Generation 1 - Children of John and Theodosia
Generation 1 - Children of John and Isabella
Generation 2 - Children of John Bentley Sharp
Edwin was the youngest of the Sharp family. He was born in 1887 in Dunedin and was named after his father. He was just 5 years old when his mother Isabella died suddenly in 1892.
Edwin, also known as Ted, married Ethel Amelia Coombes in 1921 in Dunedin. Edwin's occupation was a plasterer.
This was Ethel's second marriage. Her first was to Frank (Francis) Stacey Coombes in 1907 (Ref 1907/4442). Frank was born in 1881, and died on 13 September 1957, in Dunedin. His last known address was 33A Church St, Mosgiel. Presumably Ethel divorced Frank some time between 1907 and 1921. Frank was cremated and his ashes were scattered according to the Dunedin City Council cemetery database.
Ethel was born on 6 March 1883 and was the eldest daughter of Reuben and Charlotte Kinzett, a well-known farming family of Tadmor, near Nelson. She had two older step-siblings: George and Sarah (from her father) and was just about ten when her father died suddenly in 1893. She had three siblings from her mother's second marriage to Reuben:
Reuben Kinzett was born on 28 August 1851 in Stoke, Nelson. He was a farmer, of Anglican stock, but died suddenly at Nelson Hospital on 8 January 1893 aged 42 years, 11 years after marrying Charlotte Margaret Pahl. The cause of his death was Encepholitis for 6 days and convulsions. Reuben in the early years was involved with two sisters at the same time - who in return bore him children 6 weeks apart. First there was Mary Jane Fawcett (b. 1856) who had George Fawcett at the end of 1872 followed by Elizabeth Ann Fawcett (b. 1852 in Canterbury and d. 31 Aug 1941 Korere) who had Sarah Fawcett Hannen b. 28 Jan 1873. Sarah went on to mary Edward Lionel Newport (b. 8 Feb 1875 Nelson and d. 6 Sep 1943 Timaru).
He then married Charlotte Margaret Pahl on 15 April 1882 at Wakefield. Charlotte was born in 1864 and died in Invercargill in 1949. On 10 June 1886 Charlotte was granted 57 acres of land in a government Lease at Wangapeka (Nelson Mail, 10 June 1886).
Following Reuben's death, Charlotte applied for Probate which was granted by the Court in late January 1893 (Colonist, 21 January 1893).
After Reuben's death, according to a Kinzett family website, Charlotte apparently ran off to Invercargill with a married man named William Thomas. Apparently William was married to Elizabeth Buckman (married in 1871) from Blenheim who is said to have "died of a broken heart" on 5/6 April 1906, after being married in 1871 (but her burial location is unknown). From the BDM records, it appears William and Elizabeth had eleven children between 1875 and 1892, including twins.
One death notice on 6 April reads: The death is recorded of Mrs William Thomas, senior, an old resident of the Sherry, at the age of 53, and she leaves a large circle of relatives and friends to mourn their loss. Although not in good health in recent years, Mrs Thomas was not confined to her bed till Sunday week, and she succumbed on the following Friday to inflammation of the lungs and bronchitis. The deceased was the daughter of Mr O Buckman, of the Wairau, and she married in 1871. She is survived by a family of five sons and six daughters, with whom the greatest sympathy is felt. (Ref Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 60, 6 April 1906, Page 2).
A second notice on 9 April reads: The Nelson "Colonist" records the death at Sherry, on Friday morning last, of Mrs William Thomas, sen., at the age of 53 years. Although the deceased had been in indifferent health for the past twelve months, it was only on the previous Sunday that she became confined to bed, being attacked with inflammation of the lungs and bronchitis. The Late Mrs Thomas was the daughter of Mr Samuel Bucklan, of the Wairau Valley, and was married in 1871. She leaves a family of five sons and six daughters, all of whom are grown up, to mourn her loss, and who have received many expressions of sympathy in their bereavement. (Ref: Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 83, 9 April 1906, Page 3).
William then assumed the name Rhoy Kinzett. BDM records show that a Charllottie Margrett Kinzett (note spelling) married a William Thomas in 1917 (Ref 1917/2239) long after three more children had been born:
Charlotte died in November 1949 aged 86 years, but Rhoy Kinzett (aka William Thomas) had died in May 1934 aged 85 years. They are buried together at the East Invercargill Cemetery, (Block 27, Plot 130) along with their son Stanley, (Block 39, Plot 943) and his wife Clara Evelyn.
Edwin died on Xmas Eve, 1949. His funeral notice in the local newspaper reads:
Sharp, on December 24, 1949 at Dunedin, Edwin (Ted), dearly beloved husband of Ethel Amelia Sharp, of 36 Glen Road, Mornington, and son of the late John Sharp, Caversham. Deeply mourned. Cremated yesterday. Hugh Gourley Ltd, funeral directors.
Edwin's ashes were scattered. See Dunedin City Council Cremation record.
Ethel died on New Year's Day 1972. Her death notice reads:
Sharp, Ethel Amelia, at Invercargill, on Saturday 1 January 1972, beloved wife of the late Edward Sharp, formerly of Glen Road, Dunedin and loved sister of Rhoy, Blenheim, Nina (Mrs Baker), and the late Charlotte, Ada and Stanley; in her 89th year. Private cremation at Dunedin. Messages to 8 Arun Crescent, Invercargill. Macdonald and Weston, funeral directors, Invercargill.
See Dunedin City Council Cremation record.
No further information about this family is known and no living relatives of Edwin and Ethel have yet been found. We would appreciate any contact with relevant information on this family, or to correct any inaccuracies as the linkages here are purely speculation until hard evidence is obtained.
Births Deaths and Marriages online, PapersPast, Invercargill, Nelson and Dunedin City Council cemetery records online, Kinzett family website.