An
open fire on a cold winter night invokes thoughts of cosiness, comfort food, a
book to read snuggled under a blanket. An outdoor campfire brings back memories
of fun times at camp or at the beach with friends.
But
fire, was much more of a necessity to our ancestors than it is to us today with
electricity or gas connected right to our homes. There have been several
instances of fire wreaking havoc on the lives of my own ancestors.
I
mentioned one in a previous post which I had only recently learned of. A fire
in Kaikoura in 1935 which destroyed three cottages in the night. Something left
on a cooker ? An ember that landed on some fabric or a wooden floor ? A bird’s
nest in or on top of the chimney ? No-one appeared to have been harmed in that
fire, but two people lost not only their cottage but also their belongings.[1]
In
Wellington on 22 August 1869 my 3 x great grandmother Elizabeth Cooper (nee
Hill) died aged 70. The cause of death is given as “Accidentally burnt”.[2] Was she cooking a meal ?
Did her shawl drop into the flame ? Did her skirt brush lightly across the fireplace ? Did a sudden gust of wind or breeze force the flames without
warning in a different direction to where she was expecting ?
In Nelson
in the early hours of 7 August 1866 there was a great fire.[3] Twenty buildings were
burned at the four corners of Bridge and Collingwood Streets. The fire was
discovered at the Nelson Hotel, one of three hotels on or near that
intersection to be burnt. Ironically the Temperance Hall was also burnt and the
YMCA rooms as well as some dwelling houses and shops. It was later established
to have started in a bedroom of the Nelson Hotel.[4]
One
of the shops destroyed was the bakery of Edward Laney, my 3 x great grandfather,
which was adjacent to the Royal Hotel. He had been in business for twenty four
years with premises in Richmond, on Nile Street East and on Bridge Street
throughout that time.[5] On the night of the fire
there was a strong south westerly wind which caused the flames to take hold on
all corners of the intersection. This was the first great fire to occur in
Nelson since the arrival of the first English settlers in 1842.[6] No lives were lost, but
many lost all their belongings. Later in the day an inquest was held to
determine the cause of the fire.[7] A meeting was held in the
evening of the same day to raise subscriptions or pledges from the townsfolk to
assist those who had suffered in the fire.[8]
The
fire, which by sheer luck was the first of its size since settlement began was
also the impetus for organising a Volunteer Fire Brigade.[9] The Nelson Evening Mail
ran a series of editorials in the days after the fire lobbying for action and responsibility
to be taken. This had been attempted once before, and the town even had two
fire engines available.[10] But the disorganisation,
delay and lack of available men on the night of the fire, meant that it was at
least 20 minutes after the alarm had been raised that the smaller engine had
been pulled to the scene of the fire.[11] Time which may have saved
some of the premises which were lost.
1866
had been quite a year for the Laney family. William, the eldest child, who like
Edward was also a baker, had died in April of Bilious Fever aged 24, leaving a
widow and two young children.[12] In June, Edward’s wife
Mary passed away.[13] Around this time it is possible
that, Ann, Edward’s step-daughter returned to live with the family. Ann was a
widow with three young children; in early June she was living in Hope Street
when she placed an advertisement advertising a business premise in Trafalgar
Street to let.[14] Before
her marriage Ann had also worked in the bakery, running her own business since
the age of 15 at the premises in Bridge Street.[15] After the fire Ann placed
a thank you notice in the Nelson Evening Mail, thanking the “Ladies and the
Public generally” for the kindness shown by them by supplying clothes for
herself and her sisters since the fire.[16] Those sisters were
Edward’s youngest children Sarah and Mary, whether his younger son Edwin was
also there is unknown.
Edward’s
premises were insured and by October 1866 he had rebuilt on the same site – in
a slightly more expansive manner.[17] Just a few short years
later he closed up shop and removed to the Wairau Valley.[18]
[1]
‘Three Houses Burnt’, The Press, 28 June 1935, p.18.
[2] ‘An
Old Woman Burnt to Death’, Taranaki Herald, 4 September 1869, p.3.
[3]
‘Serious Fire Eighteen Houses Destroyed’, Nelson Examiner and New Zealand
Chronicle, 7 August 1866, p.2.
[4] ‘Inquiry
into the Cause of the Fire’, Nelson Evening Mail, 8 August 1866, p.3.
[5]
‘Old Established Bakery’, Nelson Evening Mail, 17 October 1866, p.4.
[6]
‘Serious Fire Eighteen Houses Destroyed, Nelson Examiner and New Zealand
Chronicle, p.2.
[7] ‘Inquiry
into the Cause of the Fire’, Nelson Evening Mail, p.3.
[8] ‘A
Public Meeting’, Nelson Evening Mail. 7 August 1866, p.3.
[9] ‘Meeting
of Committee Appointed to Organize Fire Brigade”, Nelson Examiner and New
Zealand Chronicle, 16 August 1866, p.3.
[10] John
Wilson, Thematic Historical Overview of Nelson City for the Nelson City
Council as part of the Nelson Heritage Inventory Project – Final Draft,
October 2011, J Wilson, Christchurch, pp. 40-41. http://www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz/assets/About-nelson/downloads/1176312-thematic-historical-overview-of-nelson-city-OCT2011.pdf
[11] ‘Disastrous
Fire’, Nelson Evening Mail, 7 August 1866, p.2.
[12] ‘Deaths’,
Colonist, 17 April 1866, p.2.
[13] ‘Died’,
Nelson Evening Mail, 1 June 1866, p.2.
[14] ‘Desirable
Business Premises’, Nelson Evening Mail, 4 June 1866, p.1.
[15] ‘Established
Eighteen Years’, Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 23 February
1861, p.4.
[16] ‘The
Undersigned’, Nelson Evening Mail, 21 August 1866, p.3.
[17] ‘Local
Improvements’, Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 14 December
1866, p.4.; ‘Old Established Bakery’, Nelson Evening Mail, p.4.
[18] ‘News
has been received in Nelson’, Nelson Evening Mail, 21 August 1882, p.2.
