Journal of the Nelson and Marlborough Historical Societies, Volume 2, Issue 6, 1995

The 1880s

The 1880s

Another daughter, Jessica, was born in 1880 and this made quite a large family, even in those times.

Dr Horne's determination to go to Court on any dispute was repeated in a case where he alleged that a Mr R Taylor unlawfully detained his dog at Mahakipawa. He claimed five pounds, however the dog died, apparently still in detention.

In July 1880 a disastrous fire occurred at Renwick and Sergeant Kiely located Dr Horne, who travelled to Renwick to treat four badly burnt men. The treatment lasted from 4am to 9am.

Dr Horne kept up his activities on the Omaka Road Board to maintain and improve roads in Dillons Point. He fought against interests that were satisfied to see the area flooded to protect land out at Spring Creek and Tua Marina. As the 1880s progressed he started to sell off some of his 150 acre rural sections and by 1885 he only retained four, sections 1, 3, 6 and 9.

Dr Horne often stayed in the Criterion Hotel and was there in 1887 when there was a major fire. He was seen to escape, but went back in to try and save his 12 year old son, Leonard, and tragically died in the fire. Leonard had been taken care of by friends and survived. Although some bone remains were found, nothing could prove them to be human. Indeed, gossip at the time, heard by the Lucas family at Dillons Point, suggested that Dr Horne may have left the area by a river vessel! After all, Dr Horne did desire to "leave the province" when he leased out his rural properties in 1879.

However gossip is rarely reliable. He was indeed a loved Doctor, husband and father. All reports of his treatment of people showed that real sympathy and practical help were always given.

In the formal obituary in the Marlborough Express on July 1 1887, the writer stated: "During the last few years he has resided mostly on his country property and has acted more as a Consultant with his fellow practitioners in important cases, especially those of a surgical nature. Not only by them, but by the whole town and district, will the kindly minded gentlemen be missed. Not only medicine and surgery in times of sickness, but the kindly action in times of adversity and in the chamber of death, will be remembered at this sad time and go to the credit of him who was known by all of us so well and will be remembered affectionately as the 'old Doctor' a term which is in the Wairau is a household word".

In his will, dated 10 December 1885, his wife was appointed Executrix. It included a map of section 4, 150 acre homestead block of Dillons Point Farms. Apparently there was a long running challenge to this will, which was eventually referred to the Privy Council.

Ellen Horne retired to a 2 storey home, where the Presbyterian Church is now in Alfred Street, Blenheim. She and her family acted as mortgagees for Dillons Point properties for many years. Ellen Horne died in 1902. The children became widely spread around New Zealand and the world, and so ended the pioneering life and influence of Lewis Keele Horne.