Taken from CanterburyStories.NZ

CAPTAIN ALFRED WILLIAM OWLES

Born: 1858. Suffolk, England.Died: 21 September 1940. Christchurch.Profession: Master Mariner; Proprietor of wholesale company A. W. Owles; Commercial Traveller for J Speight and Co.Mayoral office held: Fourteenth mayor of New Brighton Borough, 1927-1929.Preceded by: James GambleSucceeded by: John Hunter Shaw.

Captain Alfred William Owles (1848-1940), master mariner, commercial traveller, borough councillor and Mayor of New Brighton Borough (1927-1929).

Alfred William Owles was born in 1858 in Thorington, Suffolk in England. His parents were Henry Owles, a farmer, and Susannah Maria (nee Gibbs). Alfred was the second of eleven children, and the eldest son. Aged 12, Alfred ran away from home and worked on a fishing vessel, picking herring from the nets. In an interview he gave to the Star newspaper in 1927, Alfred said there was no particular reason behind him running away, only a boys' sense of adventure for the sea. He stowed away on a train bound for London, before being taken aboard as a cabin boy by Captain James Fox. He served Captain Fox for a number of years aboard the vessels Charlotte Gladstone, Forfarshire, Rangitiki, Waimate, and Orari, with New Zealand included as a destination on a several journeys. During that time, he learned navigation, and reached the rank of third, and then second mate. In 1878, along with Captain Fox, Alfred crewed aboard the P. S. Lyttelton, a tugboat that was commissioned by the Lyttelton Harbour Board, back from Liverpool, England where it was built. Although he had the opportunity to remain as a crew member on the tugboat, he turned down the opportunity and returned to England to sit his shipping certificate examination to become a captain.

By the early 1880s, Alfred had returned to New Zealand and settled in Geraldine, where his occupation was listed as a carter in the 1880 to 1881 electoral roll, before moving to Akaroa around 1886, where he became in insurance agent and store owner. He did not settle in Akaroa long before moving to Christchurch where he established himself as a wholesaler, A. W. Owles and Co, selling Great Yarmouth Oilskins. His premises was located at 199 Cashel Street. In 1899, Alfred joined J Speight and Co as the commercial traveller for the Canterbury region. He worked for the company for 32 years, until his retirement in 1931.

Alfred married Rebecca Sarah Shannon in Geraldine on 14 April 1884. They had four children: Emma Maria (b.1885), Alfred Henry (b.1887), Oscar William (b.1889), and George Lovick (b.1891). Rebecca died in Christchurch on 29 July 1899, aged 36, having been ill for some time. Alfred remarried on 15 April 1901 to Annie Louise Davidson, and they also had four children: Edward Alexander (b. 1905), Agnes Helen (b.1907), Harry (b.1915), and Mabel (b.1919).

In 1897, Alfred offered himself as a candidate for the first council of New Brighton Borough, and was successfully elected. He was re-elected in 1899, and 1901. In August 1901, barely four months into the new municipal term, Alfred resigned from the council. In June 1908, he supported his nomination for a vacancy on the council, and as the only candidate, was duly elected. In the 1909 municipal election, Alfred was one of two candidates to stand for the office of Mayor of New Brighton, but lost to his opponent, 220 votes to 207. Alfred was successfully re-elected to the New Brighton Borough Council for the 1913 and 1917 terms, and did not seek re-election in 1919. Alfred did not return to politics until he was voted in as the successful candidate for the New Brighton mayoralty in 1927. Although he stood as one of three candidates for re-election in 1929, he was defeated. After taking a break from the council, Alfred was a successful candidate for the 1935 and 1938 New Brighton Borough Council elections. Alfred died while serving his term as councillor.

Outside his mayoral and borough council responsibilities, Alfred served on a number of local boards and committees. He was elected to the Akaroa District Licensing Committee in 1889, and was a member, and for a period, chairman, of the Rawhiti Domain Board, before becoming the New Brighton representative on the Christchurch Domain Board 1929. He became a Justice of the Peace in 1927, and was a member of the New Brighton School committee from 1894 until 1902, and again in 1914 until his resignation in 1915. Alfred was also involved in professional associations related to his employment - the Otago Commercial Travellers Association, and a founding member of the Canterbury branch of the Commercial Travellers Association. He was a Mason, and a founding member of the Brighton Lodge.

Alfred was very community focused, and a member of a considerable number of community groups. He was director of the Royal Humane Society, and vice president of the Royal Life-saving Society and patron of the New Brighton Volunteer Fire Brigade. He was a member of the New Brighton Band Rotunda and Gala committees, and vice president of the New Brighton Boy Scouts. Alfred maintained a strong interest in gardening, spending much of this time in his own garden, particularly following his retirement, and holding the position of vice president of the Horticultural Society. However, it was in New Brighton sporting clubs where Alfred was most heavily involved, offering his expertise and, at at times, financial support and backing. He was patron, president and life member of the Trotting Club, Surf Lifesaving Club, Rugby Club, Sailing and Power Boat Club, Amateur Cycling Club; patron, founding member and life member of the Bowling Club, Municipal Band, and men's and women's Miniature Rifle Clubs, North and South Brighton Croquet Clubs, Amateur Athletic Club; patron and life member of the Pleasant Point Yacht Club; patron of the Ladies' Hockey Club; and vice president of the Tennis Club, North Beach Surf Club, and Linwood Football Club.

In September 1910, Captain Owles gifted the band rotunda he had partially financed on the New Brighton foreshore, to the borough. There had been disagreement between the Borough Council and the Band Rotunda Committee on the most appropriate citing of the rotunda, and Albert had a temporary structure built on the committee's preferred site. In 1937, Albert was awarded the Coronation Medal for services to the Crown within the Empire. 

Captain Alfred William Owles died on 21 September 1940, in Christchurch, aged 92. He is buried in the Linwood Cemetery, with his first wife Rebecca, who is buried in the neighbouring plot.

References

Business Notices, Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XIV, Issue 1157, 19 August 1887, p.3.; Borough of Akaroa District, Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XVII, Issue 1312, 12 February 1889, p.2.; Public Notices, Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10289, 6 March 1894, p.1.; Borough Councils, Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11189, 10 February 1897, p.8.; New Brighton Borough Council, Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9653, 16 February 1897, p.6.; Borough Councils, Lyttelton Times, Volume CII, Issue 12002, 21 September 1899, p.3.; Municipal Elections, Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12484, 25 April 1901, p.6.; Borough Councils, Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12597, 4 September 1901, p.8.; Local and General, Star (Christchurch), Issue 9232, 11 May 1908, p.2.; New Brighton Council, Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13159, 4 July 1908, p.13.; New Brighton Band Rotunda, Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14894, 16 January 1909, p.7.; Borough Councils, Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14982, 30 April 1909, p.11.; News of the Day, Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13845, 23 September 1910, p.6.; Borough Councils, Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16229, 2 May 1913, p.11.; The Elections, Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17465, 28 April 1917, p.10.; Borough Councils, Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1619, 23 April 1919, p.2.; The Poll, Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18987, 29 April 1927, p.8.; Paddle Steamer Lyttelton Came Out Under Steam, Star (Christchurch), Issue 18227, 6 August 1927, p.23.; Paddle Steamer Lyttelton Came Out Under Steam, Star (Christchurch), Issue 18233, 13 August 1927, p.23.; Personals, Star (Christchurch), Issue 18719, 26 March 1929, p.8.; Captain Owles is Still on Deck After 71 Years' Work, Star (Christchurch), Issue 19039, 7 April 1930, p.4.; Boroughs, Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21468, 9 May 1935, p.12.; Election Notices, Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22403, 17 May 1938, p.20.; Obituary, Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23132, 23 September 1940, p.2. (Supplement); Further Reading; A W Owles, GR Macdonald Dictionary of Canterbury Biographies, 1952-1964. Canterbury Museum.

MR FRANCIS DUNCAN MUIRSON

For more than 30 years, he had taken a keen interest in the borough of New Brighton. Mr Muirson was born in Victoria and arrived in New Zealand 1905. On arrival in New Zealand Mr Muirson and his brother, Mr H. T. Muirson were apprenticed to Messrs Peter Graham and Sons. They founded the firm of Muirson Brothers, well known builders and contractors.For many years, Mr Muirson was a member of the New Brighton Borough Council and was chairman of the works committee and deputy-mayor for two terms. He took a keen interest in educational matters being a member of the New Brighton School committee and chairman for some time. He was an active member of the New Brighton Bowling Club, was a past president and for 22 years represented the New Brighton Club on the Canterbury Bowling Centre. He was also a cricketer and played for the Linwood Wanderers Club. He was a member of the New Brighton Masonic Lodge.In 1934 Mr Muirson was appointed foreman and overseer for the New Brighton Borough Council and continued in the position when the amalgamation with the city took place until the time of his death on 23 Aug 1945 (aged 65).

MR J H SHAW

Awaiting update.

PETER BESLEY

Top Bowler in the history of the Club

BOWLING TOURNAMENT RINKS CHAMPIONSHIP BESLEY DEFEATS URE (Por Press Association, 21 January 1941, Page 11.) CHRISTCHURCH

This day, New Brighton (Besley), after losing a life in the sixth round on. Saturday, inflicted a crushing 26—14 defeat on North End, Invercargill (Ure), in the semi-finals of the rinks championship at the New Zealand bowling tournament this morning. New Brighton went on to meet Munn’s unbeaten Canterbury four, which had a bye.