Ada Bird

Henry Fletcher Hargreaves was also charged with failing to obey an order of the Court at Featherston to contribute 12s 6d a week towards the support of his wife and family. The arrears amounted to over £25. Accused said he had been laid up in the hospital at Palmerston for four months. Defendant's wife gave evidence that she had had no support from her husband since she married him eight years ago. He had "left her to paddle her own canoe all along." The Magistrate described defendant as "a waster," and sentenced him to two months' imprisonment. The three children were committed to the Receiving Home at Wellington, and an order made against Hargreaves for 5s a week for each child. Source: New Zealand Times (11 March 1905, p. 3).

"fond of drink" New Zealand, Police Gazettes, 1878-1945 (1908).
Engine Driver "default of maintenance - two fingers off right hand; bullet-wound on front of left leg. Arrested 26 March 1909." New Zealand, Police Gazettes, 1878-1945 (1909).

Report of Constable E. C. Jarrold dated 29 April 1920 following inquiries at the Education Department's Office: "The three children Alice May, Thomas Henry, and Arthur Ernest Hargreaves were committed from Featherston to the Wellington Receiving Home on 19th March 1904. On the same date a separation order was made against the father in respect to his wife Ada Hargreaves, no separation allowance was made in her case. A maintenance order was made against the father Henry Fletcher Hargreaves in respect to the children. He was ordered to pay the sum of 5/- per week for the maintenance of each child in the house. The father failed to pay regularly for the children and was sent to goal on several occasions. Early in 1905 the mother made an application to have the children removed from the home on licence to the care of her relatives. After enquiries had been made the application was granted... This appears to me to be one of those unfortunate cases of a good woman with a young family trying to keep her home going and getting little or no support from a drunken waster of a husband."

Inspector Wright has received a telegram stating that Henry Fletcher Hargreaves, a labourer, 45 years of age, committed suicide by cutting his throat at Te Teko yesterday. Source: Waikato Argus (9 January 1914, p. 2).