The Spencer Family Story
- Greg Austen
- Aug 9
- 23 min read
This is the story of Ada who was the seventh born of the eight children of Charles and Alice Hardy and her husband Edmund Spencer and his family. The story of much of Ada's early life has already been covered within the early Hardy stories. However in looking at the Spencer family connection a further fascinating family history has emerged. The unfolding of this story started for me from the effort to answer a very simple question about an unusual and distinctive family name.
I was in the process of adding to the Hardy family tree on Ancestry information on the Spencer family when I came across the surname of Edmund Spencer's mother. She was Elizabeth Berridge prior to her marriage to Thomas Spencer. The name Berridge is familiar to me through a very well known family who live at Stanley Point in Devonport. Berridge Spencer is the son of the late John Spencer of Caxton Paper fame. John's father was also named Berridge Spencer.
It seemed unlikely but I then asked myself what was the likelihood that Edmund Spencer husband of Ada Hardy was connected to the very wealthy Spencer family who founded Caxton Paper. Surely it was more than just a coincidence that the name Berridge appears in both families!
The history of Edmund Spencer's family further demonstrates that we live in a small village with more connections between people than we often realise.
Ada's early life
Ada was born in June of 1880. This was when the Hardy family was living at the Horse Shoe Bush near Dairy Flat in Albany. In 1880 her eldest brother Charles was age 14, George was age 12, Fred was age 7, sister Florence was age 4, Alice age 2 and Helena would be born two years later. Ada grew up at the Horse Shoe Bush and attended the local Dairy Flat School. She also attended school at the school house located on her father's property, initially in an old farm shed. Subsequently she would have attended school in the new school building built in 1893 on land donated by Charles and Alice for the benefit of the children in the Horse Shoe Bush area.
Since arriving in New Zealand in 1865 Charles had acquired some 200 acres of land containing large amounts of kauri timber which he set about cutting down and selling over a period of around 30 years. He then sold the land at Horse Shoe Bush and the family moved to Helensville around 1890. The proceeds of the land sale enabled the purchase of 3 acres of land in Mt Albert. This land was subsequently subdivided. Charles kept a number of sections for himself and other members of his family. The remainder were in due course offered for sale.
The photographs below taken in the early 1900s show the two houses Charles had built on Mt Albert Rd. Mt Albert mountain is behind the houses. The larger house on the right was called Montana. It still exists. It was the first house occupied by Charles and Alice and their family. The house to the left called Kirtland was also built by Charles. It was occupied by Alice following Charle's death. That house no longer exists.
The land owned by Charles extends in front of the houses and Mt Albert Rd runs along behind them. Montana was built facing the north with its back to the road.
The subdivision plan below shows the land that was offered for sale in 1925. It also describes the residence for sale that has 6 spacious rooms. This is the house called Montana which sits on lot 12. The house called Kirtland sat on lot pn40 which is the other side of a Right of Way to lot 13.
I have set out the full story of the subdivision in earlier blogs so I will not repeat that here.
Charles gifted Lot 1 in the subdivision to Ada on 9 January 1912. This was just prior to Ada's marriage to Edmund Spencer. Lot 1 is a corner site that faces onto Lloyd Avenue. The house that Ada and Edmund had built on this site is still there and looks to be in very good condition. Below is a photo from the current street map.
Ada and Edmund married on 29 May 1912. At the time of her marriage Ada was age 32. Edmund was age 46. Edmund was a printer. More about this will follow. Prior to her marriage Ada appears not to have worked. Her occupation was described in census records as "domestic duties".
I do not currently have any photos of Ada's wedding. However I do have the photo below from Helena's wedding which took place in July of 1909. Ada is sitting to the right of her sister Helena. Alice is seated on the left side next to Helena's husband Teddy D'ath.
Edmund and Ada had two children. Stanley Frederick was born 31 July 1913. Alice Frances was born 28 April 1918.
Ada lived until the age of 91. I understand that she provided much support to her mother over the years following Charles' death in January 1914, until Alice died in November 1934 also age 91.
Like his father, Stanley became a printer. I have not found any details of the printing business Edmund started when he returned from his trip to America in the early 1900s. It is possible that Stanley worked in Edmund's business. Stanley married Winifred Crossley on 9th January 1943. They had two daughters, Lorraine and Majorie.
The photo below shows Edmund at the wedding of his daughter Frances. The family records state that Alice Frances Spencer married Harry Maud on 12 December 1942. Edmund would have been age 76 at that time. His daughter was age 24. Frances and Harry had two children, a son Tony and a daughter Jennifer.
Edmund Spencer
As I mentioned at the beginning of this story it is the research into the Spencer family that proved to be most interesting. The key initial information was that Edmund's parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Spencer and that Elizabeth's maiden name was Berridge. I then was fortunate in coming across a detailed story titled "The Spencer Family in New Zealand- tales of those who came before". The story commences with the story of Thomas and Elizabeth Spencer (nee Berridge).
I have also been able to access information on the Spencer family through a family tree created by Don Fergusson which contains details of the "Clan Ferguson of Moulin". The Spencer family has a connection to the clan. I have also done further research using the British Newspaper Archive and Ancestry.
Below is information from Don Ferguson's charts showing Edmund's parents and siblings.
The next chart shows Thomas's parents details. His father was also named Thomas.
Below are details of William Spencer and his wife Mary and their children. William's father was also named Thomas.
The chart below is as far back as Don Fergusson has gone.
This is a long story. I will endeavour to relate the parts most relevant to the Hardy family in this blog.
Thomas and Elizabeth were born in England and married there in Warmington, Northhamptonshire. They came to New Zealand in 1861 on the ship Mersey. The trip took 105 days. They had five children with them namely Charles, Lucy, Kate, George and Percy. Thomas's father, also named Thomas, died in 1856.
Thomas was from the village of Knossington which is near Merton in Leicestershire. His family appear to have been well established in this area since the time of his grandfather. Below is an interesting letter written by Thomas in 1894 and published in the Nottinghamshire Guardian containing reference to his grandfather William Spencer. This must have been written during the period when he had briefly returned to England from New Zealand.
I also came across an interesting advertisement for a property for sale in Knossington that has the name of "the Whalebones". This is the name given as the place where Thomas was born. The photo is below. There is reference to the original residents as having made their money in the whale oil lamp industry. I have not found anything yet to support this for the Spencers but it goes seem that the Spencer family were very well established.
The overview below is from googlemaps and shows the house in the photo above. The distinctive shape of the driveway matches the photo above. It seems the whalebones are no longer at the driveway entrance.
Before leaving England Thomas Spencer placed the advertisement below for the sale of substantial items of household effects.
In addition he was selling a leasehold interest in 93 acres of farm land. According to the family history provided in the Ferguson Clan story Thomas Senior had some 251 acres of farmland and employed 5 labourers plus 2 household servants. It is possible this leased farm is not the property of 251 acres but is some additional land being farmed by the Spencer family.
Thomas had secured a land grant in New Zealand prior to leaving England. This was for 100 acres. However he found on arrival that this land was on Great Barrier Island which was at that time inaccessible, although there was a draft plan for a settlement to be developed there. Fortunately Thomas had brought 5000 pounds in cash with him. This was a very substantial sum of money at that time. I suspect Thomas and his brothers had received a significant inheritance on the death of their father. Having substantial financial resources enabled Thomas to search for more suitable land. Meantime the family settled into Auckland.
Thomas found suitable land at an area called Flat Bush near Papatoetoe. Thomas had been joined by his brother George and with his help they cleared sufficient land to build a log cabin and settle the family into the area. However they only stayed in Flat Bush for about a year. Troubles were developing with the local Maori population and Thomas decided to move to about two miles out from Otahuhu where he had purchased some additional land. They stayed here for about two years and then Thomas decided to make another move. This was to the mouth of the Tamaki estuary on the Buckland Beach peninsula. Here they had a large house of some 2 rooms and grounds that included a large peach orchard.
Thomas had decided he would establish a brick-making business. There was plenty of suitable local clay. He imported the required machinery from England and built two kilns and some drying sheds. His brother George was a partner in the business.
It was while they were living in Tamaki that Edmund and his twin brother Albert were born in 1866. The boys were generally called "Ted" and "Bertie" instead of their proper names. Following the birth of the twins their mother Elizabeth was in poor health. The sisters were charged with looking after their two brothers. Lucy (age 10) elected to look after Ted (Edmund) and her sister Kitty (age 9) looked after Bertie (Albert).
The brick making business did not prove to be very successful, largely because Auckland in 1866 entered into an economic depression and few new buildings were being built.
By 1868 Thomas had made a decision to move to Thames where there was plenty of work available in the gold mines and lots of opportunity to prosper. They moved into Parawai a hillside suburb a few miles from the Thames township. Thomas became a gold assayer and was very successful in trading in land and shares in gold mines.
In 1887 Thomas and Elizabeth made a trip back to England. When they returned they bought a house in Mt Eden Road. Elizabeth died there on 26 November 1890. She is buried in the Symonds St Cemetery.
Thomas returned to England again following Elizabeth's death. He remarried but the relationship did not last and he decided to return to Auckland. Very sadly the return trip did not go well. The ship the Wairarapa wrecked on Great Barrier Island on 24 October 1894 and Thomas died in the process of trying to save other passengers. He was buried alongside Elizabeth in the Symonds St Cemetery.
The final few paragraphs of the story tell us that George, Ted and Jack travelled to America as young men. Perhaps they had a significant inheritance from the estate of their father.
We are also told that like his twin brother Ted, Bertie went into printing and prospered through that business.
Ted is said to have been in San Francisco in 1906 when the major earthquake occurred. He apparently married in America but his bride died of TB about six months later. He subsequently returned to New Zealand and in 1912 married Ada Hardy.
Ted and Bertie have an incredible adventure
Below is an account published in the newspapers of an escapade by Ted and Bertie as 16 year olds.
The map below shows the are the boys covered in their adventure, from Coromandel to Little Barrier, Kawau, Auckland, Whangarei and back to Thames.
Albert (Bertie) Spencer and the Caxton Printing business.
The early years of the business ventures of the twin brothers Edmund and Albert Spencer are a little hard to follow. However the advertisement below which was published in March of 1892 indicates that at that time they were partners in a printing business called Spencers and Spooner and Co. That business was being dissolved and a new business called The Caxton Lithographic and Printing Works was being established.
I have found a record of Edmund returning from London on the ship Lady Jocelyn on 27 December 1884 at age 18. His parents are not on the same passenger list. Thomas and Elizabeth are said to have travelled to England in 1887 and stayed for several months.
Ted and Bertie were age 26 in 1892. Their mother had died on 25th November 1890. Their father returned to England following Elizabeth's death and subsequently remarried to Anna Louisa Brent of Woodbury. She was described as a wealthy widow with a very fine house. The marriage did not work out well and in 1894 Thomas made the fateful journey back to New Zealand where he died on the wreck of the ship Wairarapa at Great Barrier Island in October of 1894.
From information published many years later we learn that Albert had several jobs in a variety of places since 1881 at age 15 when he joined a survey business in Napier. Following that he was a traveller for the Singer Sewing Machine Co and then worked with his brother Charles at his chemist shop in Tauranga. In 1886 he took a job as an assistant to the photographer J.R.Hanna and in 1887 established his own photographic studio Sankey and Spencer. It seems this business was sold in 1889. It appears that may have been when he and Edmund entered into the Spencers and Spooner and Co business. I suspect it was the experience in photography that resulted in Albert's interest in engraving and printing.
The notice published in March 1892.
Below is an advertisement dated April 1911.
Below advertisement dated 10 July 1919
Below was dated 1 February 1938.
Below was dated 21 February 1945
At some point in the early 1900s Edmund headed off on his trip to America. We know he was there in 1906 and that he was back in New Zealand by around 1911. At that point it seems he was running his own printing business instead of continuing in business with Albert. We do not know if he had any ongoing shareholding in the original Caxton business formed in conjunction with his brother.
What we do know is that Albert had huge success in business. When he died on 2nd November 1934 at age 68 an obituary then published listed his long list of business connections. At the time of his death Albert was the President of the Auckland Employers Federation. Alongside growing Caxton Printing into a very large listed company he was connected with the Auckland Steam Laundry which he controlled until 1924 when he sold his interest. He also had a steam laundry business in Wellington. In 1927 he was appointed Chairman of Druleigh Business and Technical College Limited and owned a controlling interest in it. He was also chairman of the Tasman Building Company.
His obituary also mentions his extensive travel with six world tours in recent years and attendance at a conference of the International Labour Office of the League of Nations at Geneva as representative of the New Zealand Employers Federation in 1932.
Albert lived at Stanley Point and was survived by his wife and two sons Berridge Spencer and Albert Ashton Spencer and daughter Mrs D Wallace of Epsom. He was prominent in the Anglican Church and interested in boating and mountaineering.
Albert's son Berridge grew the Caxton business into a specialist producer of toilet paper for New Zealand. Today this is known as Purex. His son John also ran the business for a time but sold it in 1988 to Carter Holt Harvey for reportedly $300 million. John Spencer is also well known for his large landholding on Waiheke Island at Man O War Bay. He also purchased a number of other islands in the Hauraki Gulf.
Berridge's other son Peter was also a very successful businessman. I got to know him and his son Chris as clients of the insurance broking company I worked for during the 1990s. Peter owned a range of businesses including Alliance Textiles and Motor Holdings which is the New Zealand distributor of a range of cars and has the franchise for Honda motorcycles. Peter died in 2008. His three sons now run the business and investment interests of this family. The very large 14,000 hectare Lochinvar Staion near Taupo is one of their investments. They also own a large part of Kawau Island which I see every day from my front deck at Snells Beach.
The Spencer family still has a very large property at Stanley Point. John Spencer's son Berridge Spencer lives there and is currently building a very large house to replace the original Spencer home. Berridge is also part of a development company that owns a large part of the Devonport retail strip and is about to redevelop this into new apartments and retail shops.
Below is the Spencer family property on Stanley Point. The original home is the large white house in the middle of the tree covered land. There is access to the water at Ngataringa Bay from a wharf at the bottom right. The total land area is 1.5 hectares.
Norman Berridge Spencer
Albert was not the only Spencer family member to rise to prominence in business circles in Auckland. Norman Spencer was a son of Edmund and Albert's brother Percy. Percy had started his working life as an apprentice bookmaker working for bookmaker Henry Wise in Dunedin. Henry Wise became well known for his publication of the Wises Directories.
Bookmaking did not turn out to be to Percy's liking and he returned to Auckland where in his 40s he began studies for law and in due course set up his own law firm called Spencer and Spencer.
In addition to his legal work Percy was an investor in the mining activities in the Coromandel. He was possibly encouraged into this venture by the success his father Thomas had in his mining activities. Below is an interesting article about Percy's investment in the well known Bendigo mine. He was age 54 in 1914. He died on 14 January 1944 at age
Percy Spencer and mining
The following is an extract from THE BENDIGO BATTERY: THE LAST WAIORONGOMAI
BATTERY by Philip Hart :
On 28 February 1914, for £250 Percy Spencer purchased the Cadman
and Sceptre, the water race, and the battery. The contents of both mine and
battery were listed in exhaustive detail, down to the number of bolts. The
contents of the battery were given above. The mine included the usual
equipment, including that required for a small smithy, and ‘Men’s huts’.
Spencer also bought the ‘aerial tramway and Tramway known as
“Cadman’s Extension” with all appliances for conveying quartz’.
Before becoming an Auckland solicitor, Spencer had worked in a bank
and then been a stationer and printer. During the mining boom of the
1890s, he invested in companies throughout the Hauraki Peninsula,195 and
was a director of three. In the early twentieth century, he invested in one
company at Thames before turning his attention to Waiorongomai. In
1913 he had been fined for acting as a sharebroker for a short period, ‘not
being licensed to do so’. A member of the Remuera Road Board, in that
year he unsuccessfully sought election to the Auckland City Council. His
financial position was strong.
Spencer had been involved in Waiorongomai mining from April 1910
onwards, when he applied for the Great Western Special Quartz Claim, 99
acres high in the valley, which was granted two months later. In
November, when protection was granted, a local miner John Tallentire,
who had pegged out the claim, told the warden that, with another man, he
had prospected this ‘very rough Country’ above the Stoney Creek valley.
‘The old workings are still in existence but not available at present’. In
May 1912, Spencer surrendered this ground.
In April 1915 he sought a reduction in rents on the Sceptre and
Cadman, and the following month for both battery and water race. The
former was granted, but because the Thames High School objected the
latter request was withdrawn. The labour conditions, meaning the
number of miners required, were suspended. In July 1916, he sought six
months’ protection for the claims because the war meant ‘no men – no
capital’, but then withdrew his application. Two months later, on behalf
of the syndicate he represented, he surrendered the Sceptre.
It had not been a profitable investment. In January 1915, when
seeking a reduction in rent, Spencer complained that ‘stringency’ in the
money market before 1914 had prevented him raising capital and the war
had made matters worse. He would be unable to raise capital until money
became ‘easier’ after the war. Waiorongomai was ‘a failure and the most
disappointing of all the Auckland Gold Mining Districts’, and no mining was
taking place. ‘The experience of two Companies during the past three years
was of such a disappointing and utterly depressing nature that the wonder
is that any man or body of men should have the courage to put their money
into this unfortunate field’. As the Bendigo mine and battery remained in
Spencer’s name even after he ceased to have an active role in their working,
he must have been a member of the syndicate that owned it until 1922.
The following story of Norman Spencer's life is from the Remuera Heritage website.
Percy Spencer who was born in 1859 arrived in New Zealand with his parents, Thomas and Elizabeth (née Berridge) on the ship Mersey on 11th June 1861, the youngest of five Spencer children at that point.
Percy married a widow Lucy Insull (nee Nutter) who had one daughter Annie Heath. He began studying law in his forties and eventually practised as a lawyer in Auckland. Norman subsequently joined his father in his law firm which was then known as Spencer & Spencer. His brother Harrison was also a lawyer in the family firm.
Norman was the eldest of five brothers and he was educated at Kings College in Remuera from 1897-1900 and then at Auckland Grammar School before going on to study law at Auckland University College which became the University of Auckland through legislation in 1957. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Law in 1913 and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand by His Honour Mr Justice Cooper in 1914.
Sgt Norman Berridge Spencer 3rd Battalion NZ Rifle Brigade by Herman Schmidt 1916. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 31-S1120
With the declaration of War in 1914 Norman Spencer enlisted and sailed from New Zealand on 5 February 1916 as a Sergeant with the 3rdBattalion, B Company, New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He was posted to France in July 1917 and was wounded in August. When he recovered, he was transferred to Army Staff Headquarters in France. Norman was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) in recognition of valuable services to the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (London Gazette 17 June 1918). Norman was selected for Officer training and was transferred to Officer Cadet Training in London, becoming a 2nd Lieutenant in February 1919. After his return to New Zealand, he went into partnership briefly with his father, who at his death, at the age of 83, had the distinction of being the oldest practicing solicitor in Auckland. Norman’s brother Harrison Nutter (known as Bob) Spencer subsequently joined the family law firm which was known as Spencer and Spencer and had its offices in Swanson Street.
Throughout his working life, Norman Berridge Spencer was involved in Auckland business and public affairs with his main interest being the Passenger Transport Company. The company was formed in 1925 taking over the services operated by Messrs Dunderdale and Le Grice. It was a small company operating in a limited way in Otahuhu with three buses and when it came on the market it was bought by a group of three interests. Norman acquired his original one third interest for a few hundred pounds, but before too long was sole owner. Once Spencer became involved, the company’s expansion was rapid.
In March 1928 in his capacity as Chairman of Directors of the Passenger Transport Company (PTC) he gave evidence to the Auckland Transport Commission showing that the company provided services to Otahuhu and neighbouring suburbs, averaging 2406 miles a day, had built and occupied a new and up-to-date garage at Otahuhu and purchased an additional six large modern buses. It was seeking permission to establish a service between Otahuhu and Auckland via Favona Road and Mangere Bridge.
The PTC’s distinctive orange and grey fleet of buses was an essential part of south Auckland’s passenger transport service. The PTC had a variety of buses in its fleet including the first diesel bus on New Zealand roads. Moas, Leylands, Stewarts, Daimler and Bedfords were all part of the company’s history as were its various depots in the Otahuhu area. The company moved to Wiri in 1968 with the depot located on the road named after its founder, Norman Spencer Drive. Increasing popularity of private cars and declining patronage eventually took its toll. The PTC was sold to the ARA as a going concern though its fleet’s colours were still seen around south Auckland until 1978.
Over his long tenure as owner of the Passenger Transport Company the bus company experienced many of the difficulties still being experienced by bus companies today such as the cost of maintenance and repairs and drivers striking to draw attention to their low wages. During the war, it was particularly difficult as the company was unable to get spare parts or new vehicles, and replacing tyres was also a major problem as they were restricted due to supplies being diverted to the war effort.
In a speech to the Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1940 entitled “Modern Developments in Transport” Spencer foreshadowed the replacement of trams by diesel buses, citing reduced fares and the greater mobility of traffic having a material advantage. The Passenger Transport Company was the second operator in the world to operate diesel buses, though it involved a feat of engineering displaying the New Zealand No 8 wire initiative with the adaptation of a milk separator to convert ship diesel for use by bus engines. Twenty years later, at the New Zealand Omnibus Proprietors’ Association’s annual conference in 1960 Spencer predicted the need for ‘more parking buildings to get cars off busy streets’ to counter increasing congestion.
Norman Berridge Spencer was a Member of the Auckland Transport Board and its Chairman in 1940 and was for many years a member and Chairman of the New Zealand Omnibus Proprietors’ Association, representing the interests of the industry.
Norman was also responsible for founding the Chartered Institute of Transport in New Zealand in 1956. He had been the NZ Corresponding member for the British Institute of Transport and then persuaded the Council in London that New Zealand should formally become a branch.
Other positions held by Norman Spencer were President of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, 1940 – 41 and the Associated Chambers of Commerce 1942-43. He was a director of Greyhound Bus Co., TEAL, the forerunner of Air New Zealand, Auckland Co-operative Terminating Building Society and a New Zealand Director of the Mercantile Bank of Australia.
Norman Berridge Spencer was also chairman of the Waste Reclamation Committee, part of the war effort, which opened its first waste paper collection depot in Newmarket, and predicted this would result in between £600 and £700 accruing to the Patriotic Council Funds. In 1943 Spencer predicted that the yield would be between £3,000 and £4,000, largely due said the city engineer, “to the enthusiasm of the organiser”.
Norman Spencer continued to support his university during his life through several bequests including $14,000 for an Auckland chair of town planning and finance for the Anglican Hostel, Norman Spencer Hall. His final bequest was for an amount of $4,000 to the Jean Begg University Hall of Residence, directing that the money be invested and the income used to purchase books for the Ella Spencer Library.
Norman B Spencer Master Quatuor Lodge No. 2076 London.
Another of Norman Berridge Spencer’s abiding interests was Freemasonry, in which he achieved great honours. He was initiated into the Remuera Lodge in 1921 and by 1932 was Master of the Lodge. In 1959 he was the first New Zealander to be awarded the Order of Service to Masonry (OSM), the highest honour the English Lodge, headquartered in London, can bestow. The OSM was created in 1946 and at the time it was awarded to Norman Spencer there were only eight living holders of the award, and he was just the second person outside Britain to receive the honour. Spencer joined the research lodge in London, Quatuor Coronati, in 1951 after he had contributed a paper on New Zealand Freemasonry and was installed as Master of that Lodge in 1959, which was a rare honour for anyone outside Britain. Norman acquired a significant collection of rare masonic books which he gave to the Freemasons’ Museum and Library.
In 1952 Norman Berridge Spencer, B.A., Ll.B., M.Inst.T, Member of the Institute of Transport, was appointed as a Member of the Council of the University of New Zealand for a period of six years by the Governor-General in Council. Spencer also received one of the first of four honorary degrees awarded by Auckland University, with a Doctor of Law degree conferred on him as appreciation for his assistance to the university reflecting his concern for the welfare of students.
In 1954 he was involved in the formation of the Research Chapter of New Zealand which was later relocated to the Masonic Temple in Auckland’s St Benedict’s Street. The ‘Norman Spencer Memorial Library and Museum’ was established at St Benedict’s Street following Spencer’s death in 1968. An annual scholarship was established in his name as The Norman B. Spencer Essay Prize. In his will he left $5,000 to lodges in New Zealand, Britain and the United States.
In 1964, Norman Berridge Spencer was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire), for services in the fields of philanthropy and community welfare.
On 12th March 1940 Norman Berridge Spencer married Isabella, the second daughter of Mrs Eleanor and the late Mr David Mordue Robinson of Darlington, England at St Mark’s Church, Remuera. On 28th January 1942 their daughter, Eleanor Lucy, was born at St Ann’s, Khyber Pass followed on 29th December 1943 by their son, Martin Berridge.
Norman and Isabella began their married life in Dilworth Avenue but shortly after moved to 414 Remuera Road. Advertisements in the New Zealand Herald for an experienced cook at £2 in November and December 1940 and a ‘thoroughly competent’ head gardener in October 1941 showed that they were well settled. This was followed by an advertisement for a Child’s Nurse to work between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily in February 1943.
Isabella complemented Norman’s community service ideals, she was on the committee of the Auckland Lyceum Club undertaking war work in support of the Red Cross and entertaining Air Force personnel, on the board of directors of the YWCA and a committee member of the Auckland branch of the Federation of University Women. She was also on the women’s executive of the Auckland branch of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society for which cause, as well as making a handsome donation, the Spencers threw open their prize-winning garden to the public as a fund raising event charging 2/- for entrance and 6d for tea an amount of £40.6.9 was collected. When a similar fund-raising event was held for the Federation of University Women the following report appeared in the local paper:
Perfect garden party weather on Saturday. In Mr and Mrs N.B. Spencer’s garden, “Ngatira”, Remuera Road, sunlight and shadow dappled sloping laws, and to the blue of sky and sea were added predominating blues in the flower beds and frocking of thronging visitors. The party occasion arranged by the Auckland branch of the N.Z. Federation of University Women in aid of its fellowship fund which will benefit by over £150 as a result of sales from stalls and tea. [26]
Mr Norman Spencer’s Garden, Remuera Road, which won the Tudor Rose Bowl for the champion garden of any size, Mr Rix-Trott said that it showed evidence of very careful planning as a whole. Deep thought had been given to the massing of trees and shrubs, and also to their colour effect. There were very fine specimens of trees, some of which would improve with further growth. Particularly admired were the rhus and maples, and a fine collection of magnolias. An African tree, Leucuperum Reflexum, was in itself well worth a visit. The formal garden near the house was good, but a part of the house did not quite harmonise with the scene. Close attention had been made to vista planning with definite contours to give an open and changing view. There were some very fine flowers, some lovely stocks just past their best. Norman employed 3 fulltime gardeners. [27]
In the early 1950’s the Spencers moved to 226 Remuera Road, known previously as ‘Barochan’ but which they called Ngatira and lived there until the death of Isabella in 1967 after which Norman moved to 1/6 Brighton Road.
Among his many interests, Norman was a keen clock collector and in a street-side ceremony on 27 February 1962, he presented two clocks to be placed on the clock tower of the Remuera Post Office.These clocks, accepted by the Postmaster General, Mr Kinsella on behalf of the citizens of the district were the fulfilment after nearly fifty years of discussion and planning as part of the original plans for the building.
Norman also gifted a significant collection of 22 artworks of paintings and furniture to the Auckland Art Gallery in the 1960s which included works by Paolini, Bordone, Alfred Sharpe, John Gully, John Hoyte, Margaret Stoddart and Charles Blomfield. [31]
Norman Berridge Spencer, CBE, died on 18th February 1968 aged 77 after several years of ill health.
Below are photographs of Thomas and Elizabeth's children not already discussed in this story. I may come back to their stories at a later date.
Comments