Charles Humphrey Minchin

Biography

Charles Humphrey Minchin was born on 20 May 1834. He was the 15th child and 8th son of Reverend William Minchin and Mary Anne Wright. He was much loved by all his family, having an exceedingly kind and playful nature. He had a creative streak and also an entrepreneurial one. When the autumn leaves were covering the driveway at the family home of Greenhills, he would organise his two younger sisters to help sweep the leaves and then present his father with a bill for services rendered.

Greenhills had a beautiful pleasure ground with paths among little hills covered with flowering cherry and other shrubs, a great place in winter to set cribs to catch blackbirds which the boys plucked and hung to roast before the childrens' sitting room fire. The boys always caught young crows when away from the nest. After bleaching them in water they stewed them with rice. Maria, his youngest sister, wrote after his death ""the dear companion of my younger days"". His younger sister Ellen said she loved him better than any other of her brothers, and often spoke of him to her children with great affection.

After Greenhills was sold when Charlie was 18 years old, he travelled to New Zealand on the "Stately" with his brothers Frederick and Edward:

"Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, 30 October 1852, Page 142 Arrived Oct. 24, barque Stately, 600, Giuder, from London, via, Wellington. Passengers for Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Minchin, 3 children, and servant, Mr. and Mrs. Augarde, and 4 children, Mrs. Crowther and 2 children, Miss H. A. Copeman, Messrs. F. N. Minchin, C. H. Minchin, E. Rich, V. Schroder, and W. H. Teschmaker."

He took up land in different parts of the country and worked exceedingly hard. When his eldest Brother Edward settled on land in Akaroa, Canterbury, Charlie was with him, and later he was manager for Edward on his sheep run at Mount White. It was a severely cold place in winter when the snow lay deep. He had a sheep dog he was very fond of, Ben, who was his only companion. He remembered staying up all night to tend Ben when he became ill, but sadly the dog died anyway having contracted distemper.

After leaving Mount White Fred and Charlie went to the North Island and took up land at Alfredton in the Wairarapa District. Whilst living here Charlie was a lay reader at the church.

Charlie left New Zealand for India in 1871 where his brother Henry had a coffee plantation. Whilst in India he met and fell in love with Edith Fennell, daughter of Reverend Alfred Fennell. (His brother Henry was married to Edith's sister Lavinia.) Charlie contracted malaria badly and decided to return to New Zealand where he found some land in the busy settlement of Kohukohu up the Hokianga River in the North. He built a hut and corresponded for over ten years with Edith. Edith eventually travelled to New Zealand where they were married in a friend's home in Auckland in 1887. Charles and Edith had three children; Alfred William (b. 1888), Ada Edith Constance (b. 1894 - d. 1939) and Alice Ethel (b. 1889).

Charles passed away on 20 January 1900 at age 65 when his daughter Alice was only 10 and son Alfred was only 4 years old.

Burial

Kohukohu Cemetery, Kohukohu, Hokianga, New Zealand. Division : ALPHABET SECTION, Block : A, Row : , Plot : 24

Notes : IRON RAIL FENCE AND HEADSTONE

Sources

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzbound/nelson.ht... The Book of Minchin: A Family for all Seasons - Dorothy Minchin-Comm New Zealand BDM Historical Records Kohukohu Cemetery Online Amos Eagle Elliston