Tawa Historical Society - Tawa Cemetery

Tawa Flat Cemetery

Here is a combined list of all the people known to have been buried in the Tawa Flat Cemetery.

The gift of Edward Gibbon Wakefield of the Portion of section 52, Porirua Road, to the Church of England in December 1861, was followed by the erection of a church on the site in 1866. The first burial of which there is any remaining evidence is that of two-week old Eunice Fitzherbert of Grasslees Farm in April 1867, her mother dying two weeks later and being buried at the “Tawa Flat Cemetery” on Saturday 11 may 1867, W. Mitchell being the undertaker. All records of burials have been lost.

Name	Date of Death or Burial	Age	Comments
-	d. 15 June 1881	36	* †R2/13
Allen, Catherine Priscilla May	d. 15th December 1883 ˜	11months	* †R2/15 ‡ presumed to be a daughter of either Eli (jnr) or John Allen [1]
Bartlett, Joseph	d. 25th June 1877	34	* †R2/12 ‡ son of Nathaniel Bartlett [2]
Benson, Mary Mrs	d. 12 January 1892	67	née Valler, wife of William Benson [3]
Bowles, Mary Ann	d. 13th June 1894	73	née Taylor, wife of Jessie C. Bowles and sister of Jas. Taylor, J.P., Tawa Flat. Died at Ngahauranga [4]
Brown, Andrew	d. 8th September 1882	75	[5]
Brown, James	d. 23rd June 1888	60	son of Andrew Brown [29]
Brown, Janet	>1888		née McVicar, wife of James Brown, died from drowning
Brown, Mary	d. 4th September 1883	76	née Galloway, wife of Andrew Brown [28]
Camm, Mary Mrs	d. 24th February 1883	73	née Lovelock, wife of William Camm, Porirua Road. Formerly Mrs Thomas Woodman [6] John Morgan, Undertaker
Davis, George	d. 15th September 1890	48	husband of Ellen, née Madigan, who remarried William Henry Morgan [7]
Earp, Elizabeth	d. 1st February 1892	77	* †R3/19 ‡ wife of William Earp
Earp, William	d. 19th November 1888 ˜	64	* †R3/19 ‡ Died at Tawa Flat [8]
Earp-Thomas, Louisa	d. 1926	79	†R4/20 ‡ daughter of William and Elizabeth Earp and husband of Charles Thomas
Earp-Thomas, Madeline	d. 1928		†R4/20 ‡ daughter of Charles & Louisa Earp-Thomas
Earp-Thomas, Oswald Charles Ernest	d. 19th Sept. 1952	53	†R4/20 ‡ biologist, son of Charles & Louisa Earp-Thomas, husband of Daisy and father of Nada
Fifield, Sarah Ann	bur. 28th Aug. 1892	47	** of Porirua [27] F. Greer, Undertaker
Fifield, William Wellington	bur. 15th Dec. 1891	59	** of Porirua [30] F. Greer, Undertaker
Fitzherbert, Annie	d. 8 May 1867	24	née Farmer, mother of Eunice and wife of Herbert Haffenden Fitzherbert, died following child birth. Herbert remarried Janet Knox and returned to England in 1872 and then moved to Jamaica where he died [9] [10] W. Mitchell undertaker
Fitzherbert, Eunice	d. 28 Apr 1867	2 weeks	baby daughter of Herbert and Annie Fitzherbert. First recorded burial.
Hooper, Elinor Susan	d. 10th April 1938	85	* †R1/3 ‡ wife of Henry Hooper. Funeral notice gives name as “Elinor Susan Gillespie” having been divorced from Thomas Gillespie in 1908. [31] Chas Greer & sons funeral directors
Hooper, Henry Francis	d. 26th July 1891	38	* †R1/3 ‡ of Porirua [26] Francis Greer, Undertaker
Hyde, Edwin	bur. 7th July 1898	60	* of Takapu [11] F. H. Greer, Undertaker
Hyde, Eliza	bur. 1878 or 1879		née Matthews, wife of Edwin Hyde
M‘Grath	bur. 8th June 1892	infant	** infant son of Mr. W. M‘Grath, Porirua [24] F. Greer, Undertaker
Marchant, George	d. 8th March 1895		* †R3/18 ‡ brother of Mrs Elizabeth Richards [12]
Morgan, Annie	d. 10th April 1890	18	* †R1/8 ‡ daughter of John Morgan
Morgan, Catherine	d. 11th September 1917	74	* †R1/8 ‡ née Green, wife of John Morgan
Morgan, John	d. 15th October 1886	53	* †R1/8 ‡ Died at at Tawa Flat [13]
Mungavin, Ellen	d. 8th July 1884	26	* †R1/6 ‡
Newman, Annie	d. 10th April 1904	31	* daughter of William Newman
Newman, Ellen	d. 16th March 1907	64	wife of William Newman
Newman, Ernest W.	d. 23rd May 1887	15	* eldest son of William Newman
Newman, William	d. 5th November 1916	68	[14]
Richards, Ann	d. 13th February 1884	59	* †R1/4 ‡ wife of Daniel Richards
Richards, Daniel	d. 7th September 1887	68	* †R1/4 ‡ F. Greer, Undertaker [25]
Richards, Elizabeth Mrs	d. 15th May 1896	78	* †R3/18 ‡ sister of George Marchant [15]
Roberts, Amelia	d. 27 September 1883	46	* †R1/10 ‡ wife of Philip Roberts
Roberts, Philip	d. 15th January 1901	66	* †R1/10 ‡ [16]
Spicer, Richard	d. 4th July 1874	21	aka “Dick Valler”, son of Richard & Jane Spicer. Died of typhoid [17]
Steele, Emily	d. 30th November 1930		* née Earp, wife of Thomas Steele
Steele, Thomas	d. 24th September 1898	53	* husband of Emily Steele. Died at Tawa Flat of heart failure. Bank manager, Foxton [18]
Stevens, Charles	d. 1st March 1871	59	* ‡ Charles Stevens snr [19]
Stevens, Elizabeth	d. 18th July 1891 ˜	39	* †R2/16 ‡ née Peckham, wife of George Stevens, Porirua [20] F. GEEER, Undertaker
Stevens, George William Edward	d. 23 April 1892	11	* †R2/16 ‡ son of George Stevens
Stevens, Lydia	d. 13 April 1874	69	* ‡ wife of Charles Stevens snr
Thomas, Eliza	d. 10th March 1874	70	* †R1/10 ‡ mother of Amelia Roberts [21]
Vella, Mary Ida	d. 22nd December 1889	21 ˜	* †R2/14 née Furse, wife of Mariano Vella, died of heart attack. Mariano was a fisherman at Paremata and subsequently leased Mana Island in 1886. He is buried in the graveyard of St Joseph's Catholic Church at Pauatahanui [22]
Wall, Henry Irvine	d. 16th January 1894	11 ˜	* †R2/17 ‡ son of James Wall [23]
Wells, Harry Walker	d. 3rd February 1890	33	Headmaster of Tawa Flat School (1887-88), died of consumption. F.C. Greer undertaker

* burials at Tawa Flat Cemetery inferred from decipherable tombstone inscriptions by Arthur Carman, 20 Feb 1938. Some other burials are identified by Carman from funeral notices, family sources, or death registration information, p229–231, “Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road 1840 – 1982”

** additional burials at Tawa Flat Cemetery identified by Richard Herbert inferred from newspaper Funeral Notices.

† monumental headstones and inscriptions surviving when transcribed by Gordon O. Parsons, for New Zealand Society of Genealogists Inc., 31 December 1978. Row and Plot number as per that transcription.

‡ monumental headstones and inscriptions surviving in 2005. Also see further photos below.

˜ The following inconsistencies are noted:
- Carman records the birth of Henry WALL as 1882 and hence his age at death as 11 yrs and not 14 yrs.
- The Dictionary of National Biography records the age of Mary VELLA at death as 20yrs and not 21 yrs.
- The NZSG transcript has the following errors: states Catherine ALLEN died in 1885 rather than 1883, William EARP died in 1883 rather than 1888, and Elizabeth STEVENS died on 13th rather than on 18th.

[1]              p127, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[2]              p116, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road, DEATH REPORT - Evening Post, 27 June 1877, Page 2. CORONER’s REPORT - Evening Post, 29 June 1877, Page 2
[3]              p134, p150, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 13 January 1892, Page 3.
[4]              p96, p135, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. DEATH NOTICE - Evening Post, 15 June 1894, Page 2 (gives age as 72).
[5]              p125, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. DEATH NOTICE - Evening Post, 9 September 1882, Page 2
[6]              p109, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 26 February 1883, Page 3.
[7]              p148, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[8]              p98, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. DEATH NOTICE - Evening Post, 20 November 1888, Page 2 (gives birthday as 24th May).
[9]              For further genealogical information on Fitzherbert family http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~dchamber/fitzherbert.htm
[10]            p121, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[11]            p103, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 6 July 1898, Page 6.
[12]            p146, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[13]            p113, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. DEATH NOTICE - Evening Post, 18 October 1886, Page 2.
[14]            p111, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[15]            p146, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[16]            p133, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[17]            p134, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[18]            p94, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. DEATH NOTICE - Evening Post, 27 September 1898, Page 6.
[19]            p129, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[20]            p108, p129, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 20 July 1891, Page 3.
[21]            p133, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[22]            Brodie, James W. 'Vella, Mariano 1855 - 1929'. Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, updated 16 December 2003.
                  URL: http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/
[23]            p138, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road
[24]            FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 7 June 1892, Page 3.
[25]            FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 7 September 1887, Page 3.
[26]            FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 27 July 1891, Page 3.
[27]            FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 27 August 1892, Page 3.
[28]            DEATH NOTICE - Evening Post, 5 September 1883, Page 2.
[29]            DEATH NOTICE - Evening Post, 25 June 1888, Page 2 (gives age as 61).
[30]            p86, Tawa Flat and the Old Porirua Road. FUNERAL NOTICE - Evening Post, 14 December 1891, Page 3.
[31]            DIVORCE CASE - Evening Post, 27 August 1908, Page 7.

The following photos and transcripts of the monumental inscriptions were recorded of the remaining visible tombstones by Richard Herbert on 12th March 2005. There may still be a small number of others buried in the undergrowth of parts of the cemetery.

Click on an image for enlarged photo and the inscription – and then click back button to return.

Earp-Thomas R4/20	General View of Cemetery	Combined Churches Plaque

William and Elizabeth Earp R3/19	George Marchant and Elizabeth Richards R3/18	Charles and Lydia Stevens

Blank Memorial Stone R2/11	Joseph Bartlett R2/12	Mary Vella R2/14

Catherine Allen R2/15	Elizabeth Stevens and George Stevens R2/16	Henry Wall R2/17

Philip and Amelia Roberts and Eliza Thomas R1/10	John and Catherine Morgan R1/8	Ellen Mungavin R1/6

Daniel and Ann Richards R1/4	Henry and Elinor Hooper R1/3	unknown grave R1/1

Tawa Historical Society would welcome further information about these and other people known to be buried in Tawa Flat Cemetery. Please see webmaster contact below.