Bedford Row and Bedford Terrace in the Central City, Christchurch

Bedford Row – Bedford Row was once the grass covered centre of the extensive nurseries belonging to William Barbour Wilson (1819- 1897) from which trees were obtained for the main four avenues. Wilson was a nurseryman, businessman and local politician. First mentioned in The Press in 1877, appears on an 1879 map and first appears in street directories in 1883. The council took over Bedford Row, formerly a private street, making it a public street on 10 October 1892. This is reported in the Star. This decision cannot have been ratified as The Press in 1960 reports its recognition then.A reasonable of information from the library website. I have searched Papers Past and Ancestry website and I have no idea where the name of this street came from. William Wilson and his wife were from Scotland with no connection to Bedford in England. There was a Bedford Row in London and it is possibly named after this street.In 1877 William Wilson sold his land which was known as Wilson’s Garden fronting Cashel St, Lichfield St, Manchester St, Madras t and a new street Bedford Row. In 1878 new street to be taken over by City Council and is known as Bedford Row. It is full width and formed 12 months ago prior to selling of sections and was paid for by the owner. The council had received a petition from property owners requesting the council to take over the street subject to the usual terms. In 1879 there was a letter to the editor complaining about the broom and gorse on the vacant sections. Larrikins and school boys playing truant used the area. Worse still were the drunken men and dissolute women who made this their regular rendezvous. In 1880 the directors of the Temperance Hotel Company purchased sections to built a hotel. This is a hotel that doesn’t sell alcoholic drinks. In 1894 there was a court case about a trust deed where it was noted that William Wilson laid out a roadway on his property as a means of communication from the back of the buildings. Road remained open for nearly 30 years but no right of way had been set up against it. There was discussion about public use of this roadway. This unofficial road obviously became Bedford Row.William Wilson took out ads to say that his was moving his business to Ferry Rd area but he was charged with fraud in 1876 it was a very long article and a bit confusing. Sounded like he was executor of a will for Charles Brown Turner but used funds for himself. His wife separated from him in 1877 and it sounds like she continued living in the family home as it was in her name. There was a court case in December 1878 where William was charged with attempting to break into her home and he used threatening language. He was also charged with abusive and threatening language towards Dr John Frankish who was William’s brother-in-law. It sounded like William was abusive and violent towards his wife over a long period of time especially when he had been drinking. William died in the Terminus Hotel in 1897 and the article didn’t state if he was living at the hotel but it sounded like it. The obituary said he was born 1819 in Scotland and came to NZ in August 1850 in the ship Mariner. Planted a nursery garden on the Botanical Garden Reserve on which land there is now the Star and Garter Hotel. In 1868 he was the first mayor of Christchurch. Leaves a widow and 6 sons and 7 daughters. Funeral left from The Grove for Linwood cemetery. The Grove was the house that was in his wife’s name. In 1899 William’s widow Elizabeth was in England and through her lawyers in NZ requested that his bankruptcy be annulled. She must have returned to NZ as she died in 1912 and is buried in Linwood cemetery. Elizabeth was possibly the owner of the City Hotel. It sounds like there weren’t any houses here only businesses and many were connected to fruit and produce. In 1923 there was a letter to the editor complaining the refuse on the street because of the several fruit markets in the area. NZ Farmers Co-op had a cool store here. In 1920 Ken England had cars on display on this street. In 1928 there a a spacious warehouse central depot for the relief of those suffering from the effects of unemployed. This street eventually became the place to go for the nightlife and Sammys Jazz Review Bar was one name that I found. I only vaguely remember this street and only went there a couple of times. The buildings here were badly damaged in the earthquakes and they were demolished. I actually have walked this street twice and the first time I hadn’t realised as there isn’t any sign with the street name. There are lots of ugly modern apartments here and the addresses of them are Madras St going by the letterboxes. I would hate to live here as you are too close to your neighbours and parking would be terrible. Around the corner from Bedford Row is a row of more very modern apartments and the signpost says Bedford Terrace. Bedford Terrace is too new to be on the library website.