Thomas Charles Johnston

1876 - 1942  (66 years)

• Name	Thomas Charles Johnston
  Born	14 Feb 1876	West Taieri, Otago, New Zealand   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	27 Feb 1899  [1]
  	Railwayman
  _UID	E79AB47EAC654B9EAA4DFB7610E57EF67E13
  Died	24 Aug 1942	Auckland, New Zealand   [1]
  	Cause: Cancer
  Buried	25 Aug 1942	Mangere Cemetery, Auckland, New Zealand   [1]
  Person ID	I7029	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	13 Jul 2024

  
  

  Father	Thomas Johnston,   b. 1 Jun 1834, Perth, Tasmania, Australia ,   d. 7 Sep 1910, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Jane Melville Aitken,   b. 26 Oct 1853, 258 Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland ,   d. 14 Oct 1929, Featherston, Wairarapa, New Zealand  (Age 75 years)
  Married	30 Apr 1875	West Taieri, Otago, New Zealand
  Family ID	F2283	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Edith Alma Baird,   b. 18 Apr 1870, Dunrobin, Riverton, Southland, New Zealand ,   d. 23 Jul 1945, Cornwall Hospital, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand  (Age 75 years)
  Married	27 Feb 1899	South Dunedin, New Zealand   [1]
  Children	1. Winifred Edith Johnston,   b. 27 Sep 1897, Caversham, Dunedin, New Zealand ,   d. 7 Jan 1988, Milford, Auckland, New Zealand  (Age 90 years)   2. Mona Beatrice Johnston,   b. 22 Apr 1900, St Kilda, Dunedin, New Zealand ,   d. 24 May 1984, Mangere, Auckland, New Zealand  (Age 84 years)
  Last Modified	19 Dec 2007
  Family ID	F2731	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Headstones

  Thomas C Johnston 1942 Edith A Baird 1945

  
  

• Notes

  The Johnston Journal, written by Edgar Deans, says; 'Thomas Charles was the eldest child and because of his parents occupations, which often took them away from home, he was considerably involved in looking after his younger siblings. He was a keen cyclist and a member of the Strath Taieri Cycling Club in 1894. He joined the staff of the NZ Railways in Dunedin as a porter. He married Edith and they had two daughters." Edith was a religious and domineering woman and Sundays were strictly observed in Scottish fashion. She was a very good cook and excelled in dressmaking even making her own patterns. She also embroidered, crocheted, tatted and knitted, She had a liking for horses. On the 14th Aug. 1909, Edith, along with five of her sisters, was granted a sixth share in 300 acres of land, being section 1 Block VIII Alton S.D. in Southland under the 'South Island Landless Natives Act 1906. The royalties from the timber allowed her to buy a Chevrolet Tourer, later replaced by a 1929 Essex Super Six Sedan. "Thomas cleaned and polished every Saturday morning, when I was expected to be present and give my bicycle the same treatment. Thomas drove the car as well and as fast as he was allowed by Edith the 'back seat driver'. About 1922 they moved from Dunedin to Auckland and a few years later they moved to Frankton Junction. By now he was a Guard, 1st Class. He was retired early, during the depression in the 1930's. Thomas was very interested in cricket and whenever there was sufficient space he and I spent much time with bat and ball. In 1933 he took me to Eden Park to see NZ play England, captained by Walter Hammond. Hammond hit three tremendous sixes in his total of 336. When we got home I tried to emulate him and succeeded in putting the ball through the bathroom window. On my twelth birthday he decided that I and a few friends should play cricket, so he took a small hand sickle and cut out a cricket pitch in an adjacent paddock."

  
  

• Sources

  [S77] Terry Stewart (Reliability: 3).