A TALE OF TWO CADDIES
Another day in North America.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BOB HAYTON Charles Dickens wrote his epic novel A Tale of Two Cities against the grim backdrop of the French Revolution as well as life in 19th century London and Paris. At the time depicted, in 1844 the Auckland Cucksey family progenitors, James and his wife Mary welcomed into their lives in Greenwich, London, a son Alfred and a brother for Henry. In 1867 at the age of 23, Alfred was setting his sights on a better life on the far side of the world. He duly arrived in the port of Auckland in September of that year on the clipper ship Siam after 105 days at sea, to join his married older brother Henry who was at that time running a music salon in Queen Street. Alfred initially tried experimenting with uses for flax, but after a while went to the Thames goldfields where he was credited with discovering a new method of recovering gold from tailings. In 1870 he married Catherine Margaret Williams with whom he had three children. By 1874 Alfred had returned to Auckland and gone into trade, taking over a grocery business in Wakefield Street. Later, in 1881, he was to buy land to build a home and general store on the corner of Stokes and Mt Eden Roads, on the edge of a growing city. By 1886 Alfred was providing postal facilities at these corner premises as well and then, soon after the turn of the century, he rebuilt and further extended the property with five shops. This was now popularly known as Cucksey’s Corner and had by then become the terminus for the trams coming up from Queen Street to Mt Eden. Margaret died in 1901 and Alfred married twice more
14 Beaded Wheels
(to Emily Shipway in 1911 and Charlotte Eleanor Smith in 1919) before he himself died in 1922 following a period of ill health. He left behind a widow and just one surviving son. Alfred had been very active in local affairs and by then had become known locally as ‘The Father of Mt. Eden’. There had been a daughter, Eleanor (Nellie) born 1871 who married late and died rather young in 1918. Also two sons, Alfred James born in 1872 who had also died young in 1920 and Edward Henry born in 1877. The years 1918 to 1920 were the time of the world-wide Spanish ‘Flu epidemic, which affected life in New Zealand so badly. The remaining son, Edward Henry was later nick-named Nudger because of his habit of nudging punters with a wink and a tip to back a certain horse. He was clearly something of a character – an accomplished singer, champion amateur cyclist, race-horse aficionado and interested early in all forms of motoring. It is said that he imported the first Indian motorcycle into New Zealand in 1905 and later had probably the first local Citroen Traction Avant car. In 1908 Nudger married Mabel Thomas in Christchurch. He was the respected proprietor of the Helensville Hotel in 1912, then is recorded as applying to renew his licence as the publican of Opotiki’s Masonic Hotel in 1920. Evidently prosperous, at the time of Alfred’s death in 1922 Nudger and Mabel were away on an extensive rail and motor touring trip to the USA and Europe, taking delivery of a Cadillac car in America, which they also used in the United Kingdom and on the Continent. Being childless, they had adopted their young niece
