Linwood Cemetery Tour Guide - Christchurch City Libraries

Alfred Joseph White, founder of the firm of A. J. White, learned the trade of
furniture maker in his parents’ Taunton antique shop. While sailing for Canterbury on
the Zealandia, he met a nurse girl, Eliza Baker, 22. An old man in England who read
the stars had told her that, if she emigrated, she would ‘be very successful and do
great things’. A. J. and Eliza were married on 16 March 1864 in the Catholic church
in Christchurch. Eliza, a Protestant, promised that children of the marriage would be
brought up as Catholics. Alfred promised that he would do what he could to lead his
wife to the faith and succeeded so well that Eliza chose to be present at the
consecration, in England, of the first Roman Catholic bishop, John Joseph Grimes.
A. J. ‘came to New Zealand without capital but, by perseverance, business ability and
probity made steady progress on the road to success’. He devoted himself to the
business, taking little or no part in public affairs.
The Whites had a business in High Street and then removed to a building on the
Tuam Street-High Street corner. They lived over their shop, sold it and bought it back.
A. J. was ‘noted for his deep piety and consistency in his attendance at the services in
his church’, gave generously to organisations associated with it and was ‘a strong
supporter of religious instruction to children’. He was also ‘extremely good to the
poor of all denominations’. Alfred had an accident on a ship at Bluff, was in failing
health for 18 months and, for three was unable to attend to his business. He died, at
57, on 7 June 1895.
A. J. had a grand Victorian funeral. His body was taken to the Catholic pro-Cathedral
(on the site of the modern Catholic Cathedral). The building, which was draped in
black, was crowded with prominent citizens (who are named in the Lyttelton times
account of proceedings). Bishop Grimes celebrated the Pontifical Requiem Mass
which was sung to ‘Gregorian music ancient plain song’. His sermon was based on
the text: ‘But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep; that you sorrow not, even as others that have no hope’. The bishop urged all to
‘follow the example set by the deceased both in his devotion to his church and his
actions in business’. Children of the Convent and the Marist Brothers’ school then
marched off in front of the hearse, the chief mourners and White’s employees coming
behind.
Eliza had already shown herself skilled at collecting bad debts. When a widow, she
was in charge of the business. She ‘acquired a large amount of property, in the
purchase of which she displayed not only keen business ability but foresight and
enterprise’. Her attractive property, ‘Rock Villa’, still stands in Nayland Street,
Sumner.
Eliza died on 30 November 1909 and, again, Grimes took the funeral service. He said
that he had always been impressed by Eliza’s wonderful brain, willpower and stern
sense of duty.
In her will, Eliza left money for a Catholic church at Sumner which was opened in
1913 as Our Lady, Star of the Sea; and for two orphanages, one for girls and another
for boys. However, there was only enough money for the girls’ orphanage, St.
Linwood Cemetery Tour Guide
Updated 2013
11