Lilian Pine
Died from accidental burning
In 1901, Lilian was employed as a domestic servant at the Whitehall boarding house at the top of Plimmer Steps. Lilian, who was also sometimes called Nellie or Lily, was 19 years old and had only recently taken the position. The Whitehall boarding house had 14 residents at the time and was insured for £750.
The newspapers first reported that the fire at the boarding house had started in the kitchen and that in the confusion Lily, whose bedroom was next to the kitchen, had failed to find the door leading to the back yard and had tried to climb out a window over the sink. As a result she was suffocated by the smoke. The inquest later discovered that the truth was far more tragic.
The day before the fire, Lily had asked Lilian Tree Lund if turpentine was good for dandruff and Lilian replied that she had never heard of it being used for that purpose. At about 10:00pm on the night of the fire, Lilian smelt turpentine in the house.
Edith Baxter who was the daughter of the leaseholder of Whitehall said that she saw Lily putting her hair in pins just before 10:30pm. Wilhelmina Pascoe saw Lily drying her hair after washing it in the sink and that there was a partly used bottle of turpentine by the sink but she did not know if it had been used by Lily.
A tenant of the boarding house, A. J. Byrne who was an electrician, said that it was common to see a light coming from under her door and that she had been warned about reading at night. On the night of the fire, a light was noticed beneath the door of her room at about 11:40pm.
After the fire broke out shortly after midnight, Wilhelmina saw smoke and flames coming from the window in Lily’s bedroom. She called out to Lily and received no answer but she did hear a scream. The boarders all made a rapid escape from the house, especially those whose bedrooms were above the kitchen. One boarder named Mr T. Dryden rang the fire alarm at Martin’s Fountain at 12:20am.
When the brigade arrived from the Central Station, the kitchen was well alight and the fire was travelling up the outside walls, making its way over the roof which was partly iron and old shingles. The fire was put out despite the raging northerly, and the dry timber of the old building. Lily’s body was not found until 5am by fireman Thomas Baylis. She was found in a crouching position in the kitchen sink with her arms bent over and in front of her head. Her hair was completely burnt off.
Lily’s body was taken to the morgue and identified by her brother John Pine (a jockey) using a ring on her finger. Dr Teare said that he had examined the body at the morgue and thought she would have died within a few minutes. The theory was she was reading in bed and the light of the candle set fire to her hair and she rushed to the kitchen sink to put it out.
The jury at the inquest returned a verdict of Accidental Burning. Her funeral departed the Clyde Quay Mortuary at 2pm on 11th October 1901 for Karori Cemetery. Her plot is unmarked.
Karori Cemetery Plot: *Ch Eng/W/54
References:
Fire at Wellington. (1901, October 9). Bush Advocate, p2.
Fire at “Whitehall”. (1901, October 9). Evening Post, p5.
Funeral Notice. (1901, October 10). Evening Post, p6.
Sad Fatality Young Woman Burnt to Death. (1901, October 10). New Zealand Times, p5.
The “Whitehall” Fire Inquest on the Victim. (1901, October 10). Evening Post, p2.
Wellington city, looking south east from the vicinity of the Terrace over Plimmer Steps towards Te Aro, showing houses on Plimmer Steps in the left foreground) and Boulcott Street (centre), with the tower of the Marist Brothers School in Boulcott Street at the right. Businesses in Lambton Quay may be seen at the extreme left. Photograph taken by the Burton Brothers circa 1884.
Burton Bros. Ref: BB-2266-1/1-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23027828
Whitehall Boarding House. Detail from Burton Bros. Ref: BB-2266-1/1-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23027828