The Hardy Estate in Mount Albert

In about 1900, after around 30 years in the Horseshoe Bush, Charles and Alice moved to Mount Albert. This was after a short stay in Helensville between 1898 and 1900.

An area of what was then farmland on Mount Albert Rd was purchased by Charles on 7th June 1899 for the sum of 310 pounds. This was an area of 3 acres that was originally owned by Allan Kerr Taylor who was an early settler in Mount Albert and owned much of the land around that part of Auckland. On the electoral rolls Charles was describing himself as a farmer, although he was now aged 68. Alice was aged 57.

The Hardy children were of the following ages in 1900;

Charles Lingham ; 34

George; 32

Frederick; 27

Florence; 24

Alice; 22

Ada; 20

Helena; 18

In 1900 Charles L was living in Aoroa near Dargaville and working at a timber mill; George was in Mount Albert working as a carpenter; Frederick had just moved to Eltham in Taranaki after being in Helensville for a couple of years and was in business as a saddler; and the girls were still living at home. Florence was studying to become a teacher. More about each of the Hardy children will be covered in later blogs.

The best indication of the land purchased by Charles in 1900 and the location of the house built on this land, comes from the image below. This is the advertisement of subdivided sections of the Hardy Estate offered for sale in 1925. Before being subdivided the land purchased by Charles was all described as Lot 40 and it included the land with frontages to Lloyd Avenue and numbered 1 to 4. It included the part of Lot 40 next to Lot 12 (30 Mount Albert Rd) on which Charles and Alice built another house in around 1911. This house was originally numbered 36 and subsequently became 34 Mount Albert Rd.

The road labelled above as Mountain Road is now Kitenui Avenue. The residence of "6 spacious rooms" offered for sale is the Hardy home located at 30 Mount Albert Road. According to Edna Pilkington, a daughter of Charles Lingham, the Hardys transported timber - we assume kauri- from Horseshoe Bush to Mount Albert for the construction of their house. The house was called Montana. It is shown in the image below- unfortunately not a very good image.

The images below are photos taken by me in March 2019. Significant work is currently being done on the house after what looks like a number of years of neglect. These images show that the view in the old photo above is taken at the opposite end of the house to the Mount Albert Road frontage. It has been substantially changed but traces of the old house can be seen. The right of way that appears immediately to the right of number 30 leads to the house at number 32 that was owned by Charles Lingham Hardy from 1935, on Lot 13 in the advertisement.

The story of the subdivision

The subdivision and sale of sections occurred after the death of Charles who passed away in 1914, but whilst Alice was still alive. She died in 1936. The matter of the management of the estate left by Charles Hardy requires consideration of the terms of Charles' Will and the actions of his executors and some of the family members.

Charles' Will

Under his Will Charles appointed as executors his son Charles Lingham Hardy and two of his sons-in-law namely Albert Beazley who was married to Alice Maud and Edmund Spencer who was married to Ada Susanna. The executors were required to manage the estate and were given powers "to sell, call in and convert the same into money as and when they in their absolute discretion think fit with all the powers and discretion of absolute owners."

Any income from the estate was to be applied to pay an income to Alice during her lifetime. Other moneys from the estate could be used to supplement the income to Alice, if deemed to be required to ensure she had sufficient for her proper maintenance from time to time.

In addition to the provision to Alice of an income, Charles required that Alice have the right to occupy the house on his freehold section at lot 40 on Mount Albert Road ( the house at 34 Mount Albert Rd) along with all its furniture and improvements or to receive the net income and profits arising from this house and land. He also left Alice the sum of 100 pounds. On Alice's death Charles required that the house and land referred to above be transferred to their daughter Florence Frances Hardy. Charles had already gifted a section on the corner of Kitenui and LLoyd Avenues ( number 59 Lloyd Avenue) to his daughter Ada Susanna in January 1912. This was done prior to her marriage to Edmund Spencer in May 1912.

Charles also provided for the following amounts to be paid after Alice's death;

Firstly the following sums:

Charles Lingham; 600 pounds

George Harry; 100 pounds

Ada Susanna; 500 pounds

Helena Harriet; 100 pounds

Any residue of the estate was then to be divided equally between each of the children.

Edward (Teddy) Death (D' Ath)

On 7 July 1909 Teddy Death a farmer from the Waikato, ( he subsequently changed his surname by deed poll to D'Ath) married Helena Hardy. Their wedding photo is below.

The wedding was reported in the NZ Herald as follows;

At St Lukes Church Mount Albert on Wednesday inst; Miss Nellie Hardy, youngest daughter of Mr Charles Hardy, of Kirtland, Mount Albert was married to Mr Edward Death of Okoroire. Rev Parry officiated. The bride who was given away by her father, was handsomely gowned in white chiffon taffeta silk in semi-Princess style, with veil and orange blossoms. The bridesmaids were Miss Ada Hardy and Miss Lucie Death, who were attired picturesquely in white serge dresses with hats to match. Mr A. Death acted as best man. The popularity of the couple was evidenced by the many beautiful presents received.

Note that the above refers to Charles Hardy "of Kirtland Mount Albert". The name Kirtland connects to the church of Latter Day Saints and is the name of a historic temple built in Ohio in the USA in 1836. It would seem that Charles who was very involved with the LDS may have adopted this name in reference to his home. At this time it appears that Charles and Alice may have been living at 34 Mount Albert Rd as he advertised Montana, the house at 30 Mount Albert Rd for rent in 1907. It may be that Kirtland was the name Charles applied to 34 Mount Albert Rd.

According to records compiled by Dulcie McClure, a daughter of Helena and Teddy, Charles Hardy did not think highly of Teddy D'Ath, considering him to be 'sickly and too wealthy'.

Helena was a teacher and may have met Teddy during the time when she was teaching at Taotaoroa in the Waikato.

The sale of land by Charles Hardy to Teddy D'Ath in 1912

In a conveyance agreement dated 13 May 1926 it is recorded that Charles had agreed to sell a substantial part of his land in Mount Albert to Teddy D'Ath under an agreement dated 12th June 1912. The sale price was one thousand six hundred and twenty five pounds. The Reserve Bank general inflation calculator for the period since then suggests this price would in todays dollars be equivalent to about $300,000. The real land value today would be several millions of dollars. The price of 1,625 pounds compares with the amount of 310 pounds paid by Charles for the whole of his 3 acres.

The sale to Teddy D'Ath excluded portions of the land owned by Charles as follows;

1. The land that had frontages to Lloyd Avenue- this encompasses four lots including a section on the corner of Kitenui and Lloyd Avenues where Ada Hardy subsequently lived with her husband Edmund Spencer ;

2. Part of Lot 40 ( 34 Mount Albert Rd) that sits on the right hand side of the right-of-way to Lot 13 ( 32 Mount Albert Rd) where Charles Lingham Hardy subsequently lived. This section and the house on it was specifically left to Florence Hardy under Charles' Will.

Teddy only paid a deposit to Charles of the amount of four hundred and twenty five pounds and the title to the land was not in fact transferred. Teddy also transferred the title to the land to Helena subject to payment of the balance of purchase price still owed to Charles.

Sadly Helena died in tragic circumstances on 27th July 1924 at 34 Mount Albert Road. The terms of her Will left her estate, including the land at Mount Albert to her husband Teddy. The executors of Helena's estate were Teddy and well known Auckland conveyancing lawyer and city councillor Ellen Mellville.

The conveyance agreement of 13th May 1926 records that subject to a mortgage for the amount of the balance still owed on the purchase price agreed between Teddy and Charles in 1912, the title to the land in question was to be transferred to Teddy D'Ath and Ellen Melville.

An additional deed of agreement dated 13th May 1926 records that Teddy D'Ath and Ellen Melville will be granted a mortgage by the executors of Charles' Will for the amount still owed to Charle's estate. The deed records that Teddy and Ellen have prepared a plan of subdivision of the estate into 9 sections and sets out an arrangement for repayments to Charles' estate of the sum owed plus interest alongside the sales of the sections. No repayment was to be made in respect of the first two sales of sections with an amount of 200 pounds to be paid on the sale of each subsequent section.

A copy of the Certificate of Title for the subdivided land records the following transactions;

Lot 7; transfer to William Bruce 6th December 1928

Lot 10; transfer to Samuel Leather dated 11th November 1935

Lot 13; transfer to Charles Lingham Hardy on 11th November 1935

Lot 9; transfer to Samuel Leather dated 9th December 1937

Lot 8; transfer to Clive Menzies dated 20th September 1938

Lots 11 and 12 transferred to Ellen Melville on 9th August 1939- Teddy D'Ath died on 24th March 1939.

Lot 11 transferred to His Majesty The King (for state housing) on 9th August 1939

Lot 12 transferred to Albert Beazley (husband of Alice Maud Hardy) on 9th September 1942

Transfer of land at Lot 40 (34 Mount Albert Road) to Florence Hardy

There was a specific provision in Charles' Will that on the death of his wife Alice their daughter Florence Francis was to have transferred to her the "...section in Mount Albert Road being part of Allotment 40 of the parish of Titirangi having a frontage of fifty feet to Mount Albert Road aforesaid by a depth of one hundred and fifty feet with the house and other improvements thereon..."

In a specific codicil to his Will, Charles provided for Alice to be able to live in the house on this freehold section after his death or to be able to enjoy the "net income and profits arising therefrom."

Alice died on 4th November 1934. A Certificate of Title for the section that was still referred to as Lot 40 and which appears to have the dimensions referred to by Charles in his Will, records the transfer of this land to Florence Francis Hardy on 7th March 1935. This is 34 Mount Albert Rd.

This section on Mount Albert Road is on the other side of the Right of Way that accesses Lot 13. This section at 32 Mount Albert Rd was owned by Charles Lingham from November 1935. David Hardy can recall visiting his grandfather at this house.

A surveyors map of the subdivision dated 1925 has a comment in very small print on Lot 40 which says "occupied by Mrs Hardy".

Florence may have lived at 34 Mount Albert Road for a short time. She lived in many different locations around New Zealand during her career as a teacher. During the years 1903 to 1906 she studied the educational system in the USA. Florence went to a university in California and became principal of a grammar school. She was a teacher at Clarksburg School near Sacramento, California in 1905.

The New Zealand Electoral Roll records indicate Florence was at Elstow, Te Aroha in 1911, at Wellington South, Cliff House in 1928, and in Rotorua in 1935. The Wises street directory shows that she was at 34 Mount Albert Rd in 1942. She lived in Pukekohe from 1946 until her death on 4th January 1950. Florence sold 34 Mount Albert Road in July 1942.

A document showing an application to make alterations to 36 Albert Road ( this is the house at 34 before the renumbering of Mount Albert Rd) by "Miss Hardie" dated 1935 suggests that perhaps Florence was at that address from around the time of her mother's death until she moved to Pukekohe.

34 Mount Albert Road is the address recorded as the residence of Teddy and Helena D'Ath at the time of Helena's tragic death.

We are left with the question of where Alice resided between Charles' death in 1914 and her death in 1934. At some point before 1925 she moved to 34 Mount Albert Road. The surveyors plan dated September 1925 has a notation on Lot 40 (number 34 Mount Albert Rd) "... occupied by Mrs Hardy". The house and land at 30 Mount Albert Road (Lot 12) was not sold until 1942 when Albert Beazley purchased it. A cemetery record for Alice Hardy states her final residence was 36 Mount Albert Road and this is also the address given in her obituary. This is likely to have been the house that was at 34 Mount Albert Rd before the renumbering occurred.

In the absence of hard evidence some conjecture is required. What we know is that the original house on lot 12 at 30 Mount Albert Road was put up for sale at the time of the sale of the sections within the Hardy Estate and was included in the deal Charles did with Teddy D'Ath in 1912. This house was also advertised by Charles in 1907 as being for available rent.

Charles' Will made clear provision for Alice to live at the house at 34 Mount Albert Rd that he did not include in the 1912 sale to Teddy D"Ath. The large residence at 30 Mount Albert Road did not get sold until 1942 which is some years after Alice's death. It was then bought by another family member Albert Beazley who married Alice Maud on 12 March 1903.

There is more research to do. Hopefully we will be able to clarify things in a later blog.

Update

Since writing this blog we have learned that 3 houses existed in the 1920s being Montana at 30 Mount Albert Road, a large villa at 34 Mt Albert Rd (possibly the one called Kirtland by Charles) and a further house at 36 Mt Albert Rd. These are shown in the photo below dated 1920 which has also been posted in a subsequent blog. We are yet to verify the accuracy of the date of this photo.

Left to right numbers 30, 34 and 36 Mount Albert Rd.