Lucy Jane.

In 1897 Lucy Jane married Frank Davies, Woolclasser, at St Mat≠thews Church, Dunedin. Frank was the son of Davies, Wine and Spirit Importers, who came from Northern Wales, and lived in an imposing home in High Street, Dunedin. Frank also had two sis≠ters. Before the marriage Lucy, a quiet and gentle lass, was shocked when Mrs Davies told her she would rather see her dead than married to her son. It was not until later that Lucy realised why.

To this day,in Port Chalmers} descendants from settlers who arri≠ved prior to 1860 are called 'The Old Identities' and those who came later 'The New Iniquities'.

Lucy and Frank~ children; Isobella (still born), Frank (mis≠carriage), Ivy Violet (born 1899) and Lily Martha Doris (born 1902) 'Gloria'. They travelled constantly following Frank's work and their third child, Ivy Violet, was born in Kokonga in a tent. Central Otago at the end of May was very cold and Lucy insisted on settling down, and Frank became a Railway man. Lily Martha was born in a railway house at Hillgrove, North Otago. The station is no longer there and was near Moeraki turn off.

For some years Frank and Lucy Jane, on a regular basis, took Ivy and Lily to the Leviathon Hotel in Dunedin where Grandfather Davies would visit and have dinner with them. On the occasions when Gloria (Lily) was taken to Dunedin for medical attention, Ivy would visit 'Big Gran' (Martha), in Macraes Flat and would travel by Cobb and Co., Coach to Dunback. Martha would walk
in from her cottage atMoonlight (a mile or so away) to pick
up Ivy and groceries, sometimes carrying a bag of flour back home on her shoulders.

The family lived in several railway houses around Otago. In
the Taieri Gorge near Middlemarch, one of these homes is still standing on a small ledge and now belongs to a railwayman who
uses it as a holiday home. There is no access road and every≠thing still comes in by rail. When the family lived there, visitors had to be lifted off the train as there was no plat≠form. On one occasion, Eileen arrived by train dressed elegantly in a hobble skirt to the ankles and wearing a picture hat that
was so wide she had to walk sideways through the carriage doors. She couldn't manage the carriage steps and was carried off by
an obliging Guard.

Later Ivy and Gloria went by train to school at Seacliffe, with other local children. Their father had told them never to walk through a railway tunnel close by. One day they were given an unexpected half holiday and they all decided to walk home the short way along the railway tracks instead of waiting for the
4 p.m. train. They were well into the tunnel before they heard a train coming. An older boy made them all lie flat beside the tunnel wall and the old-fashioned train with its high steps passed over them. For some reason Frank suspected something and when
t~y emerged from the tunnel he was waiting (doubtless worried sick) and promptly gave them all a hiding.
34

Frank by now was Station Master at Lauder and Lucy Jane was able to have a serving girl - with Frank insisting on the house and table being at its Victorian best. In 1908 they were living in Puketeraki when Frank, who was suffering from a social disease contacted many years previously, became gravely ill. Ivy, aged 8, was sent along the line with.a lantren at 11 p.m. to rouse a gang of Railwaymen. She fell putting the lantren out, and had
to stumble on in the darkness. The shock of her father's death left her with bad nerves for 12 months or more. Lucy sent for Dr Truby King (later to become Sir Truby Kingl the founder of the Plunkett Society in N.Z.) to issue the Death Certificate. The Doctor was expected on the next train, and the Maoris dug a grave in readiness - he wasn't aboard and they declared the grave 'tapu' as the spirits had entered overnigh~ and dug another grave. The Doctor arrived on the next express.

A full Maori tangi was held for Frank who was thought of most highly by his Maori friends. Lucy wouldn't attend such 'heathen goings on' but Ivy was disappointed as she had Maori friends and loved the 'pa'. Lucy received numerous sums of money from Frank's Maori friends (100 pounds in all).

Later Lucy lived in a house near Waikouaiti and the girls went to school at Flag Swamp. Lucy also rented several cottages includ≠
ing one at Goodwood (the house still stands near the Cheese Fac≠tory) and later purchased a cottage at Palmers ton with the hundred pounds. Lucy's father was a great help to the family with his large garden, and her mother who lived near by supplied baked
goodies.The Government gave Lucy 2s 6don a regular basisfor
the girls but nothing for herself.

Lucy then married a widower, Smith, in Palmerston. The girls found it very difficult to like their stepfather and when he was incapacitated with a broken leg and started making sexual over≠tures to them, Lucy and family moved to Napier to live with Mar≠tha and Eileen around 1914. Smith died a few years later leav≠ing Lucy a widow. The large house, 34 Wellesley Road, Napier, was built on a steep slope and the rooms were shared out between the three generations.