Biography contributed by Wendy Napier-Walker
M Costello was born Mildred Lenton in March 1852, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England to John Lenton and his wife Annie Smith.
On 23 May 1873 Mildred married Patrick aka Matthew Costello at the Lenton residence, Dunedin [house beyond Royal Oak Hotel]. Matthew was a Carriage Trimmer.
Mildred and Matthew had six children.
Matthew Costello, age 38 was drowned in a boating accident at Evans Bay on 4 May 1885 and was buried in the Bolton street cemetery, Church of England section, Plot 1601.
Following Matthew’s death, Mildred’s Mother Annie came to Wellington to help Mildred and care for the young family of five children.
At the time that Mildred signed the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition she was living in Moir Street, Mt Victoria.
The Wellington City Council Rates Book records that William Costello was the first recorded resident at 10 Moir Street.
Mildred Costello age 42 died on 21 October 1894 at home in Moir Street, from cancer. She is buried in the Karori cemetery Public section 24.D along with her Mother Annie Lenton, Baby Costello and Lionel Costello. The Plot they were buried in was not paid for. Due to a lack of burial space, the Wellington City Council in 1948 decided that those buried in Plots that were not paid for would be disinterred and reburied close by in common ground and the Plot resold. This is what happened with the Costello's.
Following the death of his Mother, William the eldest son took over responsibility of providing for his siblings. It appears that Annie Lenton remained in Wellington as she died in Wellington early January 1898. In April 1898 William married Phoebe Olive Wilton.
Two of William’s siblings served in WW1; Frederick Lawrence Costello 26/741 and Herbert Lenton Costello 6/4596. Frederick Costello is buried in an unmarked grave in Park Island cemetery [RC section 10, Plot 2], Napier and Herbert Costello is buried in the Soldiers section/Y/3/23 in the Karori cemetery.
Sources
NZ DIA Marriage Index 1873/7075 - Mildred Lenton/Matthew Costello
NZ DIA Death Index 1885/2500 – Matthew Costello
Star 26 May 1885, page 2 – Another body recovered
NZ DIA Death Index 1894/6030 – Mildred Costello
New Zealand Mail 2 November 1894, page 35 - Deaths
Wellington City Council Historic Heritage Area Evaluation Moir Street, Mt Victoria
collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/368279
genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lenton/91/
Friends of Karori cemetery