Charles Phelitous Pierson1866 Cordial & Aerated Waters Recipe Book

Date: 1966 to 1914
Location: Westland, West Coast, New Zealand
Surname/tag: Pierson

The purpose of this page is to preserve electronically and to provide access to the recipe book used by Charles Anson Crocker Herrick Phelitous Pierson from 1866 for many years in his "Cordial and Aerated waters" Manufacturing Businesses during the gold rush days inn Kanieri, Stafford and in Kumara until his death in 1904. Cordial was the name used for what we now, in New Zealand name liqueurs. Cordial is still used as the name for alcoholic liqueurs in the USA. Cordials first referred to medicine in 15th century Europe and now in the US technically refer to a “sweetened” distilled spirit. When I found that tap water in New York had a rather unpleasant taste and asked if there were any cordial (sweet non alcoholic flavoured syrup, inn the house to disguise the taste, my hostesses were rather taken aback.

Brief History of the Pierson and Carew Factories

Charles Phelitous Piierson.

Kanieri
On 16 January 1866 Charles Phelitous Pierson from Cairo new York, is recorded as being in Kanieri, New Zealand, a small mining town where gold was found in April 1865, and shareholder in the Kanieri Steam Pumping Company (NZ Gazette, 1866, Vol 1, Pg 79). The West Coast Times, 17 February 1866 carries a notice stating that Pierson, Walker and Carew, Cordial manufacturers, Kanieri, had dissolved partnership by mutual consent. The business was in the future to be carried on by Pierson and Carew. All debts due by, and all accounts owing to the said firm will be discharged and received by Messrs Pierson and Carew.

Stafford
By 1867, the first edition of Harnett's West Coast Goldfields Directory included Pierson and Carew, cordial manufacturers of Stafford Town, while Charles was still in Kanieri. Although the distance between the two towns is currently only about 32 km, the roads would have been more like tracks and travel at that time would have been difficult. Stafford came into being when new ground on the old Waimea diggings was opened up in April 1866.

Kumara
With the move of the gold rush to Kumara, Charles' properties in Stafford were losing value rapidly as his customers left for Kumara in droves. He was successful in selling only his section 16 in 1876. Charles made arrangements for setting up a new cordial factory on the corner of Main Street, Kumara, (currently Greenstone Road) and the Town Belt North, 5 September 1876. The was not far from the Taramakau River to the north.

After 1878, in Wise's Directory only Charles' name appears in the advertisement: "Charles Pierson, Aerated Water Manufacturer, of Kumara", but he continued to advertise the Stafford factory as "Pierson & Carew, cordial manufacturers, of Stafford", until 1880 after which he had moved the Stafford factory to Kumara.

On 18 July 1881 John Carew retired from the Pierson & Carew business. The New Zealand Gazette, 18 August 1881, published the dissolution of the partnership between John Carew of Dunedin, Cordial manufacturee, retired from the firm of Pierson and Carew. The dissolution notice said that John Carew was not and would not be responsible for any debts incurred by Charles P Pierson. Another public notice in the newspaper declared that John Carew is not and will not be responsible for any debts incurred by the said Charles P Pierson. Dated this ninth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and eighty one.

The Grey River Argus of 19 October 1904, page 2, has: "Mr Charles Pierson, of Kumara, died rather suddenly at his residence, on Sunday Afternoon. Deceased was a native of Cairo, USA. He came to New Zealand in 1861, and had been a resident of the Coast nearly 40 years, where he carried on business in various places, including Kumara for the past 25 years, as a cordial manufacturer. He was 63 years of age, and leaves behind a widow and grown up family of five sons and three daughters."

After Charles died his widow, Hannah who lived on Main Street Kumara owned the factory on the opposite side of the street. Two of her sons manged the factory and production continued until Hannah sold the factory 9 December 1914 Hannah sold the factory to Eliza Jane McMahon of Kumara.

THE RECIPE BOOK
In 1866 Charles Pierson, age 28 years, who had arrived in New Zeland aboard a whaling ship when he was about 20 - 21 years old, acquired a small note book 13.5 cm long and 7.4 cm wide with a metal clasp to keep it closed. Inside the front cover he pasted an almanac (calendar) for the year1886. In neat copper plate handwriting he committed his recipes to paper. Every time that Charles wanted or needed a recipe for a different quantity of any cordial, aerated water, vinegar of whatever was to be made, than any he had previously written, he made a new recipe. Apart from about half a dozen recipes that carried over two or more pages and a couple of pages with two recipes, all other pages have only one recipe.

1886 Almanac

Peppermint

The purpose of this page is to preserve electronically and to provide access to the recipe book used by Charles Anson Crocker Herrick Phelitous Pierson from 1866 for many years in his "Cordial and Aerated waters" Manufacturing Businesses during the gold rush days inn Kanieri, Stafford and in Kumara until his death in 1904. Cordial was the name used for what we now, in New Zealand name liqueurs. Cordial is still used as the name for alcoholic liqueurs in the USA. Cordials first referred to medicine in 15th century Europe and now in the US technically refer to a “sweetened” distilled spirit. When I found that tap water in New York had a rather unpleasant taste and asked if there were any cordial (sweet non alcoholic flavoured syrup, inn the house to disguise the taste, my hostesses were rather taken aback.

Brief History of the Pierson and Carew Factories

Kanieri
On 16 January 1866 Charles Phelitous Pierson from Cairo new York, is recorded as being in Kanieri, New Zealand, a small mining town where gold was found in April 1865, and shareholder in the Kanieri Steam Pumping Company (NZ Gazette, 1866, Vol 1, Pg 79). The West Coast Times, 17 February 1866 carries a notice stating that Pierson, Walker and Carew, Cordial manufacturers, Kanieri, had dissolved partnership by mutual consent. The business was in the future to be carried on by Pierson and Carew. All debts due by, and all accounts owing to the said firm will be discharged and received by Messrs Pierson and Carew.

Stafford
By 1867, the first edition of Harnett's West Coast Goldfields Directory included Pierson and Carew, cordial manufacturers of Stafford Town, while Charles was still in Kanieri. Although the distance between the two towns is currently only about 32 km, the roads would have been more like tracks and travel at that time would have been difficult. Stafford came into being when new ground on the old Waimea diggings was opened up in April 1866.

Kumara
With the move of the gold rush to Kumara, Charles' properties in Stafford were losing value rapidly as his customers left for Kumara in droves. He was successful in selling only his section 16 in 1876. Charles made arrangements for setting up a new cordial factory on the corner of Main Street, Kumara, (currently Greenstone Road) and the Town Belt North, 5 September 1876. The was not far from the Taramakau River to the north.

After 1878, in Wise's Directory only Charles' name appears in the advertisement: "Charles Pierson, Aerated Water Manufacturer, of Kumara", but he continued to advertise the Stafford factory as "Pierson & Carew, cordial manufacturers, of Stafford", until 1880 after which he had moved the Stafford factory to Kumara.

On 18 July 1881 John Carew retired from the Pierson & Carew business. The New Zealand Gazette, 18 August 1881, published the dissolution of the partnership between John Carew of Dunedin, Cordial manufacturee, retired from the firm of Pierson and Carew. The dissolution notice said that John Carew was not and would not be responsible for any debts incurred by Charles P Pierson. Another public notice in the newspaper declared that John Carew is not and will not be responsible for any debts incurred by the said Charles P Pierson. Dated this ninth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and eighty one.

The Grey River Argus of 19 October 1904, page 2, has: "Mr Charles Pierson, of Kumara, died rather suddenly at his residence, on Sunday Afternoon. Deceased was a native of Cairo, USA. He came to New Zealand in 1861, and had been a resident of the Coast nearly 40 years, where he carried on business in various places, including Kumara for the past 25 years, as a cordial manufacturer. He was 63 years of age, and leaves behind a widow and grown up family of five sons and three daughters."

After Charles died his widow, Hannah who lived on Main Street Kumara owned the factory on the opposite side of the street. Two of her sons manged the factory and production continued until Hannah sold the factory 9 December 1914 Hannah sold the factory to Eliza Jane McMahon of Kumara.