William Brown Archer
On this day 150 years ago an article on The Inangahua District appeared in the columns of The Grey River Argus, Friday, November 22, 1872.
The papers ‘own correspondent ‘visited the many mines and camps in the district compiling an accurate update on the activities and events happening at the booming district ‘over the saddle.’
Reporting of the developing town North of Reefton, at the foot of the Victoria Range…….
…………………. ‘’Boatman’s –Last Friday week the township which is called Gorge Town was surveyed. It is situated about one mile and a half from the reefs. Messrs Archer and Brunn already have stores there. “
This little snippet gives us a conformation date that the staunch 47 year old Scotsman William Brown Archer had re-established himself in the centre of the Quartz mining district following four years at the Colonies extremely deep alluvial goldfield of Ross, 90 miles, or two to three days horse ride South, depending on the weather and track conditions.
W. B. Archer was to remain in the Boatman’s Valley for the rest of his busy 18 year life, becoming a prominent resident of this pioneer mining town that a year later in December 1873 was to be officially renamed Capleston.
W. B. Archer the hotelkeeper, storekeeper, councillor, chairman of many committees including the spokesman for the Boatman’s shareholders of the Reefton Electrical Transmission of Power and lighting company, limited. in 1886. His service and commitment through thick and thin can be followed through the old newspapers of that era. This journey has already been published by his decedent Yvonne Loughnan (nee Archer) in ‘Kin Convicts & Coalminers’ published in 1999. Also in Norman Crashaw’s 2008 book ,,,,‘City of Gold’ ,,,,stories from Reefton’s past through the papers past articles he compiled the story of William, titled ‘A Pillar Of society’. A copy is attached below here if you wish to read.
I am both thankful and intrigued as to why W B Archer chose to stay up this wee valley where I have visited for 58 years, eventually also residing in this great little valley 28 years ago. He had travelled from Scotland to Australia to New Zealand, clearly loving committees and politics, evident while living in Ross he sat as chairman on the Totara Road Board discussing matters of the day, along with the up and coming Richard Seddon from Kumara.
He continued to rub shoulder with the likes of the Ministers of Mines the Transport Minister and the NZ Governor on Coast visits for town & mine visits, bridge opening ceremonies etc.
From those early days in Gorge Town / Capleston, moving there after the marriage of his three daughters in Ross, 35 descendants ,wives & children resided or were born in Capleston, one family branch remaining in the Inangahua District eventually relocating to Reefton as Capleston dwindled, where another 82 descendants spanning 5 generations were born, raised, married ,died, many also moved on , 10 remain to this day.
So I thank you William Brown Archer for choosing the Inangahua valley to settle you and your family 150 years ago,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, regards ,,,A. J. Archer, the eldest son , of the eldest son , of the eldest son , of the eldest son, of YOUR eldest son.
The interesting and time consuming offshoot while researching through the old newspapers is the many other articles etc. that take you off on an information seeking tangent….
…………………..SO,,,,,,,, what else was going on in the Inangahua District in November 1872…………
……………………………….
The newly built Reefton Court House located on Bridge St with its proud commanding facade watching over Church St held its first sitting on Nov 5th.
-Guy Fawkes plot anniversary was scarcely noticed bar ‘’a pigmy bonfire lit by a few juveniles for their special edification.’’
Sports section… - “Attempts to introduce ‘’ muscular Christianity ‘’ in the shape of cricket and Christmas sports are being made, and there is every probability that they will be successful. Bats, balls, and wickets are coming up from Westport very shortly, and some of our leading share brokers are going to take prominent action in the cricket arena, probably because they have nothing else to do, and think the noble game an excellent mode of willing away spare time till broking looks up again.’’
Deaths & Marriages,,,, - Sudden death (The first death that I have found documented at Boatmans) , a miner, Dennis Quillan native of Tipperary 36 years of age. Later in the month Edward M’Quillan was also killed in a fall off a log on the tramway construction for the Ajax mine.
- Dr Currie was appearing in the new Court House to answer for ‘breaching the peace’, when he gave the other Reefton Doctor, Dr Bulmer a bit of fisticuff.,,, But, one of the good Doctors had to leave the court as a patient needed attention as he had been held down by his beard whilst two others ‘operated’ on his scalp with a shovel and a porter bottle.
-Both doctors were eventually fined 20 shilling, for their own disagreement.
-The tramway from Reefton to Blacks Point was abandoned by the directors.
Property….. - The Strand is no longer the leading street in Reefton, one ‘house’ (hotel) on the Strand purchased for 350 pound by a well-known Hokitika Boniface 5 months previous sold for just 75 pound.
- Blacks Point residents are seriously complaining for the great want of a local Post Office.
- Whitebait numbers have fallen in the Avon River Chch.
- An Amateur dramatic Club was formed in Reefton.
-The two week old Court House had its wall scorched as it narrowly escaped a scrub fire from the clearing of Bridge Street, a future Court session with several witness called concluded that no one could account for how the fire originated.
-New Chum Creek gave up a 17 ounce nugget, Murray Creek spat out a 12 ounce beauty. ''Now lying in Slattery’s Hotel (became Dawson’s) to be raffled for''
This penchant for the goldminers and associated businessman to gamble is also evident in a large add placed in the November West Coast Times for eight prizes in a Grand Art Union, top prize being 400 paid up shares in a valuable Murray Creek Claim, further prizes for the lucky are in a Boatmans claim…….,’’showing every indication of being the richest in the district.’’
- Wealth of Nations is to commence crushing next week. Most of the other claims are still setting up machinery. Andersons yielded 686 ounces of amalgam and 118 ounces of retorted gold from 335 tonnes of stone. A later article reports 2 ounces to the ton.
- A raid has been made among the sly grog sellers in the Reefton district, three arrested, two paid the 20 pound fine ,one opted for gaol, while others receiving warnings.
-An interesting article that appealed to me as a sixth generation underground coal mine in the Reefton/Boatmans district is the introduction of a new tool for the difficult driving of the hard quartz stone for winning gold. ………..
…………….’’The new explosive compound dynamite.
- Test were made at the Anderson Quartz –mining Company. Despite the miners being naturally suspicious of it while tamping and handling it. They concluded it was of immense power as the rock was jaggered and cracked so that it could be taken out easily from the hole with a pick, also possessing at least one important advantage over the ordinary blasting powder, because the miners could enter the drive, which is very imperfectly ventilated, immediately the explosion took place without feeling any inconvenience. Usually it takes a full half an hour with black powder.
Coincidentally W. B. Archer gained a nick name from the Gorge Town customers and residents….…’Ole dynamite’…..
Yvonne wrote in Kin Convict & Coalminers, that he earned this name with his forthright manner and outspoken views. This has certainly been handed down the generations. So has a short fuse!
W. B. Archer you found a great little place in this world
Boatmans, New Zealand. 150 years ago.
Thank you great great great grandad.
A DIGGERS LEGACY
150 years ago, they came seeking gold and found a fresh start in an uncomprimising land. For many of the West Coast's pioneers it was a regrettably short stay, while others would endure for generations.
Footnote:,,,,,, One of those tangents of researching……November 2022 also commemorates 175 years of the Fencibles in New Zealand . …….. Fencible comes from the word “defencible” meaning “capable of defence”. The Fencibles had served in the wars of Britain in the 1830s and 1840s. To emigrate to NZ under the Fencible scheme, retired soldiers were required to be under 48 years of age and of ‘good character and industrious habits.’
The East Auckland suburbs of Pakuranga and Howick developed slowly on land formerly occupied by Ngāi Tai. European settlement began in 1847 when three companies of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles were assigned to a defence post. They were retired soldiers enlisted to serve for seven years in exchange for a cottage and an acre of land. Howick was the largest of the Fencible settlements, with 804 people in three companies in 1848.
Two of those soldiers were Brothers privates Michael & James Finnerty
James Finnerty arrived in Auckland New Zealand in Jan 1847
One of James Finnerty’s grandson’s , James Edward Finnerty married Edith May Kirby born in Greymouth in 1870 and raised with her 9 brothers and sisters at Blacks Point ,by her parents Edward Valentine Kirby and his wife Edith.
Blacks Point by name appears from mid-1872, as the miners generally camped at their claims in this case Murray Creek. An early, if not the first building at what became Blacks Point was a store operated by Edward Kirby, early adverts for the tender of conveyance for the first Quartz Crushing Machinery of 20 tons for Kelly’s line of Reef to be delivered to ‘any point of the Inangahua River within one mile of Kirby’s Store’ .
Later in Nov 1871 an article on a trip to the new town of Reefton and the reefs upriver near ‘‘Kirby Point, a small area of flat land between the range and the river, along which several sections have been taken up for settlement, being now in the course of clearing and cultivation.’’
Edward Valentine Kirby, storekeeper on the bank of the Inagahua River during the Murray Creek rush on the reefs in 1871 as time marched on had a Great Great Great Granddaughter,,,,,, Caroline ( Ann ) Finnerty
William Brown Archer, store & hotelkeeper on the bank of Boatman’s Creek during the Boatmans Rush on the reefs in 1872 had a Great Great Great Grandson ,,,,,Gregory John Archer.
Some 90 years later these two decedents of those Inangahua pioneers married and produced a bonny bouncy baby boy
who is today the 11th November sitting at this computer on a wild wet West Coast day, as mine vehicles travel up Boatmans Road as they undertake a drilling programme accessed by helicopter rather than river boat and foot as of 150 years ago, looking for that Mother Lode,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, perhaps I should build a store ?
By Allan Archer
22 November 2022
3.July.1825 to 20.May.1891
From City of Gold
Norman Crawshaw of Westport-2008
1891 It is a painful duty to record the death
of Mr. W B Archer of Boatmans. The immediate
cause of death was rheumatic fever although he
had suffered from a complication of disorders.
Mr. Archer was identified with Boatmans from
its inception in the late 1860's and took a great
deal of interest in all public matters. He was a
blunt and dauntless man. He never quailed
even before the most stupendous difficulties
and retained his independent sturdy sprit to
the last. He was 66 years of age.