F. J. Frethey

Biography contributed by Brett McKay, first published in the newsletter of the Thorndon Society 

Florence was born in 1853 to John and Harriet Ransom in Lower Hutt. They lived in the area known at the time as Blackbridge, close to the existing Hutt Hospital. Her father was a builder by trade and also active in local body politics. He was a member of the old Town Board and a Borough Councillor. One of her younger brothers, Sir Alfred Ransom was also a politician and represented the Pahiatua electorate for over 20 years, He was a Cabinet Minister and acting Prime Minister on two occasions. Alfred was predecessor to ‘Kiwi Keith’, Sir Keith Holyoake, whose statue can be seen in front of Rugby House on Molesworth Street. Not a lot is recorded about Florence’s early life but it is known that in her late 20s she was still living in the Hutt.

In 1887 at age 34 she married William Henry Frethey from Wellington at the Ransom residence in the Hutt. William was a widower at the time, his first wife Eleanor dying at the young age of 33 leaving 9 children. After working as a commission agent in the Wairarapa in the 1870s, William went into partnership with William Isaac (most likely his brother-in-law) operating a bakery and grocery business in Mulgrave Street. This partnership was dissolved by mutual consent in 1882 and William Frethey carried on alone as a grocer. The photo below shows the Thorndon Grocery Store on the south west corner of Mulgrave and Pipitea Street. When enlarged the name W H Frethey can be seen above the door. The lady standing in the door is possibly William’s first wife with four of their children.

Only two years after their marriage William died. Fortunately, he had life insurance and settlement of the policy provided security for Florence to carry on the business. She was to remain the owner and proprietor of the store for another 13 years. Florence was one of the few Thorndon women in business on her own account when she signed the suffrage petition in 1893. During this time Florence was a devoted member of the Thorndon Methodist Church in Molesworth Street and it was here that she met her next husband the Reverend John Wesley Worboys. Florence and John were married in 1902. Worboys was 59 at the time. He had been married twice before and had six living children. It is interesting that one of his sons, Charles Worboys had married Florence’s sister Marian in 1901.

As an energetic pastor, Rev Worboys moved around the country and after his marriage to Florence, they spent three years in Eketahuna and three in Opunake. It was in Opunake at age 65 that Rev Worboys died leaving Florence a widow once more. Florence Worboys, as she was then known, returned to Thorndon and lived for the next 20 years with her sister Marian and her husband overlooking the city from the top end of Patanga Crescent. It is said that she died in 1942, aged 89, at 47 Patanga Crescent.

Florence’s probate records reveal that at the time of her death she owned two Thorndon residential properties, 31A Mulgrave Street opposite Old St Pauls and 7 Poplar Grove and another residence at 8 Hamilton Road in Hataitai.

Sources

BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/