OLD CHRISTCHURCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16875, 28 October 1922, Page 15

OLD CHRISTCHURCH.

IN COLOMBO ST. NORTH. EARLY HISTORY RECALLED Mr R. E. Greati . of 150. Springfield Koiid. whose articles on early Christchurch have been much appreciated by Star ’’ readers, contributes the following article, which refers to the portion of old Christchurch shown in the photograph reproduced on this page Your readers may appreciate some reminiscences of Colombo Street Xorth, from Cathedral Square, in the seventies. Though tlio accompanying picture is small, it represents much interesting history of the growth of business and some crime in this part of the City of the Plains. The building on the right will he readily recognised as a portion of the Christchurch Cathedral. which had taken the early settlers forty years to build. The foundation stone was laid hv Bishop Harper on December Id. 18H4. Although T was then only a little hoy. 1 well remember the occasion. My mother had taken mo to sec the ceremony. Tt was raining very hard at the time, and it was well foiyme in those days that hobble skirts were not the fashion. Amid the downpour niv mother drew me to her side and wrapped me in a fold of her skirt, at no inconvenience herself but greatly to my comfort. A contract was let for the toundniions, which wore completed in the following year <1.P65) having absorbed the whole of the available funds. After that a period of depression set. in over the whole of CantMmry. and. Nothing further could he done lor eight vcais. In September, 187 M. another start was made and work proceeded in stages, partly by contract and partly by day labour until the whole edifice was finally cons'immatorl and consecrated on

November 1, 1001, at a total cost ot The next building on the right was Hobbs and Son. tailors (Mr TG Hobbs ivas Mayor in Jfi7-5-7«). On Ihc north side of this building were two or three shops. One was Stewart’s, fruiterer, the next was Jacobs' (drapers). In this latter shop a fire broke out arid quickly got a firm hold of Hobbs’s building, re suiting in its complete dest ruction, along with several simps adjoining', bile present brick building was then elected and since then it has been know'll as “Hobbs’s Buildings.’’ at the corner of Gloucester Street was Hinrn s Ceutial Hotel. It has been rebuilt and is now known as the Masonic. On the opposite side/of Gloucester Street was Alfred Gee. pastrycook and confectioner. This building has passed out and is now Carey’s. [’.'tween hern and Armagh Street were t\ bites (furniture shop). IVinco’s (China shop). Eden

George (photographer). Mr George became Mayor in 1803, Next was H Thompson (('oatos and ( o.) .Mr Thompson was Mayor in I*7*. Next was a large butchery, conducted at different periods by Coker and Ml. Lewis. and later by M Kever ancl Mann. (Coker was a shipmate of the writer, and it v.-gs he who established Coker's Hotel). The next shop was .1. P. .lameson (’-vlt-i was Mayor in 1879), grocer. This busi - ness was later conducted by Grinsted, Griffiths, T. Kincaid., G.LC.. and is now F. A. Cook’s. Xext was (>orgo Gould, (ookham House. This has undergone little or no change since f was erected. 'Then follows pawnbroker. a photographer and Turners Household Sewing .Machine Depot. Tin Golden Fleece Hotel was at the coiner of Armagh Street. IT. Smitl (drapers) stood about one chain nort of Armagh Street. This building w. origina 11 v erected for Mrs Williams (; widow), ‘who established the bnsines and carried it on for many years. I was Mrs Williams's eldest danghte who became i.i ; Mayoress < ; Christchurch (in 1868). Mrs A. Mil Hams sold out. when Smith, and thei Cass, conducted the business for ; while. Later Mr and Airs T. Arm strong took possession and put Im I life into the place. In the meantinu other shops were erected betwen the drapers and Armagh Street. These were occupied by Dearing (butcher), Air Sharia ml (i anev bazaar) and Dann (chemist), hut ‘they have all merged into Armstrong’s. Next to Airs W illmm* was Hadrill’s Market Hotel, then a small building that had done duty as the first post office in Christchurch. Next was Money’s Victorian Hotel, and then Airs Pope’s stationery shop. H. b Bowker’s grocery shop may he seen in the picture. Later on the same bust;i( -- was conducted h> M . Nea.te, v f >. was Mayor of St Albans 3 890-91. Siuc< then the business has passed out. nnr Ihe old building has been cleared away. Beyond this were the Crystal Palace | Buildings, at the corner of Ohestei | Street. Here Dr Townend had moms ; w here he dispensed advice and modi ! cine. Across Chester Street i.-> A A. ; Adley’s old Oxford Hotel, but not ,th; one that is there now. Between the hotel and the river can be smn one of the large willow trees that have jus: been cut down. Reverting to about. where H. L Bowker’s shop stood, it will be re membered by early settlers, and it wil he news to more recent arrivals, that ir 18(36 two men named John Dinslej Swales ancl John Rankin had a grocery shop here. Mrs Pope was on the s-aitb. and Clark’s shoe shop was oi the north side. The Duke of Welling ton Hotel was close by. On February 7 1868, between 11 and 12 p.m.. ; lire broke out in Swales and Rankin’: shop. During the progress of th< lire Swale was seen at the back of hi:

shop in the garden quietly watching the* blaze. He was fully dressed, even to his cc'.'ar and tie, and had on his best hat (a bell-topper). When the tire was subdued a portion of Hankin'.s skeleton was found in the ember;, the rest of his body having been consumed by the fire. Suspicion rested on Swales, and on February 8 I>r Coward held an inquest on Ilankin s remains. William Wilson was loreman of the jury, which found a verdict of wilful murder. Swales was committed for trial, and on March 6 he was found guilty of the murder of John Rankin (his partner). He was sentenced to death by Mr Justice Gresson, and was executed in the Lyttelton Gaol on April TO. Ho was the first man to be executed there. Before the day of the execution ho made the following confession to the Rev K. A. Lingard, dated Tuesday, April 14. 1888: “ T confess, O Lord, before Thee and before man that, without thought ot care for what I was doing. I set fire to my house, thereby causing the death 7 of a poor man and endangering the lives of my kind neighbours.” On the night before his execution lie made a much more extended confession. in which ho confessed to having, in .June, 18(37, attempted to burn the shop down by placing a lighted candle in. a box of paper before he went out. Ho and his partner returned before the candle had burned low enough to light the paper, and thus his attempted incendiarism passed olf without either partner making any reference to it. Coming back to the Square, on the left may he seen, some cabs. Here was a cab stand which extended fulij half-way across the Square. Io the west of" the stand were some very large eucalyptus and poplar trees, all of which have been cut down. The first building on the left was J. M. Heywood’a (N.Z. Carrying Go., since removed to Manchester Street). It was here where the late 1. L. I aylor was employed when he started his prohibition crusade. Next to Hey wood's was Furmnnn’s furniture store, a fairly large establishment extending back and branching into the Square and Gloucester Street. Next to Fnrmann’s, at the corner of Colombo and Gloucester Streets, was Candy and Dewsbury, clothiers, etc. Ihe whole <>l this old biock of buildings has passed out. and the new building is now known ns the Dominion Buildings. From Gloucester Street to Armagh Street the buildings have been either burned or pulled down since 1870 and re-erected, except Cook and Ross’s, which is. 1 think, one ol the oldest buildings in Christchurch. 7>; was erected in 1859. the year T came to Christchurch, an.d like the writer, it is still here.