CHRISTCHURCH Archives ~ Look-up please * COMPLETED *

[Kea]

Hi Lu,

Nice to hear from you too and thanks for the thoughts. OK here  in 'munted' town. Life has changed in so many ways, but slowly getting used to a 'new normal'.
I'm working full-time now, so not much time to hunt the rellies. Plodding on, though, with my colourful West Coast lot.

Stephanie 

[brucebayliss]

Hi Stephanie & Lu,

Regards to you and yours after today's news Stephanie.

Yes; I'm keen to learn learn all I can about William Llewellyn and his brother Charles Rickards Fowler (who was my gt-gt-grandfather). Very inspired by a recent visit to Wotton-under-Edge. Talk of orginal documents was very exciting. I hope to visit Chch soon and would love to try and access whatever I can - circumstancs permitting.

My Fowlers were incidentally still Hokitika residents down to my Dad.

Any advice welcome.

Cheers,

Bruce

[Lucy2]

Hi Bruce

I have some snippets of information for William FOWLER which I'll dig out and post to this thread later today.

Yes, I've heard about the wonderful archive holdings in WuE, and am lucky enough to have been the recipient of documentation from that source, thanks to the generosity of fellow RICHINGS researchers. 

Am I right in thinking that besides Charles Rickards FOWLER (and William) there was another brother who firstly journeyed (with Charles) to Australia before coming to NZ ?    I just have a vague recollection - it's been a while since I looked at my notes.   [I'm not connected to the FOWLERs myself - my interest here was in William RICHINGS s/o Elizabeth (nee FOWLER) who married Samuel RICHINGS, (the brother of my g-g-g/f, John ). ]

Will get back to you later today.

~  Lu   

[brucebayliss]

Hi Lu,

William & Charles both ended up in Hokitika by way of Buninyong, Vic. William, as you probably know, had a successful drapery business and became mayor of Hokitika. Charles was a builder.

I'm not aware of a third  brother heading downunder - though there were more Fowler sons. The following is from an (1851?) census;

J/LLEWELLIN/FOWLER/HEAD/MAR/50//CARPENTER MASTER/GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

J/ANN/FOWLER/W/MAR//45//GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

J/CHARLES R/FOWLER/SON/U/19///GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

J/OSBORNE P/FOWLER/SON/U/17///GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

J/LOUISA/FOWLER/D/U//15/SCHOLAR/GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

J/ELIZABETH/FOWLER/D///12/SCHOLAR/GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

J/JOSEPH/FOWLER/SON//6//SCHOLAR/GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

J/FREDERICK/FOWLER/SON//2///GLS/WOTTON UNDEREDGE/

I think Osborne died about age 30 but maybe Joseph or Frederick emigrated - though they are obviously much younger. Stephanie's '08 post mentions a brother Frederick.

Cheers,

Bruce

[Lucy2]

Hi Bruce

Ah ... afraid I got it wrong, yes it was of course William L. who travelled to Vic. with Charles.   

Obviously I'm not sure just what info you already have, however I'll post these links to some snippets for William FOWLER.

From our wonderful PapersPast website :

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/

"West Coast Times" -- 6 July 1897 - page 4 - Obituary
William L. FOWLER

Also "West Coast Times"   > >

--  20 December 1886 - Death - page 2
A notice placed by William L. announcing the death in England of his beloved mother Ann, aged 81 years.

--  13 June 1879 - Advertisement - Page 3 - column 1
W. L. FOWLER elected to the Committee of Management - Westland Hospital.

-- 17 March 1886 - Resident Magistrate's Court
At some earlier date William L. had been appointed as a Justice of the Peace, and did his duty hearing cases in the local Court.

--  23 August 1895 - page 2 - column 1
Advertisement (one of many), for the drapery business, West of England House - announcing goods from Paris and London, and that it was both a wholesale and retail operation.   
[Hmm ... must have been a great little business, despite the dwindling population of Hokitika.  Back in the early 1880's there'd even been a branch store at Ross.  ]

                                                                 see next   >> 
 

[Lucy2]

.... a man of many talents.   

-- "Star" (Chistchurch) - 20 October 1885
                 -  Applications for Patents

William L. FOWLER of Hokitika, draper and clothier, for a process of "extracting volatile oil and other properties from New Zealand vegetation" :

----------------------------------------

I think that William L. FOWLER's obituary gives a delightful description of the man he was.      However, if you need to know more, there's plenty to be had by picking through all the various advertisements and articles at PapersPast.  (Most I found, under the search term "W.L. FOWLER". )

William Llewellyn FOWLER seems to have had a particular fondness for his nephew Will RICHINGS.    Will spent several years in Hokitika with his uncle where he too also made a very favourable impression on the locals.  He was a talented singer and actor, involved in numerous sporting and social clubs as well as all manner of community activities.   
Will had made a decision to go back to live in England shortly before William's death, but on hearing the news of his uncle's passing, he returned promptly to Hokitika.   Around 1900 he moved to Wanganui and set up his own very successful clothing and drapery establishment, married Caroline M. PAUL in 1905 and later retired to Papakura (Auckland) where he had a small farm.   There was no issue of the union.    I feel sure Will RICHINGS learned much from the examples set by William L. FOWLER.   

~  Lu

[brucebayliss]

Thank you both.

Yes, I have searched around in Papers Past - what an amazing resource! Thanks for taking the time to share the links.

I didn't know about the patent - fascinating.

The story about Will really adds another dimension; I don't expect you have a photo of him?

Cheers,

Bruce

[Lucy2]

Hi again Bruce

Oh yes  ... PapersPast certainly is a fabulous resource !   

It's possible (in many instances) to gain so much more understanding of the lives of our relatives, by picking through articles and ... especially the advertisements (which often yield "surprises").   And worth re-visiting the site from time to time as different newspapers are added and the dates are extended.   

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of Will (must try sometime though and see if the Wanganui Museum or Library have anything as it was there he spent over a decade in business and serving the community.)

Will RICHINGS died 13 January 1936 at Buckland (Auckland).  His short obituary focused more on his time with the local (lawn) bowling club.      However I do like to think that the article published on his departing Hokitika in 1897, is a  fitting tribute.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/

'West Coast Times" - 30 January 1897 - Social to Mr. Richings 

[And your Mr. FOWLER gets a mention too. ]   

~  Lu   

[Lucy2]

Don't know if you were following up on Elizabeth (sister to Charles and William L. FOWLER) ?

Some census snippets I had on file  ...

1881

Indexed as "RITCHENS"

-- Elizabeth - widow - 40 years - b. Wotton-under-Edge
occupation :  Inn Keeper

-- Emily Kate - dau - 13 years - scholar - b. WuE

-- Samuel - son - 11 - scholar - b. WuE

Living at Fox Inn, Hawkesbury, Gloucester
___________________

Another daughter -- Louisa Ann - 19 - is with her uncle (William Richings) and aunt, at Park Farm, WuE :

And young Will RICHINGS - 16 years - draper's assisant is living with your 3 x gt/grandmother Ann FOWLER at Bradley Street, WuE.