GREENHALGH, William
Born 1890; died 30 November 1918; buried 30 November 1918; age 28
William GREENHALGH’s parents were John William Greenhalgh, born in Bolton, Lancashire in 1848 and Mary Ann FOX, born about 1850. John and Mary Ann married in 1867, and had a number of children, only six of whom survived beyond childhood or adolescence: Edward Walls (1872), Charles (1876), Eliza (1879), Wallace (1881), Thomas (1883) and William (1890).
In 1887 John and Mary Ann were contracted to migrate to New Zealand where John had secured work managing the Mataura paper mill. He and his family were provided with free passage from their home in Bathgate, a town in West Lothian, Scotland, to London by train, steerage passage from London to New Zealand, and onward travel to Mataura. John was paid £3 per week, and the family were accommodated rent-free in a cottage near the mill. Although his contract was for 3 years, John departed abruptly late in 1889. His employers took court action in a bid to retain his services (Mataura Ensign 7 February 1890) for the remainder of the 3-year contract.
John had however secured more suitable employment in Auckland to manage the Riverhead Paper Mill. William, the last of John and Mary Ann’s children, was born before the family headed north from Mataura. Both William’s parents lived out their lives in Auckland.
William had a technical bent and on leaving school took up electrical engineering completing his education in Wellington at the Technical College. In 1913 he sat and passed the electrical wiremen’s examinations, passing papers in theory and practice which earned him his certificate qualification. Living then at 48 Aro Street, William was described as an electrician on the 1914 electoral roll, on which his name appeared on the list of absent voters’ permits. Possibly then he knew he would be absent from the electorate on election day (10 December 1914) or his job involved some travel which could take him away from home from time to time. William joined the mechanical staff of the Evening Post newspaper before moving as chief electrical engineer to A and T Burt Ltd (Manawatu Times 3 December 1918).
In 1916/17 William was called up for World War I service and was placed in the first division of the New Zealand Army Reserve Roll.
In the last year of the war William married Eva GEORGE. She had come from Auckland and the marriage took place in April 1918. Eva was the New Zealand-born (1893) third child of six, of parents John and Flora George whose family had arrived in New Zealand by 1889. The Georges lived in Milford, Auckland, where in 1914 at least, Eva’s father earned a living as a Director of Technical Education (Waitemata electoral roll).
William and Eva were living at 34 Crieff Street in Northland when William became ill with influenza, from which he died at home on 30 November. He was buried later the same day in the Public 2 section of Karori Cemetery.
GREENHALGH – On November 30 1918, at his late residence, 34, Crieff St., Wellington (late of A. and T. Burt, Ltd. Wellington), of influenza-pneumonia, William, loving husband of Eva Greenhalgh and dearly beloved youngest son of Mrs. J. Greenhalgh, 9 First Avenue, Kingsland, Auckland; aged 26 (sic) years – Sadly missed.
New Zealand Herald, 2 December 1918.
William’s death was also noted in a short item in the Evening Post on 30 November 1918:
The death has occurred from influenza of Mr. William Greenhalgh, formerly of the mechanical staff of the Evening Post, and latterly chief electrical engineer for A. and T. Burt, Ltd., electrical engineers. He leaves a wife whose home is at Northland. His parents reside in Auckland.
Eva was 7 months pregnant at the time, and their son William was born on 2 February 1919, 2 months after his father’s death.
On 21 January 1919 Eva purchased William’s burial plot though by that time she had returned to Auckland and was living at 36 Bassett Street (Road), Remuera. On 3 April 1919 she met the full costs of £9/15/0 for William’s funeral (1).
Eva inscribed William’s headstone with
‘Until the day break’ in loving memory of William, dearly beloved husband of Eva GREENHALGH died 30 Nov 1918 at 28 years. Sadly missed‘
In 1922 Eva remarried. Her new husband was a labourer, Henry NORTON. Eva died in Auckland in 1965.
William’s father died in 1928 and was buried at Waikumete Cemetery. His mother died aged 90 in 1940 and was buried with her husband at Waikumete.
Researched and written by Jenny Robertson
Grave Information:
Section: PUBLIC2
Plot: 280 J
(1) E Morris junior funeral register held by Turnbull Library.
Born 1890; died 30 November 1918; buried 30 November 1918; age 28
William GREENHALGH’s parents were John William Greenhalgh, born in Bolton, Lancashire in 1848 and Mary Ann FOX, born about 1850. John and Mary Ann married in 1867, and had a number of children, only six of whom survived beyond childhood or adolescence: Edward Walls (1872), Charles (1876), Eliza (1879), Wallace (1881), Thomas (1883) and William (1890).
In 1887 John and Mary Ann were contracted to migrate to New Zealand where John had secured work managing the Mataura paper mill. He and his family were provided with free passage from their home in Bathgate, a town in West Lothian, Scotland, to London by train, steerage passage from London to New Zealand, and onward travel to Mataura. John was paid £3 per week, and the family were accommodated rent-free in a cottage near the mill. Although his contract was for 3 years, John departed abruptly late in 1889. His employers took court action in a bid to retain his services (Mataura Ensign 7 February 1890) for the remainder of the 3-year contract.
John had however secured more suitable employment in Auckland to manage the Riverhead Paper Mill. William, the last of John and Mary Ann’s children, was born before the family headed north from Mataura. Both William’s parents lived out their lives in Auckland.
William had a technical bent and on leaving school took up electrical engineering completing his education in Wellington at the Technical College. In 1913 he sat and passed the electrical wiremen’s examinations, passing papers in theory and practice which earned him his certificate qualification. Living then at 48 Aro Street, William was described as an electrician on the 1914 electoral roll, on which his name appeared on the list of absent voters’ permits. Possibly then he knew he would be absent from the electorate on election day (10 December 1914) or his job involved some travel which could take him away from home from time to time. William joined the mechanical staff of the Evening Post newspaper before moving as chief electrical engineer to A and T Burt Ltd (Manawatu Times 3 December 1918).
In 1916/17 William was called up for World War I service and was placed in the first division of the New Zealand Army Reserve Roll.
In the last year of the war William married Eva GEORGE. She had come from Auckland and the marriage took place in April 1918. Eva was the New Zealand-born (1893) third child of six, of parents John and Flora George whose family had arrived in New Zealand by 1889. The Georges lived in Milford, Auckland, where in 1914 at least, Eva’s father earned a living as a Director of Technical Education (Waitemata electoral roll).
William and Eva were living at 34 Crieff Street in Northland when William became ill with influenza, from which he died at home on 30 November. He was buried later the same day in the Public 2 section of Karori Cemetery.
GREENHALGH – On November 30 1918, at his late residence, 34, Crieff St., Wellington (late of A. and T. Burt, Ltd. Wellington), of influenza-pneumonia, William, loving husband of Eva Greenhalgh and dearly beloved youngest son of Mrs. J. Greenhalgh, 9 First Avenue, Kingsland, Auckland; aged 26 (sic) years – Sadly missed.
New Zealand Herald, 2 December 1918.
William’s death was also noted in a short item in the Evening Post on 30 November 1918:
The death has occurred from influenza of Mr. William Greenhalgh, formerly of the mechanical staff of the Evening Post, and latterly chief electrical engineer for A. and T. Burt, Ltd., electrical engineers. He leaves a wife whose home is at Northland. His parents reside in Auckland.
Eva was 7 months pregnant at the time, and their son William was born on 2 February 1919, 2 months after his father’s death.
On 21 January 1919 Eva purchased William’s burial plot though by that time she had returned to Auckland and was living at 36 Bassett Street (Road), Remuera. On 3 April 1919 she met the full costs of £9/15/0 for William’s funeral (1).
Eva inscribed William’s headstone with
‘Until the day break’ in loving memory of William, dearly beloved husband of Eva GREENHALGH died 30 Nov 1918 at 28 years. Sadly missed‘
In 1922 Eva remarried. Her new husband was a labourer, Henry NORTON. Eva died in Auckland in 1965.
William’s father died in 1928 and was buried at Waikumete Cemetery. His mother died aged 90 in 1940 and was buried with her husband at Waikumete.
Researched and written by Jenny Robertson
Grave Information:
Section: PUBLIC2
Plot: 280 J
(1) E Morris junior funeral register held by Turnbull Library.