 Click Slide menu on left Henry John Guildford Time Line (1851 - 1880)  Henry John
Guildford
was b: 21 Nov 1846 at Easton Royal, Wiltshire to parents John and
Ann
Guilford. His Christening Date: 27 Dec 1846 Place: Easton,
Wiltshire.
The family immigrated to Lyttelton, New Zealand, arriving on the 7th Feb 1851. Education: In
those
first years of the Canterbury province, parental concern that
their
children receive schooling was left to the provincial
Christchurch
Council who established a denomination school system. They
operated with
some provincial funding to supplement the weekly fees of parents.
Henry
John Guildford, the youngest of John Guilford's 3 sons, gained an
education at the High Street Wesleyan church School pictured
below.
(artist unknown).
(It was not until 1863 when public money was
allocated that this denominational system was abandoned in an
attempt
to achieve some universal standard and yet take in
regard
appreciation of the value of child labour needed on farms and much
later,
in 1875 some training of teachers started and the quality of
their
work started to be evaluated.) Having education, allowed
Henry
to later undertake clerical work as a career and he desired
his
children to have this same
advantage. Near the end of his life, in his
diary, Henry stated "I left my
father's
home the end of August 1862. I was a fool of the first water by
not
doing as my father wished, but being the only child living at
home,
during my school time, also a sickly one, I had been somewhat
pampered
and spoilt. Anyhow, I had my wish and left a good home and as I
knew
nothing of work, it can be understood that in my attempt to earn
a
living, I got many knocks, and encountered some very hard
times. 4 Nov 1868 John returned to to live with his father at 23 Papanui Road, Christchurch. Occ: Horse Breaker, He went alone to Hospital on the 9th and was attended to by Doctor Turnbull. A week later was discharged. Charge L1.10s. Press:
12 April 1872: MAGISTRATES' COURTS. CHCH: Civil Cases. Trustees of
Aylmer
and Berry's Estate v H Guildford, claim of L8 19s 3d no appearance
of
either party nonsuited, with costs. 20 Oct 1873 Lyttelton Times: Accident. A serious accident happened the other day to Mr John Guildford of the Papanui Road. He was at work in a gravel pit at Riccarton and while in the act of stooping, the side of the pit caved in and about four hundrdweight og gravel fell from a height of 6 or 7ft upon his back. He was promptly conveyed to town and received immediate medical treatment. 
Otago Witness 25 Aug 1874: Passenger H J Guildford arr. "Beautiful Star" s.s. 146 tons, Cpt Peterson from Timaru, Union Steamship Co Agent. GUILDFORD - COWAN: At the home of Mr Jno. Reay, Owake Flat, on the 8th October, 1875 by the Rev. W. Bannerman, H. J. GUILDFORD youngest son of Mr J. GUILDFORD Papanui Road, Christchurch, Canterbury, to Jane, second daughter of Mr R. Cowan, Sandymount, Peninsula, Otago. Clutha Leader: 9 March 1876: The following
notes
are from Catlin's River: M'Pherson and M'Kenzie of the Owaka Saw
Mills,
Catlin's River, are engaged in putting down a half moon tramway,
about
half a mile above the mills. The half circle will, embrace sixty
chains
from end to end, and supply the mill with from 20 to 30 logs a
day. The
tramway is being laid by H. J. Guilford, contractor.
Otago Witness: 17 Mar
1877:
PORTOBELLO ROAD BOARD: The principal business was the
acceptance of
tenders for work on the county and district roads. Accepted:
From Mr
Forbes's to the Portobello Road Church, Mr Guildford's
tender,
L19; Dick and Paton's Road, Mr Guildford'a tender, L37
Otago Witness; 7 Jul
1877;
At the Portobello Road Board meeting held on
at the
Board Room, Harbour Cone, under the Chairmanship of W A Wilson,
the
committee passed a resolution specifying the duties of Clerk to
include
also Collector of Taxes, and it was decided to call for tenders
from
parties willing to undertake the work of the two former
offices to be combined. Mr W. Geary was appointed
Treasurer, and
Henry J Guildford was appointed 4 Aug 1877 to the position of
Clerk
to succeed George J Clark and receive L10 per annum for doing the
accountants' duties therewith. His first duty was to
remove the
Board's papers and effects to the changed meeting venue at
the
Cemetery Reserve Office at Portobello and prepare an
abstract of
Board accounts of the previous year for publication.
Otago
Witness: 25 Aug 1877: OTAGO
PENINSULA; ACCOUNT OF THE PORTOBELLO ROAD
BOARD
DISTRICT For the year ending the 30th June. W. A. WILSON Chairman.
H. J.
GUILDFORD, Clerk.
Otago
Witness: 17 Nov 1877: The Rate Book can be seen at Mr
W.R,
Latham's Store, Portobello, until noon on Saturday, the Ist of Dec
1877,
and all objections thereto must be lodged at the Board's Office,
Portobello, on or before that time. H. J. GUILDFORD,
Portobello, 5th
Nov 1877; Clerk
Otago
Witness: 6 Apr 1878: PORTOBELLO ROAD BOARD. APPLICATION
having been
made to the Portobello Road Board to CLOSE the Road Line between
Section
4, Block VL, Sections 29, 27, 25, 23, 21, 19, and 17, Block V,
Portobello
Bay District, and sections 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 2 of 27, Block
11,
Otago Peninsula: Notice is Hereby Given that a plan of the road
line and
sections can be seen at Mr W R Latham's Store, Portobello
for 12
weeks from the date hereof. H. J. GUILDFORD, Clerk to
the
Board.
Otago
Witness, 17 Aug 1878: In answer to an advertisement inviting the
Peninsula
settlers to meet at the Sandymoant Schoolbouse on the 10th
instant, to
consider the adviseability of forming an Agricultural and Pastoral
Society
for the County, a considerable number attended, there being
settlers from
every subdivision of the Peniniula present. Mr H. J.
Guildford
stated at this meeting held on tht 22nd June last, l7 only being
present,
it was resolved " That all then present should try and
Induce as
many of their friends as possible to attend the movement, and that
a
Sub-Committee had been also appointed to procure copies of the
rules of
kindred societies, and any other information bearing upon ths
subject they
were able to research." Having received copies of rules from
several
different societies, a meeting of the Sub Committee had been held,
and
they had unanimously decided to form a Society, the rules
(with
slight alterations) of the Waikouaiti and Shag Valley Society. He
then
read the rules recommended. On the motion it was unanimously
resolved: "
That an Agricultural and Pastoral Society for the Peninsula County
be at
once formed, and that the designation there-of be 'The Otago
Peninsula
Agricultural and Pastoral Society,' that the rules
recommended by
the Sub-Committee be adopted, that the annual subscription of
members of
the Society be one guinea per annum.and that the rules recommended
by the
subcommittee be adopted"
Otago Witness; 23 Nov 1878: PROPERTY SALES. Wright, Stevenson, and Co. report the sale of sections The following was the result of the tale of Seatoun township, held by Mr Donald Reid at Watson's on 16th inst. There was very large attendance, and the bidding throughout was brisk. A number of the allotments contained less than a quarter-acre, some of them only one-eighth, and these being the best situated brought highest prices. Out of 121 sections offered, only 16 remained unsold. Sections 43 and 44 to purchaser, Mr Guildford, L20 each 
Source:
Otago Daily Times: Aug 1878: H J Guildford along with others signed this testimonial: To Mr Thomas Tiley, teacher of the Portobello District School from the year 1864 up to I878. At a meeting of the settlers in this district held August the 24th, 1878, for the purpose of certifying to the excellent character of Mr Tiley as a Christian, a gentleman, a neighbour, and as a teacher, We, the undersigned, repudiate the action of the present School Committee in stating that the children attending school have not made satisfactory progress. The action the School Committee has seen fit to take, we understand, has led to your resigning your position as head master of the Portobello School, taking into consideration that the majority of the children have to travel from two to four miles to reach the school; the labour some of them have to undergo on account of the high tides, and the bad state of the roads the consequent irregular attendance: also the want of sympathy on the part of some of the committee. We feel that the committee's action towards you is manifestly unjust, and we hereby certify that for the last fourteen years you have borne an excellent Christian character; as a neighbour, we have always found you honest, kind, and most obliging, in short, a gentleman in the full sense of the word, as a scholar, we believe you to be possessed of the necessary qualifications for the position you have so long and honourably held in our midst; and while we deeply regret your removal from this place, and the consequent loss of your services, we sincerely wish that all prosperity may be your portion wherever your future lot may be cast. (Signed...) The meeting expressed it's lack of confidence in the current school committee. Otago Daily Times; 24 Sept 1878: PORTOBELLO ROAD
DISTRICT. A
PUBLIC Meeting of Ratepayers of the above
district will take place at th Board's.Office, at 12 o'clock noon
on
Saturday, the 25th inst, to decide whether a road line between
section 4
block VI, sections 29, 27, 25, 23, 21,19, and 17, block V,
Portobello Bay
survey, and section; 23, 24, 25, 2& 27, and 2 of 27,
block H, Otago Peninsula, be stopped or not. H. J.
GUILDFORD,
Clerk to the Board.
Otago
Witness: 1 Feb
1879: SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS. PORTOBELLO. About fifty
householders attended the annual meeting, which was held at the
Portobello
School on Monday night last. Jas. Seaton, Esq. occupied the chair.
There
were eleven candidates proposed for the position of committee men
for the
ensuing year. Result of the poll: Joseph Young 37; John Geary 26;
George
M'Cariney 34; Henry Duckmanton 19; John Kerr 34; Alexander Clark
17;
Thos Porterfiold 16; H. J. Guildford 30; William Christie 15;
Joseph Cross
28; The first seven form the new Committee. Mr John Kerr having
protosted
against Mr Guildford's election, on account of his residence not
being in
the school district, requested the Chairman to forward his protest
along
with the result of the poll to the Education Office. A vote of
thanks to
the chair terminated the proceedings.
Otago
Witness, 15 Feb
1879: PORTOBELLO ROAD BOARD. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the
Valuation
Lists for the respective Subdivisions of the above Board, for the
Year
1879 80, are now open for inspection until 15th Feb next.
For the Portobello Subdivision: At Mr W. R. Latham's store, Portobello. For the Broadway Subdivision: At Mr Geo. Green's house, Broad Bay. For the Sandymount Subdivision: At Mr W. Riddell's house, end of Sandymount road. All objections thereto must be left at the Portobello Road Board Office, Portobello, on or before the 15th day of February, 1879, addressed to the Assessment Court ; and a copy of every such objection addressed to the undersigned must be left at the Board's Office, Portobello, not less than seven days before the next sitting of the said Court. H. J. GUILDFORD, , Clerk to the Boards; January 15th, 1879. Otago
Witness: 1 Mar
1879: PORTOBELLO ROAD BOARD: Granted - From H. J.
Guildford, clerk to the Board, asking for an increase to his
salary. It
was resolved that the salary should be raised L10 per annum, or
altogether
L38 15s year.
Otago
Witness: 3
May 1879: Mr Guildford, of Portobello has a just grievance at the
present
time. It appears that on the 27th of January last he was elected a
member
of the local School Committee, but a protest was entered against
his
return on the ground that he resided outside the School district.
The
chairman of the meeting at which the elections were made was
thereupon
requested by the householder who preferred the protest to forward
it to
the Education Board, but whether this was actually done seems
rather
doubtful. However, Mr Guildford has not since been advised of the
meetings
of the Portobello School Committee, and on the 8th ultimo, when he
presented himself at one of the meetings, he was informed by the
chairman
that he had been disqualified, or at all events declared so. He
was
consequently not allowed to join in the deliberations of the
Committee,
despite his positive assurance that the protest was groundless.
The only
course left open to him was, manifestly, to lay the facts of the
case
before the Board. With this object in view he presented himself at
the
meeting of the Board on the 24th. Here his troubles did not end.
He was
actually allowed to stand in one corner of the Boardroom for 10 or
15
minutes before anybody condescended to observe his presence and
exhibit
the common courtesy of offering him a seat, although this was
owing to
inadvertence rather than to studied neglect. At length, however,
one of
the, members chanced to catch sight of the stranger's form in the
corner,
and pointed to a vacant chair, the hint being promptly taken.
Presently
his communication praying the Board to hear him in explanation of
his
position came round for consideration, and the secretary, was in
the act
of reading it when a certain member, who was either afraid that he
might
lose his dinner, for the hour of refreshment drew nigh, and there
was a
heavy pile of correspondence yet to deal with, or who had some
other
business to attend to, interacted, "Oh, it's no good reading
all
that." Mr Guildford naturally concluded that it was high time for
him to
interpose, and he accordingly did so, but was cut short in the
middle of
his statement. This appeared like adding insult to injury, and
another
member, with a better sense of what was just under the
circumstances than
his colleague, ventured to suggest that Mr Guildford's case should
be
dealt with. Several inquiries were then made, and the matter ended
in the
Board denying that they had declared him to be disqualified. They
instructed the secretary to forward a communication to that effect
to him.
The position being an uncomfortable one, it is only right to Mr
Guildford
that the matter should be fully investigated without delay.
Letter of
Support
Otago
Witness, 24 May 1879: NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. Wgtn, May 15th. A
number
of proclamations are gazetted making reserves and changing the
purposes of
others in different parts of the Colony. Appointed Registrar of
Companies
and Maori Titles for the Portobello Road District, Henry J.
Guilford.
24 June
1879: Mr Guildford resides on Section 8, block VII, Portobello
Survey
District, situated within the Broad Bay School
District
Otago
Witness: 16 Aug 1879: PORTOBELLO ROAD DISTRICT. NOTICE: The
ACCOUNTS of
the above for the year ending 30th JUNE 1879, are OPEN to the
INSPECTION
of RATEPAYERS and others interested from this date up to the hour
of Noon
of AUGUST 20th, the time of the Board's Annual Meeting. Also, That
the
Rate for the Current Year is now due and payable to the Collector.
H. J.
GUILDFORD, Clerk and Collector. August 7th, 1879.
Otago
Witness: 7 Aug 1880: THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE: The following
assessors
under the Property Assessment Act, 1879, have been appointed:
Henry John
Guilford, of Portobello, the outlying district of the County of
Peninsula,
consisting of the Native reserves comprised in said county.
Otago
Witness, 14 Feb 1880; PORTOBELLO ROAD DISTRICT; VALUATION
NOTICE;
Year 1880-81. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the until the 15th
February,
1880, at the following places:- Portobello Subdivision, at Mr W.
R.
LATHAM'S Store; Broad Bay Subdivision, at the house of Mr Brady
GEORGE
GREEN; Sandymount Subdivision, at the house of Sandymount RIDDELL.
All
objections thereto must be left at the Portobello Road Board
Office,
Portobello, on or before the 15th day of February, 1880, addressed
to the
" Assessment Court," and a Copy of every such objection must be
left at
the same office, addressed to the undersigned, not less than seven
days
before the next sitting of the said Court of Assessment for the
Portobello
Road District. H. J. GUILDFORD, Clerk to Board. Jan 14th,
1880
Otago
Witness: 28 Feb 1880: A case was brought at Wednesday's Police
Court
against a settler on the Peninsula for allowing his cattle to
wander on a
district road. Mr Stout appeared for the defence, and succeeded in
getting
a dismissal on the ground that the Town and Country Police
Ordinance,
under which the case was brought, required it to be proved that
the
alleged offender was wilfully guilty. The informant, Mr Guildford,
clerk
of the local Board, said he would bring a fresh action. Afterwards
some
cases brought from Ravensbourne were dismissed upon the same
ground. The
only way.in which conviction can apparently be obtained under the
Ordinance is when a person is seen to turn out his stock upon the
road.
Otago
Witness, 24 April 1880: Under the Patronage of the Otago
Peninsula
Agricultural and Pastoral Society. First Series of Quarterly
Sales. R W.
CAPSTICK & C0. will sell by auction, at Highcliff Hotel,
on the
Portobello road, on Thursday, 13th May, 1880, at 12 o'olock,
Horses,
Cattle, Sheep, &c, &o. N.B.. All who are desirous of
exhibiting
stock at the above sale are invited to forward particulars to
Dick, Esq.,
Sandymount; Henry Guilford, Esq., Portobello; Mr John Wells,
Highcliff
Hotel ; or to R W. CAPSTICK & CO., Auctioneers, Moray Place
(opposite
Normal School), Dunedin
1880 -
Surname GUILDFORD Forenames Henry John; Address Portobello; Age
Over 20 ;
Sex M ; Event Description HR Electoral Roll ; Event Place
Electoral
District of Caversham ;
Date 1879-80 ; Source Title HR ER Caversham Electorate ; Page No 8 ; Publication Date 1880 ; Comments household; Portobello Bay survey, section 8, block 7 Otago
Witness: 7 Aug 1880: THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE: The following
assessors
under the Property Assessment Act, 1879, have been appointed:
Henry John
Guilford, of Portobello, the outlying district of the County of
Peninsula,
consisting of the Native reserves comprised in said county;
Evening
Post: 23
Aug 1880: H. J. Guildford, clerk to the Portobello Road Board, was
arrested to-day on a charge of embezzling the funds of the
Board.
Otago
Witness: 28 Aug 1880: Henry J. Guildford was charged on
remand
at the City Police Court on Wednesday with having embezzled L200,
the
property of the Portobello Road Board. Mr D. Stewart appeared for
the
prosecution, and Mr Hislop for the defendant. On the application
of Mr
Stewart, the accused was remanded for a week, bail being allowed
in a
surety of his own recognisance for L400, and two others of L200
each.
Otago
Witness: 4 Sep 1880: Charge of Embezzlement. The charge
against
Henry J. Guildford, of embezzling L200 from the Portobello Road
Board, was
commenced at the City Police Court on Wednesday. Mr Dennison
appeared for
the prosecution, and Mr Stout for the defendant. William Alexander
Wilson
stated that for several years he was chairman of the Portobello
Road
Board, and that he had resigned office last Saturday. He produced
the
minute book of the Board, showing that the prisoner was appointed
clerk
and collector on the 4th of August, 1877, and that Mr Geary was
appointed
treasurer on the 15th of August, 1877. On the 18th of August last
witness
found the document produced in an envelope at the Board's office.
It read
as follows: "Mr Wilson, I have stolen L220 2s 4 1/2d of
the
Board's money, and have given myself up to the police. Guildford."
It was
in the prisoner's handwriting.
 Witness produced the Road Board's
rate-book
and cash-book. The latter contained memoranda in the prisoner's
handwriting. The receipts for rates from Mrs Fleming on the 14th
May, and
J. Simpson on the 8th of June, in the rate-book were in prisoner's
handwriting. It was customary for the prisoner to pay all money
received
into the bank, Mary Fleming gave evidence as to paying L3 8s 9d
rates to
the prisoner on the 22nd of April, for which she got the receipt
produced.
Norman William M'lntosh, sub-accountant in the National Bank,
stated that
he received a communication from the prisoner on the 22nd of
April,
enclosing Ll3 10s 3d, and L114 5s 11d, to be placed to the Board's
account. The amounts were placed to the credit of the Board. James
Simpson, sexton, a ratepayer of the Portobello Road district,
produced a
receipt from the prisoner for 10s 6d rates. William Geary,
treasurer to
the Board, stated that he had never received any money from the
prisoner.
The case was then adjourned till Friday.
Otago
Witness: Accidents and Offences; 18 Sep 1880: Two charges of
embezzlement were preferred against H. J. Guilford at the City
Police
Court on Saturday. In one of the cases, in which it was alleged
that the
accused had embezzled the sum of L200, the property of the
Portobello Road
Board, no evidence was offered, and the information was dismissed.
The
other case, a charge of embezzling the sum of L3 8s 9d from the
same body,
was adjourned until the 16th.
Otago
Witness: 25 Sept 1880: Henry J. Guildford, late clerk of the
Portobello
Road Board, was brought before Mr Watt, S.M., at the Police Court
on the
16th, on two remanded charges of embezzling the sums of L3 8s 9d
and 10s
6d respectively, the property; of the Road Board. The prisoner
pleaded
guilty, and was sentenced to six calendar months imprisonment,
with hard
labour.
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