Heywood Tce in Richmond – Named after Heywoods, the home of George Bowron (1806- 1891) on the East Belt (later Fitzgerald Avenue)Bowron bought Rural Section 33, 50 acres on the “North Bank Avon, near Cemetery”, in 1851. He was Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, of Deeds and Deputy Commissioner of Stamps. He named his house, Heywoods, and farm, The Heywood, after Sir Benjamin Heywood, a friend of his in England, and his family. His son, George Bowron jnr. (1838-1915) farmed The Heywood, and later Banner Downs, Fernside, in partnership with Samuel Heywood (1839-1896). George Ivall Heywood (1859-1892) was the son of Joseph Martin Heywood (1832-1904), a carrier, and probably a relation of Samuel Heywood. He is listed in street directories 1887- 1890 as living where Heywood Terrace was later formed. Moritz Bowron (1845?-1933) is listed in street directories as a neighbour of George Heywood in 1890. First mentioned in The Press in 1893 when building sites in Heywood Terrace are advertised for sale after the Heywood Estate was subdivided into 221 sections. First appears in street directories in 1896.
A huge amount of information from the library website and I couldn’t find any connection between Samuel Heywood or George Ivall Heywood to Sir Benjamin Heywood. Samuel Heywood’s father was Richard Heywood. George Ivall Heywood’s father was Joseph Martin Heywood.
A reasonable amount of information from Papers Past and there were sections for sale between 1893 and 1900 and all described as being close to tram and boat sheds. Found a couple of entries in 1893 that described Heywood Tce as a magnificent new street where the vendors had formed, channelled and metalled the street at their own expense. Another entry in 1893 said that land from the Heywood Estate had been sold and it was just above the Union Rowing Shed. Land had been known as Bowron’s and had been in the family for some 42 years. Lots of birth and death notices. The corner of Draper St and Heywood Tce seemed to have a lot of accidents frequently involving taking the corner at speed.
I did rather sidetrack when researching this street as George Bowron’s obituary in 1891 said that he owned a large portion of what is now Richmond plus that he came to Christchurch on one of the first four ships. I went checking as obituaries for at least three of his children said that they came out in 1851 on the Bangalore. Found the passenger list and the family came out on the Bangalore. I also sidetracked checking out the Heywood families.
The houses on this street cover every decade from 1905 to 2023. One house from 1910 looks very sad. There were about six older houses but they didn’t really stand out for me. I even almost liked a couple of the modern houses.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 