Cecil John Bouchier (1899 - 1935)

Born 11 Aug 1899 in Capetown, South Africa

Husband of Agnes Catherine (Mitchell) Bouchier — married about 10 Jul 1924 in Catholic Presbytery of Saint Joseph's Church, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Died 20 Feb 1935 at age 35 in Avarua Hospital, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

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Biography

Cecil John Bouchier was born on 11 August 1899. He was the son of Irish-born Thomas Bouchier and Maria Agnes Mulvihal.

He served in the 1st World War as a gunner.

After the war, he worked as an agricultural scientist and early in the 1920's, he accepted a post in Jamaica and set out to sail to the Bahamas. In 1923 (aged 23) he arrived in San Francisco in California, United States, travelling on the ship Tahiti^[1]. His next of kin was recorded as his mother Mrs T. Bouchier of Mount Shannon, Hope Street, Cape Town.

For reasons which are obscure, he never made it to Jamaica and instead settled in Rarotonga (Cook Islands) where he met his love, Agnes Catherine Mitchell (the daughter of Ernest Hamilton Rea Mitchell). They were duly married on 10 July 1924 in the Catholic Presbytery of Saint Joseph's Church at Avarua ^[2].

Together they had six daughters; Eileen, Doreen, Cecilia, Rosina, Catherine and Thresea.

They had been living a comfortable life in the Cook Islands with Cecil earning a good salary as second-in-charge at the Agriculture and Fisheries Department when tragedy struck. In 10 February 1935, Cecil was swept from his waterfront office by a tidal wave during a Hurricane. His right leg was badly damaged having sustained a compound fracture, and was eventually amputated, but while he was in Hospital waiting for a boat to New Zealand for treatment, gangrene set in and he died, aged just 35. Cause of death was also recorded as Pulmonary Embolism^[3].

After his death his young widow Agnes moved to New Zealand with their six daughters, whose ages ranged from two to twelve.

Sources

1. ↑ "California, San Francisco Passenger Lists, 1893-1953", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KX4G-TDX : Sun Mar 10 23:24:22 UTC 2024), Entry for Cecil John Bouchier, 1923.
2. ↑ Marriage: Cook Islands, Public Records, 1846-1989," database with images, FamilySearch Marriage registers 1917-1930 vol 1-3 image 313 of 591 citing Land and Survey Office, Avarua and the Justice Department, Rarotonga - added by Field March 2020
3. ↑ Death Notice: "South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court, 1834-1989", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLF-MSGQ : Thu Mar 07 20:11:24 UTC 2024), Entry for Cecil John Bouchier, 20 Feb 1935.

See also:

• http://www.thecoconet.tv/know-your-roots/tales-of-time/tales-of-time-williams-family-1/

• Probate: "South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court, 1834-1989", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:C4NJ-V8ZM : Sat Mar 09 18:15:37 UTC 2024), Entry for Cecil John Bouchier and Agnes Catherine Mitchell, from 1934 to 1936.