Francis Clutterbuck
Born Petone, New Zealand 1906 - 1985
Story by Francis's grandson, Ian Clutterbuck
Story by Francis's grandson, Ian Clutterbuck
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Francis Henry (my grandfather) was born in Petone Wellington on 21 September 1906, to James Clutterbuck and Martha Judson. Little is known of his early life until he married Trixie Rubina Parkin on 08 June 1927. After their wedding, the young couple moved in with his parents, along with his brother, Burt, and his wife. Here, their first child, Phyllis, was born along with Burt’s daughter, Dawn.
The depression years were spent on a rented farm opposite the Bromley School. They shared a house with his wife’s sister, husband, and two daughters. They raised chickens, had some cows, and between the two families were able to keep the family fed and well clothed. Francis (also known as Bob or Frank) was on relief work building the Mt Pleasant and Summit roads and sometimes worked at the Waimak River, his mode of transport was a bike with lengths of rope for tyres. They recall those days as some of their happiest times of their lives, as they had nothing and had fun making something out of nothing. |
Francis Henry and Trixie Rubina Wedding
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When the family moved to Humboldt Street, the section was about half an acre and while clearing the back section, he found two bikes and an old Hyde Park pram. He did them all up, sold the two bikes, and the younger kids and friends got use of the pram. The garden was always full of vegetables and fruit and what the family of nine at home didn’t use was given to relations and neighbours. No visitor to our place ever left empty handed, it was either produce or flowers they went away with. To supplement his wages, Francis made dolls cots, quoits, tables and chairs, and wheelbarrows, which he sold to “Barshams” in Colombo Street, Sydenham. Another sideline he had was collecting all the empty crates from British General and cut them in half and remake them, then he sold them on to Barlows for 5 shillings. He was a very resourceful man, he never used a new nail until he went to work full time. All he would do was straighten all the used ones.
None of his family could understand how he found the time to do everything around the yard as well as work the long hours he did. He used to come home from work so tired that he couldn’t eat his tea and yet he still got up to do a few hours in the shed or garden. He drove trucks for his brother George until George sold the business to E.H. Boyce and then he drove for them until he retired. A lot of the firms Boyces carried for would not have Mr. Boyce or his sons on their premises - Francis spent a lot of time mediating.
When Francis retired, he would help us out on our projects. He never, ever criticised what we doing and never offered an opinion unless asked. Wednesday was the day they went up to Phyllis and Bill’s, they looked forward to helping to put new benches in the flower room and generally helping out.
Francis Henry, the family man
These are the collective thoughts of Francis Henry the family man as shared by his children. “Dad was a stickler for trades and wanted all his children to have one – he won the resistances in every case." Driving Lessons as told by one of his sons:
"He taught me to drive a 5-ton truck. In the beginning, I would sit on his knee and steer, then progressed to sitting beside him and changing the gears while he used the clutch. Then I went on to drive the truck home from Hastings Street and gradually I progressed to driving the truck a lot but he drew the line at driving into town. When it came time for me to get my licence he had to give me a try out in a car because I had only ever driven the 5-ton truck. He was a very patient man.
Here’s another story. “My friend and I were in the truck shed doing chin ups on a beam when Dad arrived home from work. He asked us how many we had managed to do. We proudly said 20 then he promptly did 20, we protested and said that we did them a lot slower it’s much harder, he then did 20 slower and just said “ was that slow enough” and went inside.
Phyllis (their oldest) was on the receiving end of one of Dads determination, when she overstepped the mark. She was going to the pictures with her friend and mum told her to take Colin (the 2nd son) which meant you had to get him out of the dirt where he was playing with his cars and having a great time, get him washed (which was not an easy job), get him dressed, and all the time he is protesting that he wants to play with his cars. Phyllis decided she would go off without him, all the time she was blissfully unaware that Dad had cleaned up Colin and was biking down the road with Colin on the bar “Thought you’d got away without him, didn’t you?”. There was no way they were going to win. Dad always got the last laugh. The story went on Phyllis and her friend went to see the movie “Great Expectations". Colin sat beside them until a scene came up where someone jumped out and Colin screamed and shot out of the theatre like a rocket, so much for taking him to the movies when he didn’t want to go in the first place.
Lorraine as a small child: "We were on our way to Lyttelton on the train and I wanted to push my pram along the railway station, dad grabbed me, and my pram, he had won again. It was fine until a very foolish lady remarked to him “I wondered who was going to win the battle of the wills” Dad replied “I knew all along who was going to win and it wasn’t going to be her”.
None of his family could understand how he found the time to do everything around the yard as well as work the long hours he did. He used to come home from work so tired that he couldn’t eat his tea and yet he still got up to do a few hours in the shed or garden. He drove trucks for his brother George until George sold the business to E.H. Boyce and then he drove for them until he retired. A lot of the firms Boyces carried for would not have Mr. Boyce or his sons on their premises - Francis spent a lot of time mediating.
When Francis retired, he would help us out on our projects. He never, ever criticised what we doing and never offered an opinion unless asked. Wednesday was the day they went up to Phyllis and Bill’s, they looked forward to helping to put new benches in the flower room and generally helping out.
Francis Henry, the family man
These are the collective thoughts of Francis Henry the family man as shared by his children. “Dad was a stickler for trades and wanted all his children to have one – he won the resistances in every case." Driving Lessons as told by one of his sons:
"He taught me to drive a 5-ton truck. In the beginning, I would sit on his knee and steer, then progressed to sitting beside him and changing the gears while he used the clutch. Then I went on to drive the truck home from Hastings Street and gradually I progressed to driving the truck a lot but he drew the line at driving into town. When it came time for me to get my licence he had to give me a try out in a car because I had only ever driven the 5-ton truck. He was a very patient man.
Here’s another story. “My friend and I were in the truck shed doing chin ups on a beam when Dad arrived home from work. He asked us how many we had managed to do. We proudly said 20 then he promptly did 20, we protested and said that we did them a lot slower it’s much harder, he then did 20 slower and just said “ was that slow enough” and went inside.
Phyllis (their oldest) was on the receiving end of one of Dads determination, when she overstepped the mark. She was going to the pictures with her friend and mum told her to take Colin (the 2nd son) which meant you had to get him out of the dirt where he was playing with his cars and having a great time, get him washed (which was not an easy job), get him dressed, and all the time he is protesting that he wants to play with his cars. Phyllis decided she would go off without him, all the time she was blissfully unaware that Dad had cleaned up Colin and was biking down the road with Colin on the bar “Thought you’d got away without him, didn’t you?”. There was no way they were going to win. Dad always got the last laugh. The story went on Phyllis and her friend went to see the movie “Great Expectations". Colin sat beside them until a scene came up where someone jumped out and Colin screamed and shot out of the theatre like a rocket, so much for taking him to the movies when he didn’t want to go in the first place.
Lorraine as a small child: "We were on our way to Lyttelton on the train and I wanted to push my pram along the railway station, dad grabbed me, and my pram, he had won again. It was fine until a very foolish lady remarked to him “I wondered who was going to win the battle of the wills” Dad replied “I knew all along who was going to win and it wasn’t going to be her”.
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His final years
The family moved into a rented house in Frederick Street, Woolston. Francis built a new garage there as well as renovating the whole house. When it came time to buy their own home in Humboldt street, Francis suggested to the landlord that he should buy the garage, but the landlord said no way should he pay for it as Francis couldn’t take it away. This was something you never challenged him on, and he pulled the garage down and took it with him to their new place in Humboldt street. The landlord challenged him on even taking the concrete floor with him. Sorry, wrong thing to say after the first time, Francis broke up all the concrete and threw it over the fence to his old neighbour who had a use for it. When he retired he would help us out on our projects, he never ever criticised what we doing and never offered an opinion unless asked. Wednesday was the day they went up to Phyllis and Bill’s, they looked forward to helping to put new benches in the flower room and generally helping out. |
Francis Henry and Trixie Rubina Clutterbuck
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He was diagnosed with cancer and his last trip out was to his mother’s family reunion and it will always stand out in our memories as the highlight of his final year, he was so happy. He had his photo in the paper with his two cousins as they were cutting the cake, he talked flat out all the way home and fell into bed in his clothes, tired out but a very happy man. His favorite saying about shopping was "Do you want it? No. Do you need it. Yes?"
He was a really devoted husband to his wife, he would do anything for her. His one regret was that he died before her, he used to get upset that he couldn’t be with her. Francis died on 03 May 1985. Children of Francis Henry and Trixie Rubina:
1: Phyllis Esmae, born 15 December 1927
2: Frank Victor, born 15 February 1929
3: Leah Betty, born 01 December 1934
4: Colin James, born 01 April 1937
5: Lorriane Margaret, born 05 July 1939
6: Fay Maree,born 08 March 1942 – December 1942
7: Alan Bruce, born 09 September 1943
He was a really devoted husband to his wife, he would do anything for her. His one regret was that he died before her, he used to get upset that he couldn’t be with her. Francis died on 03 May 1985. Children of Francis Henry and Trixie Rubina:
1: Phyllis Esmae, born 15 December 1927
2: Frank Victor, born 15 February 1929
3: Leah Betty, born 01 December 1934
4: Colin James, born 01 April 1937
5: Lorriane Margaret, born 05 July 1939
6: Fay Maree,born 08 March 1942 – December 1942
7: Alan Bruce, born 09 September 1943