Frederick
William Cone
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Fred Cone was b: 08 Jul 1866 at
Ashley Bank where his father George Cone was farming 40 acres he had
purchased from his elder brother, William Cone. The farm was named
"Aldham" after the Suffolk town where the Cone brothers were born
and George built a sod hut there. The family later relocated to
Rangiora when George opened a butcher's shop in Ashley Street.
Fred attended a private school in Rangiora and on
completion of his education, started his working life learning the
craft of saddlery at the Farmers Cooperative. This business serviced
the area and sale day was particularly busy. Farmers headed for town
and while there, took the opportunity to have their main form of
transport, their horse, shod by a blacksmith and to have their
saddles and gear mended or replaced. Fred first had a saddlery shop
at Glentunnel then one at Rangiora
Fred Cone married Helen (Nellie) Bowie Wilson on
April 25, 1888 at the Presbyterian Church, Kaiapoi. She was the
daughter of Robert
Wilson and mother Jane McKie nee McConnell from Castle
Douglas, Kircudbright, South Scotland and had immigrated as assisted
immigrants on the "Joseph Fletcher" in 1856. They lived at
Kaiapoi where Robert was a baker and there their family of four boys
and 3 girls, among them, Helen was born
Fred and Nellie's first two children, both
boys, died.
Star: 18 May 1885: The following New Zealand
applications for patents are gazetted : Frederick William Cone, of
Rangiora, saddler, for " A double-screw shoulder vein, for veining
leather."
In early 1890 the family moved to Kaiapoi where the
first three girls, Leonie, Isabel and Fllorence, were born. About
1895, the decision was made to move to New Plymouth, Taranaki and
the family lived in the suburb of Fitzroy. Fred was manager for the
next 3 years of R G Knight's Leather outlet on Devon Street,
"Manufacturer of oilskin coats, Rick Covers Tents, Flags, etc.
SADDLES, Harness, Collars, Bridles,, Gladstone bags, Portmanteaux
-"CALL AND INSPECT. A Large Stock to choose from. Carriage Paid to
any station within l0 miles on all orders of £3 and over. Marquees
and Flags on hire" Abt mid 1898 the business was sold and Fred Cone
opened his own outlet opposite the Herald Office in Devon-street. It
was called "Canterbury Saddlery Company" and specialised in sales of
saddlery and horse covers. |
Early 1900, Fred took up
a position as manager of the saddlery shop at the Moa Farmers Union at
Inglewood
The Moa
Farmers' Union, Ltd was established in the year 1891. The
premises are centrally situated, and included drapery, millinery, grocery,
ironmongery, a saddlery shop (Fred Cone (centre of photo below) was
manager), earthenware, and baking departments where two large ovens
were kept fully employed. The turnover in 1905 amounted to £35,000 and
about forty people were employed.
Taranaki Herald: School
Committee Elections: 27 Apr 1905; INGLEWOOD. J. Winfield. H. W. Tarplee,
A. Marshall. D. Alllan. T. Nichols, F.W.Cone.
Taranaki Herald: 18 Apr 1907:
INGLEWOOD: Messrs Harold Thomson and H. B. Curtis have been nominated for
the position of Mayor; J M Lessrs, G. W. Bennett, F H. Brown, F.W.Cone, H.
Mayne, D. H. McDonald, A. E. Surrey, H. W.Tarplee, J. W. Winfield and G.
Young have been nominated for six seats on the Borough Council
At the end of June 1909, the
family returned south to Canterbury. It is thought that a property was
first purchased at 12 Sheldon St., Opawa. Fred became a market gardener
(Helen's uncle William Barbour Wilson, was a
nurseryman) In 1910 Fred bought about 5 acres at 50 Langdon's Road,
Papanui, Christchurch - this land bordered the railway line and 1945
became part of the Firestone Tyre Factory. He planted it out mainly in
apple trees - Cox's Orange, Delicious, Worcester Pearmain, Lord Wolseley
and Sturmer Pippin. He had some pear trees - Winter Cole and Winter Nelis
and a plum and quince. While the orchard was coming into production, he
interplanted with 7000 tomato plants and cucumbers and grew
blackcurrants.

1913c: Back; Myrtle,
Florrie, Isabel, Phyllis; Seated - Leonie; Agnes; Fred; Freda; Helen;
Evelyn
Fred was a knowledgeable and careful
gardener. Some of his daughters helped in the orchard at harvest-time, and
he packed apples for export in his own packing shed, making up the wooden
cases on site. He had good gate-sales too, his property being convenient
to the public. There were times that he regretted this proximity as the
local school children would be tempted to help themselves to the fruit off
the trees. To combat this menace, a grandson remembered Fred's guard dog
being tethered to a long wire stretched along the railway boundary,
enabling it to patrol the whole length. After the disastrous "frost of
1929, Fred invested in frost-pots and a reliable
orchard thermometer, and four neighbours would help him light in an
emergency.
Fred had to be
often away from home on business and he became deeply involved in fruit
politics. A strong character, he was elected president of the Canterbury
Fruitgrowers Association each year from 1920 to 1924. He was chosen by his
fellow fruitgrowers to become the Canterbury director of the NZ
Fruitgrowers Federation, a national position he held for nine years, from
1922 - 31, and was also on the original committee of the Institute of
Horticulture in 1922. A split
in the Canterbury Fruitgrowers Association occured late in 1934 and this
lead to the formation of the Waimairi Fruitgrowers Association. So Fred
changed his allegence for the last four years of his life. Fred passed
away in 1938. The orchard, once called "Garden of
Eden" was run by the Cone family estate
trust till the end of World War 2 by Mr Adam employed as manager. Although
the orchard was small, and only lasted some 35 years, the Cone
contribution to affairs govening fruitgrowing was significant, not only in
Canterbury but nationally.
Death: On
November 28th, 1936, at her residence, 50 Langdon’s Road, Papanui, Helen
Bowie, dearly loved wife of Frederick William Cone, and loving mother of
Leonie, Florrie, Evelyn. Phyllis and Freda Cone, and Mesdames Cree, Steer
and Barker; aged 69 years. At rest.
Death:
CONE—On June 15, 1938, at Christchurch, Frederick William Cone, of 50 Langdon’s Road,
Papanui, widower of the late Helen Bowie Cone, and loved father of Leonie,
Florence. Evelyn, Phyllis, and Freda Cone and Mesdames
Cree, Steer, and Barker; aged 71 years.
Obituary: Mr F W Cone Mr F W
Cone, of Papanui, who was prominent in the fruitgrowing industry in
Canterbury died recently recently aged 71. Born at Ashley Downs on July 8,
1866, Mr Cone learnt the trade of saddlery at Rangiora and followed it at
Glentunnel, Kaiapoi and New Plymouth. For ten years he was manager of the
saddlery and harness department of the Moa Farmers' Union, Inglewood.
In 1910 Mr Cone acquired an orchard property at Langdon's Road,
Papanui, where he carried on orchard work till the time of his death.
Interested not only in the practical side of fruitgrowing, but also in the
theoretical, he became instructor of orchard work at the Military
Sanatorium, Lincoln College, and the Christchurch Technical College. He
also took an active part in the administration of the fruit growing
industry, being for some years a director of the New Zealand Fruitgrower's
Federation. At the time of his death, Mr Cone was a director of the
Canterbury Orchardists' Co-operative Association, Ltd, and a member of the
Waimairi Fruitgrowers Association and the New Zealand Institute of
Horticulture. He also belonged to the Papanui Progress League, the Concord
Lodge and the Independent Order of Rechabites. Mr Cone was
married to the daughter of the late Mr Robert Wilson, of Kaiapoi, his wife
predeceasing him by 18 months. He is survived by a family of eight
daughters, all of whom reside in Christchurch. At the funeral June 17,
the service at the Waimairi graveside was conducted by the Rev. J A
Simmonds, assisted by the Rev. J Robertson. A Masonic ceremony was
conducted by Mr F P Frye. The pall-bearers were Messers C Steer and I
Barker (sons-in-law) and respresentatives of the Concord Lodge and
Fruitgrowers' associations.
The building of the Firestone
(Bridgestone) tyre factory, in Langdons Road, was commenced on land, some
of which was a 5-acre orchard purchased from the Cone family, in 1945.
Firestone produced New Zealand's first pneumatic tyre in 1948. This
factory remained the only tyre manufacturer in the South Island until
closure in 2009.


Above: (L to R) Florrie,
Evelyn, Myrtle, Phyllis, Agnes, Isabel, Leonie and Freda
 The 8
daughters of FREDERICK WILLIAM CONE and HELEN BOWIE WILSON

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