HOUGHTON, Robert Henry
Born 15 November 1878; died 21 November 1918; buried 22 November 1918; age 40
Robert Henry was the sixth of eight children in the family of James Henry HOUGHTON and Catherine, née BOZARD. Robert’s parents were married in 1859, 19 years before his birth, and they lived all their married life in a freehold property in Ingestre Street (the earlier name for Vivian Street). Robert attended the nearby Te Aro Infants’ School, and after leaving school he found work like his father as a labourer.
In 1897, Robert married Florence Ellen PRICE. Both were 19. Florence had been born in London, but came to New Zealand with her parents when she was one. Between 1897 and 1910 the couple had five children, two sons at first, then two daughters, and finally another son. Over the same period, both of Robert’s parents died, Catherine in 1899 and James in 1905; and both were buried in Bolton Street cemetery.
In the early years of their marriage Robert and Florence lived mainly at 29 Mortimer Terrace in the Aro Valley, with Robert working as a moulder. The children’s school records show that the family moved to Johnsonville at the end of 1911; but when Robert enlisted for Army service in 1916, still working as a moulder, he had moved again and was then living in Donald Street in Karori. He was in Class E of the Second Division, acknowledging that he had four dependent children. It is possible that Army life might not have been to his taste. The Dominion on 2 October 1915 carried a brief report that he had been fined 10s plus costs for failure to attend military drill.
In November 1918, Robert, still living in Kaori, contracted influenza died on the 21st, and was buried the next day in the Anglican section of Karori Cemetery. He was 40 years old, and had not made a will so was intestate. Many years later, in 1977, one of his daughters, Jessie Catherine, was buried in the same grave. It is not known what happened to Florence and the other children after Robert died.
Houghton Bay, on Wellington’s south coast, was named after Robert’s grandfather, Captain Robert Houghton, a master mariner and the first signal man at the signal station on Mount Albert. (Evening Post, 19 September 1933, and F L Irvine-Smith, ‘The Streets of My City’, A H & A W Reed, 1948).
Researched and written by Max Kerr
Grave Information:
Section: CH ENG2
Plot: 105 E
Born 15 November 1878; died 21 November 1918; buried 22 November 1918; age 40
Robert Henry was the sixth of eight children in the family of James Henry HOUGHTON and Catherine, née BOZARD. Robert’s parents were married in 1859, 19 years before his birth, and they lived all their married life in a freehold property in Ingestre Street (the earlier name for Vivian Street). Robert attended the nearby Te Aro Infants’ School, and after leaving school he found work like his father as a labourer.
In 1897, Robert married Florence Ellen PRICE. Both were 19. Florence had been born in London, but came to New Zealand with her parents when she was one. Between 1897 and 1910 the couple had five children, two sons at first, then two daughters, and finally another son. Over the same period, both of Robert’s parents died, Catherine in 1899 and James in 1905; and both were buried in Bolton Street cemetery.
In the early years of their marriage Robert and Florence lived mainly at 29 Mortimer Terrace in the Aro Valley, with Robert working as a moulder. The children’s school records show that the family moved to Johnsonville at the end of 1911; but when Robert enlisted for Army service in 1916, still working as a moulder, he had moved again and was then living in Donald Street in Karori. He was in Class E of the Second Division, acknowledging that he had four dependent children. It is possible that Army life might not have been to his taste. The Dominion on 2 October 1915 carried a brief report that he had been fined 10s plus costs for failure to attend military drill.
In November 1918, Robert, still living in Kaori, contracted influenza died on the 21st, and was buried the next day in the Anglican section of Karori Cemetery. He was 40 years old, and had not made a will so was intestate. Many years later, in 1977, one of his daughters, Jessie Catherine, was buried in the same grave. It is not known what happened to Florence and the other children after Robert died.
Houghton Bay, on Wellington’s south coast, was named after Robert’s grandfather, Captain Robert Houghton, a master mariner and the first signal man at the signal station on Mount Albert. (Evening Post, 19 September 1933, and F L Irvine-Smith, ‘The Streets of My City’, A H & A W Reed, 1948).
Researched and written by Max Kerr
Grave Information:
Section: CH ENG2
Plot: 105 E