By the mid-1890s an acre of land had been set aside for the development of a cemetery close to Mayfield in the Ashburton region of Canterbury. Until then, the nearest cemetery for residents of the Mayfield township had been Mt. Somers cemetery.

Mayfield is a small farming settlement in mid-Canterbury, located 35 km from Ashburton on former State Highway 72 at the intersection of the Lismore-Mayfield Road towards the top of the Canterbury Plains.

The new burial ground was called “Ruapuna Cemetery”. Situated on Coskeries Road, the cemetery is easily missed and not en-route to anywhere in particular.

The cemetery is very small and dominated by the families SEWELL, DELLOW, and ALLAN and BENNETT.

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High-resolution photographs of the grave are available, plus one or two of the cemetery/church if applicable. This includes a full transcription, particularly for those stones that are hard to read or eroded.

Please consider a small donation to keep the site and the work going

Email me for gravestone images: moorfnz@gmail.com

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These images are copyright Hunting Kiwis (2010-2012)
Please note – recent headstones from 1980 onwards have not yet been added

ALLEN , William James (d. 2nd August, 1935)

BAXTER, George A (d. 20th December, 1938)

BENNETT family – Lilian Winifred, Margaret, Thomas

BROWN, Agnes (d. 25th November, 1919)

CONWAY, James Arthur (d. 4th August, 1933).

CREE, Rev. James Warnock (d. 13th May, 1899).

DELLOW, Horace (d. 6th August, 1899). Age 1 yr 2 months. Also Eva Frances Dellow (d. 20th August 1899) age 19 days.

DELLOW, James (d. 14th October, 1922). Born in Middlesex in 1857, came to New Zealand with his parents and siblings in 1859, aboard the ship “Regina“. James is the brother of the Reverend John Dellow (b. Middlesex, August 1, 1851 – d. 1898 NZ). Married Jessie BOULTON in 1883.

Photograph of James Dellow and his family.

Six Children:
George – b. 1884
William Keall – b. 1885
Beatrice Jane – b. 1887
Alfred Henry – b. 1889 d. 1939
Gladys May – b. 1892
Clarence Arnold – b. 1903

DELLOW, Jessie (d. 22nd January, 1931). Wife of James Dellow (above). Nee BOULTON.

DELLOW, Trevor Wilson (d. 2nd September, 1915). Age 3 years.

DOYLE, W. Logan (d. 26th September, 1994).

DRUMMOND, Ronald James (d. 25th October, 1913). Age 6 weeks. Two headstones for same baby boy on same spot – one says died in Sept 1913, the other October 1913. Which is correct?

EDIS, Florence Ann (d. 27th April, 1926)

GLASSEY, Robert Burns (d. 1906). Born 1842 Armagh, Ireland. Son of William GLASSEY and Dorcas BURNS. Married Susan BOYD (b. 21 Mar 1864, Glenageeragh, Clogher, Tyrone, Northern Ireland) on on 1 Sep 1885 in Glenhoy,Tyrone,Northern Ireland. 11 children.

HIND, Isabelle (d. 5th March, 1920). Wife of John Hind.

HOLLAND, Robert Walter (d. 8th September, 1951)

JONES, Maud Emily (d. 18th June, 1953)

KELLAHAN, Daniel (d. 19th February, 1902). And his wife Isabella nee McRoberts. Daniel’s funeral notice and report in the Ashburton Guardian.

KING, John Duncan (d. 6th March, 1939).

LANE, Frederick James (d. 1905). Age 9 days.

LANE, Richard (d. 25th March, 1942). Also his wife Margaret Anne.

LILLEY, Rosanna (d. 15th October, 1913). Age 29. Rosanna Lilley was found murdered in a paddock near her home. Read a report of the tragic story here.

McDOWELL, Robert (d. 25th April, 1937)

McDOWELL, Sarah (d. 26th June, 1929).

McLAUCHLAN, James (d. 23rd December, 1900). Age 26.

MOORE, Kenneth Leslie (1918 – 1981)

PATTERSON, Edith Crawford  (d. 1st October, 1959)

SEWELL, Alfred Hunter (d. 9th May, 1915). Age 9 months.

SEWELL, Charles Alexander (d. May 2000). Also his wife Isabelle Harper Sewell.

SEWELL, Eliza Ann (d. 19th July, 1919). Age 27. Wife of George Henry Sewell.

SEWELL, Jessie Muriel (d. 8th May, 1989). Also her husband John Kenneth Allen (Jack) d. 7th April, 1994).

SEWELL, Mary Jane (d. 25th December, 1922). Age 70. Wife of David Oliver Sewell.

SEWELL, Michael (d. 3rd June, 1897). Age 74.

SEWELL, Michael (d. 2nd August, 1948)

SEWELL, Samuel (1855 – 1905).

SEWELL, Samuel William (1877 – 1947). Also his wife Alice Elizabeth and their infant children Brian and James.

TASKER, Margaret Hunter (d. 4th May, 1950). Wife of Francis Tasker.

WHITING, Charles Noel (d. 17th October, 1913). Age 14 months.

WHITING, William (d. 18th March, 1937)