Mary Eliza Green

There appear, in the Canterbury Pilgrims’ and Early Settlers’ Association scrapbook at Christchurch City Libraries, R E Green’s reminiscences of the May 1862 snowstorm which claimed the life of Mary Eliza Green. She had "… finished her education before she left England …. [and] like the rest, had to help to keep the wolf from the door. Bishop Harper found her a good 19situation on a farm at Saltwater Creek. The day arranged for her to take the journey was that fatal Tuesday. The snow was falling but no-one thought it was going to be severe.She packed up a few articles (her box was to follow her later) and I helped her to carry them up to the Papanui Road where she was to meet a bullock dray that was to take her to her destination. While we were on the road, the snow began to fall fast and furious. The bullock driver had a big load of general merchandise covered with an old ship’s sail. He tucked her in as comfortably as he could and started on his way, but before he got to Woodend all traces of the track had disappeared and he had to rely on the instinct of his team to find the way, for there were no fences or posts to guide them. By this time the snow was so deep that he could no longer walk beside the bullocks, so he mounted the dray and trusted to providence for the rest. The snow was then falling in clouds and soon the dray was one huge mound of snow. This, together with the deep snow on the ground, made the task for the bullocks extremely hard and their movements were very slow. Darkness set in long before they arrived at the farm and then the poor brutes fell down before their yokes could be taken off. The man had to be lifted down and carried in for he had lost all power over his limbs. The girl ... speechless and almost frozen stiff ....was put to bed and received every kind attention but she soon became delirious and, as soon as the weather cleared, she was brought back to Christchurch where Dr. Coward said she was suffering from brain and rheumatic fever. She died about a fortnight later, having not spoken to any of her people from the day she left home with her heart full of hope. This was a shock from which her mother never fully recovered. " From the Barbadoes Street cemetery guide http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Cemeteries/Barbadoes/...