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Charleston Catholic Cemetery

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Location: Charleston, Buller, West Coast, New Zealandmap
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. Location
The Charleston Catholic Cemetery is at Camp Street, Charleston, Buller District, West Coast 7892 New Zealand. Coordinates: -41.90934, 171.43591

Our Lady of the Way

Charleston
The Charleston gold field covered a section of the Pakihis from Four Mile Stream in the south (the northern limit of Brighton’s terraces) to beyond the Nile River in the north. Unlike other gold fields to the south, Charleston had virtually no rain forest. Boggy flats and terraces were covered with sour a greyish-white leached soils. The Pakihi Cement Crushing and Gold Mining Company was able to crush a hundred tons of gold bearing cement in a day. The cement was then burnt before the fine gold could be amalgamated. Several new place names identified the numerous sub-centres to the south of Charleston which had 220 houses, Main (Princes) Street which ran in a straight line to Constant Bay and several shops which in July 1867 had plate glass windows. Local coal was used domestically, funds for a hospital had been collected and a race meeting was to take place. The early 1867 census, at the peak of the Charleston rush, showed 5,000 on the entire Charleston (Tauhinau) field.

From 1975 to 1979 remains of about 99 hotels were found in the Charleston area. The last surviving European Hotel was demolished after the 100 year festivities around 1968. Hannahs' shoes had the very first shop in Charleston in 1867. Mary's Hotel, demolished in 1970, at the south end of the nine mile beach to the north of Charleston was said to be gateway to Charleston. Open cast coal mines replaced gold mining in Charleston with the Mowart’s and McGlockland’s mines which supplying coal to nearby Westport. Gold continued to be mined on the south end of nine mile beach up to the late 1970s. In the 1990s, seals from Cape Foulwind near Westport moved south to the Charleston coast and made camp at the mouth of the Brimalaw creek about 2 km south of Constant bay. Wrecked ships, believed to be from the gold rush times, have been located around the mouths of both Constant Bay and its neighbour Joyce Bay.

Catholic Charleston
Many colonial Catholics from poor Irish backgrounds brought with them long memories of British Protestant oppression. Some were quick to see old injustices resurfacing. On the West Coast gold fields there were from time to time conflicts between Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics, triggered by events in Ireland. In March 1868 the West Coast’s Catholic community heard that three Fenians had been hanged in Manchester for killing a police sergeant. Catholics in both Charleston and Hokitika organised funeral processions in the men’s honour. Addison's Flat some miles north of Charleston also responded with an uprising which raised much attention.
[1]

Addison's Flat invited the Hibernian Society in Ballarat, Australia to found a branch there. However, instead of arriving in Westport in December 1869, The Hibernian representative, F H Byrne, was forced by bad weather to disembark in Greymouth where he was asked to establish a group. He next went to Charleston and finally Addison's Flat. In 1872 the three branches were united under the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society. In addition to attracting expatriate Catholics into a movement designed to strengthen their faith, it offered a safer avenue for fervent Irish patriotism than Fenianism (a covert societyof militant Irish nationalists), outlawed by the Catholic Church, bent on freeing the Irish from rule by England. Hiberbians showed their membership by wearing ornamental green sashes on public occasions. Benefits for members included assistance in times of sickness, death and widowhood. The Society also fostered Catholic Social life.
[2]

Graves in Charleston Catholic Cemetery.

Charleston Catholic Cemetery
This cemetery, the southernmost part of the Catholic Diocese of Wellington, is located beside the main road between Westport and Greymouth. The statue of Our Lady of the Way at the entrance to the cemetery was erected in August 1955 by parishioners at the now mostly closed Catholic cemetery. This statue is generously re-painted each year by a Charleston resident, Jock, who wrote on Facebook: The last time the statue was vandalised the hands were broken off and there were a few cracks. it was put back up with no hands. So I bought two hands that were for a child mannequin. I gave them to the local priest and he got someone else to fit them. Then I patched it up with car body filler. Gave her a coat of paint and and have kept her maintained and tidily painted ever since. about 15 years I think I have been doing it. Lol I have been informed if I put it in my will I can be buried there. This statue is a monument appreciated by many as they travel the coast road.

"Find A Grave" has 103 Memorials for persons interred in the cemetery and "Billion Graves" has 41 records. The names Higgins, Lavery, Maloney, Robertson and Shine appear most frequently.

Burials

Brian Winton (1942 - 2001)
Early Irish Settlers
Mary Stevens Moran died 28 May 1872 .
Margaret O'Sullivan O'Brien was born 17 April 1844 in Boolacullane, County Kerry, Ireland. Her parents were Lucy (Brick) and Timothy Sullivan. Margaret (23) married Patrick John O'Brien (26) (born on February 27, 1842 in Ardcanaght, County Kerry) on April 14, 1868 in St. Mary's, St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia. They had five children. Margaret died 5 February 1877 (aged 32) in Charleston, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand. She was buried with ther son, John who died when he was 17 days old. [3]
Mary (O'Donaghue) Harney was born in 1835 in Ennistimon, County Clare, Ireland. She married Henry Philip Harney in about 1853 in County Clare, Ireland. They had 4 children: William Harney in about 1859, Charles Daniel in 1864, Maggie in 1866 and George Frances in 1868. They emigrated to New Zealand. Mary died inGreymouth,16 Nov 1880 (aged 45) and was buried in the Charleston Catholic Cemetery.
Patrick Tovey O'Brien was born in County Waterford, Ireland in about 1851. His wife was Margaret. Patrick was killed in a landslide at age 37 years 8 March 1888.
Patrick Henigan was born in 1834 in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland.He married Julia Mary (Horgan) Henigan. They had four daughters. Patrick died 17 April 1902 (aged 67 in Charleston, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand.[4]His wife Julie Henigan died 15 November 1881. They are both buried in the Catholic Charleston Cemetery.
Daniel Shine, born in 1839 in Kanturk, County Cork, Ireland and died 19 July 1913 (aged 74) and his brother Thomas, born in 1941and died 9 July 1913 (aged 72).
Dennehy Family Celtic Cross.
Daniel Dennehy, born in1832 in County Cork, Ireland died 2 August 1908 (aged 75–76). His wife, Catherine, born in about 1843, died 23 February 1923 age 80 years. They are buried with their infant son, Patrick, in the Charleston Catholic Cemetery. Their is a striking Celtic Cross on their grave.
Margaret McCARTHY born in 1846 in County Clare, Ireland, wife of Patrick Maloney, died 13 January 1900 (aged 54)
Early Australian Settler
John Madden born in 1848 in Melbourne, Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia, brother of Martin and James Madden, died 30 July 1879 (aged 31).
Early Canadian Settler
Thomas Nevin was born 23 March 1828 at Saint John, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada and died 25 April 1906 (aged 78), West Coast, New Zealand. His wife Matilda Donnelly Nevin was born in 1849 in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. She died 27 Jun 1935 (aged 85–86) in Cronadun, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand. They are buried in the Charlesston Catholic Cemetery.
Child and Infant Burials
John O'Brien was born 17 August 1873 and baptised 24 August 1873. He was the son Patrick John O'Brien (1842–1908) and Margaret (Sullivan) O'Brien (1844–1877).He died 17 days later 3 September 1873 (in Charleston, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand.
William Higgins was killed 26 August1886 and Margaret Higgins was drowned 17 March 1888. Their parents Mary and Richard higgins are also buried in the Charleston Catholic Cemetery.
Alice Ann Collins was born in 1881. She was the daughter of Alice and Dennis Collins. Young Alice died 20 July 1894 (aged 13). Her brother, James, was drowned when he was 27 years old.
James Robertson,son of Elizabeth and John Weymss Robertson, born in 1918, died 29 August 1921 (3 years). His parents are buried with James.
Patrick Dennehy, son of Daniel and Catherine, died in infancy 1 December 1885.
Young Adults
James Collins, born in 1871 was said to have drowned at the wreck of the "Penguin" 12 February 1898 (aged 27). The SS Penguin, a Ferry between Picton and Wellington sank in 1909. Dennis Collins, father of James is also buried in the Charleston Catholic Cemetery.
Selina Mitchell Aldous was born in 1846 Selina was visiting her parents home near Blenheim and died in childbirth during the night, 16 January 1873 (aged 26–27). Her husband George was notified by telegram. She was buried in the Charleston Catholic Cemetery. [5]
Catherine Ida Fair was born in 1850 and died 10 January 1878 (aged 28).
Patrick Joseph James Fleming born in1882, died 24 August 1901 (aged 18–19)
Thomas Lander, son of Thomas and Margaret Lander (1840 - 1912), was born in 1872 and died 24 July 1901 (aged 29) and James Lander, born in 1883, died at Charleston September 22 1904 aged 21 years. Their mother, Margaret (72) is also buried in the family plot.
Mary Trisa Powell was born at Charleston in1868 and died 23 February 1897 (aged 29)
Mary Ellen Quin born in 1862, daughter of Anne and Alexander Quin, was an assistant teacher in Charleston. She died 18 August 881 (aged 18). Her headstone was erected by the children of the Charleston Schools.

 : Catholic Priests

Rev Edmond James Phelan was born 8 January 1891 in County Kilkenny, Ireland, He was ordained to the Catholic Priesthood in Kilkenny in 1916 and emigrated to New Zealand where he was appointed as Parish Priest of Westport from 1828 to 1969. He died 19 February 1969 (aged 78) in Westport, West Coast, New Zealand.
Rev Gerard Thomas Dorgan, son of Norah and Patrick Thomas, was born 16 February 1936. He had three brothers and one sister. Patrick was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Wellington, New Zealand and served in the Buller, West Coast. He died 26 December 2014 (aged 78).


Charleston Catholic Cemetery

Links

Sources

  1. Sectarian Conflicts [1] (accessed 15 March 2024)
  2. O'Meeghan, SM, Michael, "Held Form By Faith", Catholic Publications Centre, Auckland, 1988. p 86.
  3. Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #91947296 (accessed 24 March 2024)
    Memorial page for Margaret O'Sullivan O'Brien (17 Apr 1844-5 Feb 1877), citing Charleston Catholic Cemetery, Charleston, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand; Maintained by Frontiersman (contributor 47311842).
  4. Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #91946454 (accessed 25 March 2024)
    Memorial page for Patrick Henigan (1834-17 Apr 1902), citing Charleston Catholic Cemetery, Charleston, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand; Maintained by Frontiersman (contributor 47311842).
  5. Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #168673481 (accessed 24 March 2024)
    Memorial page for Selina Mitchell Aldous (1846-16 Jan 1873), citing Charleston Catholic Cemetery, Charleston, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand; Maintained by JjH (contributor 48491654).

Also

  • May, Philip Ross,"The West Coast Gold Rushes", Pegasus, Christchurch, 1967.




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