  REGINALD WHITCLIFFE
BENBOW was b: 2 Mar 1890 in Geraldine to parents
William
Charles and Edith Benbow, and died 08 Jul 1970 in Temuka aged 80Y;
Bur: 09
Jul 1970, Temuka Cemetery, Section C, Block 0 Plot 683 Reg first attended Geraldine
school and
was admitted to Temuka Primary School 26 Aug
1895. He left Oct 1901 after
passing Std
4 to work for his father in the family contracting business
of
traction engines and harvesting machines In the Benbow tradition, Reg was a
brass
bandsman, playing the trombone and later the double bass
- his
daughter remembered having to clean it regularly for pocket
money.
The Temuka Brass Band was short of players during the second
World
War. Reg was the conductor and sought to introduce women
into the
band (one, an uncooperative daughter.) He took tutorial
groups with
young players in addition to the weekly practice and more,
if a
contest was coming. 1911 - Electorate: Temuka Number: 422
Surname:
Benbow Given Name: Reginald Wycliff; Residence: 54 Ormsby Street
Temuka
Occ: labourer
WW1 Category Nominal Roll Vol 1; Regimental
No.
6/1241; Rank Lance Corporal; Body or Draft Second; Unit or
Regiment
Canterbury Infantry Batln; Marital status S; Last NZ address
Ormsby St.,
Temuka; Next of Kin W C Benbow, father living at Ormsby St,
Temuka
1914: Reginald with war service
looming and
that he was now 30, made the decision to marry
AGNES CAIN
prior to leaving. They were wed on 13 Apr 1914 in
Temuka. Agnes
was the daughter of SAMUEL CAIN and SARAH EAGLE b: 28 Sep 1883
at
Seadown, Timaru) School Records - Name CAIN Agnes; School
Seadown;
Reg. No 60; Admission Date 30 Mar 1891; Parent / Guardian CAIN
Samuel;
Address Seadown; Birthdate 28 Sep 1883; Last School None; Last
Day ;
Destination Home School Records - Name CAIN Agnes; School
Temuka;
Reg. No 477; Admission Date 8 Jul 1895; Parent / Guardian H
Cain;
Address Temuka; Birthdate 04 May 1883; Last School
Waimate Reginald joined the New
Zealand
Railways and worked in the Mid to North Canterbury regions, Eeling
and
Culverden. The means of transport was a Norton motorbike which
could take
the family out with Agnes and their baby son Gordon b: 1916 in the
side
car. 1925 - Temuka electorate. Living at North
Belt with
wife Agnes; labourer Reginald bought a farm
property at Hilton near Geraldine - over 100 acres of
mixed
cropping and dairy. They bought their first car, a small van with
an
enclosed cab and an open tray - it had glass windows and was used
to take
the cream cans to the Geraldine cheese factory. Daughter Ina is born and the children loved to ride the
draught
horses and help feed out the turnips and mangels from the sledge
to the
cattle in winter. If too generous, the milk tasted turnip
flavoured. Ina
recalls even at five years old she had her special cows to milk,
docile
friesians not the temperamental Jerseys and milking was done by
hand.
Agnes loved birds and had an wonderful aviary with a great variety
of
gaily coloured small birds. A gentle hobby for a gentle
lady. 1935 - Temuka electorate; living at Milford with
wife Agnes.
These were the depression years - a time of extreme financial
difficulty
and the farm was lost. Both Reg and son Gordon found employment at
the NZ
Insulators (now known as Temuka Potteries, then in 1938 Reg
managed one of
Andrew Guild's farms at Milford east of Temuka. In 1940, Agnes's ill health
forced a
move closer to medical services in
Temuka 1946- Waimate electorate; living at Hayhurst St,
Temuka;
labourer with wife Agnes, dau Ina and son
Gordon Agnes d: 12 Sept. 1946 at
Hayhurst St.
Temuka - her burial held at the Temuka Cem. the
following
day. Reg had been a keen rugby
player and a
Temuka association representative player in his youth - he
remained a
supporter until a week before he died. In his latter years he
became
obsessed with indoor and outdoor bowling and his skill won many
club
championships. 1963
- After 18 years as a widower, Reg married in 1963 to
LILLIAN Miff was
taught
the piano in Timaru. 2 sisters of Richard Pearse who were
accomplished violinists and pianists along with Miff were a
trio who
were in great demand at concerts. She died 14 Jul 1970
aged
80 Y. Crem. Salisbury Park, Timaru. REGINALD BENBOW and AGNES
CAIN's
children: i. REGINALD GORDON* BENBOW b. 24 Oct 1916,
Timaru; d.
11 Nov 2000, Parklands Hospital, Christchurch. ii. INA
AGNES BENBOW |
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