| Notes |
- Walter ATKIN, the second child and only son of Walter ATKIN(Barrister-at-law) & Margaret Hill BELL was born on the 28th of March1846 at Atkinville, Douglas in the Southern Liberties of the City ofCork, Co. Cork, Ireland. (From birth announcement in the Cork SouthernReporter indexed by Rosemary ffolliott.)
Birth Notice, Southern Reporter, Cork, 31st March 1846:
'At Atkinville on the 28th inst. Mrs ATKIN of a son.'
Soon after his birth Walter ATKIN, Barrister-at-law moved his family toDublin where he began his Law practise and was the Secretary to theDublin Trade Protection Society. In Dublin, two daughters were born toWalter and Margaret Hill ATKIN, Margaret Hill in November 1848 andEleanor Harrison around 1851.
In the early 1850's, his parents Walter & Margaret ATKIN, hisfather's sisters and brothers ( excluding John Drew ATKIN & ChristopherMusgrave ATKIN who had emigrated to Victoria, Australia about 1846-49 ),his grandmother Arabella ATKIN and Walter jnr. & sisters emigrated toAmerica, landing in New York.
In New York sister Annie Bell ATKIN was born about 1854. Thereanother sister Elizabeth was born about 1857. Young Walter jnr. was to betheir only son.
Grandmother Arabella ATKIN, father & mother Walter & Margaret Hill,Walter jnr., and his sisters returned to England, before March 1858. InLondon another sister Victoria Rosetta Barbra was born on the 25th March1858 in Banbury, London.
Grandmother Arabella ATKIN returned to live in her homeland, Ireland.There she lived at St. Clouds, Painstown, in the Narvan District of Co.Meath, until her death in 1866.
Walter's parents decided to try their fortunes in Australia and withtheir children they departed for Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia aboardthe 'Lincolnshire' on the 31st December 1858 and arrived in Australia inMarch 1859. Father Walter's brother John Drew ATKIN, his wife RebeccaFell Pomeroy DREW with their children were by then farming in the easternarea of Victoria on a area called 'El Dorado'.
Though little is known about Walter jnr.'s education in Melbourne,it was stated in his obituary in the Westport News 1911 that he had beeneducated at Scott's College in Melbourne.
Later young Walter ATKIN served an apprenticeship in the printingtrade at ABBOTT & Co.'s job printing office in Melbourne. This trainingwas to open new opportunities for him as he grew older.
His father Walter ATKIN ( Barrister-at-law ) died on the 6th March1865 at 31 Queensbury Road, North Melbourne, of pneumonia. He wasforty-eight years of age.
Walter jnr.'s sisters, Mary Hill, Annie Bell, Margaret Hill andEleanor ATKIN all married in Australia. Some time before the 1881 Censusin England, mother Margaret Hill ATKIN accompanied by daughters Victoriaand Alexandra returned to live in London, England.
In the late 1860's Walter arrived on the West Coast of the SouthIsland of New Zealand during the goldrush, when thousands of hopefulgoldminers lived under canvas on the goldfields around Greymouth and theGrey River Valley area.
In Greymouth he ran a news agency before working at the office ofthe 'West Coast Times' for three or four years. Later he with threeother partners established and printed the "Grey Valley Times".
Walter was residing in Ahaura in 1870-71 according to the ElectoralRolls for the area of Grey Valley.
Electoral Rolls
1870-71 Ahaura #16.. ATKIN, Walter Household Ahaura.
Walter probably met Eliza KITTELTY ( nee ODD ) in Ahaura, where sheand her three surviving children Maria, James Henry and Mary HenriettaKITTELTY, were living. Eliza's husband James Cato KITTELTY, a carrier,had deserted Eliza and their three children a year after the birth of thelast daughter, Mary Henrietta in 1872, and returned to Australia where heremarried in 1879.
Mary Henrietta KITTELTY was born in Ahaura and her birth wasregistered by James Cato KITTELTY. But ....... Mary Henrietta was broughtup with the ATKIN surname and it was not until research into the familywas done that it was found that her real surname was KITTELTY. So wasEliza living with her husband or staying with her mother? Whether Eliza'sfriendship with the young newspaperman Walter ATKIN, had anything to dowith James KITTELTY's departure, we do not know.
From the Newspapers in New Zealand by Guy Schofield.
'At the small township of Ahaura in 1870, Walter ATKIN & three othersestablished the Grey Valley Times, which lasted until 1877.'
Walter lived in the Ahaura township until 1875 when he moved northto Reefton. By this time his association with Eliza KITTELTY was wellestablished.
Rates Assessment Book 1874-76. Inangahua County Council.
National Archives (Christchurch ) Ref: ICI 20114/73a.
392 & 393 ATKIN'S Walter, Compositor, Owner 2 sect house, ChurchSt. Value 25 pds. Rate 25/- Collected 30 Apr 1874
392 & 393 ATKIN W. Printer Owner house 2 sec. Church St.Value 27 pds. Rate 27/- Collected 30 Jun 1875
137 ATKIN Walter, Printer, Owner Vac sec, BroadwayValue 10 pds Rate 10/-
Collected 21 Aug 1876
392 & 392 ATKIN Walter, Printer, Owner house & garden, ChurchSt. Value 26 pds Rate 26/-
Collected 21 Aug 1876
No 2 Special Rate.
137 ATKIN Walter, Printer Owner Sec vac, BroadwayValue 10 pds. Not collected
This appears in the Arrears List and Paid 10/- 15 Nov 1877.
Electoral Rolls for Westland
1870-71 Ahaura #16.. ATKIN, Walter Household Ahaura.
1873-73 Grey Valley #31.. ATKIN, Walter Householder, Clifton Rd.,Ahaura.
1875-76 Buller Dist. & Grey Valley.
#60.. ATKIN, Walter Reefton, Freehold. Sections 192 & 193 Church St.,Reefton
1876-77 Grey Valley District.
#67 ATKIN, Walter Reefton, Freehold. Sections 192 & 193 Church St.,Reefton
Walter ATKIN and Eliza KITTELTY had formed a relationship between1873-75. It is not known if they were openly living together as man andwife. She may have been living with her mother. Eliza's widowed motherMaria ODD, nee COPPIN was residing in the Ahaura area at the same time.About 1875 in Ahaura Maria (COPPIN) ODD married Henry CHESTERMAN. It isnot known where or when James ODD, her first husband and Eliza's father,died. Henry CHESTERMAN in the 1869-72 had been a publican leasing theBank Hotel on Mawhera Quay in Greymouth, before moving living in Ahaurain 1874-75.
On the 30th June 1876 in Reefton, Eliza gave birth to a daughter,Zenobia Atkin KITTELTY. No father is named on the official BirthCertificate # 2330 and she was listed as illegitimate. Zenobia was theeldest child of Walter ATKIN. Presumably the couple were living togetheras man and wife.
Around 1877, Walter ATKIN was employed by Mr MIRFIN to run the'Inangahua Herald'. He reported for and printed this newspaper forseveral years.
A second daughter Millicent was born to Walter ATKIN and ElizaKITTELTY in Reefton on the 25th February 1878. Birth Cert. #1434.
It is the information on Millicent's Birth Registration in Reefton,that the mystery about where and when Walter & Eliza either 'gottogether' or married begins to unfold; 'Millicent daughter of ElizaATKIN, formerly KITTELTY, maiden name CHESTERMAN; aged 28yrs; bornSurrey, England; & Walter ATKIN; aged 29yrs; Compositor; born Melbourne;married 15 Dec 1873 at Ahaura.'
Eliza's maiden name was ODD. Her mother's second marriage was toHenry CHESTERMAN. Was this a ploy to be able register Millicent aslegitimate and hide the fact that Eliza was still married to JamesKITTELTY ? It certainly did become confusing, especially when they keptchanging the date of their supposed marriage.
A son Walter ATKIN was born at Ahaura on the 2nd February 1880;mother Ellen (Eliza) ATKIN formerly CHESTERMAN; aged 27yrs; bornVictoria; & father Walter ATKIN aged 28yrs; from Melbourne, Australia;married 23rd June 1873 at Ahaura. Informant Walter ATKIN (father) Kumara( Walter must have been working there at the time) . Birth Cert. #1575.
Note the different marriage dates. Once again Eliza's maiden namewas listed as CHESTERMAN not ODD, and there was no mention at all abouther married name of KITTELTY.
By the time they were living in Reefton, Eliza was carrying anotherchild. On the 22nd July 1882 Eliza and Walter ATKIN had a third daughternamed Beatrice. This time the information about Eliza was correct, thoughWalter's birthplace was still given as Melbourne. ( He was born in Co.Cork, Ireland.)
'Beatrice, daughter of Eliza ATKIN, formerly KITTELTY, maiden nameODD; born in Croydon, Surrey, & Walter ATKIN, compositor; aged 33yrs;born in Melbourne, Victoria; Married on 29 August 1882 at Ahaura.' Thebirth was registered after their marriage, possibly an attempt to makeher legitimate. Unfortunately the Registrar did not see it that way andas she was born in July 1882 Beatrice was therefore listed asillegitimate. Birth Cert. #3535.
Walter ATKIN married Eliza KITTELTY nee ODD, on the 29th of August1882 at the Registry Office, Ahaura. Information on the MarriageCertificate states that Eliza was a 'Married woman who has not heard fromher husband for more than seven years.' Walter's parents were given asWalter ATKIN, Barrister-at-Law and Margaret Hill ATKIN nee BELL. Eliza'sparents were given as James ODD, Labourer and Maria ODD nee COPPIN.Witnesses to the marriage were Eliza's mother Maria CHESTERMAN (formerlyODD nee COPPIN) Ahaura & Christian JOHNSON, Ahaura, a gardener. MarriageCert. # 2126.
From 'Freeholders of New Zealand' 1882.
ATKIN, Walter Printer..... Reefton .... Inangahua ..... value 50pounds
Wise's Post Office Directory
1883-84 ATKIN, Walter Compositor, Reefton.
In 1884 their youngest child a son, Christopher John ATKIN was bornon the 7th of June 1884 at Reefton.
Walter ATKIN moved to Lyell in the Buller Gorge. There he beganworking at the "Lyell Times and Buller Gazette" in the thriving goldmining town perched precariously on the hillside on the banks of theturbulent Buller River at the junction with the Lyell Creek. Hundreds ofminers, their wives and families lived in the township and further up theLyell Creek where the main gold claims were situated. The township ofLyell boasted shops, hotels, a courthouse, brewery and the newspaperoffice all on the one street that had been cut out from the side of acliff.
Wise's Post Office Directory.
1887-88 ATKIN, Walter "Lyell Times" Lyell.
1892-93 ATKIN, Walter "Lyell Times" Lyell.
1896-97 ATKIN, Walter prop. "Lyell Times" Lyell.
In 1888 Walter ATKIN bought the "Lyell Times" newspaper. The familyshifted to Lyell to live in a cottage at 163 Buller Road just outside thetownship on the road towards Westport. Lyell was a gold mining townperched on the edge of the Buller River. The land where the miners workedwas rugged with steep hills and deep valleys. This paper he conductedsuccessfully for ten years before purchasing the Westport News in April1898.
Land DEEDS. From a schedule, published in 1978, advertising that theLyell was to be vested in the Crown.
Walter ATKIN, lands were shown as;Section 2,278 m2 ( 11 perches )Certificate of title all of C T5/184 Survey Ordinance Plan 11984.'
Wise's Post Office Directory. 1887-88.
'Lyell, Westland. 38 mls S. by coach from Westport in Buller County; Br.Nat. Bank; Newspaper ( Times ); 2 Churches Eng. & R.C.; Post &telegraph;.....'.
ATKIN, Walter "Lyell Times".
Eliza's mother Maria CHESTERMAN, formerly ODD, nee COPPIN, died atReefton on the 2nd of August 1887. She was buried at the CronadonCemetery, Reefton, on the 4th of August 1887.
Living in Lyell was really interesting. There were miners comingand going all the time. The Hotels did a roaring trade; probably most ofthe gold found passed out of many miners possession at the bar. There wasthe time that they tried to raise funds for a hospital, by donations. Atidy sum was raised but when the Hospital did not eventuate the donationswere returned to the donators' and any money raised by other means wasdonated to the Wesport Hospital.
Walter ATKIN was quite an extrovert, enjoying, acting, recitingand singing in concerts, being happy to perform anywhere thatentertainment was being held. Walter was 'on stage' when Lyell held aconcert at the school to help to raise funds for the 'Hospital Fund'. Acopy of the proposed programme advertising the concert copied from the'Lyell Times' published on the 23rd of January 1886.
In December 1891 Eliza ATKIN's daughter from her first marriage toJames Cato KITTELTY was married at the ATKIN family home in Lyell.
From St. Stephen's Marriage Register. Ref No. 89
Entry 58. At the House of Mr Walter ATKIN, Lyell 30.12.1891.
Joseph Knight COOMBE Maria Eliza KITTELTY
aged 30yrs aged 24yrs
Miner -
Bachelor Spinster
Born. Adelaide, Sth.Australia South Beach, Greymouth
Present Residence; Lyell Lyell
Usual residence; Reefton Reefton
Fath. Nicholas COOMBE, blacksmith James KITTELTY, carrier.
Moth. Mary HOLMAN Eliza ATKIN, formerly CHESTERMAN.
Witnesses; Walter ATKIN, Lyell, Journalist.
William E. WEBB, Reefton, Carpenter
Mary Henrietta ATKIN, Lyell
Clergyman; W.H.WILSON
--------------------------------
Walter ATKIN, proprietor of the "Lyell News" had a photograph takenby the Tyree Studios in Nelson about 1890. Fortunately the glass negativeof this portrait is held by the Nelson Provincial Museum, Stoke, Nelson.
In 1893 after years of lobbying by Mrs Katherine SHEPPARD, NewZealand Parliament amended the Electoral Act and became the firstdemocratic country in the world to pass laws in Government for theemancipation of women. This allowed all women over the age of twenty-oneto register on the electoral rolls to vote in the 1893 General Election.Walter's wife Eliza ATKIN and her daughter Mary Henrietta (KITTELTY)ATKIN enrolled in the Buller District in 1893.
Electoral Rolls for Buller
1893 #72 ATKIN, Eliza Buller Rd., Lyell married
#73 ATKIN, Mary Henrietta Buller Rd., Lyell Spinster
#74 ATKIN, Walter Journalist, Residential
Eliza ATKIN's son from her first marriage James Henry KITTELTYmarried Grace Mary FITZROY in 1894. Their children were 1. Zenobia Ethelborn 1895;
2. Alice May born 1897;
3. Henry William born in 1900.
In June 1894 Eliza ATKIN's daughter Mary Henrietta(KITTELTY) fromher first marriage was married at the family home at 163 Buller Road,Lyell.
Entry No. 80. At the residence of Walter ATKIN, Buller Road, Lyell8.5.1894
William James EDGE Mary Henrietta ATKIN
aged 25yrs aged 21 yrs
Bachelor Spinster
Born; Northampton, Eng. Ahaura.
Present & usual res.Lyell Lyell
Fath. James EDGE, Miner Walter ATKIN, Journalist
Moth. Mary GREEN Eliza CHESTERMAN (ODD)
Witnesses; Annie EDGE, Lyell
James EDGE, Lyell
Zenobia ATKIN, Lyell
J.R.McNAUGHTON, Lyell
'X' (her mark) Mary EDGE, Lyell
Eliza ATKIN, Matron, Lyell
Clergyman; T.Anson CATO.
_______________________
Quarterly Meetings of Licensing Committee. Held at Courthouse.
7/12/1894 ; Resolved that the following A/c be passed for payment, namelyadvertising; W. ATKIN Lyell Times 8/9d.
92.
4/9/1896 ; Resolved that the following A/c be passed for payment, namelyadvertising; W. ATKIN Lyell Times 8/9d
23/3/1898 ; Resolved that the following A/c be passed for payment, namelyadvertising; W. ATKIN Lyell Times 15/-
Electoral Rolls for Buller
1896 ATKIN, Walter Cliff Street, Lyell Journalist.
Fire, an ever-present danger for the wooden buildings of pioneertowns, struck with a vengeance in June 1896. The 'Buller Post'( 4 June1896) reported the event: Extracted from Lyell, The Golden Past, byMargaret C. Brown.
"The disastrous at Lyell broke out beneath the old Commercial Hotel andall adjacent buildings caught alight.' Buildings destroyed were: 'TheNational Bank, Ryan's Store and dwelling, J. Robert's and J. Barclay'sdwellings. On the opposite side of the street; two store rooms andgeneral store belonging to J. Fennell, The Empire Hotel, a draper's Shopinhabited by J. Bennett, Mr W. ATKIN'S "Lyell Times" Office, Mrs Brown'sshop and dwelling, C. Coleman's Store, Thomas Mac Farlanes drapers shopand the Criterion Hotel. Mrs Dollimore's house, Edge's Butchers shop andDown's carpenter shop were also completely destroyed. The Post andTelegraph Office was also in great danger ; it was lucky that there wasno wind. Twenty houses were destroyed in three hours, six buildingsbelong to John Fennell. His loss is between 7,000 and 8,000 pounds."
Then the "Buller Post" reported "11 June 1896 A week later we readthat Mr ATKIN of Lyell will rebuild the printing office and that....................."
By the end of 1896 the town of Lyell was almost beginning to looklike it used to, with all the rebuilding that had been done. It is notknown how Walter ATKIN managed through these months about printing andediting the paper.
Eliza ATKIN's health had been causing concern for years and she wasfailing. Before her death in 1898 it was fortunate that the familyhad a group photograph taken in front of the ATKIN home on Buller Road.It is the only known photograph of Eliza ATKIN and daughter Millicent.
On the 4th of April 1898 Walter ATKIN purchased the "Westport News"from the Estate of Robert Caldwell REID who had died in 1897. DaughterZenobia was sent to Westport to work on this paper while her fatherresided in Lyell with his ailing wife Eliza.
After years of ill health and suffering from dropsy, Eliza ATKINdied at one o'clock in the afternoon of the 27th of June 1898 at her homein Lyell. An urgent telegram had been sent to daughter Zenobia who wasworking away from home in Westport, at the time. Though Zenobia left onthe first coach the next morning, her arrival in Lyell at 2.30 p.m. wasan hour and a half after her mother's death.
The ATKIN and KITTELTY families gathered together for the funeral.On a very rainy Wednesday, Eliza ATKIN was laid to rest beside her motherMaria CHESTERMAN at the Reefton Cemetery on the 29th of June 1898.
Eliza ATKIN memorial inscription reads, "Elizabeth ATKIN, thebeloved daughter. D. 27 June 1899(1898) aged 48yrs."
A Death Notice and Obituary for Eliza ATKIN, was printed in theWestport News, 28th June 1898.
Eight months later in February 1899 Walter's twenty-year olddaughter Millicent suffered a major epileptic seizure. This was followedby dementia and subsequent exhaustion, then Millicent's death on the 1stof February.
On the 9th of February 1899 the Reverend J. DART conducted theburial service for Millicent ATKIN at one of the three cemeteries inLyell. It is not known just where in the Lyell cemeteries, her restingplace is situated.
Walter ATKIN and his family including daughter Zenobia ATKIN movedto Westport to live in 1899, as they were enrolled on the 1899 ElectoralRoll for Westport.
Electoral Rolls for Buller
1899 ATKIN, Walter Adderly Street, Westport, Journalist,Residential.
ATKIN, Zenobia Adderly Street, Westport Compositor
On the 23rd of November 1899 at the residence of James SHARP, QueenStreet, Westport, Walter ATKIN married Emily REID widow of RobertCaldwell REID former proprietor of the 'Westport News". Witnesses to themarriage were James SHARP and Sherry STRACHAN a journalist at the"Westport News". Walter's daughter Zenobia was Emily's attendant for theceremony.
Wise's Post Office Directory.
1900 to 1904 ATKIN, Walter J.P. Prop. News, Westport
On the 5th of October 1901 Zenobia ATKIN married Stephen JohnATKINSON at Walter's home in Adderly Street, Westport.
Electoral Rolls for Buller
1902 #125 ATKIN, Emily Westport, Accountant
#126 ATKIN, Walter Westport, Journalist
1905 #138 ATKIN, Emily Westport, Accountant
#138 ATKIN, Walter Westport, Journalist
1911 # 8 ATKIN, Walter Westport, Journalist
Walter and Eliza's daughter Beatrice ATKIN married Samuel PAUL onthe 6th of April 1906 at Westport.
Eldest son Walter ATKIN married Margaret DUNN on the 23rd ofNovember 1907 at the home of the bride's father, William DUNN, Granity.Christopher ATKIN was bestman and Margaret MORRIS bridesmaid.
In 1908 Walter and Emily ATKIN took a four week holiday in the NorthIsland of New Zealand. The New Zealand Freelance a weekly magazinefeatured a brief article by 'Lancer' on page 4, about Walter in theedition published on the 28th of March 1908. Judging by the informationcontained, it would seem Walter ATKIN was rather overweight for a man ofhis stature. And as we have already realised he loved to talk.
Walter ATKIN also made a trip across the Tasman Sea to Australia tosee some of the members of his family around 1908 - 1909. His wife Emilydid not accompany him. Presumably he saw his sister Annie Bell REDPATHand her family while he was in Sydney.
By early 1911 Walter ATKIN's health was beginning to deteriorate.Dropsy and Bright's Disease (of the kidneys) were sapping his energystrength. Around May he took to his bed and was nursed by his devotedwife Emily.
Unfortunately the strain of nursing Walter became to much for EmilyATKIN and she collapsedand became bedridden also. After a difficultillness Emily ATKIN died on the 23rd of November 1911 of syncope andapoplexy. Emily was buried at the Orowaiti Cemetery, Westport on the 25thof November 1911.
Walter ATKIN, in a weakened state because of his debilitatedcondition lapsed into a coma and died at his home on the 28th of December1911. The cause of death on the Death Certificate was nephritis uraemia.The obituary for the late Walter ATKIN in the paper reads "Owing to thenature of the illness the funeral will take place today".
He was buried beside his second wife Emily, in the OrowaitiCemetery, Westport.
The "Westport News" was left to the sons Walter and Christopher ATKIN andthe editor Sherry STRACHAN.
An Obituary for Walter ATKIN, appeared in the "Westport News", 29Dec. 1911.
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1846 - 1911 (65 years)
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