(88) William Preston's, Dyer, Tay Street, c.1880
Component — Box: ICC-0998
Identifier: S27520001_088
William Preston's, Dyer, North Road
Scope and Contents
South side Tay Street, between Conon and Ythan Streets.
Features: William Preston’s cloth dying shop, Miss Preston Dressmaker and Millener, and the Preston cottage.
Features: William Preston’s cloth dying shop, Miss Preston Dressmaker and Millener, and the Preston cottage.
Dates
- c.1880
Conditions Governing Use
This item has no known copyright restrictions. Please acknowledge Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, Ref: A0105 S27520001_088, when re-using this image.
Biographical / Historical
This photo appeared in the Southland Times, 10 December 1924, p.19, with the caption:
The photo shows Tay Street, between Conon and Ythan (previously Jed south) Streets, near the site of the Boys’ High School in Conon Street. The shop in the foreground is that of Mr W[illiam]. Preston, dyer. The house on the left belonged to Mr John Thomson, a retired grocer.
The Preston brothers, Joseph, William, Henry and Robert, came from Holmforth, near Leeds. Their family background was in wool and wool dyes. They settled in Invercargill about 1860 and took up land in Block IV Invercargill Hundred Sections 9, 12, 13, 17, 18 now known as Prestonville (Hall-Jones, 1946, p.100).
Bainfield Road runs down through the centre of these blocks of land, turning off the North Road between Sections 13 and 15, where the Waikiwi Bush Hotel stood. McIvor Road is the next road to the north.
William and Robert Preston owned the land where the Hotel was situated and leased it out, first to Mr G.A. Tapper. Adjoining the hotel was a 4ac block with a small fellmongery in operation.
In May 1873, William Preston sold 6 acres of Section 13 Block IV (allotments 7 & 8) and in 1874 advertised for a position as a wool scourer. In July 1875, he also opened a business as a woollen and silk dyer. This was opposite Cooper’s Nursery on the North Road.
In March 1880, William sold his garden section, as well as other land he had, and filed for bankruptcy. Margaret Grace Preston, his wife, moved to Tay Street, in Invercargill, and set herself up in a home nursing business. Her ‘commodious’ residence was near the Presbyterian Church and George Froggatt’s butchery.
William again set up a dying business in Tay Street as the photo shows. His daughter Mary Jane, operated her dressmaking and millinery business from the same premises. William also leased land at Woodlands for another fellmongery business, but this was not successful. At some time there has been a shift to Ettrick Street and another business as per Mrs Preston’s advertisement in September 1882.
William Preston died 21 February 1888 at his brother Henry’s home in Melbourne Australia.
The Preston brothers, Joseph, William, Henry and Robert, came from Holmforth, near Leeds. Their family background was in wool and wool dyes. They settled in Invercargill about 1860 and took up land in Block IV Invercargill Hundred Sections 9, 12, 13, 17, 18 now known as Prestonville (Hall-Jones, 1946, p.100).
Bainfield Road runs down through the centre of these blocks of land, turning off the North Road between Sections 13 and 15, where the Waikiwi Bush Hotel stood. McIvor Road is the next road to the north.
William and Robert Preston owned the land where the Hotel was situated and leased it out, first to Mr G.A. Tapper. Adjoining the hotel was a 4ac block with a small fellmongery in operation.
In May 1873, William Preston sold 6 acres of Section 13 Block IV (allotments 7 & 8) and in 1874 advertised for a position as a wool scourer. In July 1875, he also opened a business as a woollen and silk dyer. This was opposite Cooper’s Nursery on the North Road.
In March 1880, William sold his garden section, as well as other land he had, and filed for bankruptcy. Margaret Grace Preston, his wife, moved to Tay Street, in Invercargill, and set herself up in a home nursing business. Her ‘commodious’ residence was near the Presbyterian Church and George Froggatt’s butchery.
William again set up a dying business in Tay Street as the photo shows. His daughter Mary Jane, operated her dressmaking and millinery business from the same premises. William also leased land at Woodlands for another fellmongery business, but this was not successful. At some time there has been a shift to Ettrick Street and another business as per Mrs Preston’s advertisement in September 1882.
William Preston died 21 February 1888 at his brother Henry’s home in Melbourne Australia.
Extent
From the Item: 1 Volumes
Language of Materials
From the Item: English
Existence and Location of Copies
To obtain a high resolution copy of this image please contact the Archive.
Physical Description
Black and white, gelatin silver photographic print.
Dimensions
H 139mm x W 185mm
Album Caption
88. Wm. Prestons, Dyer, North Road. [nb. this is incorrect, it is Tay Street].
Repository Details
Part of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives Repository
