Location: Notown, West Coast, New Zealand

Notown Cemetery
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Notown Cemetery Sign |
Location
The Notown Cemetery is located on Notown Road, Dobson, Grey District, West Coast 7872 New Zealand. Coordinates: -42.45145, 171.44657. Originally named the No Town Cemetery, in recent years it has been written as Notown Cemetery.
Notown
After George Moonlight found payable gold in a gully east of the Paparoa Range in about 1865, three hundred men left Hokitika to go there. Several weeks later a party of Māori found gold on the opposite side of the Grey River, about 10 mile downstream - Maori Gully. No Town became established a mile below Maori Gully. [1] There was a dredge working in Notown Creek that was to be in working order again by mid December 1901 [2]
Notown Cemetery
There was a cemetery at the Twelve Mile township not far from Notown. In February 1877 several coffins had been exposed by flooding and they were removed for reinterment at the No Town Cemetery. [3]Those deceased for whom there were relatives still living in the district were provided with individual graves and the remainder were all buried in one grave about 18ft by 8ft.[4]Another reinterment ocurred in 1882 when the 16 year old grave of John O'Brien (22), fron Cork, Ireland, at Red Jacks was in danger of being washed away. [5] Eight more bodies were moved from Red Jacks to the No Town Cemetery in October 1890. [6]
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Early Stone Mound Graves. |
In October 1877 Messrs McGuire, McCarthy, Hasty, Gunn, Parfitt, Clifford, Robb and Marson were appointed as management committee for the No Town Cemetery. Several types of necessary maintenance work was urgently needed. In 1878 funds were being requested for completing the work.
[7]
This cemetery is closed for interments. It can be found about 10kms down Notown Rd off State Highway 7 in the Grey District. In 1881 the fence around the cemetery was very much in need or repair. Many black birch posts were able to be reused, but the red pine battens were too rotten. [8]It is a fairly well kept, cemetery in a beautiful setting surrounded by bush. As with all the early cemeteries of gold rush days it has its own interesting history. Many Headstones have been damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes the region.
Burials
'Find A Grave' has 72 records for people buried at the Notown Cemetery and 'Billion Graves' has 29 records.
- Miners
- John Britton was a quiet and unassuming miner. Although he had been a persevering and hard worker and was a practical miner, he had experienced little success in finding gold. John had been in the Colony for 20 years when he died in the Grey River Hospital 19 October 1891, Greymouth, Grey District, West Coast, New Zealand and was buried in the No Town Cemetery.[9]
- Early Irish Settlers
- Samuel “Sam” Haisty born in 1837 Kilrea, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland was one of the earliest residents of the Notown district when he died after ten days of intense suffereing, 25 June 1878 (age 41) Samuel had emigrated to New Zealand via Australia during the gold rushes, arriving on the West Coast about 1865. He set up in business with John Flynn at Twelve Mile Landing on the Grey River. Flynn and Haisty had hotels at Twelve Mile Landing, Paddy's Gully and Notown. After their partnership was dissolved in 1870, Samuel Haisty became well known as the proprietor of the Union Hotel in Notown. Sam Haisty was a public spirited man, who was a strong advocate for establishing a Presbyterian Church a school and a courtroom in Notown. He was also a director of the ill-fated Grey Valley Tramway. He left his wife, Susan, and two children, Elizabeth (Eliza) Jane and James. He was buried in the No Town Cemetery. [10]
- Susanna “Susan” Hanlon Haisty, wife of Samuel, was born in1846 in Killimor, County Galway, Ireland. She emigrated to New Zealand during the goldrushes and worked on the West Coast as a barmaid. Susanna married Samuel Haisty, a publican, on 14 September 1870 at Haisty's Union Hotel in Notown. The couple were proprietors of the Union Hotel for eight years and Susanna's hospitality and catering skills were legendary in the district. Susannah and Samuel had three children, Elizabeth Jane, James and a third child who died in infancy. After Sam's death in 1878, Susan became a businesswoman in her own right. She ran a general store in Notown, and a boarding house in Wallsend, before becoming proprietor of the Provincial Hotel in Wallsend. Susan died in Wallsend, Brunnerton on 24 May 1896 and was survived by her son James. She was buried in the No Town Cemetery.
- Elizabeth Jane “Eliza” Haisty Armstrong, duaghter of Susan and Sam, was born 20 March 1871 in Notown where she lived with her parents her brother James, at the Union Hotel. She married Thomas Armstrong, from Scotland, in 1890. The had one daughter, Lilian Mary Armstrong. A few days after Lilian's birth, Eliza died 11 November 1890 (aged 19) at Brunnerton, Grey District, West Coast, New Zealand. She was buried in the Notown Cemetery with her parents.[11]
- Early Settler from Norway
- William Olson was born in 1840 in Norway. He first went to Ross Gold fields when he emigrated to New Zealand and then to Paddy's Gully rush and settled in No Town from then on until his death from Tuberculosis 13 August 1882 (aged 41–42). He left a wife and no children. [12]
- Mining Accidents
- Arthur Clark was born in 1844. He was employed on a sluicing claim at Nelson Creek where he was accidentally killedn11 Jun 1879 (35) [13] He was amember of the Never-Too-Late Lodge of Templars. A Clark Relief Fund was started for the widow and four children he left behind. [14]Arthur was buried in the No Town Cemetery.
- Thomas George Devery was born in County Offaly, Ireland.He was accidentally killed, along with another miner, Thomas Hill, at their claim at Red Jacks when earth fell on them, 13 September 1882 West Coast, New Zealand. Thomas Devery left a wife and family of four.Thomas Hill, born in 1848 in Clara, County Down, Northern Ireland was also killed in an accident at their claim in Red Jacks 13 September 1882 (aged 34) . [15][16]
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Molloy Family Headstone |
- Drownings
- Joseph Molloy born in 1873 was drowned in Lake Brunner 9 February 1889 (aged 16) [17]
- John Molloy born 29 August 1834 in Killeigh, County Offaly, Ireland was presumed drowned in the Grey River 7 Jul 1902 (aged 67). His wife Jane Kinsella Molloy, born 30 Mar 1836 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland and died 7 September 1912 (aged 76) in the Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand was buried with him inthe No Town Cemetery.
- Patrick Molloy born in about 1887, was drowned at age 15 years in the Arnold River 15 April1892, West Coast, New Zealand.
- Infants and Children
- Margaret Thornton was born 8 December 1894. She was the daughter of Mary Ann and James Thornton. Margaret died 17 August 1895 (aged 8 months).[18] Her brother, Thomas Francis Thornton was born 3 January 1902 and died 17 January 1903 (aged 1). [19]
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