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Boatmans Cemetery, Cronadun, West Coast

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Road Sign For Boatman's Cemetery

Location:
Cronadon
Cronadun, West Coast - New Zealand, WGS84 coordinates: -42.02912453, 171.86540330, is situated on the east bank of the Inangahua River. There were some important sluicing gold diggings in the triangle formed by Larry Creek, the Inangahua River and the edge of the Reefton Hills, the population in the 1870s was large. In February 1873, a sub- post office was opened at Mr Gallagher's store in Cronadun for the convenience of miners.[1] It was estimated that in March 1880 there was a total population of 370 - 270 Europeans and 100 Chinese at Cronadun, Capleston and Larry's Creek in the Inagahua County. A daily coach took passengers between Reefton and Cronadun.
[2] Boatman's (Capleston)
A road used to run from opposite the Cronadun Hotel to Boatman's Creek, a minor tributary of the Inangahua River, where John Redman and party reported that they had found gold in 1866. The township of Capleston, was once located in the Boatman's Creek Valley, a minor tributary of the Inangahua River. The town was originally known known as Georgetown until December 1873, when it was named Caplestown, after P.Q. Caples , Otago prospector, who prospected in the Boatman's Creek area. It became the centre of supply and recreation for miners who worked reefs further up at Caple Creek. Capleston had a population of 153, two hotels, a bakery , butcher, store, blacksmith, public library, school, post office and two churches and several dredges worked in the vicinity.
[3]

Gold mines named Fiery Cross, Just in Time and the Lone Star were in the hills behind Capleston and among them produced about 135,000 ounces (233 kg) of gold. The Inangahua fields were riven by fault lines resulting from earthquakes which long ago shattered or dislocated the steeply dipping reefs. Lost reefs were a common cause of mines closing.

Also up the Boatmans Valley, right of Kirwan's Hill and at an altitude of almost 900 metres, the Lord Brassy Mine, also called Kirwan's Reward, posed enormous difficulties for the miners to get equipment up the mountainside to the mine. In 1975 there was still a battery at Kirwan's Creek and some of the mining machinery and signs of alluvial diggings could be found in Boatman's River Valley.
[4]

Boatman's Cemetery

Boatman's Cemetery
In May 1887 the Inangahua County Engineer was reported to have communicated with the Commissioner of Crown Lands and had been told that ten acres had been set apart for the purpose of establishing a cemetery at Boatman's.[5] In May 1888 tenders were called for the cemetery to be fenced. [6] In July 1889 the funeral of Sarah Carter, wife of John Carter of Upper Buller, left their residence to go to the Boatman's Cemetery. [7] Councillor Silcock proposed in October 1896, that the Council Engineer be instructed to improve the road near Boatman's Cemetery in order to improve access to the cemetery.
[8]

Burials:
Find-A-Grave records 75 burials at Boatman's Cemetery between 1891 ( William Brown Archer age 86 or 87) and May 1897 (Margaret Ann [Knight] Mitchell age 79 years). Billion Graves has 35 memorials. The cemetery is still open, but only for the interment of ashes.

Burials prior to 1900
(For only one of which is there a memorial on Find-A-Grave), burials recorded in Paper's Past include: Sarah Carter, Henry Currie, [9] Daniel Jacobs, [10] Mr G Farrelly, [11]Mary Ann (Mahon) Smith, age 60 years, [12] James Charleston [13] and Dominic Deyine. [14]

Pioneer Families:

Archer:
Archer, William Brown was born in Dumfries, Scotland in 1825. He died 20 May 1891 age 60 years. His wife, Janet (Donald) Archer died in 1916 age 87 years. They are buried in the Boatman's Cemetery.
Frederick Adolphus Greeves Archer , born in 1850, died 6 May 1938 age 85 years. His wife, Margaret (Lawson) Archer. was born in Tasmania Australia in 1852 and died 17 Jan 1918 (aged 65–66).
Headstone for Thomas Foster Archer.
Their son, Thomas Foster Archer was born 16 July 1887 and died after Discharge from wounds Inflicted or disease contracted while on Active Service, 17 November 1920 (aged 33) in the Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand. Thomas served as an engineer on the Western Front, 1917-18 during WWI. Their daughter, Margaret Daisy Archer (Buckland) was born 25 December 1881and died 24 April 1943 (aged 61). Margaret's husband Herbert John Buckland was born in 1872 and died 2 December 1961 (aged 88–89). All five are buried in Boatman's Cemetery, Cronadun, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand.
Frederick William Archerwas born in about 1897 and died 17 May 1967 age 88 years. He was buried at Boatman's but his wife and seven children Died after Discharge from Wounds Inflicted or Disease Contracted while on Active Service, Died after Discharge from Wounds Inflicted or Disease Contracted while on Active Service, were buried in Reefton.
Rogers:
Catherine Anastasia Rogers was born in Richmond, Clarence City, Tasmania, Australia in 1842. She died 4 April 1932 (aged 89–90) in the Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand. Her son, Bernard Francis Rogers was born 25 July 1911 and died 14 Dec 1982 (aged 71). Bernard's frst wife, Catherine Elizabeth Rogers, born 11 May 1910, died15 Apr 1987 (aged 76). His second wife, Mary Agnes Rogers, born 29 August 1913 died 11 Jun 1993 (aged 79).
Bernard Ambrose Rogers was born in New Zealand 7 December 1870 and died 24 Apr 1946 (aged 75) in the Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand.
Frances Ashton Rogers, born in 1879 died 23 July 1955 (aged 75–76),

Infants and Children

Mary Ann McBean was born in 1880 and died 4 August 1894 (aged 13–14). Her mother was Ellen O'Leary McBean born in 1848 in County Kerry, Ireland and died 4 May 1920 (aged 71–72). Her father was John McBean, born in Scotland and died 4 August 1905. They are buried in Boatman's Cemetery.
Margaret Johanna Twomey, born 17 Aug 1896 Margaret died at age 2 years 17 Aug 1898.
Walter McCabe born 12 September 1906 lived only 19 days and died 1 Oct 1906.
Clifford Arthur Hopcroft was born and died 1 Mar 1913. He was buried in the Boatman's Cemetery, Cronadun, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand.
William Gilsenan was born 24 March 1914 he died 3 April 1916, aged 2 years. His father was Edward Thomas Joseph “Terence” Gilsenam born in1877 in Walhalla, Baw Baw Shire, Victoria, Australia and died 13 Oct 1940 (aged 62–63). His mother, Ellen Coghlan Gilsenan was born in 1877 and died in April 1916 (aged 38–39). all three are buried in the Boatman's Cemetery.
Margaret May Coghlan, born 15 September 1916 and died 12 June 1923 (aged 6). Se was the daughter of Peter Coghlan (1848 - 1942) and Elizabeth Mary (O'Leary) Coghlan (1892 - 1959). All three are buried in the Boatman's Cemetery as is Margaret's brother, Peter John “Jim” Coghlan (1911 - 1970)
Louis John Knight died 7 April 1928. He was 15 years old.
Evelyn Grace Gibson born in 1931, lived for only one hour and died 29 April 1931.
Baby Cooper whose date of birth is unknown, died 8 September 1951

Burials After 1900

Michael Twomey who was born in County Cork, Ireland in 1847, emigrated to New Zealand and worked as a gold miner in the Inangahua District before being employed by the Inangahua County Council at Capleston. A few years before he died 29 Jan 1919 (aged 71–72), Michael bought a small farm in Cronadun where he was living. He was survived by his wife, Ellen Twomey born in 1859 in County Cork, Ireland, married Michael in 1884 and died 22 March 1937 (aged 77–78). Michael and Ellen were buried in the Boatman's Cemetery.
Margaret Ann (Knight) Mitchelll (mother of Jimmy who died 2008) born 24 Feb 1908, died 20 May 1987 (aged 79). Her husband James Aaron Mitchell, born 15 June 1894 in Cronadun, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand and died 18 Aug 1964 (aged 70) was also buried in Boatman's Cemetery.

Burials After 2000

James Thomas “Jimmy” Mitchell, born 17 January 1941, died 20 Jul 2008 (aged 67). Buried in Boatmans Cemetery.

Links

Sources

  1. 1873 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1407, 3 February 1873, Page 2
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  2. 1880 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, 9 January 1880, Page 3
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  3. Latham, Darrell, 'The Golden Reefs', Pegasus, 1984.
  4. May, Philip Ross, ' The West Coast Gold Rushes', Pegasus, 1967.
  5. 1887 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1835, 6 May 1887, Page 2
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  6. 1888 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XII, Issue 2022, 28 May 1888, Page 3
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  7. 1889 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XIV, Issue 20672, 5 July 1889, Page 2
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  8. 1896 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1065, 30 October 1896, Page 2
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  9. 1890 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XV, Issue 20845, 25 August 1890, Page 3
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  10. 1896 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1059, 22 October 1896, Page 3
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  11. 1897 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1232, 7 June 1897, Page 3
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  12. 1897 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1309, 4 September 1897, Page 2
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  13. 1898 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1339, 17 October 1898, Page 2
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)
  14. 1898 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
    Inangahua Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1358, 10 November 1898, Page 2
    Papers Past Article (accessed 9 March 2024)




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