Whanganui Regional Museum senior curator Libby Sharpe (left) with Robyn Davison in front of the Keningston cradle. Photo / Paul Brooks
Whanganui Regional Museum senior curator Libby Sharpe (left) with Robyn Davison in front of the Keningston cradle. Photo / Paul Brooks
In a large display cabinet on the first floor of Whanganui Regional Museum, there is a child’s cradle, lovingly crafted from wood, in the shape of a boat. It is the subject of this month’s WRM Showcase, presented by Libby Sharpe, with special guest Robyn Davison.
“It was made by a master builder, a bridge builder, called Henry Keningston,” says Libby. “Which is where Robyn comes in.”
For years the cradle’s provenance came under the name Kennington and all research failed to find the man who made the cradle or his family. The cradle was donated to the museum in 1937 by the widow of the son of the man who made it, but her name was entered wrongly into the museum records.
“It was made for the builder’s son, also Henry, who was born in late 1895,” says Libby.
“The little fellow who it was made for was my grandfather,” says Robyn, “So it was my great-grandfather who built it, and it was my grandmother who donated it. She was the first child of JT Ward, the astronomer.”
The family connections were flying thick and fast. Whanganui’s observatory is named after Joseph Ward, who was a Whanganui resident, making a living as librarian, bookseller, stationer and violin teacher. His astronomy was an important sideline.
Robyn has lived in Whanganui for three years, but her mother was born here. When Robyn visited the museum, she saw the cradle and knew there was a family connection with it, but the name Kennington was on the information label.
“I had been up to the Alexander Library, trying to see if I had relations here, and they had Keningston — and Ward, of course — and I went to Aramoho Cemetery where they had Kensington [in their records],” Robyn says.
She found she had to correct the records at the cemetery and at the museum.
“Then, talking to my mum, who is nearly 98, and she’s the daughter of the little guy it was made for, I found out some more and got some information about the family ... and I have a picture of my grandfather sitting in [the cradle boat] as a baby.
Henry Harold Egmont Keningston and an unknown friend in the cradle boat. The date is about late 1896. Photo / Whanganui Regional Museum
“My coming here unravelled all these other connections,” says Robyn.
She found, at Aramoho Cemetery, the grave of Henry Baker Keningston, the builder of the cradle. Robyn has cleaned and restored his gravestone.
“Now I feel I’m part of Whanganui.”
Libby loves the cradle: it is one of her favourite things. Now, to have its story corrected and told by one of the family makes it even more special. Robyn has a grandson and his name is Henry. The name has no connection with this side of his heritage, but was a happy coincidence.
Henry, builder of the little boat, was born on Raoul Island, also called Sunday Island, near Tonga. He was a self-taught engineer and probably knew about boatbuilding.
“He was obviously a skilled engineer, designer and builder,” says Libby.
The cradle looks a little like a whaleboat, or a lifeboat, and it comes complete with built-in lockers for baby things. The cradle is slung on ropes and pulleys so it can be rocked.
There is a twist to the tale. The name Keningston, so often confused and misspelt, was not the family’s real name. Henry, the builder and patriarch, was born with the surname Baker and married Georgina Holland in New Zealand. Henry left Georgina and lived with Selina Logan, a widow, sometime before 1895. By 1986 they had adopted the name Keningston. They married in 1935, two years after Henry’s legal wife had died.
Selina Keningston (left), her husband Henry (right) with their son, Henry, for whom the cradle was made. Photo / Whanganui Regional Museum
Furthermore, Henry’s father, Daniel, was a Londoner who was deported to Australia.
“He was part of a group that stole a watch,” says Robyn. He was sentenced to seven years of servitude. Later, he met and married a Samoan woman, Noa. Henry was, therefore, half Samoan.
This beautiful cradle is part of a large, interesting story.
“Coming here, learning more from Libby, because she has found out more things to fill in the gaps, and to know that the history is getting changed a little bit ... and I love museums.”
Robyn volunteers at Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics in Whanganui.
“People love it and react strongly to it, this cradle,” says Libby.
