Charles Frederick Partington (1817 - 1877)

Born 5 Jul 1817 in Oxford St Aldate, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Frances (Johnston) Partington — married 13 Mar 1845 in St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 28 Jan 1877 at age 59 in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: J Anderson [send private message]

Biography

Charles Frederick Partington was born on 5th July 1817 and baptised at St Aldate, Oxford, Oxfordshire on 4th August 1817.^[1] He was the son of George Partington and Maria Taylor. His father stated on the register that the family were living in St Aldate's, and that he was a watchmaker. Both his birth and baptism dates were recorded on the register.

At the age of 23 he emigrated from England to Australia with his brothers Henry and George. They travelled on the ship Eleanor and arrived in Australia on 21 August 1841.^[2]

He and his brothers then emigrated to New Zealand where he married Frances Johnston on 13 March 1845 in St Paul's Church, Auckland. They had at least 7 children; Maria, George, William, Henry, Thomas, Edward Robert and Joseph.

NZ Births

1848/1689 Partington George Frances Charles Frederich

1850/1435 Partington William Frances Charles Frederick

1851/2010 Partington Henry Frances Charles Frederick

1853/1510 Partington Thomas Frances Charles Frederick

1857/2383 Partington Edward Robert Frances Charles Frederick

1858/3332 Partington Joseph Frances Charles Frederick

NZ Deaths

1848/4354 Partington Thomas 1Y

1848/4357 Partington William 4Y

1848/4369 Partington Henry 3Y

Sadly three of their sons all died within one month of each other in 1854; William aged 4 years, Thomas aged 1 year 8 months and Henry aged 3 years. They are all buried in Symonds Street Cemetery in Auckland.[1] Research Notes :Note these deaths do not seem to be registered. There may be a mix up with the deaths registered in 1848.

Charles was a timber merchant

Famous LANDMARK:

Partington Mill

In 1847 the newly arrived Charles Partington ventured into partnership with John Bycroft and together they took over the Epsom Mill that stood in St Andrews Road. The partnership lasted until December 1849 and in May 1850, for £200, Partington purchased land in Symonds Street and commenced the construction of “the new Windmill” at a cost of £2000. In August 1851 the first flour was advertised for sale. The Mill stood on the Karangahape Ridge on the outskirts of town. The windmill’s rotating top enabled the sails to gather the prevailing wind from the Waitakere ranges in the west or the occasional breeze up from the harbour. The height of the structure, it's distinctive shape and prominent position made it quite a land mark and throughout its life it was used as a navigation device by shipping.

Partington's Mill was built in 1850 by Charles Frederick Partington, an extra story was added in 1916, by 1938 it was owned by his son Mr. Joseph Partington, The windmill ground corn till 1941. It was demolished in 1950.

He passed away in 1877 at the age of 59.^[3]

AUCKLAND STAR, VOLUME VIII, ISSUE 2154, 29 JANUARY 1877

DEATHS.

PARTINGTON—On the 28th instant, at his residence, Symonds-Street, Charles Frederick Partington. aged 59 years.[2]

Burial

Symonds Street Cemetery, Auckland New Zealand.^[4]

Sources

The Cordis Website

In May 1850, Charles Partington purchased land in Symonds Street for £200 and commenced the construction of “the new Windmill” at a cost of £2000. In August 1851 the first flour was advertised for sale. Partington, an immigrant from Oxfordshire in England, had arrived in 1847. He had previously been in partnership with John Bycroft and together they took over the Epsom Mill that stood in St Andrews Road (part of which has been renamed Windmill Road in memory of that structure which was demolished in the 1920s). The partnership lasted until December 1849.

The Symonds Street windmill was built in 1850 using bricks made on the site from clay dug nearby. In 1856 an important sideline was introduced – the baking of biscuits using equipment specially imported from Reading, Berkshire in the United Kingdom, presumably from Huntley & Palmer's who already baked biscuits there. The business was renamed the Victoria Flour Mills and Steam Biscuit Factory.

During the New Zealand wars (1861 to 1866), four firearms were always kept in the mill which was located in a strategic position on the southern edge of the Town of Auckland. As it happened Auckland was never directly threatened by the Māori at any time during the conflict. During the wars, Charles Partington served with the British cavalry and the mill supplied the troops with food, chiefly biscuits, but also flour and crushed corn.

By 1873 the biscuit-making machinery had been relocated to the Riverhead mill and at least some of the land around the Symonds Street mill had been sold off as building sites. Shops were erected along Symonds Street and houses on the other three boundary roads leaving the windmill in the centre of the block accessed by a lane called at various times Mill lane or Partington street.

Charles Partington died in 1877, apparently leaving his family affairs in disarray. His sons continued in the business and ........

1. ↑ Ancestry.com. Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data:Original data: Anglican Parish Registers, Oxfordshire Family History Society and Oxfordshire History Centre. Oxfordshire Family History Society; Oxford, Oxfordshire, England; Anglican Parish Registers; Reference Number: BOD195_b_2 Image
2. ↑ "Australia, New South Wales, Index to Bounty Immigrants, 1828-1842," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL2Z-9R9 : 3 December 2014), Charles Partington, 21 Aug 1841; citing Ship Eleanor, volume 42, Western Sydney Records Centre, Kingswood; FHL microfilm 416,875.
3. ↑ "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1896," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24V-8JWV : accessed 20 October 2017), Charles Frederick Partington, 1877; citing Death, New Zealand, New Zealand, Wellington; registration number 1877/4111.
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data:New Zealand Cemetery Records. New Zealand Society of Genealogists Incorporated. Auckland, New Zealand; New Zealand Cemetery Records Image

See also

• https://web.archive.org/web/20200810021745/http://www.kroad.com/heritage/charles-partington
• https://web.archive.org/web/20210210131603/http://www.kroad.com/heritage/paringtons-mill/
• Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for Charles Frederick Partington (5 Jul 1817–28 Jan 1877), Find A Grave: Memorial #136820640, citing Symonds Street Cemetery, Auckland, Auckland Council, Auckland, New Zealand ; Maintained by Frontiersman (contributor 47311842) .

• Cemetery records

• NZ RGO Indexes

His daughter Obituary

MRS. DAVID GOLDIE Another link with old Auckland has been severed with the death of Mrs. Maria Goldie, widow of the late Mr. David Goldie. at her residence, 47, Pitt Street. Mr. Goldie was a former Mayor of Auckland and a member of the House of Representatives. He died 11 years ago. Mrs. Goldie was. the only daughter of the late Mr. Charles Frederick Partington, who built the old mill in Symonds Street now owned by Mr. Joseph Partington. Mrs. Goldie, who was 93, was married in 1866. Her husband was the founder of the present firm of D. Goldie and Sons, Limited, timber merchants. She was interested in art and at one time painted a good deal. Mrs. Goldie inherited her talent from her father, many of whose sketches are still preserved. A son, the late Br. W. H. Goldie, was a fine painter, who exhibited at the Auckland Society of Arts exhibitions. Another son, Mr. C. F. Goldie, is the well-known Auckland Maori artist. There are three other sons. Mr. H. T. Goldie. Mr. Arthur Goldie and the late Mr. F. P. Goldie. Three daughters are Mrs. J. H. P. Bond, and Misses E. M. and V. E. Goldie. The funeral took place at Purewa to-day. [3]