JOHN STANFIELD’S DIARY FOR 1903
Joseph Liggins came back to England on more than one occasion after he wrote these letters. Probably the first time was in 1903, as is recorded in grandpa John Stanfield’s diary for 1903. Extracts from this diary are listed below together with one or two other interesting items.
This is the only information that has survived about the visit. Three months would have seemed a long while at the start of the visit but must have passed all too quickly. Leaving, at the end, would have been almost like emigrating all over again but this time with the difference that there were families of loved ones at each end of the voyage. Mr. and Mrs. Venn are mentioned in the Tokomaru School and District Centenary 1893-1993 book but it is not known whether they had already emigrated to New Zealand by this time and were home on holiday like the Liggins. We believe that he came "home" again, at least once more, to persuade a German specialist in flaxmilling to emigrate. Subsequently in 1913, an experimental German mill was built alongside the original "Ashlea" mill (1904-22). All of Joseph’s sons worked at the mill at some time or other, including his "son-in-law Joseph Smith". This statement, made in the Centenary Book, was the first indication that I had that Edie, Joseph’s daughter, had married the son of George and Annie Smith. Another of Joseph Liggins nephews, Osborne Liggins, also worked at the mill for some time; he was the son of William Liggins, to whom most of Joseph’s letters were written and this family was the second family to emigrate. Perhaps you will have already asked the question "Why was John Stanfield summonsed for passive resistance?" I have tried to find out what this situation was and I think the it probably was as follows :- In 1902 the Balfour Government passed a very important reform - The Education Act. This act abolished the old School Boards and enabled a system of secondary and technical schools to be created and placed all state aided education in the hand of the local authorities - county and borough councils. Its main defect was that it failed to settle the religious problem. The local authorities henceforth maintained all elementary schools, including those founded by the various religious bodies - the Church of England, the Roman Catholics, the Wesleyans., etc. Nonconformists complained that the ratepayers were being forced to keep the Church schools in existence and some people objected altogether to religious instruction in schools. John Stanfield was a Baptist and it is very likely that he was one of those objecting to this situation. We don’t know exactly what form this passive resistance took. Additionally, at the back of the diary, were these three recipes which you might like to try. Rheumatic Lineament. 1 oz. Laudanum 1 oz. Strong liquid ammonia 3 oz. Soap lineament 3 0z. Belladonna Indigestion Sal Volateli Chloric Ether Tincture of Gentian Root 2 drams each Elder Flower Vinegar Cut off flower buds from stalks, 2 quarts 1 pint white wine vinegarLet ferment for 14 days in a jar and then strain off. to every pint add 1 lb lump sugar and boil for ten minutes. A teaspoonful for a dose to every pint add 1 lb lump sugar and boil for ten minutes. A teaspoonful for a dose
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