James Crawford

My dear father, James Crawford, who fell asleep, 17 October 1919, aged 87 years.

Historical information

James Crawford died at the residence of his son-in-law, called "Aranui", Woodward Road, Mt Albert. (Death notice, Auckland Star 18 October 1919, p. 16)

1879 James Crawford secretary of Pt Chevalier Highway Board. (NZ Herald 28 July 1880)

James Crawford attended residents meetings in 1880 regarding calls for a school in Pt Chevalier. (NZ Herald 13 July & 20 July 1880)

James Crawford elected as a trustee of the Pt Chev Highway District in 1880 (Auckland Star 28 July 1880). Re-elected 1881. Auditor in 1882. Re-elected 1883. In 1883 James Crawford was chairman of the Pt Chevalier District Highway Board (Notice, NZ Herald 5 September 1883). Re-elected in 1884, he was described as being a farmer at Point Chevalier. (NZ Herald 25 September 1884)

J Crawford one of the provisional directors of the Northern Omnibus Company in 1883. (NZ Herald 30 March 1883) A Mr Crawford was among the Presbyterian congregation at Avondale during the ministry of Rev Alexander McKenzie. (Auckland Star 4 March 1887)

Elected to the first school committee for Pt Chevalier 1888 (Auckland Star 25 April 1888). Re-elected 1889. This election declared invalid, but Crawford re-elected in June that year. Re-elected 1890. By December 1890, the committee was in dispute with the head teacher, and Crawford as Secretary advised the school’s closure. (13 December 1890) He was re-elected as Secretary in 1891.

James Crawford was returning officer for Pt Chevalier Road District in 1893. (Auckland Star 26 April 1893) In 1895, he was registrar for the district under the Dog Registration Act of 1880. (Notice, Auckland Star 12 January 1895) From February 1895 he was the Board’s clerk. (Notice Auckland Star 8 March 1895). Rates collector in 1896. Returning officer 1897. Board Clerk 1898. By 1899, he was still dog registrar/returning officer/rates collector/board clerk, but he lived in Mt Albert. Still Pt Chevalier Road Board clerk in 1901. Dog registrar 1902. Returning officer 1903, but in that year he appears to have retired.

On 3 July 1901, his only daughter Henrietta Milliken Crawford (“Etta”) married John Read Hughes, third son of the late David Hughes of County Tyrone in Ireland, at Crawford’s 6-roomed house “Poplar Grove” at Mt Albert. (Marriage notice, NZ Herald 16 August 1901) The house may have been on Woodward Road, as he requested repairs to the road in 1907. (NZ Herald 3 December 1907) He advertised the sale of a family cow in 1909. (Auckland Star 18 October 1909)

Henrietta died aged 98 in 1968.

Row A, Plot 6: James Crawford