William & Isabel LUXFORD

William & Isabel LUXFORD
Wedding supplies
Image by SandyEm
In memory of
William Lewis LUXFORD
born Wellington NZ
8 Dec 1854
died 9 Aug 1938
And of his wife
Isabel Eleanor Carolina LUXFORD
born London 22 Oct 1853
died 14 May 1931

Photo of William Lewis LUXFORD
www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/Cyc01Cycl-fig-Cyc01Cycl1149b.html

Evening Post – 16 October 1928
GOLDEN WEDDING
(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day.
The early days of the timber industry in New Zealand were recalled by William Lewis Luxford, of Mount Albert, who retains vivid memories of Wellington when the foreshore reached as far as Lambton quay. He celebrates the golden jubilee of his wedding today.

Mr. Luxford was born in Wellington in 1854. He was the eldest son of Mr. G. H. Luxford. He attended a preparatory school with twenty-five others, and Sir George Hunter is tho only other survivor. In 1877 he went to England with his parents in the barque Ballarat, and for a time attended a school at Jersey. Later he travelled on the Continent, touring France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. He returned to Wellington in 1860. Mr. Luxford was for several years engaged in farming and sawmilling ventures in the Wellington province. In 1877 he travelled to England in the first steamer of the Orient Line, the Lusitania, which made the then record trip of 40 days from Adelaide to Plymouth. On this trip Mr. Luxford married Miss Isabella Gonzales, of Ondoonly, a grandchild of Guiseppe Gonzales, of Milan, Italy. The first two years of their married life were spent at Jersey. Returning to the Dominion in 1880, Mr. Luxford settled at Palmerston North. He was a member of the Palmerston North Borough Council for ten years, and had several sawmills in Manawatu and Hawkes Bay districts. After retirement he lived at Hamilton, and later at Mount Albert.

There are four sons and two daughters. The sons are Messrs. J. H. Luxford, the Magistrate, of Whangarei, F. W. Luxford, of Hamilton, H. B. Luxford, of Te Kuiti, and T. G. Luxford, of Epsom. The daughters are Mrs. J. H, Cubitt and Miss K. Luxford, of Auckland.[1]

Obituary
Evening Post 10 August 1938:
MR. W. L LUXFORD

Recollections of old-time voyages, the British statesman John Bright, and Pope Pius IX were among those recounted in his lifetime by Mr. William Lewis Luxford, whose death has occurred at the age of 84 years at his home at Ponsonby, states today’s "New Zealand Herald.”

Born in Wellington,’Mr. Luxford at the age of 11 went to England and later attended school at Jersey. He travelled extensively on the Continent and toured France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany. In 1869 he returned to New Zealand and for several years was engaged in farming and sawmilling ventures in the Wellington district. He visited England again in 1877 and finally returned a few years later to settle at Palmerston North, where he was a member of the Borough Council for ten years. For a period after his retirement he lived at Hamilton, later at Mount Albert, and for several years before his death in Dedwood Terrace, Ponsonby.

Mr. Luxford made his first voyage to England in the barque Ballarat. "It took us 30 days to reach Cape Horn," he said when once; describing the experience. "We sailed among icebergs in bitterly cold, miserable weather. The water poured into the ship and my bunk was wet all the time."

When Mr. Luxford reached England he went for a tour through Wales. When staying at Caernaervon he was stopped at the steps of his hotel one morning by a man who said: "Hello, my boy. What part of the world do you come from? You did not get those freckles in England." When the lad told him he said: "New Zealand? That is the place where they have cold missionary without any gravy. I suppose you have come Home to go to school? Mind they teach you to eat your meals without any missionary." He shook hands with the boy and went inside. Mr. Luxford subsequently learned that the man to whom he had been talking was John Bright. When travelling in Italy with his uncle they visited St. Peter’s, Rome. "A procession came from the direction of the altar," said Mr. Luxford when relating the incident, "and when it reached us a man whom, we took to be a priest came across and shook hands with us. After we had left a verger said, ‘That was his Holiness. He wished to welcome you to Rome.’ " Mr. Luxford leaves four sons and two daughters. The sons, are Mr. J. H. Luxford, who is present relieving Magistrate in Auckland, and Messrs. F W., H. B., and T. G. Luxford. The daughters are Mrs. J. H. Cubbitt and Miss K. Luxford, of Auckland. [2]

Hamilton Court of View file relating to William Lewis LUXFORD:
www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=6702508

Newspaper article relating to Mr G H LUXFORD…William’s father:
Feilding Star – 7 July 1898
Relic of the Past.
In Tuesday’s issue of the Times appeared particulars of an old document held by Mrs G. M. Snelson, of Palmerston North, in the shape of a recommendation to the authorities that Mr P. Clarke should be appointed to take charge of the new lighthouse then proposed to be erected at the entrance of the harbour of Port Nicholson. Our Palmerston correspondent supplied the names attached to the document, and said that old identities to whom it had been shown could only pick three survivors out of the whole list. Yesterday Mr G. H. Luxford, who arrived in Wellington as far back as 1840, and who signed the paper in question, called upon us and said there were four still alive — himself, and Messrs John Plimnier, James Taine and W. Taylor. Mr Luxford, who is still hale and hearty, also furnished particulars as to where the remainder passed away, believing that it would prove of interest. The following died in Wellington : — William Hickson, William Lyon, J. Howard Wallace, James Smith, George Waters, W. J. Loxley, George Crawford, William Spinks, John Johnston, George Moore, James Firth, W. H. Rottermund, Edward Roe, William Luxford, C. Mills, W. Telford, John J. Curtis, E. Von Alzdorf and J. Dougherty. Alzdorf was killed during an earthquake in 1855, and Dougherty was found dead on the road to the Pilot station. Concerning the others, W. B. Rhodes died at Wadestown ; Robert Waitt, in Canterbury ; Daniel Munn, in Napier; W, Fitzherbert, at the Hutt; John Masters, at Masterton; James Wilson, in Scotland ; J. McBeth, at Rangitiki ; T. W. Tankersley, at Masterton ; H. Taylor, at Greytown ; Mr J. J. Curtis, at Sydney.[3]

About John Hector LUXFORD [1890-1971] former Mayor of Auckland and son of William and Isabel:
www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4l19/1?setlang=mi

References:
[1]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s…
[2]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s…[3]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s…

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