FEARN, George Hartley
Born 1884; died 31 January 1919; buried 9 February 1919; age 35
While George was in the age group most affected by influenza deaths, he died well past the peak of the epidemic in Wellington. A single man working as a clerk in the Railways, he lived with his widowed mother at 221 Happy Valley Road in Brooklyn (i).
George was born on 27 January 1884 in Grove Road, Blenheim to George, a railway employee aged 47 and Mary FEARN née MERSON. Mary was 27 when George junior was born.
His parents had married in July 1882 in Christchurch, a year after the birth of their daughter Mary (or May) Elizabeth. George senior (b 1837) emigrated from Derby, England, perhaps with his son Francis (Frank) David, who was born about 1863. George senior later worked as a stationmaster (ii). His wife Mary, was New Zealand-born.
George junior’s younger sister Ethel Ellen completed the family in 1886.
In 1907 George senior died aged 74 while living at 27 Walker Street, Christchurch (iii). Shortly before, George junior had begun his working life as a clerk at Orepuki in Western Southland where an extension to the railway in 1903 became the Tuatapere branch line. It connected the area with Invercargill and enabled the transport of local products such as coal, timber, and flax (iv).
After his father’s death, electoral rolls show George living with his widowed mother at 105 Colombo Street, Christchurch in 1911. His sister Ellen was also with them, before her marriage in 1914 to artist and art teacher Archibald Frank NICOLL. He enlisted for the army the day of his marriage, having just returned to New Zealand after several years in Britain and Europe studying painting (v).
When George moved to Wellington, probably for work, his mother came with him and his sister Ellen while her husband was on military service overseas.
George was balloted for military service in 1917 when he was working for New Zealand Railways in a clerical position and living at 121 Ohiro Road, Brooklyn. However, he does not seem to have been called to do training as a soldier as there is no military file in Archives New Zealand.
By 1918 he had moved to 221 Happy Valley Road, on the south side of the intersection at Brooklyn Village. His mother and his sister continued to live with him, lived with him and and his brother-inlaw Archibald who had returned from overseas military service. He had had a leg amputated after being wounded.
George died at home of influenza and pneumonia on 31 January 1919, aged 35 (vi). Notice of his death appeared in the Dominion of 1 February 1919.
Born 1884; died 31 January 1919; buried 9 February 1919; age 35
While George was in the age group most affected by influenza deaths, he died well past the peak of the epidemic in Wellington. A single man working as a clerk in the Railways, he lived with his widowed mother at 221 Happy Valley Road in Brooklyn (i).
George was born on 27 January 1884 in Grove Road, Blenheim to George, a railway employee aged 47 and Mary FEARN née MERSON. Mary was 27 when George junior was born.
His parents had married in July 1882 in Christchurch, a year after the birth of their daughter Mary (or May) Elizabeth. George senior (b 1837) emigrated from Derby, England, perhaps with his son Francis (Frank) David, who was born about 1863. George senior later worked as a stationmaster (ii). His wife Mary, was New Zealand-born.
George junior’s younger sister Ethel Ellen completed the family in 1886.
In 1907 George senior died aged 74 while living at 27 Walker Street, Christchurch (iii). Shortly before, George junior had begun his working life as a clerk at Orepuki in Western Southland where an extension to the railway in 1903 became the Tuatapere branch line. It connected the area with Invercargill and enabled the transport of local products such as coal, timber, and flax (iv).
After his father’s death, electoral rolls show George living with his widowed mother at 105 Colombo Street, Christchurch in 1911. His sister Ellen was also with them, before her marriage in 1914 to artist and art teacher Archibald Frank NICOLL. He enlisted for the army the day of his marriage, having just returned to New Zealand after several years in Britain and Europe studying painting (v).
When George moved to Wellington, probably for work, his mother came with him and his sister Ellen while her husband was on military service overseas.
George was balloted for military service in 1917 when he was working for New Zealand Railways in a clerical position and living at 121 Ohiro Road, Brooklyn. However, he does not seem to have been called to do training as a soldier as there is no military file in Archives New Zealand.
By 1918 he had moved to 221 Happy Valley Road, on the south side of the intersection at Brooklyn Village. His mother and his sister continued to live with him, lived with him and and his brother-inlaw Archibald who had returned from overseas military service. He had had a leg amputated after being wounded.
George died at home of influenza and pneumonia on 31 January 1919, aged 35 (vi). Notice of his death appeared in the Dominion of 1 February 1919.
Extract from E Morris junior funeral register for second half of 1918, (MSY-3711)
Held by the Alexander Turnbull Library
Held by the Alexander Turnbull Library
He was buried on 9 February 1919 in the Church of England 2 section of Karori Cemetery in plot 218E. The inscription on his headstone simply says:
‘In loving memory of George Hartley Fearn d 31 Jan 1919 at 34 years.’
His mother Mary purchased George’s cemetery plot in June 1919.
George never married. He died intestate and his family asked the Public Trustee to administer his probate. His estate of under £700 was split between his mother, brother Francis David Fearn of Auckland, sister Mary Elizabeth HILLMER of Christchurch, and sister Ellen Ethel Nicoll of Brooklyn.
Archibald Niccoll went on to have an illustrious career as an artist and renowned art teacher (vii).
Researched by John Boyd and Jenny Robertson and written by Jenny Robertson
Sources:
(i) At this time, Happy Valley Road began after the present traffic lights in Brooklyn: Ohiro Road ended on the north or city side of the intersection.
(ii) The employees list for New Zealand Railways, 1900 shows G Fearn as a stationmaster earning £170 pa having joined 22 years and 2 months earlier.
(iii) Lyttelton Times 18 November 1907, page 1.
(iv) Electoral roll 1905/06.
(v) Nicoll later became the director of the Canterbury College School of Art and has paintings in public collections in many of New Zealand’s main centres according to an entry in Who’s Who in New Zealand and the Western Pacific, 1925. See also https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4n10/nicoll-archibald-frank.
(vi) According to his birth registration George Fearn turned 35 on 27 January 1919, some 4 days before he died. Both his death record and his headstone, however, record his age as 34.
(vii) teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4n10/nicoll-archibald-frank
‘In loving memory of George Hartley Fearn d 31 Jan 1919 at 34 years.’
His mother Mary purchased George’s cemetery plot in June 1919.
George never married. He died intestate and his family asked the Public Trustee to administer his probate. His estate of under £700 was split between his mother, brother Francis David Fearn of Auckland, sister Mary Elizabeth HILLMER of Christchurch, and sister Ellen Ethel Nicoll of Brooklyn.
Archibald Niccoll went on to have an illustrious career as an artist and renowned art teacher (vii).
Researched by John Boyd and Jenny Robertson and written by Jenny Robertson
Sources:
(i) At this time, Happy Valley Road began after the present traffic lights in Brooklyn: Ohiro Road ended on the north or city side of the intersection.
(ii) The employees list for New Zealand Railways, 1900 shows G Fearn as a stationmaster earning £170 pa having joined 22 years and 2 months earlier.
(iii) Lyttelton Times 18 November 1907, page 1.
(iv) Electoral roll 1905/06.
(v) Nicoll later became the director of the Canterbury College School of Art and has paintings in public collections in many of New Zealand’s main centres according to an entry in Who’s Who in New Zealand and the Western Pacific, 1925. See also https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4n10/nicoll-archibald-frank.
(vi) According to his birth registration George Fearn turned 35 on 27 January 1919, some 4 days before he died. Both his death record and his headstone, however, record his age as 34.
(vii) teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4n10/nicoll-archibald-frank