Hunting Kiwis
Tracing Canterbury's History through Headstones
Interior of St Peter's Church, Springfield, Canterbury, New Zealand
As well as over 250 gravestones standing in the attached Kowhai Pass cemetery, St Peter’s Church and its lychgate house memorial plaques.
These are listed below, in full. If you would like a larger, high-resolution image of any of the items listed below, please email me at moorfnz@gmail.com
CHURCH PLAQUES
ATKINSON, J H – Killed in action at Paardaburg, South Africa – 1901
CHESTERFIELD, William
CLARK, Douglas ? – Killed in action, Libya – 1941, age 23
St PETER’S DEDICATION PLAQUE
LYCHGATE PLAQUES
JOHNSON, Percy Hawkins (d. 1955)
JOHNSON, Catherine Amelia Mary Elizabeth (d. 1939)
These two plaques are located directly below the hook on which the lychgate bell rope is hung.
Hunting Kiwis 
I find your type of work fascinating.
We have found 2 of our relatives here. The “Longs”….Thanks heaps.
Posted by Phillipa | May 27, 2011, 2:35 amGreat news!
Did you want the gravestone images for these ancestors?
Helen
Posted by hleggatt | May 27, 2011, 5:28 amThanks for the offer but we will take a drive out that way again. We actually passed there on one of our “get to know the area” drives.
Posted by Phillipa | May 27, 2011, 5:40 amIt’s a beautiful spot 🙂 and the church is lovely, too.
Posted by hleggatt | May 27, 2011, 9:37 amLooking for Alastair Ross, c.1981 Springfield.
Posted by Les Hewett | September 2, 2011, 12:42 amThank you for what you have done on this site it is such a help so I am now going to ask if you can help me. In St Peters Church there was a plaque erected by the church to the memory of William CHESTERFIELD (my great grandfather). I saw this plaque myself back in the early 1990’s and wrote down what was on it and also a grave inscription, but unfortuately these have been lost over the years. If you could help with a transcript it would be greatly appreciated. Both William and his wife Elizabeth are buried in the cemetery next door but was unable to find their graves when there. The grave of Charlie BONNOR is also connected to the CHESTERFIELD family as BONNOR was Elizabeth first husbands surname. My family names connected to this church are CHESTERFIELD/BONNOR/MORGAN. Thanking you.
Jocelyn
Posted by Jocelyn Hill | January 8, 2012, 8:51 amHi Jocelyn,
Glad you like the project!
As for the plaque, I shall go and revisit Springfield Church as I didn’t record such a plaque last time I visited. I may have missed it or it may no longer be in place, although I find it unlikely it would have been removed.
Charlie Bonnor’s gravestone transcript is as follows:
In Living Memory Of
(Charlie) Bonnor
who died Dec. 13th 1894
Age 25
Also his sister
(Nellie)
aged 5 years
Also their brother
(Johnnie)
aged 4 years
They died June 7th 1885
Also EVA CHESTERFIELD
died April 1885
age 3 months
“The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away
Blessed be the name of the Lord”
However I have no record of a headstone photograph for William and Elizabeth. I shall see if any now-unmarked graves are recorded.
Best
Helen
Posted by hleggatt | January 21, 2012, 7:25 amThank you for the information on the headstone it confirms what I have from Kowae Pass records.. Both Elizabeth and William CHESTERFIELD are buried some where in that cemetery. Elizabeth died 18 June 1907 and William 29 January 1924. My mother can not remember whether a headstone was erected although she remembers visiting the cemetery with her parents while living in Springfield. They left there in about 1935 when she was about 10 years old. The plaque was in the church itself and my mother thinks the wall nearest the road although she says at 85 years her memory is not what it was. Many thanks.
Jocelyn
Posted by Jocelyn Hill | January 21, 2012, 9:13 amJocely, I was in Springfield today and have now uploaded the plaque you are seeking. I did have the image of it but the one I had taken was illegible due to sunlight/reflections but today, as it’s raining, it was easier to photograph.
Kind regards
Helen
Posted by hleggatt | January 22, 2012, 3:01 amHi Helen.
Many thanks for the photo of the plaque related to William CHESTERFIELD. Would it be possible for me to get a copy of it so I could add to my tree.information. Let me know any cost involved so I may reinburse you for your service. Thanking you again.
Jocelyn
Posted by Jocelyn Hill | January 26, 2012, 5:25 amYou’re very welcome, Jocelyn. I will email you the original image later today. We are collecting donations for the earthquake damage as opposed to charging for our service, anything you can give is gratefully received and current donations are going to St John’s Church renovations in Hororata.
Best
Helen
Posted by hleggatt | January 26, 2012, 10:38 pmInteresting read plaques is a very unique way of saying they will be remembered
Posted by sam | June 8, 2012, 2:09 amThanks for the site and the useful information provided
– Elizabeth Chesterfield (formerly Bonnor) was my great great great grandmother
Posted by Ian Cassidy | April 25, 2014, 4:10 amYou are right Ian when you say this is an interesting site with useful information. My grandmother Ellen MORGAN (nee CHESTERFIELD) was the eldest daughter of Elizabeth (BONNOR) and William CHESTERFIELD and she and her brother Samuel grew up with the BONNOR children. This made Elizabeth my Great Grandmother. I have information on the CHESTERFIELD BONNOR and WHITE families if you want help. The plaque in the church to William CHESTERFIELD was Elizabeth husband. Jocelyn
Posted by Jocelyn Hill | April 27, 2014, 5:09 amGreat info – thank you 🙂
Posted by hleggatt | April 27, 2014, 8:35 amGreat to hear from you Jocelyn. My great great grandmother was Frances Ann Bonnor who was the daughter of Elizabeth and John Bonnor (the first husband). Yes I would love to have information on the Chesterfield and White families since I have been able to find out little about them. I can give you info on the descendants of Frances Ann if you need this. Also you probably have information on the Bonnor family that might be helpful. I believe the children from Elizabeth’s first marriage were John Charles William, Freeman, George Frederick, Alfred John, Frances Ann and Ellen and John (who both died on the same day – I believe in a house fire). It makes me think that your Ellen may have been named after the Ellen that died. I live in Auckland and am currently on Holiday in Wellington and don’t have all my info with me but I will be back home on Sunday.
Ian
Posted by Ian Cassidy | April 27, 2014, 8:53 pmHi Ian. I would be only to willing to share what information I have with you. You say you are currently in Wellingtonwell that is where I live in Upper Hutt. You can either email direct at nannahill51@yahoo.com.au or ring me on ph. 2808702 or mobile 022 0850594. Thanks Jocelyn
Posted by Jocelyn Hill | April 27, 2014, 9:44 pm