Biography

FITZHARDING JONES

Burial register ID: 9330
Surname: JONES
First name: FITZHARDING
Middle names:
Gender: Male
Age: 68 Years
Cause of death: Unknown
Burial type:
Date of death: 22-Apr-1903
Date of burial: 24-Apr-1903

Block: 72
Plot: 13
Inscription:

Bio contributor: Helen Walker

Captain Fitzhardinge Jones 1835 – 22 April 1903

Fitzhardinge Jones was born in England in 1835 and died on 22 April 1903, one year after the death of his wife Elizabeth Martha Jones nee Barry, known as Bessie, in Dunedin.

In 1854 he was commissioned in the 12th Lancers in Leeds. He was a lieutenant, later a captain and was awarded an Indian Mutiny Medal. In about 1862 Fitzhardinge went to India with the First Dragoon Guards. He married Elizabeth (Bessie) Barry in Bangalore, India in 1863. While in India he wrote a diary from 1862-4. Some quotes from the diary:
Decr. 13th 1863
In Church this evening we were awfully bothered by a wretched bat that would crawl about under our seat – when we stood up to sing he made his appearance on the seat just where Bessie had been sitting and we were obliged to move up out of the creature’s way.
Decr 21st 1864
Marched at 4am 12 miles to Jedduchelah encamped between the 51st & 52 miles town on good sandy soil, road from last ground good but heavy in places – got a note here from dear Bessie… Artillery march in tomorrow morning – we have to exchange camels & horses.

In 1867 the family came to New Zealand by ship, arriving at Lyttleton. The Jones family lived in Christchurch at “Coldstream”, Fendalton. They moved to a farm in Timaru which Fitzhardinge named “Coonoor” after a place in India. Today there is Coonoor Road in West Timaru.

In the 1880s he was a Commission Agent in Dunedin.

Fitzhardinge and Bessie had 11 children (8 daughters including one set of twins and 3 sons). Some were born in India, the others in New Zealand.

The Otago Daily Times on Thursday 23 April 1903 recorded:
“Captain Fitzhardinge Jones who has been in business in Dunedin for a number of years past as a land and estate agent, died rather suddenly yesterday morning, from, it is believed, heart disease. The decorated gentleman held at one time, a commission in a cavalry regiment.”

The captain’s two swords were donated to the Otago Museum.

One of Fitzhardinge’s sons, Leonard George, born 1869 at Coonoor, was a shipsman. He wrote a diary of his life on the boat going from Port chalmers to England in 1898, a copy of which is in the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum.

Contributed by Helen Walker, great-great granddaughter of Fitzharding Jones and great granddaughter of Leonard George Jones.
Captain Fitzhardinge Jones
Source: Helen Walker


The Jones Family
Source: Helen Walker

There are 4 Interments in this grave:

Surname First names Age Date of death Date of burial
JONES CAROLINE MARY 49 Years 08-May-1913 10-May-1913
JONES ELIZABETH MARTHA 58 Years 21-Apr-1902 23-Apr-1902
JONES FITZHARDING 68 Years 22-Apr-1903 24-Apr-1903
JONES GRACE EMILY 48 Years 18-Sep-1913 21-Sep-1913