Edward Sole **

   Cause of his death was Killed by a falling tree branch.

  General Notes:

"Edward was 11 when he arrived at New Plymouth. The earliest record of his life in New Zealand is the Juror's List for New Plymouth, 1857-58, where his occupation is given as labourer. He then moved to Wanganui, where he worked as a brewer.....

In 1862, Edward returned to New Plymouth to live. The shipping list in the Taranaki Herald on 18th January 1862 indicates that Edward travelled from Wanganui by the SS Wonga Wonga, arriving at New Plymouth on 15 January. His wife and children followed a few weeks later on the same ship, arriving at New Plymouth on 2 March. The family's address in 1863 was Devon Street and they had moved to St Aubyn Street by 1864. In 1866 when their youngest son was born they were living in Mt Edgecumbe Street.

After moving back to New Plymouth, Edward fought in the Taranaki Wars as a volunteer in 2M Company. The Militia and Volunteers Sick Reports show that he was reported ill on 9 October 1863 and was discharged on 20 October 1863 with the surgeon's remarks that he was suffering with delerium tremens.

He died tragically, aged 37, when a branch of a tawa tree accidentally fell and struck him while working as a sawyer in the bush. An inquest held before Josiah Flight Esq., Coroner, heard the evidence of John Parsons, who said that he and Edward were working at the Hua as sawyers, living in a tent. At 6.30 in the morning of 26 February, before they had dressed, they heard a cracking and Edward said he would go out and see what it was. Parsons immediately followed and although he saw the branch falling he did not see it strike Edward. After discovering Edward was dead, he moved the body to the tent, dressed, and hastened to the farm of Charles Sampson for help. While Sampson's son went into town for the doctor, the two men returned to the scene of the accident. and Sampson later swore that the limb of the tree, which would have been 6 inches through at the butt, had apparently rebounded, passing the trunk of the tree, and had thus struck the deceased. The surgeon, Patrick Joseph O'Carroll, said that he went to the tent and examined the body while it was still warm. The arm on the right side was broken, and there were many deep scratches on the hinder part of the body. The seventh and eighth ribs on the right side were broken, and on the head there was a deep fracture of the skull about one and a half by about one inch broad. The bone was driven in on the brain, and such wounds were quite sufficient to cause death, such as might have been caused by the falling or the sticking of a limb of a tree. The jury, without retiring, at once found a verdict 'That the deceased Edward Sole came to death accidentally by the falling upon him of a branch of a tree'."
Source: From the Marshes to the Mountain, by Faye Clark, 1991.

  Noted events in his life were:

• He worked as a Labourer according to the Jurors List of 1857-58 in 1858 in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.

• He worked as a Brewer at the time of his marriage on 24 Mar 1859 in Wanganui, New Zealand.

• He worked as a Brewer at the time of daughter Susannah's marriage on 17 Mar 1884.

• He worked as a Brewer according to daughter Susannah's Death Certificate in 1927.

• He had a residence in 1863 in Devon St, Wanganui, New Zealand.

• He had a residence in 1864 in St Auybyn St, Wanganui, New Zealand.

• He had a residence in 1866 in Mt Edgecumbe St, Wanganui, New Zealand.

Edward married Sarah Bason, daughter of John Bason ** and Mary Wills **, on 24 Mar 1859 in Christ Church, Wanganui, New Zealand. (Sarah Bason was born on 27 Feb 1839 in Potterspury, Northampton, England, christened on 31 Mar 1839 in Potterspury, Northampton, England, died on 28 Mar 1896 in Waimate, Canterbury, New Zealand and was buried in 1896 in Waimate, Canterbury, New Zealand.). The cause of her death was Acute bronchitis, Epilepsy 10 days.