Vital Statistics
Alfred Frederick William Pinsent: 1879 – xxxx GRO1354 (Railway track-worker, Wanganui, New Zealand)
Margaret Melville Anderson: 1871 – 1953
Married: 1905: Wanganui, New Zealand
Children by Margaret Melville Anderson:
Melville Frances Lilian Pinsent: 1906 – 1981 (Married Albert Edward Berriman, Wanganui, New Zealand, 1931)
Margaret Pinsent: 1909 – 1920
Family Branch: Tiverton
PinsentID: GRO1354
Alfred Frederick William Pinsent was the only son of Alfred Frederick Pinsent by his wife, Frances Jane Pinsent “formerly Dunk” (Registrar’s Returns for Wanganui: December 1879). He was born at Cherry Bank, in Wanganui (now known as Whanganui) on the North Island of New Zealand. He had an elder sister named Eliza Ann Pinsent.
Like many before him, Alfred found himself up before the locat magistrates in Wanganui for “stone-throwing at Aramabo” and breaking a window. He was fined 5s and another 5s in costs, and also 3s 6d for the window (Feilding Star: 7th February 1891). He was eleven years old and he doubtless received some choice words from his father – who would have had to foot the bill.
Alfred’s father died in 1902 and he married Margaret Melville Anderson, a “domestic servant” and daughter of a “builder” a few years later, in Wanganui in October 1905. They had two daughters in the years that followed – Melville Frances in 1907 and Margaret two years later.
Alfred Frederick joined the “Railway Department” as a “surfaceman” earning 7s per day in 1905 (New Zealand Parliamentary Papers – 1906) and was promoted to “platelayer,” with a small pay increase, (7s 6d) in 1907. He served in that capacity until at least 1911, by which time he was making 8s 6d per day (Parliamentary Papers Series I).
Unfortunately, the marriage does not seem to have lasted. In 1909, Arthur felt it necessary to inset the following in one of the local newspapers: “Notice: I will not be responsible for any debts contracted in my name, without my written authority. A.F.W. Pinsent, Wanganui” (Wanganui Herald: 18th December 1909). Whether that helped or not is hard to tell as a “Judgment by default was given in the … undefended civil case of … Christie and Wilson v. A. F. Pinsent, £3 13s costs. 11s, solicitor’s fee 5s” in the Wanganui Magistrate’s court two years later (Wanganui Chronicle: 22nd February 1911. Nevertheless, the Electoral Rolls suggest that the family was living together – on Guyton Street – in Wanganui in 1911. However, if so, it may have been a temporary reconciliation as the Rolls go on to show that Alfred and Margaret Melville Pinsent (and her daughters) were shortly to be living apart.
The split may have been acrimonious as Alfred was formally charged with “default of maintenance” in January 1912 (New Zealand Police Gazettes: 1878 – 1945: [Ancestry.com]). The police issued a warrant for the arrest of “Alfred Frederick Pinsent, aged thirty-two, height 6ft, plate layer, native of England, heavy build, very dark complexion, dark eyes, black hair, dark moustache only; dressed in a brown-checked suit and hard black hat” for being £16 5s in arrears on his payments. That may have been what ended is employment with the Railway Department. Margaret lived on Wicksteed Street from 1914 to 1928 (or later). Then moved to Lower Hutt, near Wellington.
Margaret Melville may have been a Catholic as she sent her daughters to “St. Joseph’s Convent School” on Wicksteed Street in Wanganui. The school prize list tells us that Melville Pinsent was in the Std. III class and her sister Margaret in the Std. II class (Wanganui Chronicle: 19th December 1917). The following May, Melville won a prize for her handwriting (Wanganui Chronicle: 1st May 1918). One of the girls “M. Pinsent” (probably Melville) received a class prize in December the following year (Wanganui Chronicle: 16th December 1919).
Sadly, tragedy then hit: “Little Margaret Pinsent, a well known and. bright child of ten years, and her sister, a couple of years older, had been spending the holidays at Turakina, and on Sunday last were having a farewell day at the river. The party was bathing when the little one got out of her depth and called for help. The elder sister went to her assistance, got her as near safety as to within a yard or two from the bank, when the exhausted child let go her hold and sank. After some considerable time, the body was recovered in some 14 feet of water but, of course, the little girl was dead” (Free Lance: 18th February 1920). The story is similarly told in the (Rangitikei Advotate and Manuwatu Argus: 10th February 1920). “Great credit was given to Melville (her sister) and Elmer Fell for their plucky efforts in attempting to rescue the deceased.” Margaret was buried in Aramoho Cemetery in Wanganui where her mother, joined her when she died in 1953 (New Zealand Cemetery Records: 1800-2000: Ancestry.com].
Melville married Albert Edward Berriman in Wanganui in 1931. The marriage was celebrated in St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church and written up in the press (Dominion: 25th January 1932.) Melville’s husband, Albert, died in Wanganui in 1956 and was buried in Taita Cemetery in Wellington. Melville was buried with him in 1981 (New Zealand Cemetery Records: 1800-2000: Ancestry.com].
What Alfred Frederick William Pinsent got up to after he split with his wife, I am not sure; however, he probably died in Wanganui.
Family Tree
Grandparents
Grandfather: William Pinsent: 1812 – 1893 ✔️
Grandmother: Mary Ann Bright: 1813 – 1887
Parents
Father: Alfred Frederick Pinsent: 1851 – 1902
Mother: Frances Jane Dunk: 1852 – 1919
Father’s Siblings (Aunts, Uncles)
Eliza Pinsent: 1833 – 1835
William Pinsent: 1835 – 1835
Emma Pinsent: 1836 – xxxx
Maria Pinsent: 1839 – 1855
Esther Pinsent: 1842 – 1926
William Pinsent: 1847 – 1871
Eliza Pinsent: 1849 – xxxx
Alfred Frederick Pinsent: 1851 – 1902 ✔️
James Primrose Pinsent: 1857 – 1860
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