LAWRENCE CEMETERY

[NZBC]

LAWRENCE CEMETERY

Block 3 Plot 26

• 500 Agnes Chow Chie died 22/3/1896 aged 29. Erected by her friends. Stone is decorative white marble slab
• 620 Chum Shim Kong Kung
• 753 Lee William Sing
• 718 Sarah McShane Yet See
• 759 Charley Fook Ying
• Maria Ah Ying
• 249 Jane Fook You

Chinese Burials

Although there is a Chinese section marked on the Ground Plan of the cemetery behind the “old” general section, there is no sign of anything on the ground today – in fact the Chinese section appears to be outside the Cemetery boundary fence in 1982. However the following is a list of names appearing on Page 290 in the old Burial Book.

• 620 Sue Chong Quce 2 /2/1929
• Ah Chang 13/6/1929
• Yeck Gie 26/2/1931
• Fau Siu 10/6/1935
• Jong Mui Yow 27/6/1939
• Kong Kung Chow 24/9/1939
• Chow Shim 5/9/1945 aged 96 years

Seemingly, all Chinese buried prior to 1902 were disinterred for their bodies to be shipped home to China for burial there. This was on the ship “Ventnor” which carried 499 coffins of Chinese. The ship was wrecked off Omapere 28 October 1902 with the loss of 13 crew.

• Plot 753 Block 3 Plot 37. Bare but shows burial of William Sing Lee.
• Plot 718 Block 2 Plot 22. Sarah McShane the beloved wife of James Yet See who departed this life 6 May 1889 aged 31 years. Rest in Peace.
• Plot 759 Block 3 Plot 29. Bare. Burial of Charley Fook Ying.
• Plot 760 Block 3 Plot 28. Chinese inscription then Maria Ah Ying died 28/8/1897 aged 58 years.
• Plot 249 Block 5 Plot 13. Jane Fook You died 18/5/1905 aged 35 years.






East Taiere Cemetery

• 1490 Block W Plot 704 / 703 Ding Chew. Bare
• 1489 Block W Plot 705 Kee Ling Young, most beloved husband of Elizabeth – died 7 October 1969 23 years. Chinese inscription.
• 1491 Block W Plot 702 / 701. Chin Gun. Bare
• 1346 Block Y Plot 26 Chinese Inscription. Kathleen Ding 1955-1957.
• 1608 Block V Plot 798 / 797. A dear husband and father. Chun Ding died 5/5/1966 aged 90 years. Also Choie Shee beloved wife and mother, died 25/4/1978 aged 100 years. Always remembered. R Millin and Sons.
• 1607 Block V Plot 800 / 799. A dear husband and father Hok Yan Sew Hoy died 19/9/1973 aged 74 years. Always remembered. Chinese inscription. Till Short/ Millin.
• 317 Block A Plot 235A Wong. Bare
• 1609 Block V Plot 796 / 795. A Dear father Jun Tim Sew Hoy passed away 16/4/1966. Ever remembered. Chinese inscription.

West Taiere Cemetery

178 Block 15 Plot 34. Burial Ah Chin. Removed to China.

[NZBC]

Otago Witness, Issue 2538, 5 November 1902

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=OW19021105.2.85&srpos=9&e=-------10--1----0ching+chong+taranaki-all

“Foundering of the Ventnor. The Captain and two officers lost. The Chinese bones go to the bottom. Auckland, October 29. The steamer Ventnor, from Wellington, loaded with bodies of resurrected Chinese, struck a rock off Cape Egmont on Sunday night, and foundered off Hokianga.
Addional Particulars. How the Ventnor Struck. Hokianga 10.30 a.m. The steamer Ventnor, which left Wellington for Hong Kong on Sunday, foundered off Hokianga Bar last night at about a quarter to 9 o'clock. The Ventnor left Wellington, as stated, on Sunday with 500 Chinese bodies and 6400 tons of coal She was owned by Gow Harrison and Co of Glasgow, her port of register, and was captained by H. G. Ferry. ( Before she had been long out at 40 minutes after midnight on Sunday a shock which shook the vessel from stem to stern made it manifest to everyone on board that the steamer had struck a rock, subsequent investigations showing that the reef hit was to the southward of Cape Egmont.”

[NZBC]

Tragedy affected men from Zengcheng. The Otago Witness, 5 November 1902 reported. “Auckland, October 29. Captain and two officers lost. Chinese bones go to the bottom. The steamer Ventnor, from Wellington, loaded with bodies of resurrected Chinese, struck a rock off Cape Egmont on Sunday night, and foundered off Hokianga Bar last night at about a quarter to 9 o'clock. The Ventnor left Wellington with 500 Chinese bodies and 6400 tons of coal” The steamer Ventnor had previously been in Westport loading coal for the China naval station, before being fitted out to carry the bodies of Chinese from Wellington to Hongkong. Evening Post 17 October 1902

[NZBC]

SEARCH FOR CHINESE BODIES PerPre«s, Association Auckland This d»y. Th» steamer Energy has been employed for the past three weeks in an effort to locate the wreck of the Ventnor at Hokianga Heads with a view to the recovery of the Chinese bodies There are on the Energy two Chinese Representatives and a representative of the Underwriters. The Chinese are sparing no expense, especially for the recovery of the containing the body of Sew Hoy, of Otago. Deceased's relatives will willingly pay £2000 or £3,000 to secure burial on Chinese soil. Four coffins washed ashore, are alleged to have been broken open by Maori searching for money.

Bush Advocate, Volume XIV, Issue 231, 30 December 1902, Page 3

[Robyn]

I have recently learnt that Sarah Jane Yet-See (nee McShane) was the sister of my great grandmother. I would be very interested to know of any information as to her life in the Chinese Camp in Lawrence. Sarah Jane died at 31 years of age and is buried in Lawrence Cemetery. I would also like to know about her husband and whether or not they had children. Any ideas as to how I may research this would be warmly welcomed.