Elizabeth and John in Wellington 1911 onwards

By 1911 Elizabeth and her husband, John Lewis Horne appear to have moved from Auckland to Wellington. I noted that they are on the Voter's Register for 1911 and helpful members of the NZGS told me that the fact that they are on the Supplementary Roll indicates that they were too late to be on the main roll, so they may have only just moved there in that year. Their address is listed as 'Rangipapa Road' and Elizabeth is 'home duties' and John is a 'gardener'. The name of this road doesn't appear anywhere else, and I sought more advice from local members of the New Zealand Genealogical Society. I found out that they were most probably living in 'Orangi Kaupapa' Road, and may have confused the street with what could have been a general name for the relatively new residential estate in the area. This was close to the Botanical Gardens, and it is possible that John Lewis Horne was working as a gardener there. According to the Real Estate advertising in 1906, this was an area so healthy, so convenient, and so beautiful, that 'fairy Venice' could not compare.

Evening Post, 21 March 1906, Page 10

It may have needed this talk-up because the area is so steep you need to be a mountain goat to get around. But Wellington is certainly beautiful, and the panoramic views are spectacular. The  photo above is dated

1910: Part 1 of a 2 part panorama of Northland, Wellington, in 1910, showing Orangi Kaupapa Road (foreground), Seaview Terrace, Northland Road, Pembroke Road and Harbour View Road. Photograph taken by Sydney Charles Smith.

Source: Northland, Wellington. Smith, Sydney Charles, 1888-1972: Photographs of New Zealand. Ref: 1/1-019657-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22461704

In 1911, Elizabeth's children by James Ralph are scattered. Hannah Elizabeth is a widow, surname Meldrum, and is living at Otira on the West Coast of the South Island. Violet Lucy Lodge Ralph, now Billinghurst, is the only one living in Wellington, at Drummond Street and her marital status is a bit uncertain, although he states she is married for the Voter's register. The other two, James Henry Ralph and William Saunders Ralph are hard to place. James could be living on the West Coast, but William seems to have disappeared. Her child by current husband John, John Lewis Horne Jnr is still living in the North Island, at Dargaville with his wife Ada.

So, whatever happened to first husband James Ralph? We last heard from him in Buninyong, Victoria. He appears to have stayed in the area and lived in Yarragon, and his last days were a bit sad. There is a newspaper account of him being assaulted and robbed:

The Argus, Monday 17 August 1903

James Ralph may not have fully recovered from this incident. He died in  Yaragon 20th December 1903. An inquiry was made after his death, and considering the lack of information on his death certificate, it may be that no family members gave information about his circumstances. He is buried in Yaragon Cemetery.