Not being able to ignore such a strong historic name, in spite of being 90% sure this was no relation to William Sefton Moorhouse, I just had to make sure.
I stood there for a moment, recalling that William had arrived in Lyttelton in 1851 with his two brothers, Benjamin and Thomas…who was this J.C. Moorhouse?
My research brought up a J.W. Moorhouse who worked in Christchurch as a Vet, set up in Armagh Street. His business situation was simply listed as the Horse Depot in The Lyttelton Times throughout the year of 1860. It seemed a place not only for sick horses but was a auctioning establishment, where horses were brought to be broken in and where one – even a lady of the upper class – could rent a nice hack for the day.
But back to J.C. Moorhouse, there is no clue to the man himself. Eliza and he listed in The Lyttelton Times the death of their infant, named John Charles on the 25th August 1859, noted down as living in Governor’s Bay.
Eliza died in Opawa on the 4th August 1899, J.C having left this world at some unknown previous date. Eliza was buried at Woolston Cemetery alone it seems. Bummer, will keep digging…
Thanks to Rod Inglis, whose mum is a Moorhouse, who has been able to check his family records and and confirm that J.C. Moorhouse and J.W. Moorhouse were indeed brothers of William Sefton Moorhouse! There were 12 siblings all together!!! Thanks Rod, glad I took the photo 🙂
*photo taken by Annette Bulovic*
