Edmund Douglas GILES [9427]

  General Notes:

Edmund was born at 14 The Crescent Taunton

In September 1868 Edmund and Edgar Giles went to NZ to their uncle Joseph; and in 1869 to Queensland, Australia to Messrs Fraser and Downe's station; in 1872 Edgar returned to England for his health's sake, but returned a year later on the storm damaged Southern Belle. 1872 Edmund Douglas went to Messrs Govett's station, Terrick Downs, Barcoo River, in 1873 he was joined there by his brother William Edward who had come to Australia that year.

William, later joined by Edmund then went to Mai, New Hebrides, to establish a copra/palm oil plantation but fell ill. The enterprise failed and they returned to their Uncle J Giles at Hokitika NZ.

In 1881 E. D. Giles was appointed manager (of Horsley Downs and Heathstock Estates).
Ref: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-AclEarl-t1-body-d10-d9.html

11 Years' Experience on about 80,000 Sheep. From Mr E. D. Giles, manager Horsley Downs and Heathstock Estates. 30th December, 1895. I beg to state that I have need Cooper's Dip for a number of years (since 1884), and also tried many of the other patent dips, and prefer Cooper's to any other I have used, as it stains the wool less and is thoroughly and permanently effective, if properly used, both with, ticks and lice."
Ref: HAWKES BAY HERALD, VOLUME XXXII, ISSUE 10514, 21 JANUARY 1897

Edmund Douglas Giles
Electoral year 1893
Number 1213
Occupation Station manager
Residence Horsley Downs
Electorate Ashley
Type Residential Country
New Zealand electoral rolls

Edmund Douglas Giles
Number 1132
Electoral year 1896
Occupation station manager
Residence Horsley Downs
Electorate Ashley
Qualification residential Property qualification
New Zealand electoral rolls

Edmund was a sheep farmer of Mt Parnassus, on the Waiau, Nth Canterbury NZ

Edmund Douglas Giles
Electoral year 1911
Number 2137
Occupation station manager
Residence Parnassus
Electorate Hurunui
Qualification - Country
New Zealand electoral rolls

Giles Edmund Douglas Otiritiri Pages Rd Timaru sheep farmer
Canterbury NZ Electoral Roll 1914

Douglas Edmund Giles is recorded as a JP of Mt Parnassus Waiau NZ - 1915, 1917.

Edmund Douglas Giles sheepfarmer probate filed Christchurch 21 May 1926

Edmund was a member of the Canterbury branch of the NZ Institute.

Message from Jenny Abrahamson Jan 2010
About E.D.Giles - first he was the manager of Horsley Down, later he farmed Parnassus, then he built a large home, Otiritiri, in Timaru - this is now a golf club-house. Looking at his journal Edmund Giles writes in 1911 "In 1909, we all went to Europe, staying one year in Switzerland, then came to England." He adds later "In the summer of 1911 I took a house at Parame in Brittany. In 1912, I went out to New Zealand (leaving his family behind), and after staying there some three months, returned to England via Japan and the Siberian railway, meeting my wife, son and daughter Prudence in Berlin. When we got back to England, I determined to return to New Zealand, so settled up everything and sailed, leaving Allen at Cambridge and Prue to follow us after a stay in France and Italy. I had started a new home in Timaru when out in 1912, and when this was finished in September 1914, we went there to live." So they must have stayed there for the duration of the war at least. . . . .

  Research Notes:

Photo courtesy of the Timaru Museum.

Otiritiri was the home of Mr & Mrs Edgar Jones when the photo was taken in the 1930's by Mr Percy Morse, whose car is in the driveway. Edmund Giles sold to Edgar Jones. Jones's wrote a book is about his time at Mt Nessing, North Canterbury, he must have been in his seventies when he bought Otirtiri.

  Other Records

1. Otiritiri homestead: Pages Rd Gleniti Timaru NZ.
Edmund Giles built his homestead Otiritiri on a small holding on the edge of Timaru, about 1914.
In 2018 the old but gracious house serves as the 19th for the Gleniti Golf Club.

Photo courtesy of the Timaru Museum.

Edmund married Bessie Mortimer DAVIE [9428] [MRIN: 3262], daughter of Cyrus Barb Lander DAVIE [5810] and Emma Ratclif MORTIMER [9753], on 6 Aug 1890 in St Lukes Christchurch NZ. (Bessie Mortimer DAVIE [9428] was born on 31 Jan 1865 in Christchurch NZ, baptised on 26 Feb 1865 in St Michaels Christchurch NZ, died on 25 Nov 1928 and was buried in Barbadoes St Cemetery ChCh. NZ.)