Biography

MARY IRVINE BIRCH

Burial register ID: 603
Surname: BIRCH
First name: MARY
Middle names: IRVINE
Gender: Female
Age: 50 Years
Cause of death: Unknown
Burial type:
Date of death: 09-Jan-1880
Date of burial: 10-Jan-1880

Block: 60
Plot: 2
Inscription:

ERECTED

BY A FEW FRIENDS

IN MEMORY OF

THOMAS BIRCH

LATE MAYOR OF DUNEDIN

WHO DIED 12 MARCH 1880

AGED 55 YEARS.

AND OF HIS WIFE

MARY IRVINE BIRCH

WHO DIED 9 MAY 1880

AGED 50 YEARS.

Note: The date of death information recorded on the Birch headstone for Mary Irvine Birch is incorrect. The date of death should read 9th January 1880, not the 9th of May 1880.

Bio contributor: Ann Trewern

Mary Irvine Birch was the wife of Thomas Birch, who was Mayor of Dunedin from 1868 – 1870, and amongst other activities he was the owner of a successful building business, and president of the Caledonian Society for three years.

In the early hours of the 6th January 1880 tragedy struck the Birches at their home by Water of the Leith. Thomas Birch was woken in the early hours of the morning by the screams of his wife who had fallen asleep while reading in bed. When he got to her room he found the bed in flames. He managed to get his wife out of the bed and with the help of a servant girl managed to quell the flames, preventing further damage to the house. Mrs Birch was, however, severely burned and died in great agony some 3 days later. The cause of the accident was thought to be a reading candle that had overturned and set alight to the bedclothes.

Thomas Birch had been in declining health for some time but his health worsened with the sad and untimely death of his wife. He had decided on a change of scene and was aboard the Penguin on his way to Auckland when he quite suddenly died.

There are 2 Interments in this grave:

Surname First names Age Date of death Date of burial
BIRCH MARY IRVINE 50 Years 09-Jan-1880 10-Jan-1880
BIRCH THOMAS 55 Years 12-Mar-1880 21-Mar-1880