Rush Family History
The Story of the Rush Family
Alphonsus Rodger Rush, 1858-1929
This page documents Alphonsus Rodger Rush, the fourth child of Cecilia's third marriage to John George Rush.
Alphonsus Rodger Rush, fourth child of John George and Cecilia Rush, was born in the Hutt Valley in 1858. Little information is available about his earlier life, although one presumes his childhood closely followed that of his older brother and sisters, working on and around his parents Taita farm. From a young age Alphonsus showed a propensity towards music, and although he became a farmer himself he went on to become a very talented musician with a number of musical instruments and well-known for his powerful singing voice. His work-gnarled fingers could ripple the keys of a piano or play a violin beautifully and with ease, and he was also competent with wood wind instruments. His nickname, "Split the Wind", or "Splittie", was earned as a result. Alphonsus sang on the first gramophone record ever made in New Zealand, singing a well-known song of the time - "Beautiful Dreamer".
Alphonsus was a very large man with curly hair and amazing strength - he enjoyed taking on several people at once at tug-of-war, and had been known to lift a fallen draught horse by edging his shoulder beneath the animal and pushing it back on to its feet. He went on to become four times New Zealand champion at weightlifting, once beating Donald Denny, the world champion. He kept fit and agile by fighting his roosters.
Like the rest of the family, Alphonsus was a devout Catholic, and when the church in Lower Hutt was destroyed by fire he rescued the Church Book of Records. This stayed in the family for many years, being passed on to the Pope long after Alphonsus' death. He was also well known for making wine - a particularly potent brew from all accounts. To test his wine he used to hold a match to it; if it ignited it was suitable for drinking.
Alphonsus stayed on in the Hutt Valley when most of the Rush family moved to Palmerston North in 1872 and 1882, and on 8th May, 1882, he married Julia Kate Pyke, daughter of Elizabeth and George Pyke, in the Catholic Church in Lower Hutt. Julia was twenty-one, three years younger than Alphonsus, and like him had been raised into a life of farming. The marriage, unfortunately, was to be a troubled one, with many bitter disputes. From all accounts, Julia enjoyed flirting with other men, and Alphonsus had a hot temper. The marriage was not helped by the fact that Julia was unable to have children, and after five turbulent years Julia petitioned for a separation. Alphonsus was against the idea, because of his Catholic upbringing, as a result of which a much publicised divorce battle took place in the High Court. See the link at right to view the full article.
The report of the proceedings covered two pages of the "New Zealand Mail" on 19th August 1887. Eventually, the Wellington Divorce Court issued a decree nisi between Alphonsus Rush (Palmerston North) and Julia Rush on the grounds of desertion (Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 42, 20 February 1901, Page 6.
In the Divorce Court proceedings, the following is recorded: An application was made by Alphonsus Rush, farmer, of Palmerston North, for a dissolution of his marriage with Julia Rush (nee Pyke), on the ground of desertion. Mr H S Fitzherbert appeared for the petitioner. There was no appearance of the respondent. The marriage took place at Lower Hutt on 8th May 1882, and the couple lived together at Taita for five years. Respondent then left her husband and went to Christchurch, and they have not lived together since. Petitioner sold out, and took up his residence in Palmerston North. Afterwards respondent applied for a judicial separation, but the late Chief Justice, who heard the case, told her she was in the wrong, and advised her to return to her husband. This she declined to do. There was no issue of the marriage. Petitioner said that he and his wife had had some differences of opinion, but it was not true that he had ill-treated her. Mrs Bruce, sister of the petitioner deposed that she had made an unsuccessful effort to get the respondent to return to her husband. His Honour granted a decree nisi. (Evening Post, Volume LXI, Issue 42, 20 February 1901, page 6)
In later years Alphonsus became a well-known and respected judge of poultry, and once travelled to Sydney, Australia, to judge in a major poultry show.
Just before his divorce battle with Julia, Alphonsus made preparations to join the rest of the family in Palmerston North, by selling the entire contents of his dairy farm at Taita by auction. The auction was set down for Wednesday 23 March 1887 at 11 o'clock in the morning, and involved:
- 6 splendid young cows (lately calved)
- 2 trap horses, 1 Berkshire boar, lot of pigs
- 200 fowls, all last year's pullets, splendid layers
- 20 tons clover hay, 8 tons oat sheaves, stack of heavy wheat, 4 spring traps and harness, new double wheel Hornby plough, churns and dairy utensils
- 6 hives of bees, large lot of honey and home-made jams
- All the household furniture, includng a really magnificent toned Mignon piano, 2 violins, music
- 80 gallon boiler, etc
The advertisement said: "As Mr Rush is leaving the district, all the above will be sold absolutely without reserve, and it will well repay anyone to make purchases at this sale." (Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 68, 22 March 1887, Page 30)
When he moved to Palmerston North, he took over the running of his father's orchard, remaining in Palmerston for the rest of his life.
In later years, Alphonsus became a well-known and respected judge of poultry, and once travelled to Sydney, Australia, to judge in a major poultry show. Two or three years after his divorce battle with Julia, Alphonsus moved to join the rest of the family in Palmerston North, where he took over the running of his father's orchard, remaining in Palmerston for the rest of his life.
In 1907, at the age of fifty-three, Alphonsus married a twenty-two year old woman, Charlotte Webb, born in Kanoona, NSW, Australia. This marriage was to be a happy one lasting eighteen years before Alphonsus passed away on 28th June 1929 aged 71 years.
Their notice read: "A well-known resident of Palmerston, Mr A R Rush, of Ake Ake, Hokowhitu, was united in matrimony yesterday to Miss Charlotte Webb, formerly of New South Wales. At the conclusion of the ceremony a few friends met at the residence of the bride's uncle (Mr Charles Webb) in Grey Street, where a reception was held, the health of the happy couple being duly honoured. Mr and Mrs Rush left by the evening train en route to Napier, where the honeymoon will be spent, carrying with then the best wishes of their friends for a happy married life." [Manawatu Stuandard, Volume XLI, Issue 8399, 26 September 1906, page 5].
Charlotte presented Alphonsus with two daughters, Cecilia Ann (5 July 1908) and Ethel Pelagia (27 April 1910), both born in Palmerston North. After Alphonsus' death it seems Charlotte returned to Australia with the children, and contact with the family was lost, apart from a letter from Cecilia dated 1986. Cecilia later became Mrs Cecilia Bodell. She died on 14 November 1994 and is buried in West Chapel, Woronora, NSW. Her sister Ethel Pelagia married a Francis Alexander van Kampen in 1939, and she died on 11 August 1975, at Arncliffe, NSW. Efforts to trace the family in Australia have to date been fruitless. (See link on right).
His obituary reads: "The death occurred last week of Mr Alphonsus Rush, at his residence, Park road, Palmerston NOrth. The deceased, who was in his 72nd year, was born at Taita, and was the son of the late Mr J.G. Rush, J.P., who was a well-known resident of Palmerston North. The late Mr Alphonsus Rush was very well known in the district in which he lived for his interest in musical matters. As a lover of music he devoted a considerable amount of time to its study and was an inventor of a system of simplified sight reading which met with the approbation of musical masters. He is survived by his widow and two daughters - Misses Cecilia and Ethel Rush. Mrs McDowell (Dannevirke) is a sister, and Mr T Rodgers (Rangitikei Line) a step-brother."
Alphonsus Rodger Rush lies buried in Plot 44, Block 82 of the Roman Catholic section at Terrace End cemetery, Palmerston North, near the grave of his parents, John and Cecilia. View the cemetery record from the link on the right.
It appears Julia reverted to her maiden name after her divorce and stayed in the Hutt Valley. She died on 2 October 1932. Her funeral notice states: "The friends of the late Julia Catherine Pike are respectfully invited to attend her Funeral, which will leave her late residence, 571 High street, Lower Hutt, tomorrow (Tuesday), 4 October, at 2 pm for the Taita Churchyard Cemetery. J R Croft Undertaker." [Ref EVENING POST, VOLUME CXIV, ISSUE 81, 3 OCTOBER 1932]