ROBYN PARKES
Butchers were once vital to communities, providing an accessible and consistent supply of meat. In Richmond, William Matthews opened his butcher’s shop in October 1856 in Queen St, opposite Mrs Stanton’s store.
As well as meat, William sold poultry and vegetables. The business appears to have been short-lived, as in early 1859 accounts owed to William were called in to be settled within a month.
Thomas Tasker purchased the business, running it for a number of years before retiring in late 1868 and passing it on to his son Harry.
Around the 1880s, Harry employed Robert Tovey to assist as butcher. On 16 August 1885, Robert was tasked with going to the slaughterhouse to kill and carve up a beast and bring it down to the shop in Richmond. When he did not return, others went in search of him. He was found dead in the slaughterhouse with his throat cut. At first it was thought to be suicide, but there were doubts as to why anyone would take such an action in the middle of work that gave little time for thoughts to wander.
The facts were that he was found on the floor with a portion of the beast carcass lying beside him and the remainder still hanging from the hooks. Following an inquest, the verdict was given that “while dividing a carcass the deceased accidentally fell on the knife, cutting his throat”. Robert left behind his wife and two children.
In July 1890, farmers attended a meeting in Richmond in connection with the Farmers’ Co-operative Association, which had sprung up in different centres around the country. It was agreed to form such an association in Nelson. Farmers hoped this would help them get a fairer price for produce.
As one attendee pointed out – storekeepers, butchers included, had united and had the power to give what they liked for produce, often forcing farmers to submit.
The association opened butcher’s shops in both Nelson and Richmond, promising to sell meat of the best quality at reasonable rates.
The following year, the association’s butchery department was sold to John Ingram of Richmond.
William Edward Cross was operating his butcher’s business in Hope and Richmond by 1896. That year he was charged with selling and delivering meat within Nelson city boundaries without a hawker’s licence, contravening a city bylaw. Treated as a test case, William had to prove that he was not hawking and was only delivering to two families in Waimea Rd who had ordered meat from him for years.
He did not solicit for business and did not call on anyone else to get orders.
After a full examination of the facts in court, the magistrate dismissed the case.
The business was sold in April 1907 to the Delaney brothers of Stoke. Charles William Bird set up a butcher’s store in Gladstone Rd around the early 1900s but by 1908 was bankrupt.
The property was auctioned off in August 1932.
