Biography

THOMAS WILLIAM WHITSON

Person Details
Block/Plot Details
Biography
Interments
Map Location

Burial register ID:	13798
Surname:	WHITSON
First name:	THOMAS
Middle names:	WILLIAM
Gender:	Male
Age:	75 Years
Cause of death:	Unknown
Burial type:
Date of death:	21-Apr-1922
Date of burial:	22-Apr-1922

Block:	194
Plot:	23
Inscription:	In Loving Memory of Isabel Hay Loved Wife of T W Whitson Born London 1848 Died Dunedin 1905 Thomas William Whitson Husband of the Above Born Haddington Near Edinburgh 1847 Died Dunedin 1922 Forrestina Muriel Loved Wife of Captain J C S Doorly Died August 1933 In Loving Memory of Lilian M H Whitson Died January 18th 1949 On separate plaque:- In Loving Memory of Geraldine Winifred Wilson (nee Doorly) Wife of the Late Charles Grigor Wilson Born Dunedin 8th August 1913 Died Dunedin 9th May 1997

Block:

194

Plot:

Inscription:

In Loving Memory of

Isabel Hay

Loved Wife of

T W Whitson

Born London 1848

Died Dunedin 1905

Thomas William

Whitson

Husband of the Above

Born Haddington

Near Edinburgh 1847

Died Dunedin 1922

Forrestina Muriel

Loved Wife of

Captain J C S

Doorly

Died August 1933

In Loving Memory of

Lilian M H Whitson

Died January 18th 1949

On separate plaque:-

In Loving Memory of

Geraldine Winifred Wilson

(nee Doorly)

Wife of the Late

Charles Grigor Wilson

Born Dunedin 8th August 1913

Died Dunedin 9th May 1997

Bio contributor: Contributed by Ian Johnstone

Born in Haddington on 27 January 1847. Had his business training in Edinburgh and London before coming to Dunedin in 1875. Joined the Union Steamship Company in 1879 and from 1891 was their secretary. Thomas was a founder and vice-president of the Dunedin Shakeseare Club, whose study he directed. A plaque and memorial tree planted in the Shakespeare Garden in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens. Married Isabella Hay Grant on 2 August 1876 in Dunedin. Had a great library in his home, “Rosebank”, at 582 George Street, Dunedin, and the first grand piano in Dunedin. Fire destroyed the top floor of the house, and many treasures, including a pen given to him by Robert Louis Stevenson with which he had written ‘Treasure Island’ and much of his work. Thomas wrote ‘A cruise in the Islands: Tonga, Samoa, Fiji’,in 1895 published by Wilkie in Dunedin. They had six children.

There are 5 Interments in this grave:

Surname	First names	Age	Date of death	Date of burial
WHITSON	DOUGLAS MCLEAN	66 Years	08-Apr-1951	10-Apr-1951
WHITSON	ISABELLA	57 Years	01-Jul-1905	02-Jul-1905
WHITSON	LILLIAN MARY HAY	72 Years	18-Jan-1949	20-Jan-1949
WHITSON	THOMAS WILLIAM	75 Years	21-Apr-1922	22-Apr-1922
WILSON	GERALDINE WINIFRED	83 Years	09-May-1997	14-May-1997