Press F11 to limit top toolbar
Press again for toolbar to return
Emma Barnard, dau. of Thomas & Maria Barnard

Emma Barnard  was born on the 10th December, 1853 at Bermondsey, London and travelled with her family to New Zealand on the Surge arriving in December, 1855 at Wellington for a stop-over then on to Lyttelton.

Emma Burt and son EdwardThe school and scholars commended by the Inspector in the annual report of the Board of Education recommended to the Board for rewards:  Rangiora - Girls;  Emma Barnard  Cards

The  marriage of Emma Barnard took place on May 12th 1875 at Christchurch St Lukes Church, to John Burt (his family and parents Thomas Burt and  mother Sarah immigrated in 1859 on the "Mystery" to Canterbury.) Witnesses to their marriage were William Alfred Burt  and Ellen Cone (William and Ellen are John Burts's brother and sister) John's occupation was a livery stable keeper.

John Burt's Rink Stables built on Blackett's land, was opposite the post office. It was a long building and had an elaborately decorated brick and concrete facade on High Street. It ran back from the road with stalls and loose boxes for about forty horses on either side of a carriage-way leading back to a cart park in the rear. Horse sales were also held in these stables.

The Tuesday Rangiora market day was always extremely busy as several hundred farmers,their families and farm workers came into the town, the turn-out depending on the weather, the season and the importance of any particular sale -  the livery stables provided parking for their carts and water and forage for their horses.

The day began in the early hours of the morning as shepherds, farm workers and drovers brought stock in from the farms and arrived shortly after day-break in High Street, carefully keeping their mobs apart and settling them into their pens. Families followed later. When the sale began, the auctioneers, accompanied by their clerks and yardmen, worked their way across the yards, balancing on the planked tops of the John Burt - Photo by Edward Barnardsheep and pig pens and acknowledging the bids from the crowd following in the stock races below. Their cries echoed all the way up to High Street. Cows, cattle and horses, the horses every second Friday, were paraded in a rectangular 'ring' where the auctioneer presided from a small shelter box. Farmers and spectators seated themselves along the top rails of the higher pens around the 'ring' to view the proceedings. The hotel bars were usually crowded by the early afternoon, and the ladies likewise crowded into the tearooms and dining rooms. Research Source Waimakiriri

The livery stables not only provided shelter and parking for carts and horses but also employed grooms to wash, brush and clip horses while their owners conducted their business in town. Some stablers undertook the breaking of horses to harness and saddle while one or two offered veterinary care, even surgery. Their main side-line, however, was vehicle-hire of drays, buggies, traps, drags, four-in-hand, dog carts, cabs, gigs and saddle horses. They also provided transport for wedding parties, funerals and picnics. As well, all the hotels had stables. The Tuesday sale-day, was also a very busy day for the blacksmiths for if horses had to be shod or repairs made to carts and harness this was the time to have it done and, as the morning advanced, the smiths' yards would fill with horses, tied up wherever there was room. None of the blacksmiths lived wholly by shoeing - they made and mended wheels and saddles there - a number of craftsmen working in their own small workshops - one sadler was John Burt's nephew, Frederick Cone
By the end of the century, mechanisation was to change people's way of life.

Back row: Left to right - Gilbert Ernest, Gertrude, Albert Thomas; Edward John; his wife Alice (nee Hornibrook); Alfred Norris; Alice Maria; Lawrence Wilfred
Seated: Leonard; Ellen; John Burt; his wife Emma (nee Barnard; Emma Maude
Children in front; Mildred, Charles Lancelot; Priscilla

       
 
1910: Four generations: Emma Burt (56Y) with grandaughter Barbara Burt on knee; behind, Emma's son Albert (28Y); right - Emma's mother, Maria Barnard, wife of Thomas Charles Barnard (85y)  Photo 1910

The Star report: 19 March 1894: Rink Stables.
The stock-in-trade of the Rink livery stables were sold by public auction yesterday by Messrs. H. Matson and Co. There was a large attendance, and the sale was a great success, every lot being sold at satisfactory prices. The lease and goodwill of the premises were purchased by Mr. W. Hayward.

By 1919 John is a farmer of Bath St, Rangiora and later he and Emma retired to 160 Redruth Avenue in Christchurch  where he did gardening in retirement. He died aged 73 on 19th August 1921 having spent 50 years in New Zealand. He is buried in Bromley Cemetery Block number: 34; Plot number: 111

Emma lived at 160 Redruth Avenue, Spreydon, Christchurch and survived John by 17 years. She died on Monday, 26 June 1933 and is buried in Sydenham Cemetery Block number  6H; Plot number 67

  Burt photos

  John and Emma Burt had 14 children

Index to Pages Barnard Home Page Website Home Page Contact me

Images and data used in this site copyright - ?
Descendant input to up-date family pages is very welcome - more detailed information available on request.