Carved in Stone
An old stone in the Symonds Street Cemetery, Auckland has several errors carved into its face. Those who paid for and placed it would no doubt have had the best of intentions, but their knowledge of the exact death dates was not always correct.
These errors were then added in to indexes by those who carefully transcribed what they saw on the stone. The errors in the death dates have multiplied across the databases.
 The Crosbie Memorial stone in Symonds St, Cemetery, Auckland
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The truth lies in the death announcements that appeared in the newspapers of the day.
David Crosbie a three times great grandfather of my husband had migrated to New Zealand shortly after his marriage to Barbara Clarke in 1840. There he had established a tailor’s business with his wife working alongside him as a milliner. He advertised fine coats for gentlemen, so one might suppose that he would be well dressed to promote his business.
In 1859 David Crosbie set off from Auckland on the Easter weekend with three friends. The first indication in the papers of the day, was a report on the 14th May reporting that one of the missing men had been found dead.
About a fortnight ago four men, named Messrs. Crosbie, Bartlet, Fisher, and Captain McLean, left here in a small boat for the purpose of going to Wangaproa and other places on the coast. Fisher, we believe, has since been found by the natives at Waiheki described as an elderly man, rather bald, and having a watch in his pocket. No news has been heard of the other three, we fear have suffered the same fate as Fisher. (1)
Just three days later another report appeared.
Body Found. — Information arrived in town yesterday that a body, supposed from the description of the dress to be that of Mr. D. Crosbie, had been picked up at Brown's Island. It was carried into the house erected on the island. (2)
These notices were posted in 1859 but the inscription on the stone is 1860. The stone commemorates his death, but has the wrong year. David’s death is not recorded in the official New Zealand Historical death records. The inquest into the deaths is detailed in this report.
The Tombstone erected by his daughters clearly has the date as 1860, hence the transcription into the Cemetery Records is a correct transcription but the year of death is 1859.
It is likely that this stone was commissioned and erected after the death of the son-in-law Charles F Helander in 1893. His is the last death recorded on the stone before the words:
Erected by the Loving Daughters of the above David & Barbara Crosbie
Time may have erased the exact year of their father's death from their memories. 1893 when Charles died was 44 years after David's death and there was no official record to check. Their mother Barbara, had died in 1878 so she was no longer there to correct any misconceptions.
David and Barbara Crosbie had six children, five girls and just one boy.
The second name on the stone is that of the eldest daughter Elizabeth. Here the stone clearly reads 24th October 1861.
The death record shows that also is incorrect.
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| Elizabeth Crosbie in Auckland death register 24th October 1860 |
The son was given the name John Clarke Crosbie, his mother’s maiden name as his second name. His birth is recorded in 1853. His death is not recorded in the official New Zealand Historical death records either. Like his father, the son also drowned.
The carving on the stone clearly states July 1877. His sisters all those years later must have been unsure of the year. Again the errors have spread across multiple databases.
The record is here in the newspaper of the time, published on 26 July in 1871.
DEATH. Crosbie. -Drowned on 7th July, off Rangitoto Island, John Clarke, aged 18, only son of the late David Crosbie, of Auckland. (3)
The tombstones are not always correct, hence databases such as FindaGrave and Billion Graves records may help spread erroneous death dates.
- 1. Auckland Examiner, Volume III, Issue 159, 14 May 1859, Page 2
2. Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVI, Issue 1221, 17 May 1859, Page 3
3. Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 481, 26 July 1871, Page 2
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS18710726.2.8