The dead tell tales

couldn’t see because my eyes were flooded with tears … if things go wrong I will kill myself. Tears are falling for you in my dreams’’.

Constable Heeps was accorded an impressive ceremony in which the Commissioner of Police and other highranking officers officiated, with a cortege of some 1000 people to Morrinsville Cemetery.

In contrast, Hona was buried in an unmarked grave in Hamilton East Cemetery.

The funeral service for the Davenports was at St Luke’s Anglican Church in Te Kuiti.

All the business premises of Te Kuiti closed for an hour and the streets were lined with mourners as the cortege of some 70 cars followed the hearses to the cemetery, which is a few kilometres out of town.

The community had not known German and Alice Davenport for many years, as they shifted to Te Kuiti only after retiring from running a large general store in Marton.

In about 1933 they built the nineroomed farm house, ‘‘one of the finest homesteads in the King Country’’, and the family shifted out to Rangitoto.

Their peaceful life came to an abrupt end just a year later.

The dramatic story played out in the newspapers for several weeks, including its codicil: what about the will?

German Mortin Davenport had bequeathed his property to his wife and sons, but the last to die was Edward and he died intestate.

The property comprised 2000 acres of freehold and 1000 acres leasehold land, valuation being £15,000.

After £3000 in death duties was paid, the court found German’s brother and Alice’s sister to be the beneficiaries of this major family tragedy.

Note: Many thanks to members of the Te Kuiti members of the NZ Genealogical Society who drew my attention to the graves.