The late Mrs. George Denton - April 10th 1920
Mrs. Denton was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Bennett, whose connection with Wellington Methodism reaches back to an early date. She spent the whole of her life in Wellington, and was practically connected all her life with the Methodist Church. Brought up as she was in a godly home and trained from infancy in religious ordinances, it was not wonderful that at an early period she made the great decision which brightened all her remaining years. Her marriage with Mr. George Denton placed her in a position in which as wife and mother she was given an opportunity of Christian service which she made use of in a way that won the esteem of all who knew her. She put first things first in her home as she did everywhere else. Seven sons and three daughters came into that home, all of whom were spared to manhood and womanhood, and their most sacred memory of home was the daily gatherings far family prayer which nothing was allowed to interfere with. They were also taught by example and precept the value of regular attendance at church and Sunday School. Mrs. Denton to the last was a great believer in the class-meeting form of Christian fellowship. Her open-hearted hospitality brought to her home ministers and Christian workers generally of various denominations. It was her delight to serve in every way possible every good cause. Her heart warmed specially to the cause of Christian Missions, and her wise and helpful counsel was always welcomed at meetings of the Women’s Missionary Auxiliary. The death of Mrs. Denton, followed by that of her eldest daughter, Mrs. W. G. Adkin, of Levin, created interests in the life beyond, and brightened the hope of immortality that cheered and sustained her in the years of her own declining health. The end came on Monday, March 29, and when she passed away no Iast words were needed to give assurance that a life in which Christ had been honoured from the beginning, had received its crown in the consummation of the life eternal. There are left to mourn the loss of a devoted mother Messrs. R. G. Denton, W. H. Denton, and P. N. Denton, Wellington, F. J. Denton, Wanganui, Mr. M. J. Denton, Sheffield, England, Mr. H. Denton, Levin, Mr. L. A. Denton, Hastings, Miss K. E. Denton and Miss Edith M. Denton, Wellington. There are also twenty-four grandchildren living: one grandson, Gilbert Adkin, was killed in France. There are three great-grandchildren.
Obituary of Mr. George Denton (undated)
Personal
Mr George Denton, a well-known citizen died at his residence, Woolcombe Street, shortly before midnight yesterday. He came to new Zealand in 1856, in the ship China and was in the employ of the late Mr Thomas Mills of Lower Hutt, and later of the late Mr Edward W. Mills of Wellington. In 1862 he went to England and on his return in 1863 started in business in Willis Street. Being of a quiet disposition he took no part in public affairs; he did, however deeply interest himself in the formation of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society in conjunction with the late Mr W. T. L. Travers. With Mr A. J. Rutherford he attended to and distributed the trout fry in the waters of this district and persistently continued his efforts until in spite of many drawbacks, fish fit for the angler actually made their appearance in the Hutt and Wainui-o-mata waters. He had the first trout hatchery in his own grounds at Fern Hill, Woolcombe Street and used to distribute 5000 to 6000 fish annually. For ten years he was treasurer of the Society, and only retired from the position on the amalgamation of the Masterton society with that of Wellington. The late Mr Denton was a great lover of birds. He cared for and superintended the distribution of all the birds imported by the Society. The maimed birds always found a home in his won grounds, and became pets of the family; an aviary, which contained both native and imported birds was his chief hobby and delight. He was also greatly interested in the Maoris and their lore and had a sincere admiration for the race, being on terms of close friendship with many of the natives of the past generation. Mr Denton was a close resident in Wellington from 1863 to 1895, when he visited England with Mrs Denton. He was of an active disposition, and had been regularly attending business to within a fortnight ago when he took to his bed. He is survived by his widow and seven sons and three daughters. They are: Messrs R. G. W. H. L. A Denton, Wellington; F. J. Denton, Wanganui; J. M. Denton, Sheffield, England; P. N. Denton, Calcutta, India; H. Denton, Levin and one married daughter Mrs W. G. Adkin, Levin. Missed Kate and Edith Denton reside in Wellington. Post, August 11.
The Late Mr Denton (undated clipping)
Early on Thursday morning Mr Geo Denton, one of the oldest colonists in Wellington, passed away. He dated from 1856, the year of his arrival by the China. Politics never tempted him, like they did many of his contemporaries, though he always had strong views, and, like the upright man he was, stood by them in all righteousness. Outside his business, which was in the iron trade, and which he followed up with success to the establishment of his well-known premises in Willis street, his life work was acclimitisation. Natural history, which had a great charm for him, associated him long ago with the late Mr Travis. With Mr A. Rutherford he distributed the trout fry in the waters of this district, and persistently continued his efforts until, in spite of many drawbacks, fish fit for the angler actually made their appearance in the Hutt and Wainui-o-mata waters. He had the first trout hatchery in his own grounds, at Fern Hill, Woolcombe street, and used to distribute 5000 to 6000 fish annually. For ten years he was treasurer of the Society, and only retired from the position on the amalgamation of the Masterton Society with that of Wellington. The late Mr Denton was a great lover of birds. He cared for and superintended the distribution of all the birds imported by the Society. The maimed birds always found a home in his own grounds, and became pets of the family. An aviary which contained both native and imported birds was his chief hobby and delight. He was also greatly interested in the Maoris and their lore, and had a sincere admiration for the race, being on terms of close friendship with many of the Natives of the past generation.
Mr Denton was a close resident in Wellington from 1863 to 1895, when he visited England with Mrs Denton. He was of an active disposition, and had been regularly attending business to within a fortnight ago, when he took to his bed. He is survived by his widow, seven sons and three daughters. The family are Messers R. G., W. H., and L. A. Denton, of Wellington, F. J. Denton, of Wanganui, J. M. Denton, of Sheffield, England, P. N. Denton, of Calcutta, India, and H. Denton, of Levin; one married daughter, Mrs. W. G. Adkin, of Levin,; and Misses Kate and Edith Denton, who reside in Wellington.
Pioneering Days – An Interesting Record
The late GEORGE DENTON, a young Yorkshire watchmaker and jeweller, who came to Wellington in the pioneering days of 1857 to carve out a career for himself in New Zealand.
Finding little call for this work, he obtained employment in a Lower Hutt general store, which carried a varied stock to meet all requirements of those early days.
He spent his evenings repairing watches and jewellery for the pioneer settlers. He also imported watches many of which are still in use by members of the old families.
Later he took a position it chief ironmongery store in Wellington, and gained a thorough knowledge of the wants of the community.
After a visit to his Homeland during 1862, George Denton returned to Wellington and started a business on his own account in 1863 as Watchmaker, Jeweller and Ironmonger in Willis Street. This combination may seem strange to-day but in 1863 such a business was of great service to the community, and it was carried on for over sixty years. Mr. Denton established a sound connection, noted for the high quality of his goods, coupled with high ideals of business integrity.
Feb 6 1937
“The Terrace” – Yesterday
“Fernhill” and its Owner
“Fernhill” the home of the Denton family for the past 65 years has a perfect piece of cultivated bush at its back door. Her within a minute or two of the noise and bustle of the city wild native birds come to feed on the rich ripeness of the berries. Her may be found specimens of native plants botanists as yet know little of, and here may be experienced something most believe can never be found within a city’s boundaries – perfect peace and quietness.
It is hard to imagine cattle straying from surrounding properties and making a quagmire of a front lawn when it is on Wellington’s Terrace. But that is what happened to the Dentons when they first came to live there. The property was one of the original one-acre lots on The Terrace to be divided among the first Wellington settlers. Mr G. Denton built his home “Fernhill” in 1873, and his son, Mr. W. H. Denton, who holds the house to-day in precious keeping for the Denton family can remember many details about the old home which throw a new light upon those earlier days Wellington has almost forgotten.
“Fernhill” is on that part of The Terrace which overlooks Ghuznee Street. The house is built in the solid, ornate style of the late nineteenth century, which attains real dignity only with old age. Very early photographs show the old home standing on a rise, its surrounding bare and unsheltered. On the hills at the back where to-day the town boundary is marked by a tall belt of trees, only a sparse smattering of low scrub is seen.
To-day the house is surrounded with a wonderful growth of trees, and it is almost impossible to imagine the velvety lawn in the front as a quagmire where cattle trespassed. Except for these things and the inevitable mellowness of age, the place is in practically the state of more than 60 years ago. Some years ago the acre was divided and a minor portion sold but the difference is negligible.
Mr. Denton can remember the familiy’s eager anticipation as their home was being built, and the great day when at last they moved their belongings into it and took residence. The first morning the whole family was up in time to watch the sun rise over the town.
For two years Mr. Denton remembers a man whose work was mainly top plant trees was employed frequently on the property. To this man perhaps much of the credit for the beauty of the place to-day is due, but Mr. W. H. Denton can share more than half the honour with him, and the beautiful piece of bush at the back of the house in entirely due to Mr. Denton’s keen love of trees.
Here he has gathered together such a variety of native shrubs, trees and ferns that it is a veritable plant museum – without the orthodox labels for he is a keen botanist and carries the labels in his head. It is almost impossible to believe that such a perfect collection of native bush exists within two minutes of the city until one sees for oneself.
At the back of the house a spring wells up and has been diverted into a little trenched riverlet that half encircles the yard. Here mosses, ferns and various alpine plants creep or bend according to their kind and different varieties if ponga ferns shade them. Twisty steps turn in a maze in the bush that slopes up the hill. Her almost every tree or shrub is different and each one has a story that Mr. Denton can relate with accurate knowledge.
There is the rare blue lancewood from the West Coast that a woman brought him in a tin. She knew it would be cared for and she attached sentimental value to it. Here grows the matipo, the hinau, and the red beech. Ferns and mountain shrubs keep company, and one grove of perfect nikaus provides a wonderful splash of golden green among the darker leaves. Mr. Denton has made a study of the nikaus for 45 years and possesses a knowledge of them that delights botanists.
“Fernhill” is not only notable for its bush and its connection with the old days, however. It is the home of the acclimatisation society. Mr. G. Denton made one of his main interests the importing of fish and birds .
Most of the starlings, thrushes, minors, blackbirds and finches to be found in Wellington today are descendants of the birds Mr. Denton introduced. His son can remember his father going with cans of young trout to release in the mountain streams and most of these he bred in the backyard of “Fernhill”. The family never lacked for pets. Of ducks they had several, and one paradise duck that was injured in a shipment lived with them for 17 years. These birds had a special pond formed from the spring in the backyard and it is still there.
About old Wellington Mr. Denton has many memories to recall. Along The Terrace from what is now Cumberland Place to Willis Street was a brick kiln. The drying sheds faced and opened out on to The Terrace. At night the men used to build campfires and Mr. Denton can remember going down to join them. On the north side to Vivian Street it was open land which later became one of the earliest Chinamen’s gardens. The Vivian Street side was known as “Buller’s Paddock” and was for many years a children’s playground.
The first Chinese to arrive in Wellington caused quite a sensation walking in single file down the streets, the centre of curious eyes. Until they scattered, all the Chinese lived in a vacant shop in Willis Street.
Fitchett’s farm comprised most of the land where Brooklyn now stands and Mr. Denton can remember “Long Short” the Fitchett’s bullock driver, who used to drive the animals down through the town to collect malt from the brewery each week.
It does not seem so very long ago to Mr. Denton that Victoria Street was the waterfront and ships unloaded there. He can stand on the steps of “The Dominion” buildings to-day and say, “I launched a boat from here.”
One of the earliest reclamations of land was where the Midland Hotel now stands, and while the reclamation was in progress a delightful lagoon was formed. It was an excellent place for boating too.
“Fernhill” and its owner have many memories of the past to share and the stately old home among the gem of bush greens at the back is a place of simple but great charm.