The sad, short tale of Mr Bugler of Christchurch ...

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Back in the Victorian era, before the days of the Internet and Facebook, before the international telephone, before Kodaks and happy snaps, the only way for folk making a life in the colonies, far from the 'Old Country', to keep in touch was by very-snail-mail; the only way to let the family see how you and yours were getting on, was by means of the carte de visite, those little photographs than now, a century and more on, flood ebay. Sadly, in many cases, these little historical pictures are unidentified. But, in other cases, they have at least a clue penned on the verso of the card ... and it has become a hobby of mine to try to restore their 'identity' to some of the more interesting-looking subjects. And thus, I've been able to restore the Christchurch grave of Miss Lucy Harriet Saxon from Matlock Baths, and, yesterday, to revive the history of Arthur Appleby of Burton-on-Trent, who sleeps his last long sleep in Linwood Cemetery, Canterbury, NZ.

It was while I was looking over Mr Appleby, that I chanced on this New-Zealandish couple. Mr W U Bugler and his wife Maria, photographed in Oamaru 14 March 1875. He doesn't look like a ball of fire, does he? Well, time to find out ...

Identification was easy. Not many folk have a 'U' for their middle initial! William Udal Bugler was born in Dorset around 1836, and christened in Mosterton 13 June of that year. His father, David (1797-1872), was a sackmaker, his mother was Elizabeth (1800-1858) née Udal (m 23 November 1822), and we can see in the 1841 census that they had four daughters and three sons. If father was into bags, however, the Udal family were long-established ironmongers, and it was into that profession that the three boys would go, with varying degrees of success, and into which fourth daughter, Mary Honor, would marry (Mrs James Helliar).

Eldest brother, John Udal Bugler was the successful one. He had a fine ironmongery business in Ashford, Kent, a fine house with, I see, three servants, became a husband, a father, a JP and an alderman ...

Third brother, George Udal Bugler, was working as a assistant in the trade when he died, while still in his twenties (d 16 April 1866).

And then there was William. In 1851, he is already an ironmonger's apprentice in Melcombe Regis. In 1862 (17 June), he married shoebinder Maria Steed, daughter of Benjamin Steed of Rumboldswyke, carpenter, and shortly after, the couple left for the colonies. It was later said, in court, that William was brought out to Christchurch by the established 'Birmingham and Sheffield' ware ironmonger, Edward Reece, who pretty smartly sacked him ...

He got work elsewhere, got on the commitee at the Presbyterian church, went bankrupt in 1870, and finally left Christchurch to try his luck in Oamaru, from where he sent home these pictures. Six months later (9 September 1875), he was dead. Aged 39. Maria seems to have married one Richard Dale -- perhaps the licensee of the Musselburgh Hotel -- in 1878. If so, she died in 1886.

I wonder to whom, in England, the little pictures were sent. George was dead, Mary and her husband and son had emigrated to Australia ... John was there, in Ashurst; eldest sister Fanny (Mrs William Helliar, d 1 December 1899) was at the Manor House in Donyatt, Somerset, where her husband and his 20 employees farmed 400 acres, second sister Elizabeth (d June 1900) was living with third sister Jane (Mrs Richard Cornick d 3 December 1897) back in Allington, where Mr Cornick had also risen to the rank of JP ... they all done quite nicely. William was undoubtedly the runt of the litter ...

Poor William.

Post scriptum: And look! Here is the Helliar family in Australia. Lots of them and ... I'm not getting into them!

Mrs Helliar (Martha née Bond) (1822-1909), 'youngest daughter of the late Mr John Bond of Combe Fiorey, Somerset

William Bond Helliar (1860-1907) 'of The Willows, Natte Yallock'

John Jeffery Helliar (1825-1908)

Emma Helliar (Mrs Robert Long) (1864-1941)

Yes: 11 November 1858 Mary Esther daughter of William Helliar, late of South Pemberton, Somerset, married Edward Swanton late of  Clapton Somerset ...
John Jeffery eldest son of said William, and father of Mrs Robert Long, William Bond Helliar and Mrs Job Mills (where is HER photo) died 2 August 1908 ...