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Biography of Samuel Nichol
Last Updated July 2010.
Samuel Nichol.
Born 8 December 1840, Hobart, Australia.
Arrived New Zealand 1859.
Married Annie
Elizabeth Kingswell 24 January 1871, Invercargill, New Zealand.
Died 9 February 1924.
Children of Samuel & Eliza Nichol
Ernest Arnott Nichol, b. Bluff 1879 d.1956
Louise Viva Nichol, b. abt 1890
Elsie Eliza Nichol,
Obituary, 12 February 1924.
From the Bluff Press, NZ (picture below is of Annie Kingswell)
Mr. Samuel Nichol
A Romantic Career
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Above: Eliza Kingswell - wife of Samuel Nichol "There was no more assiduous keeper of newspaper clippings then Sam Nichol's wife Eliza. Deaths, births and marriages were faithfully recorded by her in her family scrap book. Any published item about friends or relations was also kept and it is obvious that she had a special pride in her brother, George Kingswell, who travelled the world before he became one of South Africa's best known journalists, rising to become a director of the Rand Daily Mail and Sunday Times. "Eliza matured from the girl who could stop the Bluff train simply by hanging a towel from her window to a woman who was mistress of one finest homes in the province. Her only public activity was the presidency of the Ladies Guild of St. Mathews Anglican Church in Bluff, as the provinces of public and business affairs were dominated by her husband. Such was the regard in which she was held, however, that when she died at the age of 59 in August 1913, the flags of the ships in port, including those of two home liners, were flown at half-mast." source, "A Saga of the South", J N McClenaghan, 1966, page 42. |
The death occurred on Saturday of Mr Samuel Nichol, an old and respected
citizen of Bluff, at the age of 84 years. The remains of the deceased
were laid to rest this afternoon in Bluff cemetery in the presence of
a large number of mourners. The Rev. W. H. Roberts officiated at the grave
side and also at the service that was held in St. Mathew's Church prior
to the burial.
The deceased gentleman was widely esteemed and highly respected in shipping
and commercial circles for his business integrity and ability. In Bluff
his wisdom and counsel was keenly sought after on many occasions and was
always gratuitously given in his natural kindly manner.
Bluff has lost a good citizen through the death of Mr Samuel Nichol. He
was one of nature's gentleman.
He was born in Hobart, Tasmania, on December 8, 1840, and at the age of
16 started with his brother in the timber business on the Huon River.
After three years he decided to try his fortune in New Zealand, and came
to Riverton in the brig Reliance (noted on the 1859 shipping list). The
passage over was a remarkably fine one, as it was never at any time found
necessary to touch the sails. Mr Nichol then went as a cadet to the Avondale
sheep station, then owned by the late Captain J. W. Raymond. He remained
there for three years, and was the first to drive a wool wagon with horses
into Riverton, bullocks having always been used previously.
In 1862 Mr Nichol came to Bluff and started out in business as a general
merchant, being later appointed whalfinger and agent for the McMeekin
and Blackwood Steamship Company. Before the construction of the railway
Mr Nichol was the agent for Cobb & Co.'s coaches which used to run
between Invercargill and Bluff with passengers and mails. Later the Southland
Provincial Government constructed a railway, but was quite unable to make
it a paying proposition. Tenders were therefore called for the lease of
the railway, and Mr Nichol, in partnership with a man called Shearer,
from Victoria, applied for and obtained the lease. They immediately cut
down all freights and fares by 50 percent, and set about repairing the
permanent way, the state of which rendered it impossible to put fast traffic
on the line. They also gave concessions to timber boats loading and discharging
at Bluff in order to encourage them to come there instead of to the New
River. Mr Shearer, who was by profession a contracting engineer, attended
to all matters of track maintenance, while Mr Nichol looked after the
office work. As a result they ran the railway so successfully for 18 months
that at the end of this period the Government refused to renew the lease.
As a comparison with the present state of affairs it is interesting to
note that on one occasion Governor Grey was taken on this line from Invercargill
to Bluff in the record time of 20 minutes. While in control of this railway
Mr Nichol elevated Mr. Thomas Arthur, who was then a guard, to the position
of Stationmaster at Invercargill. Mr Arthur afterwards rose to a high
position in the railways.
After the termination of this lease Mr Nichol was joined by the late Mr
G. E. Tucker, and the firm of "Nichol & Tucker" was formed.
About this time the great possibilities of the whaling industry in southern
waters began to be realised, and the Government offered a bonus of £500
for the first ship locally owned that should bring a cargo of whale oil
to New Zealand. On hearing of this Mr Nichol immediately set out for Sydney
and there purchased the barque Celestia and fitted her out as a whaler.
On her arrival at Bluff it was found that a vessel had been wrecked near
the pilot station and was offered for sale. Mr Nichol's offer was accepted
and he set about salvage work with great ingenuity. He took a large number
of the empty casks from the Celestia and lashed them to the sides of the
derelict. These were fastened down at low water and as the tide rose the
vessel floated off the rocks. She was brought up the harbour and placed
on the beach inside the present wharf. On examination it was found that
she was an old slave-trader and bullet marks could be seen on the planks
of the hold where the wretched negroes had been shot at. Mr Nichol was
told that such a vessel would be unlucky, but continued the work of salvaging.
It was decided to heave her down, and at high tide barges filled with
large cargoes of stone were attached by cables to her masts, the idea
being to roll the vessel over so that the holes could be repaired. However,
when the tide fell the strain proved too great and the vessel's broadside
was crushed in. She was then abandoned and the Celestia hurried off on
her whaling cruise. In due course she put in at Post Chalmers with a good
cargo, and Mr Nichol applied for the £500 bonus. This was only granted
after a considerable amount of trouble, there being a Dunedin firm also
in the running. At this time whale oil was bringing £112 per ton,
and whaling proved a very lucrative business. Mr Nichol bought and fitted
out another vessel, the Chance, which Mr Frank Bullen has made famous
in his book "The Cruise of the Cachalot." Among her crew were
such well-known figures as Paddy Gilroy, Captain Anglem, John Parker,
T. Shepherd senior, and T. Gilroy junior. Afterwards, however, whale oil
fell to less than £40 a ton, and this being far below the cost of
procuring it, the industry was abandoned and the ships sold. The old Chance
was used as a coal hulk for many years before she was ultimately destroyed.
In his time Mr Nichols owned many ships. One was the ill-fated Mary Smith,
which he bought in Melbourne at the time when the gold rush was at its
height, and he filled her with a cargo of miner's requisites. The ship
never reached Bluff, and on inquiry it was found that when she left Melbourne
the pilot staff had had to set the sails, as the whole of the crew with
the exception of the Captain and his mate was in a stage of helpless intoxication.
That night a strong gale came up and it was surmised that she had capsized
through lack of control.
Mr Nichol's brother, the late Mr G. W. Nichol, then joined the firm of
Nichol & Tucker, and Mr Tucker left shortly after. The firm then carried
on as Nichol Bros. till 1917, when they dissolved partnership, but the
two firms, although, separate, carried on under the same name, one in
Invercargill and the other in Bluff. Mr Nichol always took a keen interest
in the public affairs of his town, and was one of the original members
of the Bluff Harbour Board, and the Bluff Borough Council. On many occasions
he has been Mayor of Bluff. He married Miss
Annie Elizabeth Kingswell, daughter of the late Mr
W. B. Kingswell, of Invercargill, who pre-deceased him by some ten
years.
The late Mr Nichol is survived by one son, Mr E. A. Nichol of Bluff, and
by two daughters, Mrs C. E. Shallcrass, and Mrs J. W. H. Bannerman, both
of Timaru. There are nine grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.
According to the Invercargill City Council Cemetery records:
Robert Nichol (father of Samuel Nichol) is buried at Blufff Cemetery: Block 1, Plot 71, and the inscription reads:
Sacred
To the memory of
Robert Nichol
Who died 19 Feby 1872
Aged 75 years
Because I live ye shall live also
Also sacred to the memory of
Anne Willis
Relict of Robert Nichol
Who died on the 12th August 1896
In her 94 year
And God shall wipe away all
Tears from their eyes
Then appears Elizabeth Kingswell (mother of Eliza Annie):
Sacred
To the memory of
Elizabeth Kingswell
Died 4th April 1894
Aged 62 years
She was not for God took her
And Samuel is adjacent:
Sacred
To the memory of
Eliza Annie
Beloved wife of
Samuel Nichol
Died 1st August 1913
Aged 59 years
Also
Samuel Nichol
Beloved husband of above
Died 9th February 1924
Aged 84 years
There remaineth a rest to the people of God
Source: "Bluff in Retrospect", 2001, Alan Mitchell and the Bluff History Group, pages 70 & 71.
"Morningside" pictured above. Below right, Samuel Nichol.
Built in 1877 for prominent merchant and later mayor of Bluff Samuel Nichol, "Morningside" was one of the town's show homes for more than eighty years. With sweeping open verandahs on three sides and a handsome turret "Morningside" epitomised an era of gracious living for the well to do. It comprised five bedrooms, a kitchen, breakfast room, double lounge, large billiard room and storerooms. Later purchases of adjoining land saw "Morningside" eventually sit on 2 1/2 acres (one hectare) of lawn, garden, orchard, tennis court and croquet green.
Domestic staff of at least two maids and a cook ensured that the house ran smoothly while a permanent gardener lived in a four-room cottage on site. His duties included mowing lawns, maintaining orchard, vegetable and flower gardens and the conservatory where large numbers of pot plants were raised. A huge glasshouse contained at least 180 tomato plants and a large number of grapevines from which the house made its own wine. The orchard and glass house was a magnet to small children to whom "raiding Nichol's orchard" was a popular if sometimes hazardous pastime.
The gardener's wife's duties included milking the two house cows and looking after the poultry and occasional pig or lamb.
Following Samuel Nichol's death in 1924 the property passed to his son Ernest who had lived there all his life. When he died in 1959 "Morningside" and its grounds were sold to the Catholic Church.
Source: 1923 newspaper clipping, NZ National Library, NZ Biographies. Newspaper not identified but prob. the New Zealand Herald.
Mr Samuel Nichol, a Scotchman, who has been 64 years in the Dominion, and who is one of the best known residents of the Bluff, is at present on a visit to Auckland. Despite his 85 years, our visitor is in wonderfully good health, and is very much interested in development in the North. Mr. Nichol was in the early days connected with the whaling, and, with his brother, owned some of the best whaling ships south of the line, and, as one interested in shipping, is deeply interested in the progress of our port. Mr. Nichol has been a justice of the peace for nearly half a century, and it has been his privilege to have presided largely at police court sittings in the town where he is so well known.
Update, July 2005, generously provided by a direct descendant.
SAMUEL NICHOL (Sam) was born on the 9th September 1840 at Newtown and baptised at the Wesleyan church, Hobart. He was the best Greek scholar at his college. Sam came to New Zealand in 1859 on the “Reliance,” which arrived at Riverton.
He was in partnership with his brother, George, in the business of “Nichol Brothers” in Bluff and Invercargill, and at one time with his brother-in-law, George Tucker.
Sir Joseph Ward, later prime minister, worked as a clerk at Samuel Nichol's general store on the Bluff waterfront until 1876
He married Annie Elizabeth (or Eliza Anne) Kingswell in Invercargill in 24 January 1871 and their children were Eliza (Elsie Shallcrass), Louie (Mrs. Bannerman) and Ernest. His home was “Mornington” at the Bluff, and which had a tower overlooking the harbour and also a billiard room, and to where sea captains would often visit. The property consisted of 2 ½ acres, with a tennis court and croquet green and staffed by a cook, 2 maids and a full-time gardener.
Sam died on the 9th February 1924 and is buried at Bluff alongside his parents.
Sam was Mayor of Bluff 1888-92 and from 1895-97. He appears as a passenger on the “Ringarooma” on its voyage from Melbourne to Bluff in September 1876.
Source: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand
Vol 4, Page 884
Mr. Samuel Nichol (of the firm Messrs. Nichol Bros., Merchants, Bluff
and Invercargill), was Mayor of Campbelltown or Bluff from 1888 to 1897.
Mr. Nichol devoted considerable time in furthering the raising of a loan
of £5,000, which the rate payers approved, for the purpose of improving
the streets, and drainage of the borough. Born at Hobart, Tasmania, in
1840, Mr. Nichol is the second son of the late Mr. Robert Nichol, an ex-bank
manager, and was educated at Hobart where he received a thorough commercial
training, in the firm of Messers. Chapman and Thomas, merchants. Mr. Nichol
left his native land in 1859 for New Zealand and arrived at Riverton,
in the brig ‘Reliance,’ and served as station cadet with Captain
Raymond, the well-known squatter. He afterwards became chief clerk in
the Wharfinger’s department at Invercargill, and subsequently he
was Wharfinger at Bluff. When the Provincial Government opened the Bluff
line, they offered Mr. Nichol the special position of Station Agent, which
he accepted, they being so satisfied with his past services. In consequence
of the falling of the revenue, the Provincial Government leased the Bluff
railway for eighteen months to Messrs. Nichol and Sherar, whose management
was so successful and profitable, that the Government would not renew
the lease. From that time, Mr. Nichol had associated with him in business
his brother, Mr. Geo. W. Nichol, and the late Mr. Geo. E. Tucker. Mr Samuel
Nichol was one of the first elected members of the Bluff Harbour Board.
He has been a justice of the peace since 1885. He became initiated into
Freemasonry in Lodge Southern Cross, Invercargill, about 1863, and was
elected W.M. of Lodge Fortitude, No. 2301, E.C. (now No. 64, N.Z.C.) at
Bluff on the 14th of January 1894. He also holds the rank of G.S. in the
Grand Lodge of New Zealand.
Notes
Samuel's brother George W. Nichol, (pictured left) was born 1835 in Hobart Tasmania and arrived New Zealand 1861. He worked in Dunedin and later in Greymouth. In 1874 he joined his brother in the company of Nichol Bros and opened a branch in Invercargill (which George managed). He built a home "Glenfoyle' at Ocean Beach (below) and travelled daily by train to Invercargill. He died 11 May 1907.
He married Mary Campion (1843-1929) and their children are:
Annie, 1872-1924
Mary, born 1874
Isabella, born 1873
George, 1876-1952, married Ethel Anne Howell - they had two sons.
Harry, 1878-1971, married in the 1930s to Agnes Hansen (of Stewart Island, she died before 1940). Two daughters Mary (Mrs Ken Wright) and Agnes (wife of Dr G. A. Tait of Invercargill). A photograph of Harry Nichol appears in his 21 July 1970 Obit in the Southland Times (NZ Bios 1971 Vol. 4, page 11).
Update, July 2005, generously provided by a direct descendant.
GEORGE WILLIS NICHOL was born on the 8th February 1835 and was baptised in the Anglican church, Newtown, Hobart, when his father’s profession is stated as gentleman. He was named after his mother’s deceased brother, Dr. George Willis, of whom she had been very fond, and who had died when quite young in Jamaica.
George came to New Zealand in 1861, perhaps with his parents, landing at Dunedin.
He married Mary Emma Campion in 1870, possibly Greymouth, and their children were Isabella, Anne, Mary, George and Henry. In 1869, there is a registered wine and spirit merchant, Hamilton & Nichol on Mawhera Quay, Greymouth.
George later moved to Bluff where he was a merchant and the first mayor in 1879. His house was “Glenfoyle” with 6 bedrooms and a servants’ bedroom. The gates are still standing, although the homestead has been demolished.
George died at “Glenfoyle,” Ocean Beach, Bluff, on the 11th May 1907 and was buried at Bluff.
There is still a trading Nichol Bros & Co Ltd, trading in Invercargill. They are stock food manufacturers.
There is a Nichol Street in Invercargill
On Nichol Road, Ocean Road, Omaui (on the Invercargill-Bluff highway). The iron gates of the original Nichol homestead are still visible. (see below)
Source: "Bluff in Retrospect", 2001, Alan Mitchell and the Bluff History Group, pages 80 & 81.
Ocean Beach Area
Ocean Beach lies at the top of Bluff Harbour, a place of wind blown sandhills and rocky outcrops. The south side faces Foveaux Strait, a hostile place at times, while the north is more sheltered.
A rail link between Bluff and Invercargill was opened in 1867, with a stop at Ocean Beach to take on and set down passengers and goods. Prominent merchant George Nichol {brother of Samuel} became the first rail commuter between Bluff and Invercargill in 1874, a trip he made for the next 28 years. He built a grand home "Glenfoyle" on what is now known as Nichol Road and his five children rowed to Bluff on a 20' four oared boat to collect stores.
Above: 'Glenfoyle', the homestead of George Willis Nichol.
Ernest Arnott Nichol
Born, 1879, Bluff (then known as Campbelltown), New Zealand
Married, Hilda Metzger, 1907 (probably in Bluff)
Died, 18 April 1956, Bluff, New Zealand
He appears as follows in the Southland Boys’ High School Register: “256- Nichol, Ernest Arnott. General Merchant, Bluff. Enthusiastic Volunteer Officer. Died at Bluff, April 18, 1956. At School 1893-1895, from Bluff. Mayor of Bluff (25 years on Bluff Council); Member Harbour Board (10 years). Father of 2065, 2348.”
"Those Sheltering Hills; a history of Bluff" by J.E. Bremer; page 61. Says:
"Mr Ernest Arnott Nichol who was Mayor of the borough 1909-1911 was born at Bluff in 1879. He was the only son of Samuel and Eliza Nichol of Morningside, Bluff and lived there for all his life. He received his primary education at Bluff and then Southland Boys’ High School, traveling each day by train between Bluff and Invercargill. In 1897 he joined the firm of Nichol Brothers at Bluff and ten years later in 1907 he married Miss Hilda Metzger and they had a family of two sons and two daughters. The sons were named Ernest Samuel and Leslie Albert and the girls Hilda and Zona. After the death of his father in 1924, the company continued as a partnership, consisting of E. A. Nichol and his two sisters Mrs C. E. Shallcrass and Mrs L. V. Bannerman. Beside being Mayor of Bluff, Mr E. A. Nichol served on the Borough Council for twenty years. He was also associated with Southland Motor Association, the Bluff Harbour Board and the Awarua Licensing Committee and as a churchman he conducted the St Matthew’s Church Choir for twenty-five years. He died in 1956 aged 77 years."
Obit: Southland Times 20 April 1956.
Mr E. A Nichol, a well known resident of Bluff, has died aged 77. A tower of strength in the community, Mr Nichol was a man of many interests, some of his exploits particularly in his younger days when Bluff was only a shadow of its present size being well remembered among the older generation.
Born in Bluff, Mr Nichol was educated there and at the Southland Boys' High School. On leaving school he joined his father, the late Samuel Nichol, in the family business. A keen sportsman, he represented the Awarua Boating Club and right to the time of his death was a keen rifle shot, competing in Trenthan matches with success. A more dangerous pursuit was for whales in a boat from his father's whaling vessel Chance. The excursions ceased after the boat was towed to Center Island by a whale which nearly accounted for one of the crew.
Mr Nichol served as Mayor of Bluff for two terms and was a member of the borough council for more than 20 years. He was also associated with several other organisations , notably the Southland Motor Association, the Bluff Harbour Board, and the Awarua Licensing Committee before business interests forced him to give up much of his work. The locally-famous working bees on the Bluff road were organised by him. A devout churchman he conducted the St Matthew's Church choir for 25 years.
Mr Nichol was married in 1908 to Miss Hilda Metzger and is survived by his four children.
Children of Ernest & Hilda Nichol
Ernest Samuel Nichol
Leslie Albert Nichol
Hilda Nichol (known as "Tuppy" did not marry - apparently lost her 'man' in the war)
Zona Nichol (married Mr Saunders)
Ernest Nichol – Man of the South What is it that makes a true blue Southlander? Whatever it is, Ernest Nichol must have it in full measure if family background is any criterion. |
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Above: Ernest Nichol at 71 finds much to remember, much to do and much to look forward to - a zest for life. Nor does he always need thick lenses to gain perspective. |
Ernest Samuel Nichol: he appears as follows in the Southland Boys’ High School Register: “2065- Nichol, Ernest Samuel. Company Director, Nichol Bros. and Co. Ltd., Ernest Nichol Ltd., etc., PO Box 12, Invercargill. With Wright, Stephenson and Co. Ltd., 1927-46. 31 Duke Street, Invercargill. At School 1923-26. From Bluff. Son of 256. Brother of 2348.”
Leslie Albert Nichol: he appears as follows in the Southland Boys’ High School Register: “2348- Nichol, Leslie Albert. Company Manager (Ernest Nichol Ltd.), Gore Street, Bluff. Previously in Bank of New Zealand. 69 Bann St., Bluff. At School 1926-28. From Bluff. Sergeant, Artillery, Middle East, 2nd. World War. Son of 256. Brother of 2065.”
Hilda Metzger's father was Mr Joseph Metzger - who is mentioned in "Those Sheltering Hills; a history of Bluff" by J.E. Bremer; page 43.
"The Bay View Hotel, which is situated on the eastern corner of Palmer and Gore Streets was built by Mr Joseph Metzger, about 1890 and is a two-story building with four bedrooms for guests.
Mr Joseph Metzger was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1849 and was educated in Germany and Bradford, Yorkshire, England. he worked in the pork butchering trade in Bradford for four years and left Liverpool in 1872 by the ship Milwall for Melbourne. After traveling through Australia, he was engaged by Mr J. H. Smith, a butcher of Invercargill, and later was in partnership with Mr Thomas Maltby for eleven years. Mr Metzger afterwards built the Bay View Hotel at Bluff which he conducted himself. He was elected as a councilor in 1896 and took a keen interest in all local matters, was a member of the Southland Victualler Association, vice-president of the Awarua Boating Club, president of the Football Club, a member of the Gun and Rifle Clubs and the school committee. Mr Metzger was an enthusiastic yachtsman and gained the championship at the New Year Regatta held at Bluff on New Years Day in 1898 sailing his own yacht."
Louise Viva Nichol
Born, about 1890, Bluff (then known as Campbelltown), New Zealand
Married, on 12 December 1913, in Bluff, James William Hugh Bannerman (1887-1917)
Known to be alive in 1924 and living in Timaru, New Zealand.
J.W.H Bannerman was the author of:
- "History of Otago representative cricket, 1863-1906 : with a chapter on the pre-rep period, 1848-1863" compiled by J.W.H. Bannerman, Dunedin [N.Z.] : Crown Print Co., 1907.
- "Milestones, or, Wrecks of southern New Zealand" compiled by J.W.H. Bannerman. Bluff [N.Z.] : Bluff Press, 1913.
According to the internet based Cricket Archive he was born on the 20th May 1887, Ophir, Otago, New Zealand and played for Southland in the summer of 1914/15
He appears as follows in the Southland Boys’ High School Register: “397- Bannerman, James W. Hugh. Journalist with “Southland Daily News;” editor of the “Bluff Press.” Died of wounds, France, December 23 1917, aged 30. At School 1900. Otago B.H.S 1900-06. Served with the Infantry during World War 1 - Lieutenant.”
According to the records of the 29th Reinforcements: Otago Infantry Regiment - C Company. J W H Bannerman sailed on the "Ruahine (No. 92) leaving New Zealand on 15 August 1917. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
An article about J W H Bannerman was published in the Autumn 1985 issue of The Cricket Statistician (No.52), the journal of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians - which can be read here.
Children of James & Louise Bannerman
Lois Burns Bannerman, b.1914, d. 1917 (age 3)
William Hugh Bannerman, b. 1915, d. 8 December 1941 (age 25)
William Hugh Bannerman was a Bombardier in the 4th Field Regiment of the New Zealand Artillery. Killed at El Alamein, North Africa 8 December 1941.
Information about this part of the Bannerman family history (and a great deal on the Burness family) can be found at http://www.burness.ca/ And, also at http://roderickcraig.ourfamily.com/bannerm/pafg04.htm
Elsie Eliza Nichol
Born in Bluff (then known as Campbelltown), New Zealand
Married 4 July 1894, Charles Edward Shallcrass (1866-1944)
Known to be alive in 1924 and living in Timaru, New Zealand.
Children of Charles & Elsie Shallcrass
Charles "Chas" Arnott Nichol Shallcrass, b. 9 July 1896
Robert Errol Shallcrass, b. 24 June 1897
George Willis Shallcrass, died young
John Frank Shallcrass, b. 1904 d. 1944
Charles Edward Shallcrass was born on 27 Sep 1866 in New Zealand. He was Manager Pyne, Gould, Guiness Ltd. Foundation member P. G. G. Ltd. Manager of Timaru branch, and he retired in 1936. He died in 1944.