Abraham King

Abraham King was born in Fingrinhoe, Essex, England on 24th February, 1853, the son of Charles and Hannah King. He arrived in New Zealand in 1874 on the ship “Euterpe” on which he was employed as a sailor.

On board ship was a passenger, Mary Jarratt, who was born in England on 25th February, 1858, with whom Abraham King became very friendly, so much so that he, along with Harry Bowen, the ship’s cook and two other sailors, jumped ship in Wellington in order to pursue Mary whom Abraham married at the minister’s residence on the Terrace on 23rd October, 1875.

After jumping their ship, the four absconders secreted themselves at a Johnsonville Hotel and while there the proprietor’s wife died. Due to the shortage of suitable prospective pall bearers, the three ex sailors and the ship’s cook responded to the proprietor’s need, for which he suitably rewarded them so well that two of them never touched alcohol again.

Abraham King arrived in Foxton in 1879. His wife and daughter, Elizabeth, arrived on the “Jane Douglas” some time later to join him.

Abraham soon established a fellmongery up river from Foxton near Andresen’s swamp on No.2 Line (now Newth Road). The “Manawatu Herald” of 12/8/1881 reports that “the dissolution of the partnership between Messrs Dean & King, fellmongers, that was arranged some time ago has been abandonded. The firm has purchased Jackon’s Fellmongery at Aramoho, Wanganui, and Mr. Dean is to manage the Wanganui branch and Mr. King to manage the Foxton business.

It is known that Abraham King became involved in flaxmilling long before the “Manawatu Herald” records his purchase of the “Emu” Mill from Dudson Brothers in 1896. This mill had been built by Alexander Spiers in 1891 and it was sold to Dudson Brothers in 1892.

The partnership of King & Baker is first publicised in the “Herald” on 30th December, 1897 but the partnership at that time was some four years old. Arthur Clemon Baker was an Englishman, 20 years old when he arrived in Foxton in 1889 and commenced working at Abraham King’s mill. Arthur Baker married Elizabeth King on 21st December, 1895, the ceremony being conducted by the Rev Duncan in the Duncan homestead, Lady’s Mile, Foxton. Arthur Baker was a very keen volunteer soldier and exercised the young cadets in military disciplines with enthusiasm. When he died at 49 years of age on 4th November, 1902, he was given a military funeral. At the time of his death he had been on the Foxton Borough Council about one year. He left two sons, the younger only one week old.

Abraham King sold the “Emu” Mill in March, 1904, to Mr. Gaius Brewer of Ashhurst, who sold the mill to Messers. Coley & Bock in 1908. The “Emu” was later demolished and not rebuilt.

The nest mill in which King had an interest was the “Poplar” at Moutoa, situated on the Opiki side of the river about 3 miles downstream from the present Moutoa floodgates. The fibre from this mill was transported to Foxton by way of Walden’s ferry. The “Poplar” was erected by William Jupp & Co. and sold to Coley, King and Co. on 1905 (Henry Coley, Abraham King and Charles Davis) who sold it to the “Green Flax Dressing Co. Ltd.” in 1907. In 1912 it was purchased by “Poplar Flaxmilling Co.” (William Ross and others). This company built a new mill on the Foxton side of the river in 1913.

Coley, King & Co. purchased the “Paeroa” mill (Hauraki Swamp) in 1907. This was a leasehold property of some 1500 acres. It was kept in operation for about 4 years.

In 1909 A. King & Co. (shareholders Abraham King, Wm. Signal, who was captain of the river fleet, Captain Harvey, former Captain of “The Queen of the South”) purchased the “Foxton” mill. Alf Fraser was the accountant for the company. This mill which was powered by a steam engine and a “Crosbie” stripper consistently produced good fibre. The mill operated until 1930 when it was closed.

A. King & Co. purchased the “Ida” mill about 1916 and sold it to Charlie Petersen about 1924. It was situated in Harbour Street between “Foxton” and “Awa” mills, having been built in 1890 by Bradcock and Messina.

The source of green leaf for A. King & Co.’s operations was the Moutoa Estate, owned by Easton, Austin & Stevens. This supply was supplemented from a 300 acre block owned by Abraham King and which was situated just above the Whirokino Bridge. This block of flax land was the first to have steel rails installed to tram the flax out of the swamp. Paddocking facilities for drying and bleaching the fibre (an extremely important aspect of hemp production) were situated (for King and Baker mills) in Johnston Street, opposite the present potato factory.

King & Co. also leased part of the Target Reserve, north of the racecourse from the Foxton Borough Council, to dry and bleach fibre. Abraham’s grandson, Bill Baxter, farmed part of this land when not required by the company.

Abraham never tired of emphasising the fact that fibre production was the oldest industry in New Zealand, having been started by the Maori people. Fibre was exported to Sydney as early as 1809 and this fibre was of good quality but when the whalers saw vast potential fro a quick profit it became quantity before quality.

Along with other far sighted flax millers, Abraham King fought hard to establish Government imposed grading of fibre in order to preserve a greater share of the market and New Zealand’s reputation for a quality product. Grading became compulsory in 1901. He also took part in the fight to stop the grubbing out of flax in the late 1890s and was one of the deputation which went to Wellington to put the flaxmillers’ case before the Premier, Richard John Seddon and the Minister of lands.

For over a hundred years members of the King family have been involved in the flax industry. In more recent years his grandsons Herston (who was killed overseas during World War II) and Maurice worked in the N.Z. Woolpack & Textiles factory while grandson George (the Mayor) was a Director of N.Z. Woolpack & Textiles Ltd.

As with other early families there have been tragedies in the King family. The first one occurred on 5th September, 1891. Mrs. King, three of her children and her Mother, traveling by horse and cart, drove on to the ferry but for some reason the horse took fright and the occupants of the cart were thrown into the river. Son Albert, aged four years was drowned. A second tragedy occurred on 22nd March, 1931 on the Manawatu River at Koputaroa when a launch hit a snag and sank drowning five of the occupants, three of whom were members of the King family, Ellen, her husband, Fred Henricksen and their ten year old son, Cyril.

Mary King died in July, 1918 and was sorely missed by everyone. She was a hard working woman, very supportive of all her family.

Abraham dies on 1st June, 1925 after a long illness. His obituary states that he was one of Foxton’s most highly respected citizens and was regarded as a man of the strictest integrity, while his employees and friends considered him to be reliable, considerate of other people, but he demanded efficiency in all situations.

He was survived by three sons, George, Charles and William and five daughters, Mesdames Baker (Elizabeth), F. Henricksen (Ellen), A. Henricksen (Mary), Munro (Amelia) and Miss Elsie King who later married Charles Edwards.

In 1990, Mrs. Edwards is the sole surviving member of Abraham and Mary’s family.

Prepared from information supplied by grandson, L.G.A. King. The full text of Mr. King’s notes is available on request.

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