Michael Fowlers Blog

 Walking the streets, or visiting public bars with his charcoal-fueled mobile oven, the English Pieman of the Georgian (1714−1837) and Victorian (1837−1901) eras would call out “penny for a pie” to entice customers for a meat, fruit or perhaps eel-filled pastry pie. If business was slow, the Pieman would engage in gamesmanship to attract customers by inviting them to “toss the pieman”. This involved a member of the public tossing a penny coin in the air, and calling “heads or tails”. If the Pieman won, the penny would be his − if he lost − he gave away a pie.

The pies were often of dubious quality, and the low-quality sausage meat’s flavour was hidden by large amounts of pepper. Eels were often purchased that had been dead for some time. Food poisoning was not uncommon.

By the 1850s pastry shops began to sell pies, and of better quality than the pieman. The era of the pieman then came to a close. At one point it was estimated London had 600 piemen.

In Napier during the 1880s, two men operated businesses as itinerant piemen. One was called John Ross, and the other was a Spaniard called Joe de Basquez, more commonly known as “Joe the Pieman”. The first we hear of their existence is when the Daily Telegraph reported a scuffle between them in November 1886. Both men walked the streets of Napier, and had apparently marked out their respective territories, but one night they came in close contact with each other. Joe the Pieman apparently kicked John Ross, whose wife Florence leapt to his defence by grabbing Joe’s pie bell (a bell used to attract custom), and hit him on the head with it. In court, Dr Caro gave evidence of the hole that was created on Joe’s head from the “unmerciful whack”.

Joe was found guilty for assaulting John Ross, and fined 27 shillings and 7 pence (around $550 today), and seven days imprisonment with hard labour. Florence was fined about the same as Joe, and served four days imprisonment with hard labour. The judge warned both Joe and John to sell their pies in their “proper places, and not quarrel”.

Joe made himself popular with Napier’s Fire Brigade when the well-known itinerant dealer in refreshments” gave a free pie to each firemen in June 1889 in appreciation of the fine work they do.

The next we hear of Joe is when a notice from H P Cohen, a Napier auctioneer, appeared in the Hawke’s Bay Herald in April 1890 selling Joe’s items. From the list of plant for sale we learn of what was involved in the business of a street pieman. The list included: steam kettle; charcoal oven; kerosene stove; pieman’s cart; piecans; pie tins; kettles and boilers.

Just where Joe ended up next is unknown. An article appeared in the Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser in December 1890, in which “Joe the Pieman” criticized a correspondent’s racing tips, and offered his own. While we cannot be sure it was “our” Joe, it may well have been.

At some point-in-time Joe returned to Hawke’s Bay, and from a newspaper report, this appeared to be around 1894-5, and he settled in Hastings.

While most of the information about Joe has been found from newspapers, a book published in 1961 by the pupils of Room 22 from Heretaunga Intermediate mentioned some information about Joe. This would have been provided by one of the interviews the pupils conducted with old Hastings identities. This stated Joe de Voscous (a name he went by as well) was “a small dark-haired Spaniard, who walked the town at night ringing a bell and carrying a basket of pies on his arm”. They stated he lived in a small shop on the corner of King and Heretaunga Streets. All the windows were apparently boarded up. They said Joe had a wife, who he kept locked up since his arrival in Hastings.

Joe, it appears, was very enterprising, and in 1898 appeared before the Hastings Borough Council requesting permission to operate a hot coffee and pie stall after 11pm at night. The hotels’ closing time was 11pm, and one councilor suggested the pie and coffee cart should also close at 11pm. Future mayor, W Y Dennett, however, closed the argument by humorously saying “If a man was refused a beer it would be hard lines if he couldn’t solace himself with a cup of coffee”.

Joe the Pieman passed away on 19 June, 1900 at his home. The pupils of Room 22, Heretaunga Intermediate wrote that when his wife discovered him, she “did not know where to find a doctor”.

The newspaper reported that two doctors, Tosswill and Linney examined Joe on the morning of 20 June. They conducted an autopsy on Joe at his house, with a blot clot in the brain being the cause of death.

News of Joe’s death was greeted with sadness – the man who was born in Spain, and travelled to America to seek his fortune, but spent his remaining days in New Zealand. The Hawke’s Bay Herald said of him: “In a humble walk of life he earned the character of being an industrious and honourable man”. His wife had reported Joe was feeling ill and tired weeks before his death, and trade was very slow.

The business was taken over by Elijah Luke, but when Cafés began to sell pastry, the pieman’s bell and calls would no longer be heard on the streets of Hastings.

© Michael Fowler 2012

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On Thursday, 24 May, 2012, I attended the funeral of George Edwin Patrick Moran in Hastings.

I first met George, and his wife Nellie in 2006, when I was researching my book From Disaster to Recovery: The Hastings CBD 1931-35.

On the day of the earthquake, 3 February, 1931, George was working at a fish stand in Heretaunga Street West -  opposite where Tourist Kelt Motors used to be.  Like many survivors, 17 year old George could tell me what happened to him as if it was yesterday. And also like many survivors, he had before and after photos of his work premises.  After telling a customer there was no fish (due to rough seas) he walked outside the shop. The earthquake then struck. George recalled how he saw the window of the next door premises bend and then break - shattering glass everywhere. George had seen that window bend before - during the 1929 Murchison Earthquake - but the window did not break then.

 

While George escaped with his life, he did lose his job - but picked up work clearing the rubble from the Hastings CBD for past mayor, and property owner, George Ebbett.

Nights were spent sleeping in a tent, and he can recall that every morning for weeks a 4am wake-up earthquake occurred, and dislodged bricks from the nearby Municipal Theatre. 

George had a life-long love of brass band music, and told me after the quake the band was asked to put on a concert to help boost morale.  One night at practice, the band leader raised the baton, and as he brought it down - a large aftershock occurred - causing the band members to jump up in fright!

After the earthquake rubble clearing had finished, George, by his own efforts, found work on an orchard. Starting at the bottom, this led to a life-long involvement in horticulture, finally retiring in his 70s - after being called back twice from retirement to the New Zealand Apple and Pear Board.

George would serve in World War II in Norfolk Island, after marrying Nellie in 1941. Nellie had spied George through the window at band practice, and George seeing Nellie and her cousin peering through the window ran out to meet her - beating the others boys in the process. They celebrated 70 years of marriage last year in August, 2011.

At the funeral I reflected on the passing of a man, who not only was to me like a grandfather, but also what I understand to be the last male survivor to pass away who worked in Hastings during the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake. 

Normally at such funerals - were one has lived to 99, we can console each other with "he had lived a full life" - which in some way is supposed to lessen the impact of the loss. To me it did not have this effect, as I thought of Nellie who had been with George for nearly over 70 years, and her sense of bereavement, along with their only daughter. George's younger brother, Jim - a sprightly 96 years of age, I understand - gave a dedication, and was a pall bearer to his older brother. His loss too, was great.

I spend a lot of time with the elderly people of Hastings, and I love every minute of it as they recall their tales of our history.  Their generation is different - although they have suffered more through disasters, depressions and wars than any other New Zealand generation - they have an innocence and trust about them, not present in this cynical age.

Rapidly we are losing the George Moran's of this world, and with it many fine characteristics we would do well to practice today. 

RIP my friend, George.

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On Sunday the 12th of February 2012, I was invited to be guest speaker at the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake survivors afternoon tea held at Napier Boys High School. I have blogged about this in previous blogs, but now I would like to briefly mention what some of the survivors said about the Christchurch event.
Many of the survivors of the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake remarked that they were not keen to talk about their experiences in earlier years. Seeing the footage in Christchurch after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes brought back a lot of memories for them of 1931. Some of them who lost parents have only really started to speak about this now. In fact it is very hard to keep them quiet about their 1931 earthquake experiences, as they were not encouraged to talk about them by many of their parents (or even grieve in some cases) – it was simply an obstacle to overcome. Many think that the openness of Christchurch people talking about their experiences is good, and helpful in the process of recovery. Some mentioned they thought the TV coverage in some cases, was too graphic, and self-dignity was not preserved in order to get sensational photos.
They are very concerned about the people of Christchurch.

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Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Survivors Afternoon Tea 1931 – 12 February 2012

This afternoon I spoke at the afternoon tea for survivors of the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake at Napier Boys High School. About 300 survivors and their caregivers packed out the hall.

The event was started about seven years ago by Kathryn Rowe, who ran it for a number of years, and I caught up with her before the event started . I also saw Chris Tremain, a great supporter of this event as well. I enjoy catching up with Chris, although it is normally at functions, and have a lot of time for him. Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule was also there, as was Napier Deputy Mayor, Kathie Furlong, and Christine Scott from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. Napier Boys High principal, Ross Brown welcomed arrivals, and the Art Deco Trust guides and Red Cross (dressed in period costume) also helped out.

I followed Lawrence Yule in speaking (the speech is attached to my website blog www.michaelfowler.co.nz) as I have on a number of occasions. Lawrence is such an excellent speaker, and always looks so relaxed when I see him speak at functions.

After the event, I helped Kathie, Chris, Lawrence, and Christine and other volunteers hand out cake and cups of tea. Hawke’s Bay Today wanted a photo op and an interview, so tea duties stopped for a bit.

Events like this are what I love about being an historian – It may not be the coolest thing in the world to do - I am not inventing software or making millions, but I would not trade what I do for the previous. Software will come and go, but the stories of people that helped shaped this province will always remain.

I find people fascinating, and especially when about 200 of them want to tell me a story or two about their experience of the 1931 earthquake! At times it was a bit overwhelming, and one old lady even poked me with her walking stick to get my attention! I want to tell one story from today.

I was introduced to a lady who will be 90 years old shortly, and her maiden name was Winifred Goodall. Her father, Albert, was a signwriter, and the family lived in Napier. On the day of the 1931 earthquake, Albert was at the top of the five-storeyed Grand Hotel signwriting in Hastings. The façade, which was not even attached to the building, fell off immediately, and as you would expect - Albert did not stand a chance. Winifred was eight at the time of the earthquake, and her sister was 12 years old. Their mother was in Westport, visiting her family. The girls were taken to the Nelson Park Tent Camp to await their father’s return. They were told of his death later that day, and eight year old Winifred starting crying, and her 12 year old sister told her not to, so she never cried for her father. It took some time to get a message through to their mother in Westport, and a number of days before she returned. I met a number of 90 plus year olds who had lost parents today in the earthquake.

This generation is one which was brought up in a rough part of the 20^th century: a First World War, a deadly flu virus, an earthquake, a Great Depression, and World War Two.

I have great respect for this generation, and hope to see many of them in years to come.

©Michael Fowler 2012

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The word 'survivor', by its mere mention, suggests involvement in some traumatic event - which involved deaths. The 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake, which many of you here today lived through, had at least 258 deaths, and remains New Zealand's greatest loss of life in a natural disaster. Many of you were young children during 1931; some of you may have just started work. I was once asked what I was doing during the 1931 earthquake, and I hope the lady in question had very bad eyesight, as I don't want to look at least 82 in my forties.

I am going to discuss four survivors of the 1931 quake that I have had the pleasure to interview. The first person is the late Ron Shakespeare, a chartered accountant, and former Hastings city councillor and deputy mayor. I interviewed Ron in 2005 at his home in Taradale. Ron was at school when the quake struck. As a fifth former, he was taking part in the initiation of third formers, who had to run through the older boys, who pelted them with flour, hit them with sticks, and dunked them in the horse trough when they reached the end of the paddock. The masters of the school, and female students watched (and apparently enjoyed) this annual event – and this certainly would not be allowed to happen today. The students were dismissed immediately after the quake struck, and many, such as Ron, made their way into town to check on their parents.

Ron told me that his mother was trapped under a veranda in Heretaunga Street, and cycle store owner, Paul Hannah rescued them. Ron went to check on his family members, and his sister was trapped on the roof of Westerman's and watched her being rescued by a fireman as she slid down the drainpipe, followed by my great Aunty Joan, the horror of their situation temporarily forgotten while jumping into the arms of a handsome fireman.

Ron's father – called William Shakespeare, was working at Williams & Kettles, now a car park in Hastings. He was standing next to 73 year old manager John Colebourne, who was not quick enough to avoid falling debris, and was killed. Ron also remembers being at various times being literally thrown of his bike with the aftershocks, and seeing the glow of Hastings alight at night while on fire.

He also told me the story of the schoolboy, Rex Fredsberg, who went to buy a school cap at Roachs, and was one of the 17 that died in the building.

In 2004, I interviewed the late Ina Ennor, a dear, little old lady from Napier, who waited for me outside the entrance at Atawhai Rest Home. Although in her 90s, she was very sprightly. Ina worked at Bennetts Optometrists in 1931, and the building still survives today in Hastings Street. When I visited her, it was in connection to her working with one of the earliest accountants in Napier, Mr J Gleadow - but conversation soon turned to her earthquake experience. Like many I have interviewed, Ina did not seem traumatised by the event, and calmly told of hiding under a table, and seeing glass eyes falling from their containers, and having the sensation of the eyes bouncing all over the floor, and being slightly unnerved with those eyes looking at her. She remembers looking out the second floor window, and seeing the Marine Parade, which was now possible as the buildings across the road were badly damaged. Ina told me of the relief of being reunited with her parents, after taking refuge on Napier Hill from a possible tsunami.

Ina also talked about the aftermath of the quake, her father was a grocer, and struggled to stay in business, and finally went broke – the great depression also took victims economically.

Many will know of May Blair, a well-known Napier identity, who I met in December 2009. May, as you will likely be aware, passed away in March 2011. She was a pupil at the Napier Technical College, which like many buildings in the 1931 quake, collapsed due to its poor construction, and a number of pupils and teachers were killed. May, however, had not contacted me to talk about herself, but rather her brother Bill Forrest. Bill was a sailor aboard the HMS Dunedin, which arrived at Napier in the early hours on February 4, 1931. Bill's family lived at in Battery Road, close to where the ship had berthed. Anxious for news of his family, Bill was not allowed to walk the close distance to check on them, but was instead sent to Hastings to help with the clean-up. By the 6th of February with the navy still unwillingly to let Bill find out about his family, he went AWOL to Napier. After finding his family was ok, he escaped to New Plymouth - knowing the navy would be searching for him. The navy did catch up with him, and he spent 60 days in Mount Eden prison, an event which clearly affected and hurt Bill's family. It would be hoped today the navy would handle this quite differently. Bill later became a fisherman in Napier, owning his own boat.

The last person I wish to discuss is Frances Eves. I interviewed Frances in 2006, in Havelock North. Frances worked at Roachs' department store, Hastings, and had just finished serving a lady who purchased a pair of gloves, and was writing out a sales docket. Before she could utter the words earthquake, she was thrown to the floor, and looking up, saw the top floor coming down towards her, and then was knocked unconscious. Coming round, she struggled for breath with the volume of dust. She crawled along a passageway, and then able to stand up on bricks and concrete, she saw a light in the distance, and made her way towards it, passing the lifeless body of a young girl she worked with, buried up to her head. Reaching the light, she was helped up by one of the owner's sons, Gordon Roach, and Frances stepped onto the roof of the building, and then onto King Street.

Frances went to Eastbourne Street and once again fell into unconsciousness, and was later found by relatives who took her back to Otane.

Frances was a wonderful lady, who was full of her Christian faith, and had no doubt God had saved her that day. I will never forget her facial expression when describing coming across the body of her friend in the ruins, it was time to move the conversation on, although the researcher in me wanted to know who the young girl was – Frances would protect the girls dignity.

Many of these girls, such as Frances were later sent to Wellington, and given work in Department stores such as Kirkcaldy and Stains – which terrified them - being once again working in a brick multi-storeyed building.

This is but a small sample of those who I have interviewed, a group of very special people.

I have been told a few interesting stories over the years by survivors, and I will recall a couple here. One is of the homeless man fond of drink who was sleeping on Marine Parade bench before the earthquake. He had apparently been blamed for property damage in the past, which he always denied. Waking up after the first tremor, he looked at the colpase of many buildings, and apparently was heard to scream "they can't blame this on me!"

The other story, which falls more into the apocryphal category, concerns various beautiful young ladies falling out of buildings in bath tubs, and men rushing over to them to put their coats around them. This is more likely to be wishful thinking!

Last year, I held a fundraiser talk for the Red Cross Appeal for the Christchurch, 22 February earthquake. Craig Foss, MP for Tuki Tuki, as he still is, came along. He told me he was in Christchurch at the NZ US partnership forum when the quake struck. Craig, like many others, had a harrowing experience, and was still a bit traumatized. I told him an obvious statement, that he was now an earthquake survivor from our second deadliest earthquake in lives lost. Craig was now part of the new generation of earthquake survivors from the 22 February, catastrophic event. I am sure that you will join with me in remembering those who have lost loved ones, and those still deeply affected both emotionally, financially and physically in Christchurch.

Whether your ancestors arrived by waka or by sailing ship, they came to one of the most beautiful countries in the world. But they also exposed themselves and you, their descendants, to an unstable country of earthquakes and volcanoes. Nature cannot take full responsibility for the tragic deaths of natural disasters - man has contributed by unsafe buildings, so it is important that we as a country do learn from each disaster, so to avoid the same mistakes, so that the word 'survivor' can be mentioned without deaths.

You will know, or were told by your parents, how difficult life was after the earthquake, especially with the Great Depression in full swing. But your families played a role, whether big or small, in rebuilding our communities - which will still appreciate today, and that we thank you for.

While Christchurch has seen dark days, and continues to struggle, I hope in 81 years' time, in 2093, that city can look back and honour its survivors appreciatively, as we are doing here today.

Thank you for listening.

© Michael Fowler 2012

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Last week, on Thursday and Friday (10 and 11 November, 2011), I attended the William Colenso Bicentenary (of his birth in 1811) Conference in Napier. I was unsure whether I wanted to attend - being short of time this time of the year – but I am glad I did.

Peter Wells opened the conference with his keynote address. The rich, delicious descriptions of his Colenso work oozed out of this awarded New Zealand fiction, now turned non-fiction, writer. 

 My favourite session was the address by English academic Jim Endersby - who was unable to attend in person due to an illness, but sent a video presentation - which had all of us spell-bound, and breaking into spontaneous applause when it finished.

Over the two days we heard presentations which included: the life of his illegimate child Wiremu; his lexicon (and my favourite being an academic is "brain stealer" - which in today's terms is plagiarism); botany exploits; being a school superintendent in Hawke's Bay, and his last will and testament - in which he "forgave his wife" (he was the one that was unfaithful to her, albeit a loveless and tragic marriage).

The conference has also given me increased enthusiam to record our history in Hawke's Bay, and in doing so,  honour the past.

 

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Can the paperback say, and with apologies to Mark Twain – “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated?” The commercial eBook has been around for a few years – but last year their popularity has grown to the point were Amazon reported that eBook Kindle sales were for the first time outselling hardcover books.
Will the eBook do to paper books what iTunes and their like has done to CDs? Well for me, my target market is the 60 plus age group (well, they are the group that mostly come to my talks, and buy my books). So I am quite confident of still selling print runs of 500 plus in Hawke’s Bay for some time yet. I have one title on Amazon Kindle, and that is From Disaster to Recovery. There have been some sales, but it is not spectacular – there are some 650,000 Kindle eBooks and dozens on earthquakes – so it’s a crowded space.
There are similarities to what happened to CDs and what is now occurring with many non-fiction books. I own an iPad and a Kindle, and for paper backs it’s more efficient and cheaper through Kindle than purchasing a paperback from a bookstore. While I will never buy a CD ever again, there are books that I will still buy. A friend is launching a book in November, and I have seen a preview copy. It is masterfully laid out – there is gold trim, and I could smell the freshness of paper. And that my friends you cannot get on a device.

Long live the book!

© Michael Fowler 2011
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One of the projects that I am completing at the moment is a history of the relationship between Hastings and Napier, with a working title of Sibling Rivalry: Napier and Hastings. I started this project in 2008, so I am not being entirely opportunistic considering the present amalgamation debate.

As part of the process of collecting material for this book, I am starting to build up a picture of how both cities related to each other, and the sources of disagreements. A lot of the material – not surprisingly, deals with how Napier and Hastings councils related to each other. A theme that I am trying to develop is how this relationship may have hindered (or assisted) Hawke’s Bay’s growth. While many of the incidents are amusing for their quaintness and pettiness – many are disturbing.

I note over the weekend a full page advert in Hawke’s Bay Today with some prominent Hawke’s Bay residents calling for a comprehensive study into amalgamation. A groundswell of people putting pressure on the councils who are unwillingly to contribute financially towards this study – and who eventually participate, will be a successful outcome of this campaign.

While amalgamation may bring some benefits, I get concerned where I hear comments from some individuals who believe that amalgamation will be the “silver bullet” to all their business, social problems etc. There are of course many variables (different factors) that contribute to macro and micro economic and social environments, with local government being just one.

I will discuss this subject further in later blogs.

I am holding a talk on the relationship between Hastings and Napier from 1879-1935 at the Havelock North Community Centre at 7.30pm, Thursday, 3 November 2011. Tickets $10 from Poppies Bookstore, Havelock North.

Regards,

Michael

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Hawke’s Bay has a rich and unique history.  Two defining aspects of it, which have both long fascinated me, are the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, and the somewhat stormy relationship between Hastings and Napier.  Both of these have influenced Hawke’s Bay, and, indeed, continue to shape our province.

I have been concerned for a long time that aspects of Hawke’s Bay’s history have not been recorded – especially oral stories – and much has been lost forever. However, publishing books on Hawke’s Bay’s history is rarely a profitable exercise.  Small print runs and interest localised to this region restrict wider sales.  So I am looking at ways to get more support through my own charitable foundation.

My philosophy is that history should be shared with those who appreciate it. Whether I’m giving a public talk, writing a book, or posting on my website, my aim is to make people aware of our past and make it interesting in the process.

Please subscribe to my blog, and I will keep you up to date on my activities and provide snippets of Hawke’s Bay’s history in my research.

Best wishes

Michael Fowler

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