Andrew Jonson

Andrew Jonson was born Anders Severin Jonsson in Falkenburg Parish, Halland, Sweden on 8th October, 1840. He was naturalised in New Zealand as Andrew Jonson on 27th February, 1900.

As a boy he was put to work at the age of 10, then at 12 he went to sea on the small Swedish sailing vessel the “Lance Krona”. After several trips he deserted at Hartlepool and signed on on the “City of Agra” but when he could not understand the language of the Yankee officers he, and four others, ran away just before the ship was due to sail. They were caught and taken to the Police Station but by the time they had appeared before the Magistrate a full crew had been signed on and they were left in a foreign country with only the clothes they stood up in. Andrew then joined a Danish vessel bound for Lisbon. On the way he helped to rescue the crew of a sinking vessel. He sailed on various ships, the most exciting and almost disastrous trip was when the deck cargo broke loose in a storm in the North Sea. It was mid-winter and the ship lay over until her masts were in the water. They were eventually rescued by a passing vessel bound for London where they were all taken to hospital suffering from exposure, so bad that the nails fell off both hands and feet. For some time the Mediterranean runs attracted him. He then decided to learn shipwrighting and spent some time ashore. Then it was back to sea – to South America with a mutiny on board, to Ceylon where cholera struck and round the Cape of Good Hope where a storm broke the main topmast. Andrew severely injured a foot while making and fitting a new mast. On a later trip to the Mediterranean he visited the catacombs of Rome and saw Cleopatra’s Needle before it was relocated in London.

In 1860 he married Harried Stewart in London. When he was 25, and after all his adventures at sea, he came to New Zealand on the “Electra” arriving in Wellington on 16th October, 1866, after a journey of 91 days. Not long after he came to Foxton and started cabinet making in a small way and later opened a store in Main Street, the “Athenaeum”.

In 1871 he started a store in the new settlement of Palmerston North and was appointed agent for the Scandinavian immigrants. It is presumed that his wife and family remained in Foxton as two of the first Scandinavian woman who arrived on the “Celeano” in 1871 were boarded at the Jonson home until their babies were born. Another of their countrywomen remained to attend them also a Mr Batten Smith to provide medical attention.

A few months after Andrew started trading in Palmerston North Mr Snelson opened his store. At this time the road to Palmerston North was only a track, often taking two days to travel from Foxton through the winter mud. To make the transport of goods easier Andrew built a boat capable of carrying two tons. He used to cart his goods to Moutoa, take them by boat close to Palmerston North then carry them on his back to his store. This was a success for some time until one day the boat struck a snag in the river and capsized. On board were Messrs Halcombe (the Government Immigration Officer) Bramley and Lawrence and two of Andrew’s employees. Andrew and his men clung to the upturned boat until rescued by the Maoris, Halcombe and Bramley swam ashore but Mr Lawrence was drowned. After this setback Andrew gave up the business in Palmerston North and concentrated on Foxton by starting a sash and door factory.

He could not keep away from boats however and, with three others purchased a small steamer in need of repairs. It was brought from Wellington with great difficulty, surviving several breakdowns and a storm on the way. It took some days to set it up for the river trade. The first load was a mob of sheep to be taken from one side of the river to the other. Halfway over all the sheep moved to one side, the boat canted over and the sheep fell in the water. Andrew decided she was not suitable for river work and sold his share at a loss. In partnership with Samuel Howan he built the “Ivy” with which they traded on the river and hauled flax punts for a considerable time. Andrew eventually sold his share in the “Ivy” to Captain Sawyers. The erection of the first house at Foxton Beach is also claimed by Andrew. Would this have been the Pilot’s house? In 1899 Andrew unsuccessfully petitioned the Railways to extend the railway to Foxton Beach. At that time he was also the ranger for the Wellington Acclimatisation Society.

Andrew Jonson was also Foxton’s undertaker. At times he borrowed Bernard Spelman’s draught horse, “Blackie” which was used for shunting coal trucks around the station yard) to use his funeral coach horse. At first a gray was used but in 1898 Andrew acquired a four wheeled buggy for a hearse, allowing him to give a much better and carefully conducted service. Friends and the chief mourners usually followed the hearse on foot out to the cemetery (quite a distance), followed by the various vehicles and lastly those on horseback. The woman were always dressed in black or other sombre colours, with black crepe tied about their hats. The men wore black armbands for the mourning period which was usually about a fortnight.

The figurehead of the “Hydrabad” wrecked on the Waitarere Beach adorned the front garden of the Jonson home in Avenue Road, an object of curiosity to visitors to the town. A family story says Andrew willed it to the Auckland Museum but his wife would not allow it to be taken there and chopped it up.

Andrew’s first wife died on 22nd April, 1874 at Foxton. They had two daughters, Ada and Lynda and one son, Arthur Sylvester.

The second marriage was to Eliza Salter on 29th July, 1875, at Foxton. Her first husband, Reverend Salter had tragically perished on the boat trip out from England after throwing himself and his son overboard in grief over the death of their baby daughter on board. There were two sons from the marriage between Andrew and Eliza, Andrew George and Charlie (Hood). Mrs Hilda Owen who is descended from Charlie says he was adopted out as Eliza died a couple of days after giving birth. A neighbouring childless couple, the Hoods, took Charlie in and when Andrew remarried, the Hoods refused to give the baby back and continued to raise him as their own.

The third marriage to Elizabeth Ann Govier took place at Foxton on 26th October, 1887. There were no children.

Andrew died at Foxton on 17th October, 1917. In lieu of an obituary the “Manawatu Herald” published a story of his life from information he had previously given them. Unfortunately it was only his business life, leaving it difficult to obtain a family “story”.

Editor’s note: The names “Murrells” and “Burleigh” have also been stated for the second and third marriages but we have used the names which appeared on Andrew’s death certificate. Possibly the two ladies had been previously married and one set of names is the maiden one.

Sources:

“Manawatu Herald” - especially the issue of 20.10.1917.

Great grandson Ian Jonson, 8 Tainui Terrace, Wellington (Grandson of Arthur Sylvester) who would like to obtain more information and photographs.

Mrs Hilda Owen.

Ms V.A. Burr who is doing research on the Scandinavian immigrants.

Mr Colin Cochran’s research.

Information held at the Foxton Historical Society’s Museum Historical Society.