timeline

A timeline of Charles Septimus Clarke’s life.   The blue shading shows the years for which diaries exist and the light yellow shading shows the period of time the Clarke family lived in Grey St, Auckland.

Clarke probably commenced writing his diaries when he began to receive his farming education in 1860.   There are no diaries for the unshaded years from 1860 onwards.  Whether they used to exist and have become lost or whether he simply didn’t write diaries for two important  periods of his life is an ongoing mystery.

The births of Clarke’s grandchildren are also included in the timeline.

1843 August 15 Charles Septimus Clarke born at New Parks, Leicester, UK to John and Sarah Clarke
1844    
1845    
1846 July 23 Sarah Dorothy,  John Clarke’s eldest daughter, and Charles Clarkes eldest sister,  married Charles Henry Parkes
September 11 Charles Clarke’s father, John Clarke, died of English Cholera at Highcross St, Leicester aged 54
 October  27  Charles Clarke’s mother, Sarah Clarke (Nee Coltman) died of English Cholera at Leicester aged  45
 1847  August 16  Mary Anne Wyatt born at Portsea to Mary and John Wyatt
1848     
1849     
1850     
1851     
1852     
1853    Charles Clarke attended the Collegiate School, Leicester
1854     
1855     
1856     
1857     
1858   August 26  Charles brother John Sanders Clarke married Mary Elizabeth Clarke,  his second cousin 
1859      M. Napolen Lebro, Neuville, Dieppe, France
1860    Clarke receives farming education at the farm of Mr Edward Wortley, Ridlington, near Uppingham, England
1861    Clarke receives farming education at the farm of Mr Edward Wortley, Ridlington, near Uppingham, England
1862    Clarke receives farming education at the farm of Mr Edward Wortley, Ridlington, near Uppingham, England
1863    May 5  Charles and the Wyatt family sail on the “Queen of Beauty” from Gravesend, London for NZ
    August 10   Charles Clarke and Mary Wyatt arrive in Auckland on “Queen of Beauty
1864    August 10 Clarles Clarke and John Wyatt  take up land at Little Omaha
1865     
1866   April 27  Charles Clarke purchases the 80 acre McKenzie farm for £240 cash
   May 12  Charles completes his whare and starts occupation of his own property
   June 21 Red Kenneth and family move to Waipu and  Charles Clarke moves into the house 
 1867 January 3  Clarke receives an inheritance from Anne Coltman, the wife of Samuel Coltman (deceased), his uncle  
1868     Clarke buys 3,  40 acre sections adjoining the previous purchase of land for £120 cash.  The sections were owned by Mrs Margaret Matheson, Miss Hannah Matheson and Neil Campbell
1869     Clarkes three gabled house he called Collingwood probably built this year in a clearing on the section he bought from Campbell.
   December 6   Charles Clarke and Mary Anne Wyatt were married  in the dwelling of John Wyatt Snr at Leigh
1870   September 15  Maude Mary Clarke born
1871   May 27  Meeting in Clarke’s house to discuss Library creation
1872   January 11  John Charles Clarke born.  Known as John and later as Jack
1873     
1874     
1875     
1876   May 20  Minnie Mary Clarke born at Warkworth 
1877     
1878   November 27  Jane Clarke born
1879     
1880     Living in Grey St, Auckland (Greys Ave)
1881   June  Board & Residence advert  – 83 Grey St
   September 19  Thomas Clarke born
1882   March 29   Duncan Matheson killed while rigging his boat.   He was boarding with Charles & Mary
   May  24  Thomas died.  Atrophy from Glandular disease, had from birth
1883   April 5  William Clarke born
   July 7  Board & Residence advert   –  147 Grey St
  August 10    Mary Anne Clarke died at 147 Grey St
  September 24   Sale of Household Furniture   –  147 Grey St
  November 18   Returned  to Omaha  (See diary entry for Nov 18, 1889)
1884     
1885     Photo of his house at Leigh probably taken this year
   December 30  Clarkes enters into an agreement to sell part of the Northern and part of the Middle Part of lot 26  to Mirehouse, Neeley, Wyatt and Kingdom
1886     
1887     At this time Clarke had been appointed an Anglican Lay Minister. Exactly when we do not know.
1888     
1889     
1890   January  The widowed Mirehouse sell to 
1891     
1892   March 14  Maude Clarke married William Pratt at Clarkes house in Leigh.
     
1893     
1894     
1895   October 24   Florence Mary Pratt born to Maud and William Pratt
1896     
1897   June 21  C S Clarke gazetted as a Justice of the Peace for the colony
   September 23  C S Clarke sworn in as JP by Mr Hutchinson
1898    July  4  John Wyatt Senior died
   December 23  Maude Mary Clarke died at her home in Omaha
     
1899   December 27   Minnie Clarke marries Joe Torkington
1900   January 28   Mary Ann Wyatt Snr dies
   July 23  Clarke sells 55 acres of his land to Mrs McKinnon for £27 . 10 . 0
   August 19  Alma Winifred Maud Torkington born to Minnie & Joe Torkington
1901     
1902     
1903   April 14  Agnes Mary Torkington born to Minnie & Joe Torkington
   July 6  Charles Clarke visits his sons Jack & Henry at Te Araroa,  returning to Little Omaha August 4th
1904     
1905   February 23  William Arthur Torkington born to Minnie & Joe Torkington
1906   April 10  Henry Clarke visits Little Omaha after 6½ year absence
1907   October 23  Minnie becomes ill and is sent to Auckland.  Alma & Agnes staying at Clarkes
   December 1  Minnie returns home from Auckland.   ‘quite better now’
1908  January 1  Willie takes over the sole management of the Clarke orchard & farm.  Charles effectively retires
   January 4  Francis Eileen Torkington born to Minnie & Joe Torkington
   January 26  Alma & Agnes return home after a 3 month stay
1909     
1910   September  13  Jane Clarke marries James Alexander Dunning (Jim)  and in a double ceremony
      William Clarke marries  Grace Emily Davey.  Both marriages taking place at Leigh
   November 7   John Herbert Torkington born to Minnie & Joe Torkington
1911   July  24  Hector James Dunning born to Jane & Jim Dunning
1912   May 12  Ernest Joseph Torkington born to Minnie & Joe Torkington
1913   March  22  Jean Dunning born to Jane & Jim Dunning
1914  World War I commences
1915   July  Ray Clarke adopted by Willie & Grace Clarke probably early July
   August 15  The new Angican church completed and used for the first time
 1916  July 25  Charles Clarke leaves Auckland for Te Araroa.  Last time he visited was 1903
   October 20  John Clarke marries Lily Kirwell, his housekeeper, at Te Araroa
1917   January 8  Charles Edward Torkington born to Minnie & Joe Torkington
   May 12  Charles Clarke returns to Leigh having spent 10 months at Te Araroa
1918   January 3  George Clarke born, son of John and Lily Clark
1919   May  10  Peter John Clarke born, son of John and Lily Clarke
   December 30  Mildred Isabel Dunning born to Jane & Jim Dunning
 1920  April 19  Clarke & Willie decide to sell the farm.  Willie can no longer make it pay, and wants to find employment in Auckland
   May 26   Clarke and J. C. E. Wyatt (Eddie) have their business talk (See diary 26 May)
   July 7  The Clarke property at Leigh and house contents sold by auction
   July 12  Eddie Wyatt takes possession of the old Clarke house and property, and pays to Clarke by way of various cheques  £400  initial payment,, leaving  £1600  owing to Clarke at an interest rate of 6%.
   July 10 – 13  Clarke moves his possessions into Eddie & Ivys house –  first house?    Eddies younger brother, Jim is also living there.
   July 14  A social event for Willie & Grace who are moving to Auckland and for Charles who will board with Eddie & Ivy 
   July 15  Clarke goes to Auckland to be with Henry who is in hospital with a ‘stomache rupture’
   July 22  Grace, Willie & Raymond move to Auckland.  Willie & Graces furniture moved from old house to Auckland 2 Sep.  
   August 4  Clarke returns to Leigh and  back to “Eddie Wyatts where I am boarding”
   August  Clarke continues cultivating and tending the garden at the old Collingwood house
   August 18  Henry spends a week at Omaha before departing for Te Araroa
   September  Gardens at the old house still being cultivated 
  September 30  Conveyance of farm to J. C. E. Wyatt from Clarke signed
   November 15  “Eddie and Ivy were cleaning out the house at Collingwood”
 November 27  Clarke goes to Auckland for Henry’s wedding and to conduct financial business
   December 2  Charles Henry Clarke marries Elsie Blennerhasset at St Marys Cathedral in Auckland
   December 4  Clarke receives final payment of £1600 from Elliott the solicitor for his farm and property
   December 6   Clarke arranges with Elliott to offer a loan of £1000 to Jack & Henry.  Also arranges  a £600 1st mortgage
   December 8  Clarke returns to Leigh
1921   January 10  Danthonian seed being stored in the old house 
1922     Thoughout 1922 Charles Clarke continues boarding with Eddie & Ivy Wyatt. and cultivating and tending the garden at the old  Collingwood house.   Makes various trips to Auckland.
Willie and Grace first appear in the Electoral roll for Auckland West.  Residence at 85 Norfolk St
   1 August  Transfers deed of the lease of lot 54, the School Reserve, from himself to Eddie Wyatt
1923   May 7  Charles Clarke moves to Dacres Claim into the house of his  daughter Jane Dunning
1924   April   Charlie & Jim Wyatt dismantling the old Clarke house (See diary entry for April 13th  &  16th 1924)
1925     
1926     
1927   April  27  Alvin Lester Smith born to Alma & Vic Smith
1928     
1929   March 27  Charles Septimus Clarke died
   Abt  March 30  Buried at Leigh Cemetery