GOD'S ACRE, RICCARTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10235, 2 January 1894, Page 2

GOD'S ACRE, RICCARTON.

[BY M. MOSELEY.] ■ The parish of Riccarton was formed and separated from Christchurch at tho end of 1855, and a little later tho church was erected, tho ground for the church, the parsonage, and tho school being tlvr munificent donation of tho Ven Archdeacon Mathias. Whether the old Homo prejudice against new graveyards obtained here is not certain, but certainly, if it < xi-ted, it was not pushed to such lengths. It is on record that in the County Down a beautiful cemetery was laid out, and planted with flowers and ornamental trees and shrubs, walks gravelled, and everything done to make the place attractive. And attractive it was to people desiring *a walk, lovers particularly, but no oho would be the first to bury their dead there. The authorities were at their wits’ end, when fortunately a ‘'simple” couple, husband and wife, died, and the whole town with ore accord decided to utilisa them to break tho supposed spell. Ana they were buried there, and others altar them. The first interment in Riccarton churchyard took place on Jan. 27, 1837, George Emilias Owen, a clergyman’s son. being Said to rest there, the Ven Octavius Mathias performing the ceremony. It may interest some to know that the churchyard ia divided into 652 plots of 9ft x 4ft each, and that so far 515 burials have taken place in it.

What a crowd cf memories arise no one (Strolls through this moat interesting God’a •'Acre. Foremost men in all ranks of life lie thore, and their failures and succeap.es come to mind as one reads names, dates and a touch that gives an inkling to tho lifo now ended. Women and girls lie »ll round in preponderating numbera. These principally belong to the small farmer class, * who worked'hard from before daylight till long past midnight, in all weathers, tending to th? cows, looking after the poultry,feeding tha pigs, winding (ho water, churning, cooking, clothes’ making and mending—with, not infrequently, picking potatoes, giving a hand to load the dray, and-stack tho corn—and generally making things go prosperously in a wsy tha “old man” in his stolid selfishness did not see till they fell in harness, prematurely won out, or became confirmed Invalids, and died with tho words "rest for the weary ” on thair iipa. Bloaa you, the " old man ” thinks he made tho money; that to him and those like him is due the prosperity of tho. district. The graves in that litt’e God’s Acre, the register cf interments, tell a diflefent tale. To most of us those lines come home with force, “ The fireside shows an empty chair, The graveyard bears an added stone."

That stone to young Woraley reminds ono of an exciting occupation now almost passed away. Ho, with hia father and two brothers, were hunting cattle in the gorge of tho Eurunui, when a bull charged the Horse ho rod© and threw him violently to the ground. He received concussion of the brain, and was dead in eight hours. Gtorga Ok antler, Beard, of Hanfiold, Riccarton, a very old settler known to most, rests here; as does John Dilloway, who was never so happy as when arranging a bit of racing in tho Park, “ the straight ” leading up to his old Plough Inn. " Sarah O’Connell ” —who doss not remombor her and tho Major, of Grey ? _ Their names were household word© tor kiadueis and unbounded hospitality. A largo, flat stone, worked up <o a cross on the face, chows whore Joseph Hawdon, M.L.C., lies burio.d. A runholder, a rich man, a qu : ot man he was, known chiefly s.s the father of one of Canterbury’s beauties. A small cross in honour of “ Little Lucy” is perhaps all the mother could do. Has sho passed on ? That grave does cot look as if a motherly care watched over it now. "John Charles VatteEuasell” ia a name to wake up memories. Originally in the 17th lancers, be came out !a tho Sir George Seymour, and, taking some country near Homebuah, was the first Canterbury settler to earn the name of "runholder.” Ho also purchased Ham, which he named after hia father’s estate in England. Ho was one of those who started* - the .Christchurch Press, and was tin enthusiastic Freemason. He sat in tho Legislative Council from 1855 to 1867. In general public matters Mr Watts-Russell ,was not a prominent man,.but the interest ho took in racing, in Freemasonry, and in ths newspaper, prevented bis being an idle msn. Over the altar in Riccarton church are throe F.tained glass windows, “In loving memory of John Charles Wattr.Ruesell, who died April 2, 1875.” A atone so overgrown with ivy and-rosea as almost to hido’tho name records the last resting place of poor G. A, 2E. Ross. That small dross tells us of Charles Walter Blake, and we remember a plucky little four-year-old thrown and killed by his pony. Heie is a monument in memory of George Holmes, who, with the Hon E, Richardson, drilled, and formed the Lyttelton Tunnel. A quiet, energetic business-msn; beyond building that tunnel he took lutle part in public matters, and on the conclusion of that contract he resided at Riccarton till his death in September, 1877. William Sefton Moorhouse, resting in tha same ground; naturally, reference, to the tunnel, recalls the. originator. The apostle of progress, it would be difficult to convey to now-comera anything of the enthusiasm his name inspired in tho minds of tho masses when ho was in the height of his popularity. Barn in Yorkshire, an English barrister, ho arrived hero rn 1851, aud finding this place too quiet—only 2000 people and a host, of them lawyers —he left’for Victoria, but returned in 1853 and Fettled in Lyttelton. He was an athlete, and "uncommon handy with hie fists,” as he showed oil ouo occasion in a characteristic way. In couit ono day a powerfulruffian,charged with eseapingfrom gaol, was establishing a reign of terror— Moorhouse suggested ah adjournment of tho court for haif-aa-hour, the magistrate willingly consenting. ’ Moorhouse then invil ei the man into the back yard, and ia a quarter of an hour so convinced him of hi* telly, that on 'the court resumin'? he received hia sentsnee like a lamb. In 1857 he contested Urn Superintendoncy with Mr Brittan, whom be boat by two to one. Tho big question of the time was tunnel versus road,and, of course, Moorhouse was for tho tunnel and the initiation of a system cf railways and public works. The tunnel contract being* thrown up by an English firm, Moorhouse went to Melbourne and returned with Mr George Holmes, who signed tho contract for £240,500 for the tunnel and railway. In 1861 He resigned the Snpeiiutsmdency and contested it again in 1863, when the heteest' fight that has ever occurred in Canterbury took place. Thera were three candid.',tfs—Moorhoum, J. D. Lacco and Travers. A local wit celebrated them thus;—

Three candidates in Christolinrqh city Stood for the Sunerintenden—seo ; There was Railway Bill and Squatting Jimmy, And tho third was W.T.L.T. : Moorhouse won in a canter, Lance being along way behind, find Travers nowhere. The way Moor souse wen tho regard—thelove—of the musses was wonderful. Ho seemed naturally to be ia py mputby with them, to understand them, and to ioel for them. One iaateuce of this :—floras now chums were doing / oh cl making in Olifii.teburch and they did not seem handy at barrow work. Alter looking on for a moment, Moorbouee took a burrow from a man, saying, " there’s & good deal in knack, just watch me.” But ia giving the lesson ha tore hia unmentionables, aud there was actnaUy fighting among tho women near as to who should mend those sacted pints. In "Volunteering Moorhouse was enchusiast c, na he was iu everything he took up, aud was Captain of O Troop, C.Y.C., fr. m to 1863, and ca hia removing to Wellington, he succeeded Captain Pearce in the command of the Arfciileiy, the crack corps of the place. It is hard to know where to stop when telling anecdotes of Moorhouse —a volume could bo filled with them proving his ability, his energy, the kindnew of his heart and his thorough reliabienc, s as a friend. He died a little more than twelve yrars ago, and though he died in harness for Canterbury—representing a constituency in the Bouse of Representatives—for years before hia death he had practically dropped out of sight

and public lifo. It seems ai though his work was to carry that tunnel and railway through r.gsinst the strong squatting interest, of the province, aud, having done that, he stood down. Near Moorhouse’fi grave lie tho remains of old Dr Coward, whose name for years was a power among the younger members of households, aad one to swear by amonu the mothers. And Colonel Packe, he reals hero, lie was the con of LieutenantColonel Pack?, of Tvvyford Hall, Norfolk; saw service in the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers in India, and was at tho relief of Luckuow, Ho was the first Captda of No. 2 Company, C.R.V., and, on the retirement of Major Reader, was appointed Major Commanding tho Canterbury Volunteers, subrequentiy being promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel. Bscspt in Volunteering he took no part ia public matters. What is to bo taici of Mark Pringle Stoddart, who also rests here ? Every one of the many lice? on that well-marked face tells of wit, fun, humour. Under the nom da plume of "Shsgrcon,” he lampooned and described in euch a way that every one was glad to see his verse, and no one fait hurt. The eon of Admiral Stoddart, ho arrived from Sydney in 1851, end almost immediately started a sheep run at the Eaksia, now tho property of Sir John Hall. Henry Poreher Lance ia another well-known name recorded in this graveyard. ■ He, with his brother, the Hon L. Walker, aud Mr J. W. Mallook lookup the Heathstock and Horsley Down runs, and he retained an interest iu them up to hia death iu May, 1886. He took considerable interest in chutch matters at Riccarton, being churchwarden, a member of the choir, and a lay reader. But it was iu racing matters he was best known to the general public. At College, in England, ho hud been recognise i as one of the beat light-weight gentlemen riders, and tho performances of "Mr Dart” are duly recorded, aud not a few of them either. Ia the early days in Canterbury he ran Market Gardener aud Emmeline, huh it was when ha became the owner of Mr Redwood’s stud in 1864 that he came into prominence, and, with Ladybird and Mies Lee, carried off some of the most coveted prizes. A broad, fiat stone covers tho resting-place of ono who, for her many virtues, deserves to be long remembered in Christchurch, "Amelia Davenport Johnstone,” the wife of the late Judge Johnstone. A beautiful, educated gentlewoman, her kindness and example were felt widely in Christchurch social circles, while her discriminating &nd numerous charities endeared her to the less fortunate. She rests iu peace. At the east end of the church, under the shadow of the chancel which he loved, stands a marble cross, “In memory of the Ven Croasdaila Bowen, 8.D., Archdeacon of Christchurch, for thirty-two years the well-beloved incumbent of this parish. Born Dec. 21, IS31; died Jen. 3, J 890.” Th ; s inscription epitomises his life; tho details were made up of a constant performance of the duty he loved, for hia parishioners and in the name of his Master,

In ono of the most recently made graves rest tha remains of Colorel Lean, who held the command of the Canterbury Volunteers for some years. An aichitect by profession, ho has left in Christchurch many smecimens of his ability. He was a kindhearted gentleman.