George Clark Clouston (1874 - 1965)

Born 1 Feb 1874 in Stenness, Orkney, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Maud (Halligan) Clouston — married 9 Nov 1904 in Wanganui, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 12 Apr 1965 at age 91 in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand

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Biography

George Clark Clouston was born in Stenness in the County of Orkney, on 1 February 1874. He was the son of James Clouston, a mason, and Mary Lyon and he grew up at Whitehall. George worked as a farm labourer and later with the Stromness herring fleet before joining the Leith Police at age 20. George lived in Leith, Scotland, for over two years.

He left Leith on 19 December, 1896 by boat for London with his brother Thomas. On 23 December 1896, George and Thomas departed from London, bound for New Zealand, via Tenerif, Capetown and Hobart, on the Shaw Saville & Albion Co Ltd ship, SS "Maori". They were both recorded in the passenger list as farmers. The "Maori", a cargo ship, carried about 100 passengers - chiefly families of Jews, going to Capetown. The Master was Thomas Moffatt. On 13th February the position of the ship was 41.22S and 164.6E and the "Maori" reached Wellington two days later, on 15th February, 1897.

George worked in a variety of jobs including loading woolships in Napier (1899), before joining the New Zealand Police Force. He was stationed in Wanganui for 7 years, moving to Normanby in 1907. George Clouston was appointed Police Constable at Opunake in April 1911, a position he held for 27 years, until his retirement from the Police Force in 1938. In 1940 he became Opunake's second Mayor, retiring in 1947. During World War II he served as District Coroner. George Clouston was the Clerk of the Magistrates' Court, District Coroner during WW2, a Borough Councillor, Collector of Agricultural Statistics, and a Justice of the Peace. He died in New Plymouth on 12th April, 1965, aged 91.

Extract from: "Policing in the Mountain Shadow: A History of the Taranaki Police", Margaret Carr, New Plymouth, 1989 " On Hickman's retirement in April 1911, George Clark Clouston arrived. When he retired he had been running the Opunake police district for 27 years, then became mayor and ran the town for another seven. He was born in the Orkney Islands in 1874 and served in the Leith Police Force for two years, his conduct giving "entire satisfaction" according to his testimonial. He had worked as a farm worker and with the herring fishing fleet from the age of 14 until he joined the police at 20. And, after migrating to New Zealand in 1896 he worked at various jobs before joining the New Zealand police in 1899. Clouston was stationed at Wanganui for seven years and Normanby from February 1907. In April 1911 came his transfer to Opunake. For the first 17 years of his time in the town, Clouston was also the clerk of the Magistrate's Court, and the collector of agricultural statistics.

On his retirement in November 1938, numerous functions were held to mark the occasion, including three civic tributes, a mock court and a special function to honour Mrs. Maude Clouston.

A Scots publication, recording the events, wrote: 'A native of Stenness and brother of Mr. James Clouston, Whitehall, Mr. Clouston is 65 years of age. Educated under the late Mr. Magnus Spence, Mr. Clouston worked at farming, and at the herring fishing from Stromness for a few seasons. In his early twenties he joined the Police Force in Leith, and after serving two years there migrated to New Zealand forty years ago. Joining the police there, he served faithfully and well as the following references amply prove, retiring with honour and dignity, carrying with him the goodwill of the entire community and a wallet containing no less than £154.' At one retirement function, which proved too big for St Patrick's Hall, the mayor, Mr.A.J. Brennan, pointed out that over 50 years, Opunake had had only three policemen on permanent duty there. Constable Clouston's tact and ability had been largely responsible for his district being free of crime, while his "eminent fairness" in dealing with all classes of the community had been a particular feature of his service. One speaker said Clouston seemed too young to retire, "if the reported incident of a recent sprint from the cliff-top to apprehend an offender was correct". A speaker on behalf of the district's Maori community also paid tribute to the constable's tact. Clouston had not treated the Maori any different from the Pakeha, and he had the virtue of appearing sightless when necessary. Mr. Brennan told one gathering that many citizens had grown up with Constable Clouston as the local policeman. In their childhood, Clouston had been the bogeyman, ready to answer the summons of parents to wreak retribution for wrong-doing. As youths, they had seen him as the representative of authority, stern and severe, ready to check any outbreak of irresponsible hooliganism. In later years the constable had assumed the position of counsellor and adviser, ever willing to consider the problems placed before him and to direct the solution. The illuminated scroll presented to the constable was signed by the magistrate, the mayor, the chairman of the county council and the heads of the Opunake Electric Power Board, racing club, seaside improvement society, RSA, federal band, rugby club, golf club, tennis club, bowling club, surf and lifesaving club, cricket club, athletic club and farmers union. Two years later in 1940, George Clouston defeated Mr. Brennan, 208 votes to 174, and became the second mayor of Opunake. During his service to the public he twice officiated at Vice-Regal visits, the first in 1921 when he was the constable, and the second as mayor in the middle of World War II, when Opunake celebrated its diamond jubilee. He retired as mayor in 1947, and in 1950, aged 76, was still a borough councillor. George Clouston was also the District Coroner from 1942 until 1948."

George Clouston died on 12 April 1965 at the age of 91 years.

Sources

• "Policing in the Mountain Shadow: A History of the Taranaki Police", Margaret Carr, New Plymouth, 1989

• First hand from Pam Childs.
• Birth - 1874 Clouston, George Clark (Statutory Births 017/00 0006)
• Marriage - Births, Deaths & Marriages New Zealand Marriage cert 1904/4261
• Death - Births, Deaths & Marriages New Zealand Death cert 1965/37993 aged 91Y

• http://www.raymillar.co.uk/getperson.php?personID=I25637&tree=Eday1