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Edmund Wickes (1836-1913) - Hartismere House. - 2 PHOTOS -
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DescriptionPhoto 1:Eliza , Mary and Edmund Wickes.
Photo 2: Hartismere House.
Courtesy Julia Macey ancestry.com
Hartismere was situated at the top end of Chapel Street in Greymouth. It was a stiff climb up the hill.
above Greymouth next to Kings Park on four acres of grounds. There were 88 steps leading up to
the front entrance. A trolley and ropeway operated by a pulley system was installed to haul goods
up the hill and was used by local tradesmen too. As well as the colourful rose garden there was a
grass tennis court, a croquet court, and a dairy, fowlhouse, turkey run, vegetable garden and a large
orchard looked after by the chinese gardener. The house was on a level part of the land. Hartismere
was fairly self sufficient with their own produce and milk. There was also a cook-housekeeper and
other single woman as servants. 1
When the property was sold in 1915 it was further decribed as the grounds and garden being
splendidly laid out with a large poultry run sub-divided into several smaller runs, with fowl houses,
also paddock, cow shed and outhouses. The dwelling consisting of fourteen rooms with every
convenience. 2 Entries submitted at the sale included glassware, wardrobe, duchess, chests, cosy
corner, extension table, carpet squares, linoleums, china, pictures, chesterfields, divan chair, oak
dinner waggon, clocks, silver ware/ curios, bedsteads, bedding, mattresses, bagatelle table, garden rollers, writing desks, incubators, brooders, chicken house, fenders and irons, garden chairs, gardentools, sewing machine and also an upright grand piano.
It was built for Edmund Wickes (1836-1913) by Mr Augustus Stratford Henniker. Edmund was an
ironmonger and importer of general hardware. Edmund’s daughter Daisy later married Augustus at
St. Mary’s Church Timaru in 1902. 4 5
Edmund Wickes was born in London to Alfred Wickes and Maria Wright. Alfred was a watch maker. 6
Edmund travelled to Australia in 1853 in reponse to the gold rush. He was at the Eureka Stockade
rebellion instigated by gold miners in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in 1854. In 1864 Edmund went to
Auckland and worked as a builder and contractor. When gold was discovered on the West Coast he
established himself in Greymouth as an ironmonger, auctioneer and mining agent in Boundary
Street. In 1866 he married Eliza Hinchey (1844-1902), born in Dublin, Ireland to Robert Hinchey and
Mary Winter. Theirs was one of the first weddings in Greymouth; and showing the difficulties of
communication on the Coast at that time, in order to obtain the necessary marriage license Edmund
had to walk from Greymouth to Hokitika and back. 7 Edmund and Eliza had seven children; Mary,
Edmund, Margaretta (aka Daisy), Alfred, Henry, Arthur, and Alice between 1967 and 1878. 8
Edmund was a member of the first Greymouth Borough Council and Mayor in 1871-72. In 1872 he
was appointed a Justice of the Peace and was Chairman of the first Improvement Committee formed
in, Greymouth. In 1887 Edmund advertised as a sharebroker, land, house and commission agent withan office in Richmond Quay, Greymouth. Map[1] ContributorCarollyn Williams
Photo 2: Hartismere House.
Courtesy Julia Macey ancestry.com
Hartismere was situated at the top end of Chapel Street in Greymouth. It was a stiff climb up the hill.
above Greymouth next to Kings Park on four acres of grounds. There were 88 steps leading up to
the front entrance. A trolley and ropeway operated by a pulley system was installed to haul goods
up the hill and was used by local tradesmen too. As well as the colourful rose garden there was a
grass tennis court, a croquet court, and a dairy, fowlhouse, turkey run, vegetable garden and a large
orchard looked after by the chinese gardener. The house was on a level part of the land. Hartismere
was fairly self sufficient with their own produce and milk. There was also a cook-housekeeper and
other single woman as servants. 1
When the property was sold in 1915 it was further decribed as the grounds and garden being
splendidly laid out with a large poultry run sub-divided into several smaller runs, with fowl houses,
also paddock, cow shed and outhouses. The dwelling consisting of fourteen rooms with every
convenience. 2 Entries submitted at the sale included glassware, wardrobe, duchess, chests, cosy
corner, extension table, carpet squares, linoleums, china, pictures, chesterfields, divan chair, oak
dinner waggon, clocks, silver ware/ curios, bedsteads, bedding, mattresses, bagatelle table, garden rollers, writing desks, incubators, brooders, chicken house, fenders and irons, garden chairs, gardentools, sewing machine and also an upright grand piano.
It was built for Edmund Wickes (1836-1913) by Mr Augustus Stratford Henniker. Edmund was an
ironmonger and importer of general hardware. Edmund’s daughter Daisy later married Augustus at
St. Mary’s Church Timaru in 1902. 4 5
Edmund Wickes was born in London to Alfred Wickes and Maria Wright. Alfred was a watch maker. 6
Edmund travelled to Australia in 1853 in reponse to the gold rush. He was at the Eureka Stockade
rebellion instigated by gold miners in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in 1854. In 1864 Edmund went to
Auckland and worked as a builder and contractor. When gold was discovered on the West Coast he
established himself in Greymouth as an ironmonger, auctioneer and mining agent in Boundary
Street. In 1866 he married Eliza Hinchey (1844-1902), born in Dublin, Ireland to Robert Hinchey and
Mary Winter. Theirs was one of the first weddings in Greymouth; and showing the difficulties of
communication on the Coast at that time, in order to obtain the necessary marriage license Edmund
had to walk from Greymouth to Hokitika and back. 7 Edmund and Eliza had seven children; Mary,
Edmund, Margaretta (aka Daisy), Alfred, Henry, Arthur, and Alice between 1967 and 1878. 8
Edmund was a member of the first Greymouth Borough Council and Mayor in 1871-72. In 1872 he
was appointed a Justice of the Peace and was Chairman of the first Improvement Committee formed
in, Greymouth. In 1887 Edmund advertised as a sharebroker, land, house and commission agent withan office in Richmond Quay, Greymouth. Map[1] ContributorCarollyn Williams
Shown in this image
Category Information
Category TagOld Houses
From Facebook
Date Created15th January 2022CommentsBev Kelly
Kay Wickes… your family Kay?
Janice Wickes
Bev Kelly yes, this is our family, I’m Kay’s youngest sister.
Dorothy Wills
Interesting history
Lynnette Beirne
Love seeing my family show cased here
Edmund and Eliza were my great grandparents
Richard Howe
Wonderful history, and a wonderful mansion.
Kay Lewis-Wickes
My husbands (Graeme Wickes) great great grandparents, such great history in the family, Edmund was so young when he left London and made a successful life for himself
\
Lynnette Beirne
Kay Lewis-Wickes we are so blessed to be decedents of these amazing people
Kyle Webster
fine
Marg Hall
Certainly our proud family history to share
Janice Wickes
Awesome to see our family stories ☺️
Pauline Schafer
What a very descriptive story. I kept thinking, imagine carrying a grand piano up all those steps! They’re not light!
Darian Zam
Henry Aldborough Stratford who was a barrister in Dunedin, seems to have legally changed his name in 1901 when he married Lady Henniker, to become Augustus Henry Aldborough Stratford-Henniker. He sounds like he was insufferably pretentious! I guess he was making up for not automatically becoming a Lord himself. It seems Lady Henniker's father's name was Lord Hartismere Henniker so that's how the home got it's name when they acquired it. I didn't find any mentions past 1915., the auction mentioned above.Pauline Weeks
Eliza Hinchey was born on 13 February 1841 in Toem, Tipperary, Ireland. She was baptised 21 February 1841 according to the Toem Parish Registers.
Italina Sowman
These old coast photos are really great thanks for sharing
Kay Wickes… your family Kay?
Janice Wickes
Bev Kelly yes, this is our family, I’m Kay’s youngest sister.
Dorothy Wills
Interesting history
Lynnette Beirne
Love seeing my family show cased here
Edmund and Eliza were my great grandparents
Richard Howe
Wonderful history, and a wonderful mansion.
Kay Lewis-Wickes
My husbands (Graeme Wickes) great great grandparents, such great history in the family, Edmund was so young when he left London and made a successful life for himself
\
Lynnette Beirne
Kay Lewis-Wickes we are so blessed to be decedents of these amazing people
Kyle Webster
fine
Marg Hall
Certainly our proud family history to share
Janice Wickes
Awesome to see our family stories ☺️
Pauline Schafer
What a very descriptive story. I kept thinking, imagine carrying a grand piano up all those steps! They’re not light!
Darian Zam
Henry Aldborough Stratford who was a barrister in Dunedin, seems to have legally changed his name in 1901 when he married Lady Henniker, to become Augustus Henry Aldborough Stratford-Henniker. He sounds like he was insufferably pretentious! I guess he was making up for not automatically becoming a Lord himself. It seems Lady Henniker's father's name was Lord Hartismere Henniker so that's how the home got it's name when they acquired it. I didn't find any mentions past 1915., the auction mentioned above.Pauline Weeks
Eliza Hinchey was born on 13 February 1841 in Toem, Tipperary, Ireland. She was baptised 21 February 1841 according to the Toem Parish Registers.
Italina Sowman
These old coast photos are really great thanks for sharing
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Mar 2022). Edmund Wickes (1836-1913) - Hartismere House. - 2 PHOTOS -. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 7th Apr 2026 04:20, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/30546