Early New Zealand Photographers: LEAF, Robert

Robert Leaf

opposite Government House, Auckland, New Zealand

born 6 August 1842, Beverley, East Riding, Yorkshire, England [1]
reg. Sept 1842 at Beverley vol. 23 page 9
second son Robert Leaf (later an engineer of Parnell) and Eliza Hudson [2]
arrived Auckland, New Zealand on the "Hanover" 18 September 1862 from London [3] aged 20 years
died 16 December 1905 at Alpha Road, Parnell, Auckland [4] aged 63 years reg. 1905/6500
buried Symonds Street Cemetery, Auckland, Block E 270 [5]

His father Robert Leaf died 15 September 1895 (reg. 1895/4143) at his residence Parnell, Auckland, formerly of Hull, Yorkshire (husband of Eliza Leaf) [6]. His mother died 10 September 1908 (reg. 1908/5011) at Alpha Road, Parnell aged 89 years [7]

above - a carte de visite of an unknown man by Robert Leaf

An inquest was held this morning by the Coroner (Mr T. Gresham) touching the death of an old man named Robert Leaf, aged 61, who died suddenly on Saturday night. The deceased resided with his mother, who was 87 years of age, in Gillingham-street, Parnell, and shortly after 10 p.m. on Saturday a neighbour named Samuel McGuire found him seated on the footpath. Receiving no answer to a remark he made, Mr McGuire carried Leaf to his home and Dr. P. Moir was called in. When Dr. Moir arrived the deceased had been dead for about half an hour. In the doctor's opinion death was due to a rupture of the left auricle of the heart, and with his heart in the condition in which it was, death might have occurred at any moment. Some further evidence substantiating the previous statements was heard, after which the jury, with out retiring, returned a verdict in accordance with the doctor's evidence.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 301, 18 December 1905, Page 4

Robert Leaf, who died suddenly at Parnell this week, was for many years the proprietor of a photographic studio which stood on Waterloo Quadrant, opposite Government House. In those days Waterloo Quadrant was a more important artery of the city than it is to-day, inasmuch as the bulk of the traffic from Queen-street to Parnell used to pass that way.

By those whose business did not take them towards Parnell, Mr Leaf will be better remembered as the brother of Miss Annie Leaf, at one time one of Auckland's most prominent soprano singers. Miss Leaf was prima donna of a company which gave the earliest performances of "H.M.S. Pinafore," "The Sorcerer," and other operas in the colony, and in which the other principals were Charles Harding and Signor Riccardi.

Observer, Volume XXVI, Issue 14, 23 December 1905, Page 4

(For further information regarding Annie Leaf refer to Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 256, 29 October 1925, Page 19)

The family of Robert Leaf and Eliza Hudson:
1. William Leaf, born circa 1840, birth reg. Sep 1840 Sculcoates vol. 22 page 475, died circa 1866, reg. 1866/3173 aged 25

2. Robert Leaf, born 1842, birth reg. Sep 1842 Beverley vol. 23 page 9, died 1905 unmarried.

3. Alfred Leaf (carpenter), born 19 February 1849, birth reg. Mar 1849 Beverley vol. 23 page 13, married Elizabeth Brimmer nee MacKie 8 October 1885, Auckland, reg. 1885/2779, died 15 September 1919, reg. 1919/5643 aged 70 years, buried Matakohe Cemetery. She died 28 January 1939.

issue:
   3a. Robert William Leaf born 8 October 1886, Matakohe, North Auckland or 7 October 1886 Napier Street [8], Auckland, New Zealand, reg. 1886/14196, died 1 August 1917, Ypres, Belgium .
   3b. George Valentine Leaf 14 February 1888, Matakohe, reg. 1888/16277, married Emily Isabella Kirk 1915, died 4 April 1976.
   3c. Alfred Charles Leaf 27 November 1889, Matakohe, reg. 1890/1086 married Phyllis Dorothy Grice, 1917, died 10 November 1972.
   3d. Ann Eliza Leaf born 11 April 1891, reg. 1891/830, married Frank Asttey Gillott, died 27 March 1959
   3e. John Henry Leaf born 5 February 1893, reg. 1893/2282
   3f. Toyne or Toin Hudson Leaf born 13 October 1894, Matakohe, died 30 June 1929 or 1 July 1929 at Te Kopuru Hospital
   3f. Norman Frederick Bruce Leaf born 30 June 1896, reg. 1896/11208, married Lelia May Flower 1923, died 3 July 1978

4. Julia Leaf born circa 1851, birth reg. Jun 1851 Beverley vol. 23 page 4, married 16 August 1873 John Davis reg. 1873/6505

issue:
   4a.   John Davis reg. 1874/14941
   4b.    Alfred Davis reg. 1876/6549

5. Ann Eliza Leaf born circa 1854, birth reg. Dec 1854 Beverley vol. 9d page 84, married 1stly 13 March 1878 at St John's Church, Napier, William Henry Reed, reg. 1878/3173. He died 23 October 1878 at the residence of his father-in-law, she married 2ndly after 1891 or about December 1884 Adelaide, Australia [9] Charles Melbourne James Edwards ("Grant Fallowes")

issue:
   5a. child born circa 1874, reg. 1874/41598

Some details of Alfred Leaf's family provided courtesy of Lesley Haslip, refer: http://homepages.vodafone.co.nz/~lesleyemma/leaf.html

[1] Robert Leaf, photographer 1842-1905 by Keith Giles

[2] Marriages Sep 1839 Hudson Eliza at Sculcoates 22 390, Leaf Robert Sculcoates 22 390, FreeBMD - http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

[3] Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVIII, Issue 1611, 19 September 1862, Page 3 - family Robert Leaf, Mrs Leaf, William Leaf, Robert Leaf, Alfred Leaf, Julia Leaf and Ann E. Leaf

[4] Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 308, 27 December 1905, Page 9

[5] Cemetery Records - Symonds Street and St Stephens, Auckland City Libraries

[6] Auckland Star, Volume c, Issue 236, 3 October 1895, Page 8

[7] Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 217, 10 September 1908, Page 10
[8] Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 238, 9 October 1886, Page 2
[9] Daily Telegraph , Issue 4223, 6 February 1885, Page 2

LEAF, Robert

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