Kilmister, John

Mr Arthur Kilmister
A Tribute to a Grand Old Man.
The death of Mr Arthur Kilmister at Ngaio on 14th October, 1973, marked the end of a long and successful farming life. For the last 60 years Mr Kilmister has lived at 26 Ottawa Road, the oldest resident in the district and possibly the longest living Wellingtonian in many years.
The Kilmister family trace their Wellington connections back to the 1840''s when John and Frances left England for New Zealand in the "Lady Nugent". They arrived March, 17, 1841, with their three (sic) children, including John, then 5 years old, who was to become Arthur''s father. First the family lived in a small house in Bolton Street area and later moved to their own house in Ascot Terrace. This cottage still stands today (this would be 1973 from the date of the article?) and many of the present generation Kilmisters were born there. The old couple died there in 1904.
John Kilmister Snr. worked at various jobs in the city, but mostly as a cooper and part time farmer - he had land up on the Tinakori hills. His sons John and Henry started Sky farm from small holding, originally in the area north and west of what is now Karori cemetery. On Henry''s death John took over the farm, assisted by his sons Fred and Arthur.
These two boys were the third and fourth children from a family of ten. John married Sarah Judd who also traced her family back to the early days in Wellington. Her parents arrived in the "Martha Ridgway" in 1840.
Later Fred and Arthur purchased the land from their father and shared it between them. Arthur settled on land to the north and Fred the Karori-Makara portion.
Arthur married Sarah Hughes in 1902 and their first home was in the Karori hills, west from the end of Parkvale Road. A few months later they moved to Crofton (as Ngaio was then known) to live in the cottage at the end of Silverstream Road (in the suburb we now know as Croft Downs). The home and farm buildings, which still exist today (this would be 1973 from the date of the article?), were purchased from Mrs Chew along with about 200 acres of surrounding land.
The Casey''s had previously leased the land and buildings. It was not the original cottage, however, this had been destroyed by fire before the Kilmister''s time. In addition to the Chew''s land, and his father''s 500 acres, Arthur purchased 100 acres of native reserve, and 60 acres from John Stevens, or Morris Scanlon. The latter was the land between Sky and Chew''s. Some years later 580 acres from the Hobbs estate extended the farm north to Mt Kau Kau. This land Mr Kilmister brought in his son''s names - Arthur and Tom.
In 1914 the family moved to 26 Ottawa Road. They had four children by this time. Lila and Phyllis were born at the family cottage in Ascot Terrace, Arthur and Otari at Silverstream Road. The house at number 26 was purchased from, and had been built for, Mr Alf Aplin who was a carrier. The sale included a 1/2 acre of land and stables and sheds at the back. Their neighbours to the north were the Aplins (Alf''s parents) to the west the Gibsons in Chew cottage, south-west across the railway line were the Radcliffes and south at 24 Ottawa Road were various tenants (the house was built by John Chew in the 1870''s).
After the death of his first wife, Arthur married Ivy Palmer from Khandallah in 1949. Since his retirement his sons Tom and Arthur have farmed the land and in more recent years his grandsons Gary, Brian and Ken.
Mr Kilmister was a Framer all his life. He started working for himself at 19 year of age and did not retire until after his eightieth birthday. Just before his 100th birthday, at the time I took his and Mrs Kilmister''s photograph, he told me of his family''s great record of good health, hard work and longevity. He pointed out that his grandparents had both lived to their nineties and his father over 100 years. "And I''m going to do better than that" he assured me.
He was true to his word, maintaining a tradition through three generations of the New Zealand branch of the family. To retain this record will be quite a challenge for future Kilmisters.
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Note: includes a partial family tree and photos of Mr & Mrs Arthur Kilmister taken in 1971 and the home at 26 Ottawa Road taken circa 1913 when the Alpin''s still lived there.
Taken from The Onslow Historian Vol. 3., No. 4, 1973


Lady Nugent sailed from Gravesend 10th October 1840 and arrived in Port Nicholson 17th March 1841.
Names as on passenger lists
Kilminster, John, Aged: 32, Cooper
Kilmister, Frances, Aged: 30
Kilmister, Son, Aged: 8 (Ed: born circa 1832)
Kilmister, Daughter, Aged: 6 (Ed: born circa 1834)
Kilmister, Son, Aged: 4 (Ed: born circa 1836)
Kilmister, Son, Aged: 1 (Ed: born circa 1839)

Wellington Independent 31 October 1868
Sheep Inspector''s Report (Wellington.)
RETURN of Sheep in May, 1868, all over six months, with amount of Assessment due thereon in the month of August, at the rate of one half- penny per head per annum for the Wellington district.
Name. Residence. Sheep. Assessment. Condition of Flock. Remarks.
...
Allen, George. Waiwetu. 150. 0 6 3. Clean.
...
Buck, George. Taita. 295. 0 12 3 1.2. Clean.
Brathwaite, A. Waiwetu. 300. 0 12 6. Clean.
...
Death, J. Waiwetu. No return.
...
Death, R. RationPoint. No return.
Ellerm, H. & W. Belmont. 200. 0 8 4. Clean.
...
Fraser, T.& A. Taita, No. 1. 500. 1 0 10. Clean.
Fraser, T & A. Taita, No. 2. 300. 0 12 6. Clean.
...
Freathy. Lower Hutt. 32. 0 1 9. Clean.
...
Gower, John. Ohau. 1400. 2 18 4. Clean.
Golder, J. Belmont. 28. 0 1 2. Clean.
...
Hadfield, Rev. Octavuis. Otaki. 1000. 2 1 8. Clean.
Hayward, Thomas. Hutt. 111. 0 4 7 1/2. Clean.
Hughey, David. Taita. 208. 0 8 8. Clean.
...
Harris, J. Nai Nai. 340. 0 14 2. Clean.
...
Judd, Stephen. Upper Hutt. 80. 0 3 4. Clean.
Judd, William. Upper Hutt. 90. 0 3 9. Clean.
Judd, Wm, Junr. Waiwetu. 10. 0 0 5. Clean.
Knight, J. & J. Waiwetu. 100. 0 4 2. Clean.
Kilminster (sic), J. & H. Karori. 170. 0 7 1. Clean.
...
Liverton, John. Hutt. 500. 1 0 10. Clean.
Ludlam, Alfred. Hutt. 1222. 2 10 11. Clean.
...
Mason, Thos. Taita. 100. 0 4 2. Clean.
...
Mabey, J. & T. Upper Hutt. 500. 1 0 10. Clean.
...
Peck, Richard. Stokes'' Valley. Sold.
Pringle, Alexander. Lower Hutt. 80. 0 3 4. Clean.
...
Percy, Henry J. Petoni. 50. 0 2 1. Clean.
...

Death Details
1904/1167 John Kilmister, Aged: 96Y - Date of Death 25/2/1904 from Death Registration

Death Details
1904/1168, Frances Kilmister, Aged: 94Y - Date of Death 26/2/1904 from Death Registration

Evening Post 25 February 1904
FUNERAL NOTICE
THE Funeral of the late John Kilmister and his Wife, Francis Kilmister, will leave Sydney-street Cutting at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday, 28th February, 1904, for the Sydney-street Cemetery.
ISAAC CLARK AND SON,
Undertakers,
55, Molesworth-st.
Tel. 806

Evening Post 25 February 1904
A ROMANCE OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
THE PASSING AWAY OF MR. AND MRS. KILMISTER.
SOME REMARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
That there can be romance and remarkable coincidences in a quiet life as well as in the life of the adventurous has been proved by the life story of Mr. John Kilmister and his wife Frances, both of whom passed away this morning at their residence off Sydney-street Cutting. Away back in Gloucestershire in the early part of last century these two were playmates and sweethearts, and 74 years ago last Christmas Day they were married. Throughout their long married life they were noted for their affection for each other, and their great desire in the closing years of their lives was that they might die together and be interred side by side on the same day. That desire has been in part, and will be wholly, fulfilled, though neither of them Was aware of it. Mrs. Kilmister, who was in her 95th year, and who was conscious almost to the close passed away at 2 o''clock this morning, and her husband, who was two years her senior, died without knowing of his wife''s decease, at 9.15 a.m. Mr. Kilmister was laid aside on Monday last, and his wife took to her bed on the following day. She had been a victim to rheumatism for 30 years, and got about on crutches during the last 20 years. They had eight children, four born in England and four in New Zealand. It is remarkable that of the four children who died, two were a son and daughter born in England, and the other two were a New Zealand son and a daughter. The surviving children are Mr. John Kilmister and Mrs. Gardner, who were born in England, and Mr. James Kilmister and Mrs. George Judd, who was born in New Zealand. There are some 50 grandchildren and others to the fourth generation scattered throughout the colony.
Mr Kilmister was a cooper by trade, and he also became a brewer and maltster whilst a resident in Bath. He was induced by the son of his employer, Mr. Dunn, to try his luck in faraway New Zealand, and arrived in Port Nicholson in the Lady Nugent on 17th March, 1841. Mr. Dunn, who come out by the same vessel, was afterwards drowned in the Wellington harbour. Mr. Kilmister and his family went to the Hutt, where he started sawmilling; but a heavy flood set him against the district, and after cutting the necessary timber for a house he rafted it down the river and conveyed it by boat to Wellington. The house then constructed was that afterwards occupied by the late Mr. E. W. Mills behind Wellington-terrace. When Wellington''s first brewery was established by Messrs. Northwood and Drake, on the site now occupied by the Wellington Club, Mr. Kilmister became the brewer and maltster. The brewery did not prove a success, and Mr. Kimister and his two sons John and William (since deceased) took up land at Porirua, helped to construct the road through Johnsonville and along Tawa Flat, Mr. Kilmister senior receiving a wage of one guinea per week for overseering the Maoris in the construction of the Tawa Flat road, over which work the late Hon. W. B. Mantell was general overseer. Mr. Kilmister was the first man to put a pick into the Pahautanui roadworks, also. Then he came back to Wellington and made a start upon the business of a dairyman on the 58-acre farm at the southern end of Tinakori Range now occupied by Mr. George Thomas. He assisted the late Mr. Woodward in establishing the first Independent, or Congregational, Church in Wellington. Mr. Kilmister retired from his farm 36 years ago, made a voyage Home with his wife 30 years ago, and on returning to the colony resided for a short time at the Hutt, and then returned to Tinakori-road, in which neighbourhood he lived a very quiet life, taking no part whatever in public affairs.