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James and Mary Guilford named their first child Charles James Holt Guilford in memory of Jame's brother. Charles was b: 27 Feb 1871 in Wairau, Blenheim. The family moved to Kaiwarra (Kaiwharawhara), Wellington and it was here he d: 6th Jan 1875 - burial 6th Jan 1875 was at Bolton Cemetery, Section: C of E, Plot Number: 3106 (he joined his grandparents James and Rebecca Guilford, uncle John Sydney Guilford bur: at Bolton St. Cemetery)
From historic to high-rise with a cemetery in between, historic Bolton St has been the centre of controversy. Plunging 400 metres from Salamanca Rd to The Terrace, Bolton St was home to the Wellington's original cemetery. Bolton Street Cemetery, now known as Bolton Street Memorial Park, was closed for three years, from 1968 till 1971, when thousands of bodies were controversially exhumed to make way for Wellington's motorway. The remains of the 3700 exhumed bodies now lie in a vault underneath the Early Settlers Memorial Lawn, and the gravestones and monuments were relocated to other parts of the cemetery. Many well-known pioneers and important historical figures are buried at the cemetery. Richard Seddon (1845-1906), longest- serving Prime Minister of New Zealand, from 1893 to 1906, is remembered by a large statue at the entrance. Brothers Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796-1862) and William Wakefield (1801- 1848), both closely involved with the colonisation of New Zealand, are also buried there. John Howard Wallace, one of Wellington's most active early settlers, died in 1891. Six members of his family had died in 1863 during a scarlet fever epidemic. A Wallace family tomb at the cemetery honours their memory. The "Father of Wellington", John Plimmer, was buried there in 1905. His memory is kept alive by a statue at the bottom of the Plimmer Steps off Lambton Quay. Bolton Street Memorial Park dates back to the founding of the city in 1840 and burials began in 1841 with Governor Hobson's approval. In 1851, the town cemetery was split into three, one for Church of England burials, another for the public or non- conformists and a third for Jewish burials. Bolton St, named after the Bolton, which sailed into Wellington in 1840, is also home to one of the city's oldest surviving buildings. Built in 1857, the Church of England Sexton's Cottage survived the development of the motorway and is heritage listed. Today it is used as a residence for international artists. Within the Church of England Cemetery stands Mortuary Chapel, which was built from timber in 1844 and was the first St Paul's Church. The church was moved to Bolton St from its original site in 1866. Soon after, the cemetery closed and the chapel was forgotten. Because of its poor condition and lack of use, it was demolished in 1969. A replica now stands in its place and is a visitors' centre, containing exhibits and a list of the 8679 people buried at the cemetery. Src: The Wellingtonian |