The English connection
David Harris is back today with his streetnames column.
Did you hear about the local man who visited England and was amazed at the number of counties and towns named after Levin streets? Central Levin is crammed full of English names, like a variation of a monopoly board with sites of battles and mammoth cathedrals, traces of the Roman Empire and more.
The northern English county of Cumberland (Cumbria) includes the picturesque Lake District and one half of the greatest British monument to Roman occupation: Hadrian's Wall. Ostensibly built by the Emperor of that name to mark his boundaries it was really to keep out the barbarian tribes. It measured at least 12 feet high and 7 feet wide (3.66m by 2.13m) with seventeen forts and over 18,000 soldiers on guard; a formidable obstacle.
By the fourth century it had fallen into disrepair however and some of the stones were used to build nearby Carlisle Castle. The city of Carlisle overlooks a narrow lowland pass between north and south.
The second greatest Roman relic is the former spa City of Aquae Sulis now known as Bath. According to legend King –Lear’s father Bladvd caught leprosy and was banished from court.
He wandered the countryside until some pigs led him to these medicinal waters. In gratitude he founded the town; today, according to one book 'more of a museum - or perhaps a museum's gift shop - than a resort'.
The capital of Roman Britain - when London was considerably smaller - was Colchester in the county of Essex. Today their roles, and relative magnitudes are reversed: Essex - the name means Kingdom of the East Saxons - is something of a commuter 'suburb' and water playground for Londoners. Surrey - somewhat more built up - and Sussex, the southern Saxons' kingdom - have similar relationships to the modern capital. The Sussex 'Coastline includes the popular resort of Brighton and spectacular cliffs. The place of the Norman victory over King Harold's forces is apparently not Hastings - rather the nearby town of Battle. , ' The southwestern town of Exeter (seat of the county of Devon) resisted William's conquerors for 18 days. According to the travel book Let's Go 'when wells ran out, wine was used for cooking, bathing and (or course) drinking which might explain why the city finally fell to the Normans'.
A much later foe - airborne Nazis in 1942 - took only a few days to flatten the city.
Worcester; in the Midlands, was the site of another battle, the final one of the Civil War. It has long been a Producer of two dinner-table items: porcelain and Worcestershire sauce (the source of the sauce you might say). The town's cathedral beautifully sited by the River Severn and the county cricket ground, also contains the tomb of King John who limited his own power – and that of his successors – by signing the Magna Carta.
Photo:The first two-storeyed house in Levin: The Quontocks residence of the Stuckey family. It was situated at the western end of Bath Street. Built around 1890, the local laniiMark was burnt down sOinetlina before
The Salisbury cathedral has the highest spire in Britain. The astute bishops of the thirteenth century bridged rivers and diverted roads to run through the town, which became a prosperous wool and trading centre; and all roads in the settlement led to the cathedral gates!
England's greatest cathedral of the Norman period is Durham. Sir Walter Scott described it as 'half Church of God, half castle against the Scots.'
Eight hundred years ago, the bishops ruled the region. With their own army, currency and courts. Today the students of the university are a significant influence.
Oldest of all, in a nation of ancient universities, is Oxford.
Originally-named for a crossing point over the Thames used by ox drovers of course — it's academic history began with Henry II's edict that all foreign-based English students return immediately. A number came to OxfOrd,whose colleges include Merton, Lincoln and Oriel. The original college library 'continues the medieval practice of chaining up books. Today the city is crowded with students, bikes and (in summer) boats on the Thames. Much larger vessels populate 'Bristol's harbour near the mouth of the River Avon - which has, over the centuries, seen profitable trade - for some — in wool, slaves and wine. Explorers and colonists often left from this port; between 1654-1670 10,000 sailed to North Anierlea from here. It was also where John Wesley, in front of huge outdoor ,crowds, spoke his fiery gospel message, that all mankind needs — and can have - rescue by God from their wrongdoing. In this era of exploration Dutchman Abel Tasman (1603-59) sailed south looking for a passage from the southern ocean to South America. Initially he thought New Zealand, was part of that continent; after realising the error he called us Nieeuw Zeeland ,(Zeeland being a Dutch- province which has, in recent years, reclaimed much land from the North Sea). Bateman's Encyclopaedia rather pedantically states that Tasman Beach at the northern end of Otaki Beach is not named after the floating Dutchman. Rather it refers to the Tasman Sea — which is named after him.
Britain's empire was built on the feats of her own adventurous explorers and reached its heyday in the sixty-one year reign of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). When her husband Prince Albert died she retreated from contact with others for many years till persuaded to re-enter public life by Prime Minister Disraeli. For her 40 years of widowhood she dressed in black and had fresh clothes put out for her husband each night. Nevil Chamberlain is remembered as the British Prime Minister who attempted to stop Hitler with a peace ageement. Although in hindsight we can say the megalomaniac Gentian needed someone to stand up to him rather than sit down beside him, it is fair to say Chamberlain was not alone in his stance. According to polls 70 per cent of British voters agreed with his strategy of appeasement; no less a newspaper than The Times lauded him for his apparent success.
TWO FAMILIES, TWO STORIES
Fred Stuckey and Ellen Saxton married in Britain and arrived here in 1889 with seven children. Sections in the newly opened up town were so popular they were balloted — and the Stuckeys acquired a large block. In time they owned the stock sale yards and Fred became a leader in the establishment of the first school.
In later years a grandson In later years -a grandson recounted an amusing aspect to the family's two-storeyed house: "Between him and the builder there was no stairway allowed for, and for the rest of his life he and grandmother ascended and descended by means of a ladder."
Dan and Honora Hannan (shown at left) migrated from Ireland settling initially on the South Island west coast. A search for richer soil and greater opportunities brought them to Levin around 1900.
They leased land from local Maori which brought such a good return that they were able to buy 2000 acres of their own. Don Hannan left his Otaki police sergeant's job to become the proprietor of the Levin Hotel where he made his own soft drinks. Their grandson, local man Patrick Hannan, recalls that his father and four uncles were all allocated jobs on the farm: ploughman, horseman, cattleman and so on. In his boyhood the farm was a place of delight: sheep and cattle with implement sheds to explore.
It was also a place of danger: the resident rooster and a flock of geese would at times chase him to the top of the hayshed!
One interesting feature of part, of the English block is that some streets were (technically) longer in the past - for example Exeter Street included what is now Churchill Street. In fact MacArthur, Roosevelt, Hereford, Montgomery, Churchill, Manchester and Liverpool Streets were all formed — but bore the names of their west-side counterparts (Kawiu, York and so on). This presented a challenge to a telegraph messenger at a time when houses had no numbers. Long-time local man Gordon Eagle recalls delivering telegrams in the 1940's. If he had a telegram for Essex Street, for instance, he needed to know whether it was meant for the east or west side of the railway, and so avoid a long and wrong route. If he had found it tricky at times, I wonder how many visitors were flummoxed by this strange arrangement?
•Thanks to Patrick and Alison Hannan for information and photos; also to Horowhenua Historical Society and Gordon Eagle. .
Photo: Willy (Bill) Hannan who won a military medal for 'bravery in the field' in World War One.
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hoto: The first two storeyed house in Levin The Quontocks residence of the Stuckey family. It was situated at the western end of Bath Street. Built around 1890, the local landmark was burnt down sometime be …[cut off here].
Photo: Dan and Honora Hannan.
•Thanks to Patrick and Alison Hannan for information and photos; also to Horowhenua Historical Society and Gordon Eagle.