Miss Ings

Hannah Frances Ings was the daughter of Er Ings and Frances Maria Lyall (nee Coombs). At the time of the petition she was living at 69 Castle Street with her mother Frances and step father Robert Kay. Also at the address was her sister Letitia. It is assumed that the signature is that of Frances as her sister was aged under 21 at the time the petition was signed and comparing the signature and address information to other examples of her handwriting it is apparent that they are written by the same person.

Hannah was born on 13 October 1870 at Forbury, Dunedin. Her father had come to Dunedin in 1861 with his brothers (William, Robert and John) and they had all settled at Forbury running market gardens. The family were all very involved with the Baptist Church. Her mother Frances had been born in Auckland in 1849 and had come to Dunedin with her family in 1862. Hannah’s sister Letitia was born on 3 September 1872 and her brother Er was born on 7 February 1874 both in Dunedin. Her father Er died on July 31, 1874 from pneumonia after being caught out in a rain storm. This left her mother Frances a widow with a very young family, but she was helped greatly by the wider Ings and Coombs families in Dunedin. 

After her mother Frances married Thomas Kay, her deceased sisters’ widower, in 1885 the family moved to Castle Street. This left Hannah as one of the oldest in a very full household with her own two full siblings, her eight cousins/step siblings and then the three children born to Frances and Thomas.

Hannah met John Fowler in 1894.  John was a Railway Cadet at the time working in Dunedin.  They were not able to marry for another ten years as John was looking after his younger siblings after his mother had died and his father had deserted them. They were finally married on December 14, 1904 in Kauaeranga Valley near Thames. The wedding took place there as her mother Frances, now widowed once again, was acting as housekeeper for her brother, Robert Coombs and Hannah had gone with her to help. The wedding was reported in the newspaper of the time: 'The bride, who was given away by her uncle looked exceedingly charming in a lovely gown of crepe de Chine, with transparent Victorian yoke of Limerick medallions, from which hung a deep cascade of accordion pleated chiffon, surmounted and finished with ruched satin ribbon, the skirt being gouged and finished at foot with vandyked flounce of fluted chiffon. She carried an exquisite bouquet and wore a handsome tulle veil embroidered and tastefully arranged over a coronet of orange blossoms. The bridesmaid, Miss Mary Kay, of Dunedin, looked very winsome in a dainty white silk, made with deep yoke of silk Maltese lace, with berthe of vandyked silk, inlet with the same lace and headed with ruching, she wore a becoming black picture hat set off with chiffon rosettes and carried a beautiful bouquet of apricot roses. Two little mites were also in attendance, Misses Elsie and Edna Moorman, who were attired in pretty blue frocks, softened with cream lace, and cream hats, and carried baskets of flowers. Mr Ings, brother of the bride, acted as best man.' – excerpt from The Thames Star December 15, 1904.

After the wedding Hannah and John took up residence in Hyde, Otago where John was the Stationmaster. Also living with them were Johns youngest sister and brother. Hannah and John had three children: Jack born in 1906, Dorothy born in 1907 and Joyce born in 1910. The family moved to nearby Milton in 1910 where Dorothy died in 1912 aged four. In 1920 the family moved to Christchurch where John was the chief clerk, moving again to Oamaru in 1925 as Stationmaster. In late 1926 they made their last move to Greymouth where John was the Stationmaster under he retired in 1931. They lived out the rest of their lives in Greymouth. John died in 1958 and Hannah in 1960 aged 89. They are both buried in the Karoro Cemetery in Greymouth.

Biography contributed by Petina Danenburg

Sources

• Birth, death & marriage certificates
• Papers Past newspapers
• Unpublished family papers

Image

Hannah Ings, circa 1901.