Helen Brodie (nee Grant)

HELEN BRODIE (nee Grant)

Helen was the second daughter of Charles and Janet and she followed her three brothers to New Zealand arriving about 1867. She had married Thomas Brodie when she was still in her teens and the eldest child of the marriage, Jessie, was just a toddler when her parents reached Dunedin and settled in Hanover Street. Four sons and a daughter were born in Dunedin and tragedy in the form of the death of her husband struck in 1877 when Jessie was only 12. Thomas Brodie had served in the Crimea and his experiences in that fearful campaign had undermined his health. He was a stone mason and was employed in the building of Otago University before his failing health precluded his following that occupation any longer. It is recorded that he spent at least one convalescence with his brother-in-law Peter at “Gowrie” and throughout the stories of the Grant brothers there are frequent references to Helen with whom several of her nephews boarded in their periods of apprenticeship in various trades and occupations in Dunedin. “Aunt Brodie” was frequently spoken of in many Grant family homes for many years after her death which took place in 1902 at the comparatively early age of 56. Helen's life demanded a sturdiness of spirit and great capability in that she was widowed at the age of 31 with the responsibility of six young children; there was no State assistance for widows at that time and indeed until nearly 10 years after her death. John Grant of “Clairinch" boarded with his Aunt, as did John Jnr. of the Waitepeka folk; the latter thought so much of his Aunt that he named his second son Thomas Brodie for her. Mary, a niece from Waitepeka, also lived with her whilst learning dressmaking and one or two of Peter's sons were also under Aunt Brodie's care in their apprenticeship days. There was not much spare cash in the 80's and payment for board was frequently affected in kind by farm produce – fresh butter, eggs, and meat were sent regularly from Waitepeka and the Taieri.

A great friend of the Brodie family was Dr. Stenhouse who took one of Helen's two girls, Annie, into his own home for a period; Dr. Stenhouse was also an acquaintance of the “Gowrie” folk and a book of poems, sonnets etc. by him was a gift to Mary of “Gowrie” on the occasion of her marriage. When Helen Brodie died the following poem appeared in a Dunedin newspaper over the initials of W.M.S. and was included over the Doctor's name under date 8th August, 1902 in the “In Memoriam” Card which was customary at that time.

Tis five and twenty years since here we stood

Before an open grave,-four little sons and I,

And laid the sire where all alike must lie,

When to this just decree it seemeth good.

And she, the widowed one, though stricken sore,

Indulged herself in no unmeasured grief,

But sought to find assuagement and relief

In tending to the task that lay before.

To train her children to a useful life,

To make the home so pleasant, loving, sweet,

That no allurements should entice the feet,

In crooked ways in which the world is rife.

Patient and self reliant, she accomplished all,

And more than all, with Providence to aid,

Now in her turn she Nature's debt has paid;

Calm and resigned, she met the heavenly call.

And now she rests, wearing the victor's bays,

Won in the field of noble motherhood,

And leaving such an influence for good

As still shall live to bless her children's days.

Daughter of Scotland, daughter of a clan

That foremost stood for Liberty and Right

Long may, like her, our Scottish maids delight

To rear – to train the Nation's future man

Farewell, old friend, our intercourse was sweet,

And never broken by a single jar;

When I in turn am called to cross the bar,

Be ready thou my first approach to greet.

W. M. Stenhouse, M.D. August 8th, 1902.

All through the reminiscences garnered in the compilation of the Grant Family Saga run the threads of contact with the “Brodie” boys who were of course contemporaries of so many of their cousins – the Grants and the Sherriffs. Edwin – of “Clairinch” – writes of meeting Charles Brodie in Wanganui in the early 1900's; he was at that time acting as a commercial traveller for a Wellington hardware firm and he always made a point of his Uncle David on these Wanganui trips: his uncle and he were very close to each other. Edwin also recalls that Charlie Brodie was a fine athlete.

Helen Brodie was of the stuff that won the respect and admiration of her contemporaries as, also, it deserves that of her descendants. Two of her sons were warehousemen in one capacity or another – Charles as recorded was “on the road” – and another was a brushmaker. James and Charles Grant Brodie did not marry but both John and Thomas did.

Thomas Brodie, the youngest of the four brothers, graduated B.A. from the Otago University in 1896 and as a secondary school teacher at Wellington Boys' College compiled what appears to be a record for length of service in a New Zealand secondary school. He commenced teaching at the College in 1897 and except for war service 1916-1919 remained there until his retirement in 1945, a total of 48 years. At retirement and for many years prior thereto he held the post of first assistant; his chief subjects were Science and Mathematics. He had a further record of service for the College as coach of the College First XV for 15 years and his enthusiasm for Rugby included fund raising for Athletic Park and Life Membership of the Wellington Rugby Football Union. He played for Wellington Province in 1900-01.

The number of boys to whom he was known over his years at the College would virtually be the total enrolments of Wellington College for those 48 years and it was a tremendous source of gratification to him in his eighteen years of retirement – he passed away in 1963 at the age of 88 — that so many Old Boys made it their business and pleasure to visit him. Golf had a warm and active place in his life almost to the day of his death and he was a Life Member of the Wellesley Club and a Member of the Wellington Racing Club.

Shortly before his death the Bank of New Zealand, Wellington, informed him that his account was the oldest private account in the ledger records.