Sydenham Carriage Works

This week I purchased a lovely example of an advertising postcard and even better because it's one for a business from my lovely hometown Christchurch.

Front

Rear

Edward Jones Carriage Builder, Sydenham Carriage Works. Colombo Street. 

"Mr. Jones arrived in the Colony in 1863 by the ship “Lancashire Witch,” and is a native of Stourbridge, Worcestershire. He learnt his trade under his father in England, and on arriving in New Zealand worked at his calling for various employers for about five years before starting on his own account in Tuam Street, Christchurch. This business he conducted for about ten years, selling it out then and purchasing the present concern in 1880. Mr. Jones has made many improvements in several classes of vehicles, especially in four-wheelers, vans, and steel-framed roadsters, and imports steel and other requisites. The premises cover about a quarter of an acre of ground".[1]

In 1893 Edward put forward a patent for "an improved brake for road vehicles".[6]

In 1902 Edward was a City Councillor for the Waltham ward[2] and attended the dedication of the drinking fountain at the corner of Sydenham Park on 9 August that year to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward.  This drinking fountain is still standing today, near the intersection of Brougham and Colombo Streets - surviving even through the earthquakes.

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Paperspast records the death notice of his third son. Walter Albert, who married Sarah Jane SINTON c1902[5].  Walter resided at 70 Barbadoes Street at time of death in October 1908 aged 36. He had been suffering ill health for years.[4] He too was a coach builder and is buried in Sydenham Cemetery. 

Using the NZ Department of internal Affairs historic BDM indexes I cross referenced Walters birth entry and found that his mother and Edward's wife was 'Louisa'.  By then doing a search for Louisa Jones having issue and whose husband was an Edward, I came up with these as some of the possible children:

John Samuel born 1867. 

There is a person of this name buried at Bromley Cemetery aged 70 in 1937 - the ages match.[7]

Ada Alice 1868

Edward Henry 1869

William Joseph 1874

Jabez Albert 1877
Buried Barbadoes Street Cemetery, February 1878, aged 8 months [8]


Charles Ernest 1878 

Olwyn Whitehouse's website has some information relating to the marriage of Edward to Louisa HARPER and their eldest daughter's Emma Louisa's line.

NB: Emma does not appear in the historic births, deaths and marriages index on NZ Department of Internal Affairs, however I often find errors on here that impact search results.

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Death

Obituary -The Press, 8 November 1912

Mr Edward Jones; JP., a well-known local coachbuilder, died yesterday morning at his residence, 35 Byron Street, Sydenham. He arrived in Christchurch in the year 1863 and was well known in political and civic matters, having been on the Sydenham Council 25 years, on the Sydenham School Committee for 15 years, and president of the Sydenham Money Club for 37 years. He was also an officer in Orange and Oddfellow lodges, and was chairman for the Hon. W. P. Reeves when he was elected to represent a Christchurch seat. Mr Reeves presented him with a set of books on political subjects on his leaving for England to take up the Agent-Generalship. He leaves a widow, four sons, and three daughters. [3]

Edward was buried on the 10 November 1912 at Barbadoes Street Cemetery, Christchurch.

Sources:
[1]
Encyclopaedia of New Zealand - Canterbury Provincial District volume.
[2]
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc03Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d59-d1.html
[3]
Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14507, 8 November 1912, Page 5
[4]
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS19081023.2.38&srpos=17&e=-------10--11----0edward+jones+sydenham--
[5]
NZ Dept of Internal Affairs: Marriage registration 1902/3483
[6]
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18930404.2.12&srpos=5&e=-------10--1----2edward+jones+sydenham--
[7]
http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries/interment.asp?id=104609
[8]
http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries/interment.asp?id=154765
NB: cemetery database has forenames transposed.




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