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Ann Drummond Hunter
nee Cousin
 The bridging of South
Canterbury’s wide, braided rivers made travel easier. Initially the
bridges carried both rail and vehicular traffic. This car crossing the
2-kilometre Waitaki Bridge, 1914, is heading for
Glenavy
Ann Drummond Cousin was b: 11 Apr 1843 in Saline, Fifeshire, Scotland where she was Bapt: 29 Apr 1843 , the dau: of the late Mr. Peter Cousin and mother Maxwell nee Drummond Peter and Maxwell Cousin's family:
Ann Drummond Cousin mar: 1870 David Ward-law Hunter (b: 1840c; d: 02 Sep 1874 Waitaki NZ in 34Y David Hunter was brought to Dunedin, Otago to work on the spire of First Church, Dunedin. In 1867 he was appointed foreman of the new Post Office at Oamaru and wrote this letter about the qualities of Oamaru Stone (Src: Daily Times")He joined a partnership "McGavin and Hunter" and they were successful in their tender to build the Waitaki Bridge in 18 moths for £30,000. He was killed in 1874 while working on it's construction. Otago Daily Times , 3 Sept 1874: Telegrams were received in Dunedin yesterday from Oamaru, stating that Mr David Hunter, one of the contractors for the Waitaki Bridge, and well known and respected here, had slipped off one of the ways and been drowned in the river. The body was shortly afterwards recovered .Bruce Herald Sept 8,1874{ Mr Hunter, late of M'Gavin and Hunter, Waitaki Bridge contractors, who was drowned on Wednesday last, was buried on Saturday, afternoon. The funeral cortege from the Waitaki consisted of 11 carriages and 20 horsemen, besides the chief mourners near the hearse on foot.They were joined on their arrival in Oamaru by a large number of gentlemen anxious to show their'respect to the deceased. North Otago Times, 8 Sept 1874: LATE ACCIDENT AT THE WAITAKI BRIDGE' The Coroner's Inquest was held at the Swan Hotel on Friday last, upon the body of David Hunter, late of the firm of McGavin and Hunter, contractors for the Waitaki Bridge. Mr Hunter was universally respected, as the large funeral cortege on the afternoon of Friday last sufficiently proved. All appeared alike desirous of showing respect for him who is gone, and it is a long time since such a funeral procession has been seen in the district of Oamaru. All the workmen on the bridge followed, as did many private friends of the deceased, as well as residents and settlers in and about the town, and along the line. Including the occupants of numerous expresses, private buggies, and the horse and foot followers, the number of mourners could not have been less than from 200 to 250. Though there would appear from the absence of any rider to the jury's verdict that blame did not, in their opinion, attach itself to any one, we cannot refrain from remarking that the bridge is acquiring for itself a notoriety for accidents anything but satisfactory. Indeed it would seem impossible with a proper amount of forethought and appliances that these accident could be so frequent or so fatal.Bruce Herald, 11 Sept 1874: The sad and fatal accident that befel Mr David Hunter, the contractor for the Waitaki bridge, created a deep impression of regret. The funeral, which took place on Friday last, was most numerously and respectably attended, and on the cortege arriving at the cemetery there could not have been fewer than 250 mourners to testify their respect for the deceased. At the inquest held, it appears from the evidence that the accident occurred in the following manner The deceased while walking on one of the guides about nine inches wide, on which there was no side rail or protection, slipped his foot and fell into the river. He clung to the guides for a brief time, but lost his grip, and before a boat could reach himi he was drowned. The deceased could not swim. A verdict of accidental death was returned but it seems surprising that no rider was attached recommending that some protection should be provided for the sides of the guides, if it be usual, as was stated, for the workmen to walk along them, over a river running so rapidly as the Waitaki, already notorious for its numerous victims. North Otago Times, Src: 2 Oct 1874 "When completed, the Waitaki Bridge will be one of the most extensive and important public works in the Colony. A fatal accident, and one of .a peculiarly melancholy character, occurred to Mr David Hunter, one of the contractors, who was drownad through/ slipping:* off a girder while superintending-the placing-qf one of the cylinders in position. What makes this case the more melancholy is that Hunter had been from first to last, the life and soul of the undertaking, always at his post, and always sanguine of his ultimate success. It was, in the very moment of triumph, at the very moment when the great difficulty of getting over the deep water had been accomplished, that he met with the fatal step which caused his death and deprived the undertaking of the most efficient and intelligent supervisor.Ann and David Hunter's Children: a David Ward-law Hunter (b: 30 Jan 1871 d: 25 Dec 1944; Bur: 27 Dec 1944 Balcairn Cem) mar: 09 Nov 1898 in Pinegrove, Timaru to Sarah Letitia (Letty) McIlroy (b: 1872 her father: John McIlroy and mother: Mary Jane; d: 1950) Their family: i David Stuart Hunter b: 1900
2 Jessie Maxwell Hunter (b: 27 May 1873 d: 1931 - 58Y) mar: 1901 to Walter William Sneesby b: 23 Nov 1878 - his father: William Henry Sneesby and mother: Matilda Baker; d: 1954 75Y)
*2nd Husband of Ann Drummond Hunter nee Cousin mar: 28 Jan 1879 was to Robert Davie
Descendant input to up-date family pages is very welcome - more detailed information available on request  |
