John & Honor Plimmer

A pretty wedding

The ‘pretty wedding’ of John David Plimmer and Honor Moore took place at St Mark’s Church, Wellington in 1900.

Honor was the daughter of Charles Moore and his wife Annie Jane (nee Kent). Honor was born in Guisborough, Yorkshire, England in 1874. Charles Moore was a draper. In 1875, Charles’ father died and he inherited about £3000. In 1879 the Moore family emigrated to Christchurch before moving to Wellington. Honor attended Mt Cook Girls’ School.

John David Plimmer was the son of Henry Plimmer and the grandson of John Plimmer, the ‘father of Wellington’. John junior, as he was known, was born in 1872 in Wellington and attended Thorndon School. At the time of his wedding, he was second engineer of the Blackball steamer Pareora.

For their wedding, Honor wore her travelling dress which was described as khaki coloured with white silk trimming and a hat to match. Her sisters Evelyn and Nellie were the bridesmaids and wore blue dresses trimmed with lace and hats to match.  The bridegroom’s gift to each bridesmaid was a gold mounted greenstone brooch. To his bride, he gave a jewelled broach. Mr W. Coffey was his best man.

After the ceremony at St Mark’s Church, a reception was held at the residence of the bride’s parents in Molesworth Street. The presents were described as ‘numerous and serviceable’. They included a substantial cheque from Mr J. Plimmer senior.

John and Honor’s first child John Joseph was born in Wellington in 1903. By 1904 the family had moved to Lyttelton where their daughter Phillis Kent was born. She was followed by Kenneth, Claude and Honor. John worked for the Lyttelton Harbour Board as engineer of their dredge.He died in 1919 following an operation. Honor was an active member of the local tennis club and gifted the club a trophy. She enjoyed travelling around the South Island with her daughters. She died in 1941. Both John and Honor are buried at Linwood Cemetery.

Group portrait taken at the wedding of John Plimmer (jnr) and Honor Moore. Standing (l to r) Norman Moore (married to May), ? Plimmer, Mary Moore, R P Moore (Bob), John Plimmer (snr), John Plimmer (jnr), Christopher Moore, Eve Moore, Charles Moore. Seated (l to r) ? Plimmer, Nellie Moore, Honor Moore, unknown, Annie Moore (mother of bride), ? Plimmer.

Ref: 1/2-178575-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/40141546