting the itinerant nature of a seafarer’s life, there is no census record for Daniel or for Mary. In 1911, however, when Florence was 16 (i), she and her mother embarked for a new life in New Zealand.
In 1914, when she was 19 she married Benjamin HYAMS, a waiter living at 73 Kent Terrace, Wellington. They had a daughter, Alice Maud, in the same year and a second daughter, Edna May, in 1917.
In August she discovered that Benjamin had been seeing another woman, and further, that he had contracted a venereal disease. On 17 November 1917, her divorce case was reported discreetly (ii), with reference to allegations about his health and a comment that the case involved ‘some rather revolting features’. The evidence was persuasive: the judge granted Florence the divorce she was seeking and the custody of her two children.
The uncontested divorce was finalised on 5 November 1918. Benjamin Hyams may then have left New Zealand as he disappears from the records.
Two days later, in the Wesley Church in Taranaki Street, Florence married Francis (Frank) Edward EADES, described as a contractor. Their marriage was short-lived. Florence caught influenza while living at 21 Barker Street, probably with her parents. She had been expecting another child but unfortunately, women giving birth were especially vulnerable to complications from flu. She was taken to the Normal School temporary hospital in Thorndon and died there, aged 23. Her baby also died, just 1 day old, and was buried with her.
It seems likely that the two older girls then began living with Florence’s parents who, shortly after Florence’s death, moved to 23 Home Street, off Kent Terrace, where they remained for many years. It seems that with grandparent support, they did well. In particular, Edna attended Wellington Technical College and won prizes for academic achievements in 1931 and 1932 of which her mother would have been proud.
Meanwhile, Frank moved back to 20 Frederick Street, the home of his older brother William, where he had been living before his marriage. Both men continued working as drivers.
Frank paid the account for Florence’s funeral, in four £1 instalments during June and July 1919 (with the balance of £6/5/- met by the Health Department). He was less attentive to his financial obligations in later years. On 1 October 1923, the Evening Post reported that his arrears for the children’s maintenance amounted to £124/8/- and he was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment, suspended if he contributed £1/5/- weekly. Less than a year later, on 19 August 1924, the Evening Post reported on a further lapse in payment of maintenance, this time for £47, leading to a prison sentence of 4 months.
Florence’s grave is in the CH ENG 2 Section, Plot 100 E.
Researched by Hillary Lamb and Max Kerr, written by Max Kerr
(i) This year is calculated from her death record which says that she had been in New Zealand for 7 years when she died.
(ii) There were brief reports in The Evening Post on 17 November 1917 and in The Dominion and the New Zealand Times, both on 19 November 1917.