Community Contributed
William Whitehouse (Abt 1839 – 1919)
Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T16:57:17+00:00The story of William Whitehouse and his descendants was compiled by Jocelyn Whitehouse, Helen Hawkins and Stephanie Van Berkel; July 2016.
William Whitehouse was born about 1839 at Bickenhill, Warwickshire, England. He was the fifth child of John Whitehouse and Charlotte Martha Lambly[1] William arrived in New Zealand on the 24th of May 1841. He had travelled to New Zealand on an emigrant ship; the ‘Lord William Bentinck,’ with his parents and three older siblings; Joseph, Thomas and John. (A sister; Mary Ann, had died during infancy before leaving for New Zealand.) The ‘Lord William Bentinck,’ had left Gravesend, England on the 8th of January 1841. Another sister; Mary Jane, was born at sea or soon after the family arrived and another brother; John, was born in 1845 (Windley, 2001; 119).
Shortly after arriving in Wellington the Whitehouse family moved to a property in Glenside on Old Porirua Road. Around 1847 the family began clearing a block of land on the northern end of a hill known locally as ‘Pikarere.’ The hill is on the western side of Porirua Harbour behind Takapuwahia. The Whitehouse block was expanded and was farmed and the farm came to be known as ‘Pikarere’.
William and possibly one or two of his older brothers attended Porirua School. On weekends everyone worked on the farm but there was time to take part in various sports tournaments that were held around Titahi Bay and Porirua. In 1874, at the age of thirty-three, he married Susan Jillett daughter of Robert Jillett[2] and Te Kaea (Etara) Te Morere. Six years earlier William’s younger brother, John, had married Susan’s older sister; Charlotte Jillett. And in 1879 William’s younger sister, Mary Jane, married Charlotte and Susan’s younger brother; William Jillett.
Above: Susan Jillett
Shortly after their marriage William and Susan moved from ‘Pikarere’ to ‘Holly farm’ on Mountain Road in Inglewood. Over a period of fourteen years William and Susan had nine children. Around 1893 William and Susan and the children moved to Soliders Road in Ohau near Levin. A few years later they moved to Stuckey Street in Levin. Susan died in Titahi Bay in 1902 and is buried at ‘Porirua Cemetery’ in an unmarked grave. William died in Levin in 1919. Family records show he was buried in the ‘Makomako Road Cemetery but again the grave is unmarked.
with his wife Fanny; circa 1930
Harold Owen Whitehouse was the youngest son of William and Susan and was born at ‘Holly Farm’, Inglewood on the 27 of September, 1892. Harold initially attended ‘Ohau District School’ and when his family moved to Levin he attended ‘Levin Central School’. After leaving school Harold joined the telegraph department at the ‘Levin Post Office’. Harold enlisted for service in World War One on the 14th of June, 1915. He was in the ‘N.Z. Corp of Signals’ in Egypt, France and England. Harold was invalided home in July 1918.
After the war Harold took up a telegraphist position with the Post Office in Waipawa. In 1920 Harold married Fanny Fletcher from Waipawa and when Harold secured employment at the ‘Levin Post Office’ the couple moved to a house in Kent Street in Levin. It was in Levin that their two sons; Keith and Noel, were born. Sometime in 1933 the family moved to Pirie Street in Wellington. In Wellington Harold worked for the ‘Labour Department’ and ‘Social Security’.
Harold Whitehouse, like his brothers and uncles, had a great love of horses. He was a skilled horseman and worked as a judge at local horse sports. Harold died at his youngest son’s home in Levin on the 16th of March, 1986. He was aged 75 years. Harold is buried in the ‘Soldier’s Cemetery’ in Karori, Wellington.
Above: Keith Owen Whitehouse (right); 1941 at Wigram airbase Christchurch
Keith Owen Whitehouse was the eldest son of Harold and Fanny Whitehouse. He was born in Levin on the 13th of March, 1921. Keith was educated at ‘St. Joseph’s school’ in Levin and was awarded the Dux medal. After his family moved to Wellington he attended ‘St. Patrick’s College’.
Keith excelled at sport. He was Junior, Intermediate and Senior Champion in athletics. Keith played in the 1st IV and 1st XI and was in the senior tennis team. At the age of 16 he began working for ‘Prevost Brothers - Wool Merchants’ as a wool classer.
Keith enlisted in the ‘RNZAF’ in 1941 and trained as a pilot in Canada and England. He was posted to 75 Squadron, England. On the night of the 24th of July, 1944 his Lancaster (HK 568/K) was shot down over the ‘Forest Robertsau’ near Strasbourg, close to the German border.
Keith and the six members of his crew are buried in the ‘French National Cemetery’, Cronenbourg, Strasbourg (L. 9, graves 5-11). Keith was on his 27th operation.
Noel Fletcher Whitehouse was the second son of Harold and Fanny. He was born in Levin on the 28th of December, 1922. Noel attended ‘St. Joseph’s School’ in Levin, ‘Marist Brothers’ in Newtown, Wellington and ‘St. Patrick College’ in Wellington.
At the age of 16 Noel began work at ‘State Advances’, Wellington. In 1941 Noel joined the ‘NZ Armed Forces’. He served in Egypt and Italy where he was Mentioned in Dispatches (MID). He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Lance/Sargent. Noel returned to work at the ‘State Advances’ and began studying Law at ‘Victoria University’. He graduated L.L.B. in 1950. In 1952, after working in Wellington and Napier he joined the law firm ‘Blenkhorn & Todd’ in Levin. The firm was later renamed ‘Todd Whitehouse’.
Above: Noel Whitehouse with his wife Jocelyn and children Helen and Paul; July 1993
Noel married Jocelyn Gregory on the 3rd of January, 1953. The marriage took place in Wanganui where Jocelyn’s parents; Horace and Cecily lived. Noel and Jocelyn had four children; Keith, Helen, Paul and Stephen. They all attended ‘St. Joseph’s School’ and ‘Horowhenua College’, both in Levin.
Noel was involved in many professional sporting and cultural organisations. In 2010 Noel was awarded a Horowhenua Community Medal for 50 years’ service to the Levin community. Noel died in Levin on the 2nd of September, 2011 and is buried in the ‘Services Cemetery’ in the Levin Cemetery.
Jocelyn also worked to serve the Levin/Horowhenua district. She has enjoyed being a part of many different organisations. These included Guides (at Kimberly Hospital), Plunket, Spinners and Weavers and Save The Children. In 1987 Jocelyn was made a Life Member of the Levin Little Theatre. In 1993 Jocelyn was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for Community Service. And in 2010 Jocelyn was awarded the Horowhenua Community Medal for 50 years’ service to the Levin community.
Above: Noel Whitehouse with his grand-daughter Stephanie Watson Whitehouse; December 2007
Notes:
[1] The spelling of this name later changed to ‘Lambley’.
[2] Robert Jillett was also known as Ropata Tireti. He came to New Zealand from Tasmania in 1837 and set up a whaling station on the Northern end of Kapiti Island. The station known as the ‘Jillett Whaling Station’ was active from 1838 to the late 1840s http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/jilletts-whaling-station).