EDWARD & "ANNIE"

RUTH ANNE (ANNIE) ASHBY                                               Nee  HEATHERINGTON,                                                        Photo taken at age 18, prior to her departure for New Zealand in 1901)                                                    Ruth Anne, with her sparkling blue eyes and auburn hair, lilting Irish                                                    accent, had an outgoing personality, and a genuine concern for people.                                                   she made many friends in Auckland.  Christina Ashby, Dad's second                                                    wife, had similar traits and interests.  Edward was the luckiest of men to                                                    have had two such loving companions. Born in Clogher, Co.Tyrone, Annie attended school near Ballygawley. (In 1982 I visited the little one room country school at Lisnaweary - no longer in use - saw the bridge with the rail Uncle Johnny used to walk across on the way to and from school, and, sadly, the remains of the Heatherington cottage) At age 18 Annie came out in a sailing ship (with steam auxiliary) to look after her Uncle Richard's widow, Mary Winslow Dickson,   Annie was her companion and nurse for over 20 years (!) until Mary died . An active member of All Saints Church, Ponsonby, Annie was a Sunday School Teacher for 25 years.  She shared her inherited estate with Edward, paid for their long tour of the USA and Canada, bought out Ted's sister's share of the house at No.33, and  later sold her own house to provided the capital which carried us through the depression.  (The earnings from Dad's tutorial college during th depression being quite minimal). She worked like a trojan, washing clothes out in the detached washhouse, with its the old wooded fired copper boiler, wooden tubs, stirring stick, and hand wringer; baked our bread, cakes and weekend roasts on a coal fired stove of monster proportions; made all my clorthes by hand, as well as her own dresses; knitted out jerseys and cardigans, entertained most weekends, was a dab hand at contract bridge, winning various prizes; and best of all, from my point of view, was a very loving mother to her only son for a short twelve years until she died of a stroke, on 14th November, 1940.

EDWARD (TED) ASHBY. of Co.Tipperary, aged 24 in 1909.  Taken when an undergraduate at Trinity College, Dublin.

EDWARD ASHBY (1885-1970) was born on 7th August, 1885 at Kilbraugh House, Kilcooley-Gortnahoe, Co. Tipperary.  As his birth certificate recorded it as the 8th August, he thereafter insisted on celebrating 2 birthdays, on 7th & 8th every year

Sadly, his mother, Elizabeth (Bessie) Catherine (nee McEnnis) died seven days after he was born.  Ted's half sister Annie and household staff looked after him until his father, Robert, remarried some four years later. -  to Elizabeth (Totty) Swan. In Ted's late teenage, Robert told him that he would never inherit freehold Kilbraugh, as Robert had deeded it many years before to his first family. Clonamondra was also at risk,as it  was held under Crown lease, and there was no way of

TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN

knowing what would happen once Ireland gained its independence.   Ted was therefore sent to Trinity College in 1909 to obtain a degree with a view to becoming an ordained priest of the Church of Ireland (Anglican).  In 1911 he nearly died from peritonitis, and was sent out to New Zealand to recover his health.  He worked in Auckland as Assistant Secretary of the YMCA (Young Mens' Christian Association) before returning to Ireland in 1913 to escort Robert (aged 76), Totty and sister Lil to Auckland. Ted then became the Housemaster at Dilworth College for two years.  Ruled unfit for military service, Ted then set up his own tutorial or "coaching" school - Ashleigh College - in Auckland's newest office building - the Ferry  Building on the waterfront.  The College moved from there in 1917 to Auckland's newest "skyscraper" of the day - the eight level NZ Insurance Building in queen Street

Built in 1913, the restored Ferry Building is now surrounded by office blocks many times its height. It was a smoky site in the days of the coal bunkered harbour ferries.  They have long been replaced by high speed diesel catamarans.

In 1917 the New Zealand Insurance Building (right of centre), was the newest and highest structure in Queen Street.  (nine levels, or in NZ parlance, seven floors plus ground floor and basement) Ashleigh College fronted Queen Street, one level below the top (6th floor"NZ  7th level (USA))

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This page was last updated on: January 21, 2005

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