Early residents of Richmond
William Livingstone Chrystal 1846 - 1923
William was born in 1846 in Co. Galway, Ireland of British parents, and was educated in Dublin at Trinity College. He farmed in Ireland before he came to New Zealand in the early 1880s. On arrival in New Zealand he set out to farm here too, but changed his mind and decided to join the New Zealand Police force as a detective. He rose to the rank of Chief Detective.
He involved himself in community affairs and was a Freemason.
His wife Katie Agnes, died in 1913, followed by William in 1923. His funeral procession made quite a spectacle as it made its way by horse drawn hearse down Stanmore Road, flanked by his sons. Both he and his wife are buried in the Avonside Anglican Church Cemetery. Chrystal Street in Richmond was named in his honour.
Dr Charles Dudley 1810 - 1881
Charles Dudley arrived in Lyttelton on the Labuau on 13 August 1851. On the passenger list he was listed as a doctor, and brought with him his wife Agnes and his two children, Charles aged five years, and Agnes aged four years. He came from Worcestershire, England, was educated in Edinburgh, Paris and London.
His brother John Dudley (Broome Farm) also arrived on the Labuau and they both bought land in the Richmond district. Charles purchased a section in north-east Richmond (RS 182) near Richmond Park. He purchased 50 acres at a cost of £150. Here he built his home, a thatched roof cottage with dormer windows.
Dr Dudley practised in Lyttelton for five years, then in 1857 he went to Kaiapoi to practise. He became involved in local politics and served as Mayor three times. He also served as a councillor for 20 years.
On 16 September 1881 he died of bronchitis. Dudley Creek was named after him.
Arthur William Emmett c1846 - 1948
Arthur Emmett aged 22 years, arrived in New Zealand about 1868 from Cornwall. His first job was on Banks Peninsula clearing cocksfoot and then as a gardener for a Browns' Road family. After borrowing some money, he and his wife Frances Sarah started a farm about where Medway and Aldersley Streets are now. He sold this farm a little while later and shifted to his new 100 acre farm in Quinns Road.
The Emmett farm supplied the areas of Shirley, Richmond, St Albans and Fendalton with milk, which was delivered in the early morning after the 4am milking. Customers would leave billies on their porches and the person delivering the milk would fill them using a ladle.
In the late 1940s Arthur sold the farm. The land on the right side of Quinns Road was sold to local builder Geoff Walker, and the land on the left hand side was sold to the government for state housing.
Arthur became well known and prosperous, he owned quite a few houses in North Parade and also a small farmlet between Joy and Pagoda Streets.
Henry Bylove Sorensen 1845 - 1923
Henry Sorensen was an auctioneer and his auctioneering business was situated in Lichfield Street.
Born in Denmark in 1845 and educated in Jutland, Henry arrived in New Zealand in 1862. He arrived in Dunedin but moved to Christchurch two years later. Community minded, he was a city councillor off and on for twenty years, Chairman of the Richmond School Committee, and Chairman of the Samaritan Home Committee.
His estate was on the Swanns Road corner and had big iron gates that led to a large house down a sweeping drive. He called his estate Lingard.
Henry Sorensen, his wife Margaret, née Baron, and his daughter Edith Margaret are all buried in the Avonside Anglican Church Cemetery.
