AN EARLY WEDDING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 148, 17 March 1908, Page 7

AN EARLY WEDDING.

' ' " D ' mrrTMSAoo..'' Yesterday Mr. and>Mrs. A. E. Rowdon, of • Centi-al,«Terrace,Kelbiinie, -, celebrated "their gelden' adding.;.; sThty '.were. 'married 1 . in". St.' .... l'cter a/Oluirclij'. To Aro, .by. the lato Ai'clk .; deacon.Stock, then- the.Rev. A. : Stock, on . March 16, 1858/ .'As an'old 'resident of/ Wellington,., Mr. Rowdon,; no. doubtp'could tell an ' interesting; stojy: of. the ' progress of ' -V' tne/ City- .farid.-:, tho'-:,,process, .of' qvents;' • •/••) .«•«. "I- such cases.it should not be for£ottdn rccdrd-keepers Jiave' a diity.. to, per f onji rt o Jier,other citizens. ■^■■.v-Mr'.-'Ro^acn/.himsDlfiJandcd^.in 1 Wellington t' l © ship Myitlo (Captain Mordue) on January. .81, 1857. Tho landing-place was then opposite;tho.present Barrett's Hotel in - Lambtpn,,Quay.;.; In this-;connection- it is ;■ / interesting-• tp > recall, tliat recently^duriiig ■ excavation, work near the Central Hotel, a . poition of an • oldvpier, which once formed , part of the ■bi'eastworki: was unearthed.'' The' ships, in 'those- days wafted in- and- out of . theJiarbbii'r by iair-.wirids,' 'dropped anchor!: in deep .water, . and ; maintained communication with: the'shore by, their boats; Lambton' \ : : ..Quay, was, then " the' Beach," and the sea • ! lapped j Quinton's .Corner.: Mr./,. Rowden, ■ shortly: aftor; landing,: entered tho office -'of ' : Eevm and C 0.,. which firm/was then under the control of the original founder, Mr. Na-' .-> thaniel Levin; aiul.afterwards-he joined E. W. Mills and Co. : Tho subsequent 46 years . woro spent,-.as confidential'clerk: to the lateMr./W. B. Rhodes,; and with the Trustees-of' the Rhodes estate. .'lt is;interesting. to recall that in 1.1861 the:Bank:,of New Zealand 'was . started /in,: Mr. -. lthodes's office. "The Hon • Mr. Rhodes and Mr.. A.! do •Brandon wero provisional: directors. : ,Tho: allotmoiits and the first calls of. tho bank were paid into 1 this office. As to the early condition bf Wellington and-itssurroundings much-could be told As ■ showing ; the - difficulties of:-travelling Mr" ~ Rowden onco had to';,find his way/,to ;'Napier ? Sea passage was /infrequent and' unreliable? Ihe 1 only .recourse was to tramp it or rido on horseback,-and, proceeding along the Hutt road,; the traveller s;*bewilderiiig,' directions , were, Kee- rightvpn;'' Masterton in those • days did-not exist,, and the . Wairarapa plains woro the .feeding grounds; of; herds-'- of • wild' f , cat-tie; -which,; in, safety; -had : to /be .• carefully , • avoided. ..Crossing tho : rivers,was the greatest , , difficulty.;: . Tho Maoris werti peaceful, and ,friendly.Lntbr, '.when - trouble ' broke' out •/•..citusenlfcin' -.Wellington were enrolled :in, tho Diilitis. .y • Mon , carried their muskets with 'them/to-work, and turned ■ out;,at regular - ,' time» for drill,, generally at Courteriay Place. Exercise was: obtained by . sham fights ,up Mount Victoria. :■ . • . :• _ Prior, to coming (to New' Zealand/Mr. .Rowden saw service' at the'Crimea'as a,midshipman oh H.M.S. Tiger,': a paddle-wheel wnr- / ship./ This.stoame'r was wrecked on:tho:coast -' off .Odessa-on May 12, 1854. ;,All the officers and'crew. : wero taken prisoners!by\tho jßus- ■ sians - and sent to Sti Petersburg, but- were : afterwards; exchanged, for Russian prisoners and, liberated, and finally they, readied, Lon- .: don, having' travelled via Hamburg. ,It was '''after, this trying experience; •in his yoiit.h ; that/Mr.. Rowden caino to; New Zealand.i , Previously he.had soon service in,the-White Sea, where a .bombardment, of Russian ports was being' carried on. His early training was ;on board ihe old Victory. i'Mrs." Rowden wn i the first white girl /born at Wellington. •Iler parents, Mr. and .Jli-s. Stoddart, arrived at- Pet One in tho Adelaide hi, 1840. . It was thought at; that timo that ketone would be : :t ; ho. sit.o of the present.city.; ;Mr. v and 'Mrs. •Rowdon have now .around (iliem a family of four: Rons and six daughters,' and . eleven grandchildren. .„ ■