Ransom, John Robert

Evening Post 19 February 1883
The residence of Mr. John Ransom, at the Lowor Hutt, had a narrow escape of being consumed by fire on the 17th instant. Mr. James Dewarches (sic), a butcher, who was passing at the time, observed smoke issuing from the roof, and at once climbed up to the spot. He tore off some shingles which were on fire, and succeeded in quenching the outbreak before the flames had obtained too firm a hold of the building. It is believed that the roof became ignited owing to a spark from a bush fire alighting on the shingles. The house is insured in the National office for £3OO.

Evening Post 20 February 1883
Mr. and Mrs. Ransom desire to thank their friends who so kindly assisted in extinguishing the fire at their premises, Lower Hutt

Evening Post 15 July 1891
PARISH MEETINGS.
ST. JAMES'', LOWER HUTT.
The annual meeting of the parishioners of the above parish was

held at the schoolroom, Lower Hutt, on Monday evening, the chair being taken by the Incumbent (Rev. J. Jones). The report and balance-sheet were read by Mr. Cheesman, and after several of those present had expressed their views, both were adopted as read.
The report presented by the Vestry was a very lengthy

one, and was to the effect that a considerable improvement had

taken place in the financial condition of the parish, the

balauce of liabilities over assets having been reduced by about

£65, only about £50 being required to extinguish all

liabilities, and this was expected to be accomplished during

the present year. The increased revenue was mainly derived from seat rents and offertories at St. James'' and subscriptions from

Petone. The extinction of the debt to the Diocesan Pension

Fund, amounting to £27 17s 6d, was due to the efforts of the

ladies'' sewing bee. A large sum had also been obtained by means

of entertainments. The liability now existing is mainly made up

of an overdraft arranged to meet the punctual payment of

assessment and other regular calls. The Taita Church was

found to require immediate repair, and the Vestry authorised an

effort for its being substantially repaired. Funds to enable

this being done were raised by means of a donation from the

ladies'' sewing bee, and supplemented by other sources, an old

parishioner who was now in England having sent a donation of

goods, which had realised £10. Some improvements were desired

in the Petone Churchroom, and a fund to enable those to be

carried out had been, raised by local special effort. The

rights of the parishioners in the churchyards had received

attention, and regulations for this purpose had been drawn up,

and would come into force when the Taita Cemetery was ready for

use. Tho portion of the cemetery allotted to the Church had

been placed under the control of the Vestry. Useful work had

been done by the Petone Sub-Vestry, the organisation of

collection being very efficient. A misunderstanding of a

financial nature had to some extent disturbed the harmony of

that part of the parish with the rest, and the settlement of

the matter would fall on the incoming Vestry. Regular services

had been maintained with the assistance of Messrs. K. Wilson,

W. F. Cheesman, J. C. Small. C. P. Powles, H. Gaby, and E. B.

Brown as lay readers. A long series of wet Sundays had

affected the attendance and also the offertories in the early

part of the year, the services at Christ Church on several

occasions being omitted. On acconnt of the difficulty in

providing teachers, the morning Sunday school services at St.

James'' had been discontinued. Mrs. Jones continues to

superintend the St. James'' school, while the Petone one was

supervised by Mr. Jenkins, the infants at the latter being

efficiently managed by Mrs. P. Smith. Christ Church school was

under the management of Miss A. Welch, Mrs. Rush, and Mr. A.

S. Pyke. The voluntary services of Mrs. Rush and Miss Welch as

organists at Christ Church, and Mr. Sherwin as choirmaster at

Potone, were commended to the grateful acknowledgment of the

parishioner. An engagement stipulating that as soon as

practicable the assessment should be increased to as to enable

a stipend worthy of the parish to be given to the incumbent, it

had not been possible to carry out as yet, but as a matter of

simple justice the Vestry commended the matter to the

consideration of the parishioners, the duty becoming more

urgent with the delay. The thanks of the parish were due to the

lady collectors for their services, and the attention of the

incoming Vestry was invited to the desirableness of further

developing this branch of parish work. The Vestry desired to

record their sense of the loss which the parish had sustained

by the death of Sir W. Fitzherbert, who in the earlier days had

taken an active part in parish matters, and as long as his

health had permitted had been regular in his attendance at

church ordinances.
A vote of thanks was passed to the ladies''

sewing bee for the services rendered by them during the year.
A long discussion ensued as to the necessity for further services at Petone Churchroom, and a resolution was passed that the incoming Vestry take into immediate consideration the urgent necessity of further administration in the Petone subdivision of the parish.
Mr. W. F. Cheesman was re-appointed incumbent''s church warden, and Mr. J. R. Ransom was re-elected parishioners'' churchwarden. The Vestry elected were as follows:— Messrs. W. A. Fitzherbert, A. Collett, J. Wilkins, S. C. Barraud (Lower Hutt); R. C. Kirk and E. J. Jenkins (Petone); S. Death (Taita). Auditors, Messrs. Whitton and Price.
Votes of thanks having been passed to the Sunday school teachers, lady collectors, members of the choirs, and also to the members of the Christ Church Union, the meeting terminated. At a meeting of the Vestry later on, Capt. Humfrey and Messrs. W. A. Fitzherbert and W. F. Cheesman were elected nominators.

Hutt Valley Cemetery Record John Robert Ransom, Date: 15/10/1894, St James Anglican, Lower Hutt, Burial Records


Evening Post 16 October 1894
RANSOM.- On the 15th October, 1894, at Lower Hutt, John Robert Ransom, aged 70 years.
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FUNERAL NOTICE
THE friends of the late Mr. J. R. Ransom are respectfully invited to attend his funeral, which will leave his late residence, Lower Hutt, for St. James'' Church, on Thursday, 18th October, 1894, at 2 o''clock p.m.
COLLETT BROS,
Undertakers, Lower Hutt and Petone
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The Hutt district loses another of its old identities in Mr. John R. Ransom, who died at his residence near the Blackbridge last night, of bronchitis. He was a member of the Borough Council, and also sat on the old Town Board before the formation of the borough. The parishioners of St. James'' Church knew him as an active member of the vestry, as for many years he filled the office of Parishioners'' Churchwarden, and more recently that of Incumbent''s Churchwarden. He was a builder by trade, but of late years had not been actively engaged in his calling. He was 70 years of age, and leaves behind him a wife and grown up family


Probate John Robert Ransom, Place: Lower Hutt, Occ: Wheelwright, Date of Death: 15/10/1894, AAOM 6029 4485, Filed: 16/11/1894, Will, Archives NZ, Wellington

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Death Details
1897/4375, Harriet Ransom, Aged: 66Y - Date of Death 18/9/1897 from Death Registration

Evening Post 18 September 1897
RANSOM.- At her daughter''s (Mrs. W. H. Frethey) residence, Mulgrave-street, Harriet Ransom, widow of the late J. R. Ransom, in her 66th year.
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FUNERAL NOTICE
THE Friends of the late Mrs. John Ransom are respectfully invited to attend her Funeral, which will leave her daughter''s residence (Mrs William Frethey) Mulgrave-street, on Monday, 20th inst, at 1 p.m., for the Lower Hutt Cemetery (Church of England), passing the Lower Hutt Station at 2.45 p.m.
CLARK & THOMPSON,
Undertakers,
Tel. 806 No. 55, Molesworth-street