Te Awamutu Museum staff go to extremes to find deceased soldier's family

Iwi Relations adviser to Waipā District Council Shane Te Ruki leads the family and official party onto Holy Trinity Memorial Park Cemetery. Photo / Dean Taylor

A repatriation service 158 years in the making took place on Friday – starting at Te Awamutu Museum and culminating at Ōtāhuhu Holy Trinity Memorial Park Cemetery.

Ensuring the important service could take place has consumed Te Awamutu Museum collections manager Megan Denz for the past 18 months.

Megan was charged with finding the relatives of Major Walter Vernon Herford, known as Vernon, who died at the age of 35 in Ōtāhuhu on June 28, 1864 from a gunshot wound to the head received at the Battle of Ōrākau on April 1, 1864.

It is known that Vernon was treated at Te Awamutu and then returned home to be nursed by his wife Annie.

She reported to family back in the UK that Vernon was suffering and the recovery was not going well.

While records aren't clear, it appears Vernon was operated on by Dr Henry in Auckland and the bullet and some fragments of skull were removed.

Vernon was buried in Ōtāhuhu Holy Trinity Memorial Park Cemetery.

Fast forward over 150 years to 2018 and a Kiwi who has travelled to the other side of the world appears at Te Awamutu Museum with a small box containing the bullet and pieces of skull.

The box included notes from Dr Henry that clearly identified Vernon.

The item was deposited at the museum for safe keeping, but never accessioned into the collection.

Megan says modern museum practice is not to hold human remains in the collection.

More to the point there is a strong movement, especially in New Zealand and Australia, for human remains, including artefacts that may have been in contact with human remains, to be repatriated.

In New Zealand that process is spearheaded by the Ngākahu National Repatriation Partnership – a Government and National Services Te Paerangi group out of Te Papa - The Museum of New Zealand.

Waipā District Council Iwi Relations adviser Shane Te Ruki (left) welcomes members of Walter Vernon Herford’s family to the start of repatriation proceedings at Te Awamutu Museum. Photo / Dean Taylor

It is known that Dr Henry was trained at the Trinity College in Dublin and worked in New Zealand until 1879, when he returned home.

He came back to New Zealand to work in 1882 and died in Wellington in 1894.

What happened with Vernon's remains in the small case between 1879 and 2018 is unknown – but it is clear either Dr Henry or an associate took the case to Ireland.

The Kiwi traveller saw them amongst a collection of human remains, on a mantelpiece, in a London airbnb.

He commented to the landlady that they were from New Zealand and she handed them to him and said she never wanted to see them again and please take them home.

Her only explanation was that her husband was a mortician from Dublin and he had obtained the collection of remains.

He had since passed away and she wanted nothing to do with them.

Megan says it took a huge effort to trace relations and then organise the repatriation, but it was worth it.

Family members (from left) Suezanne Neall and daughter Katie look at the bullet and remains with Te Awamutu Museum collections manager Megan Denz. Photo / Dean Taylor

When she arrived at the museum 18 months ago previous staff had hit a brick wall trying to find family.

Megan started again, using Ancestry and Family Search and put out calls to anyone who may have been part of Vernon's family.

She says she was at about the same brick wall when she finally had a response and through that contact was able to find family in the United Kingdom, USA, and New Zealand.

The person who owned the family tree in question had passed on and the son, now aged 19, responded to a 3-year-old email and said he had a relation who could help.

On Friday Annabel Neall made a long drive north with husband Vince to attend the service.

She is Vernon's closest living relative in New Zealand. Vernon was the son of Annabel's great-great-grandfather's half-brother.

"We knew nothing about it until the remote cousin in England who is a direct descendent contacted us and asked if we could deal with it," says Annabelle.

"Vernon was well known in the family and got a mention in Thomas Gudgeon's book Reminisces of the Land Wars in New Zealand as being a hero from the Battle of Ōrākau," says Annabel.

Reading from Walter Vernon Herford's closest living New Zealand relative Annabel Neall, accompanied by her husband Vince. Photo / Dean Taylor

Megan says once she found the family the history flowed.

"All Vernon's family are keen historians or genealogists and they had a lot of information," she says.

"But no one knew of the case containing the bullet and skull fragments.

"They have letters, newspaper stories and other writings about Vernon's life after leaving the UK for South Australia, where he was apparently a good lawyer, but not such a good businessman."

Vernon then moved to Sydney before signing up for military service in the New Zealand Land Wars, probably with the promise of property and a new start.

He served in the 3rd Waikato Militia during the war as a captain and was later appointed a major for his involvement and leadership at the battle.

Megan says she followed the guidance of Ngākahu which gave advice on best practices for the storage, return, and handling of the care of remains as set out by the National Repatriation.

She was also grateful to Ngākahu for funding Friday's events.

Ngākahu Kaiarahi Jamie Metzger said she admired the museum's unwavering dedication to the repatriation process, which has ensured the best possible outcome for Vernon and his family.

"The repatriation was an important expression of the ongoing commitment by New Zealand museums to proactively return human remains to their descendants," she says.

Megan is also grateful for assistance from New Zealand Police Museum staff, who went through a similar exercise in 2011.

The repatriation service was conducted by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, The Right Reverend Ross Bray (right). Photo / Dean Taylor

"They gave me a framework to follow that proved invaluable," she says.

After tracking down family and determining their wishes, Megan says she basically had to organise a funeral.

"It's not a normal day-to-day process for the museum. It's something quite extraordinary that we will probably never be involved in again," she says.

Friday's events began in Te Awamutu with a karakia and welcome to the museum by Waipā District Council iwi relations adviser Shane Te Ruki, on behalf of staff and the Museum Trust Board, to Vernon's family and friends.

The case was uplifted and the party travelled to Ōtāhuhu Holy Trinity Memorial Park Cemetery in Auckland where Vernon is buried.

Shane led the party into the cemetery for a memorial service conducted by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, the Right Reverend Ross Bay.

Bishop Ross said in his many years in the church, it was the first time he had conducted a repatriation service.

He gave prayers to Vernon and his family.

Annabel spoke on behalf of the family.

She said it was a privilege and an honour to be present and she thanked Vernon's direct descendants from the UK for asking her to speak.

"We're very grateful to the museum and to Megan because she's been so respectful.

"I found holding the case was a very emotional experience.

"From the beginning of today's story I felt the remains should go back to the body. Their travelling days must end."

The case was placed in a shallow grave in front of Vernon's headstone to conclude the service, accompanied by the committal.

Headstone for Walter Vernon Herford at Ōtāhuhu Holy Trinity Memorial Park Cemetery. Photo / Dean Taylor

As is tradition it was followed by fellowship, food and beverages.

The entire process was professionally filmed as a record for the museum, and to share with family around the world.

Professional images were also made of the case and Dr Henry's notes.

Megan says she has kept every shred of material relating to the Walter Vernon Herford process, as the story is likely to be turned into an exhibition in its own right in the future.

For now the parties are grateful that Vernon is restored and can rest in peace - complete.