Edgar Finch Leicester (Ted) was born 23rd April 1890 in London. He was the eldest son of Lily and William Finch Leicester.
Ted met Violet May Parkes. She was the only daughter of Mr Charles Parkes and Mrs Mary Jane Parkes (maiden name Huggins) of London and born 3rd March 1890. Ted brought Violet home to meet his mother.
Ted did an apprenticeship in the electrical trade in London.
When he was twenty-one, Ted left England and emigrated to New Zealand. He joined the crew of a ship that was sailing for New Zealand. Ted worked for his passage to New Zealand as a cook on board the ship. Ted arrived in Auckland in 1911. At the time, he had only $2 in his pocket but was able to get jobs on farms in Te Aroha, Morrinsville, New Plymouth and finally at the Maeraekakaho Station.
Ted learnt the electrical trade from a 1/- (shilling) book. Violet’s father came to New Zealand first (before his wife and his daughter) and he taught Ted the plumbing trade.
After four years, Ted had managed to save up enough money to pay for his finance’s fare to New Zealand. Mary Jane Parkes and her daughter, Violet, followed Charles to New Zealand later. They were on the high seas when the 1914 war broke out and were followed to Australia by a German submarine.
Violet May Parkes (Vi)
b. 3 March 1890
London?
d. 13 April 1980
New Zealand
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Edgar George Finch Leicester (Ted)
b. 23 April 1890
London
d. 25 June 1989
New Zealand |
LEFT TO RIGHT: Ted, Joan, Wilfred, and Violet |
married
10 March 1915
St Matthew's Church, Hastings, New Zealand
{Click here for Ted and Vi's family tree}
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Ted married Violet Parkes on 10th March 1915 at St Matthew’s Church, Hastings, in New Zealand. They were known as Mr and Mrs Leicester.
They had five children: Joan Christine was born 26th December 1915, Wilfred (Wilf) was born 24th June 1917, twins Violet (Trixie) and Edgar (Buster) were born 1 Jan 1919, and Bunty was born 23rd April 1921.
Photo taken about 1917 or 1918: Ted and Joan |
Ted decided in 1918 to go back to his old trade and became an electrical inspector to the old Havelock North Town Board and installed the town’s first street power lights in 1918 and in 1922 began to look after the board’s Maraetotara electric power scheme, which was abandoned several years later.
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Photo taken January 1921
LEFT TO RIGHT: Joan, Wilfred, Buster, and Trixie
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Photo taken March 1922
LEFT TO RIGHT: Buster, Trixie, Joan with Bundy on knee, and Wilfred
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Ted then started his own business in 1933, E. F. Leicester & Sons, an electrical contracting business in Hastings, on Havelock Road next to the Havelock North post office and later moved to Te Mata Road. Mr. and Mrs. Leicester worked side-by-side to establish the business. Vi looked after the bookkeeping of the business and worked in the office for 20 years.
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Photo taken 28th March 1928
LEFT TO RIGHT: Wilf, Ted, Buster, Joan, Trixie, Vi and Bunty
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BACK ROW : Bunty, Joan, Vi Leicester
FRONT ROW: Mrs Parkes (Vi's mother) and Edna (Wilf's wife) and son Tony
Photo taken about 1948
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In 1949 or 1950, Ted and Vi visited relatives in England. They saw Ted's brothers: Lew, Leslie and Hubert. They also saw their mother.
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Ted and Lew |
Leslie and Ted |
Hubert and Ted |
They retired in about 1970 from the business and went to live in Te Awanga. They celebrated their diamond wedding in 1975.
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Ted and Vi in Havelock N, New Zealand
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Ted and Vi with great grandchildren
(Lesley's children: Robert, Heather, Murray, and twins Kathryn and Sandra)
Photo taken about 1968.
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Vi passed on 13th April 1980 at age ninety. Uncle Ted passed on 25th June 1989 at age ninety-nine. |
