McLeods of Rumsdale: Alexander McLeod – Martinborough 1804

Radium Street

McLeod house in McLeod Lane later Radium Street

In the late 1890s Alexander built a big house in Radium Street and moved from the dwelling at the general store.

John McLeod

John McLeod 1879 - 1904

In 1904 disaster again struck this family. Eldest son John McLeod died in a tragic accident at the Carterton Show. John was the son that much had been hoped for. He had been sent away to school in Wellington to get the best education.

The story goes that John’s parents and a church group were going by train to Upper Hutt to attend an all-day Brethren church meeting. John was expected to go also. He had recently been disappointed in his hopes for an engagement to a girl he wanted to marry and chose to go to the Masterton Show and spend the day riding his horse. His family came home later that day on the train to hear the tragic news. Some in the church felt that John should have gone to the meeting instead of the show. This thought is hinted at on a page of his memorial card “But his love for horses led him to the scene where he met his death”.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 40, 17 February 1904, Page 5

It was a very painful tragedy for the family as one more of their members died young. They certainly kept John’s memory alive as Matthew comments in his dairy.

Margaret McLeod

In 1905 Margaret McLeod married Robert Wall. At the time the Wall family was living in the Kiritaki/Maharahara district running a small store. They went farming near Martinborough and had a family of eight children.

Wall Family

Photo Back row left to right: Christine Evangeline, Mary Elizabeth known as Betty, Ernest John with Eunice (in front looking sideways), Alexia known as Lexie, Joy

Front row left to right: Katherine known as Kay, Robert Ernest Wall, Margaret Henriette Harris, Janet

Matthew McLeod

In September 1908 Matthew McLeod married Christina Jacobsen. Matthew built a new house on land in Esther Street he bought off his aunt Esther.

Plan of Radium Street

This plan drawn by Mr R L Gray was in the Martinborough museum. It shows the location of the main buildings Alexander McLeod built. There is a building he calls the boarding house behind the factory. It may have been built to provide accommodation for the factory workers. Matthew makes some references to a boarding house in his diary. That building must have been removed.

Matthew also made ‘scent’ for a while, possibly selling to Sharland & Co.

Radium Polish

Alexander and son Matthew were working on ways to expand their business. They developed a formula which Alexander patented, for the manufacture of boot polish. The process involved melting chunks of wax and adding turps and other ingredients. Matthew at first started working in an old shed at the back of the house.

Small Rear shed. Wairarapa News Sep 9 1987

They called the polish Radium because of the world-wide interest in the discovery of radium by Marie Curie. The polish did not have radium in it.

By December 1909 foundations were laid for a new building in McLeod Lane for the manufacture of their polish.

Staff at the Radium factory. Matthew is on right pointing toward Radium. Alexander is seated on right.

The Radium business became very successful. By 1911 Matthew had moved the Radium business to Wellington. The Radium and Matthew McLeod stories will get a separate blog.

Dalnawillan

In 1913 Alexander and Jessie made a trip back to Scotland. At this time Alexander arranged for the gravestone of his ‘beloved parents’ at Dalnawillan to be placed.

Gravestone at Dalnawillan cemetery, Scotland

Fire

While the McLeods were away disaster struck again.

In 1913, 4 November the Boot and Shoe factory on the corner of Jellicoe and Radium streets was destroyed by fire. There was no insurance as Alexander along with other Martinborough Brethren at that time did not believe in insurance.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 109, 4 November 1913, Page 7

Grandad Sandy

On a lighter note, when my mother Joy McLeod was old she scrawled on paper some disjointed stories she remembered hearing as a child about her Grandad Sandy. Here’s an extract:

Grandma McLeod was a fresh air fiend. He [Grandad] got up and shut it [the window]. If you don’t like it get out. So I will then. He used to insulate himself with newspapers. Picked up his nightcap and went downstairs. He made a long tin funnel to urinate in so he didn’t have to lift the jerry can. He had a jar of peppermints that Aunt Janet had made. She used to count them. She wanted to know where’s the water closet? He said he took some Epsom salts and asked the station master’s wife for the customary dose and she gave him the whole packet. That man and his newspapers!

On return to New Zealand in 1914 Alexander continued working in the old shed behind the big house making heavy work boots for friends.

Jessie, Alexander and Kitty Taylor MS McLeod

From left: Janet McLeod, Robert Wall, Margaret Wall, Jessie McLeod
at the house in Radium Street

Janet Sutherland McLeod the eldest daughter of Alexander and Jessie.
Born in Scotland in 1869 she was a much loved sweet lady.
She stayed in the Radium Street house long after her parents had gone.
She died in Auckland in 1963 aged 93.

Deaths in the Family

In 1920 disaster struck yet again with the death of Matthew of TB. His wife Christina was expecting their sixth child. Of the eight children of Alexander and Jessie only two daughters lived to old age.