William Lusty
A short and eventful life
William was born in 1858 in Wellington, Somerset, England. In 1861, the family of three were supported by his father Henry who worked as a dealer in Marine stores and his mother Jane working as a dressmaker.
By 1872 the family had emigrated to New Zealand and were living in Grahamstown in the Coromandel where they kept a store. To all outward appearances, they appeared to live a life of modest comfort and peace. But Henry would occasionally go to public houses and take ‘too much brandy and lemonade’. In March 1873, with two black eyes, Jane appealed to the magistrate for protection who then ordered Henry pay £3 or be imprisoned for one month.
By 1876 the family had moved to Wellington where Henry continued his brushes with the law for drunkenness, disorderly behaviour and again assaulting his wife.
On 19th September 1876 at age 17, William Lusty married Elizabeth Slarks at their family home on Lambton Quay. William and Elizabeth’s son Walter was born on 2nd December the same year. He was the first of seven children for the couple.
In 1879 while working on the construction of the new St Peter’s church in Willis Street, William inadvertently stepped on a loose beam which turned and as a result he fell 43 feet. He landed on is back on the joist below. He was taken in an ‘insensible condition’ to Dr Kesteven’s. He had suffered a slight facture of the left arm and recovered from the incident.
William was also a well-known bandsman, having been a member of Cimino’s old Artillery and Naval Brigade Bands, Gray’s and later Jupp’s.
In 1891 their house in Thompson Street burnt down. It occurred while Elizabeth was ironing some clothes and when she moved a kerosene lamp, the oil took fire. It spread so rapidly she barely had time to rescue the children.
William died at Wellington hospital on 4th June 1893, from an abscess on the brain. Jupp’s band played at his funeral.
At the Drillshed on the 24th May, a social was held to raise money for Jane had her children. Music was supplied by Platt’s full string band. Admission was 1s. The newspaper reported that ‘… the object is so thoroughly deserving by public sympathy, the promoters trust that there will be a very large attendance’.
A further fundraised was held on 4th June with a concert given by Jupp’s band at the Basin Reserve. £10 was collected. All of the children lived to adulthood and most lived their whole lives in Wellington.
William is the only interment in this plot.
Karori Cemetery Plot: *Public/#/218
Lusty headstone, October 2024
An example of Jupp’s band, taken after William’s time. Caption: Jupp's Private Band, Wellington. Part of a series of photographs entitled: Some prominent N.Z. bands. Back Row. - T. Grey, T. Yates, F. McTheegan, S. Geary, T. Cabot, S. Scott, W. Graham, J. Martin, W. Brady, C. Cimuio, P. Mitcherlich, J. Smith.Front Row. - W. Jones, S. Cimino, W. Jupp (Bandmaster), R. Hutching, F. Coile, R. Estall, P. Hodges.Lying in front: W. Jupp, H. Jupp. 1898. Courtesy of Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18980326-0374-03.