A lonely Grave - Thomas O'Rourke, passed away 1902.

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DescriptionIn the West Coast Gold Rush days a high proportion of the miners were single men and many were Irish who had intended to come out to make their fortune and then head back home to Ireland. Some, though chose to stay and Thomas O'Rourke was one of them. On his death in 1902 his worth was £600. his Will stated that all his property in Try Again Terrace was to be sold and no more than £80 used in connection with his wake and funeral and the erection of a suitable tombstone and railing around his grave. He gave £20 for Masses and left his residual estate to his three siblings back home in Kerry, Ireland.
This grave, like many others, stands alone with no relatives to tend to it.

Try Again Terrace was at Nelson Creek at the down stream end next to Hatter's Terrace.Date of Photo1902Map^[1]Contributor Geoffrey Bell

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Location (city or town)Nelson CreekPersonThomas O'RourkeEventA lonely Grave - Thomas O'Rourke, passed away 1902.

Category Information

Category TagGoldmining

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Date Created1st June 2021CommentsStuart McMillan
Nice head stone
Janet O'Connor
Siobhan O'MALLEY this could be a relative if yours
Thomas Peter Mulligan
Where is the headstone at what cemetery

Geoffrey Bell
Thomas Peter Mulligan. Nelson Creek Cemetery
Thomas Peter Mulligan
Geoffrey Bell thank you will visit next time on the coas
Phyllis Aberhart
Thomas Peter Mulligan Even though it's sign posted I found that a very hard cemetery to find because you have to go up a private farm drive & up a rise to get to it

Thomas Peter Mulligan
Phyllis Aberhart thanks for the information

This Thomas O’Rourke is no relation to descendants of Thomas Patrick ORourke, Matiri, Murchison.

Theresa Gibson

Still looks in pretty good shape despite no one caring for it.
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Geoffrey Bell
Brian McIntyre. This could be a job for your Excellent Restoration Team if you happen to be down there.
'
Brian McIntyre
Geoffrey Bell would be no problem with time there

Selwyn Leitch
Very interesting story. I believe my great grand parents, James and Mary Cowan lived on Try Again Terrace. I may be corrected, but think Trygon Road, just after you cross the Nelson Creek bridge may be a misnomer for Try Again Terrace.

Geoffrey Bell
Selwyn Leitch Definitely Try Again Terrace as in this 1877 Map.

Peter Robertson

Yes,some numbskull has listed the road as "Trigon".Just past Ngahere at the foot of the hill(over the Nelson Creek) turn left and the cemetery is on the terrace to your right.Not used now.

Jade Montagu
£600 in 1902 would be about $113,201 in today’s money. £80 is $15,093.
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/monetary.../inflation-calculator

Derald Haddock

My great grandfather was killed in the Ross united mine and is buried in the old Ross cemetery his name was Joseph haddock
Jim Staton
Hi to Derald Haddock, your great grandfather is buried in the new Ross cemetery, not the old one. Plus there are two other Haddock's buried there; Mary, 10-01-1921 and Catherine 4-8-1948.

Opps, wrong button again - Josephs son, also Joseph, was sent to Auckland after his fathers passing and died in Thames hospital aged 24, of Typhoid. The WCT article says Joseph snr was killed by a face coming down while sluicing on the 6-5-1892. He was 55, they lived at Donoghues.

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A lonely Grave - Thomas O'Rourke, passed away 1902.

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