Our first Secretary - Thomas Robert WALTON
7 SEPTEMBER 1846 • County Cork, Ireland - 11 JULY 1916 • Nelson, New Zealand Our first Secretary - Thomas Robert WALTON was initiated into Freemasonry at the first Initiation meeting of the United Manawatu Lodge in 1877. He married Lucy Kibblewhite in Masterton 4 September 1869. He is shown as a Schoolmaster. Lucy's father was a very early settler, arriving in 1842. He emigrated from England on the ship Clifton arriving in Port Nicholson. He was also known as a Methodist preacher. Thomas was a general store keeper in partnership with a Mr James KING. Their premises were situated in the Square about where Millar & Georgi is situated today. They called it Palmerston MarT (Big T), from about 1877 to the early 1880’s. He was a member of Town Board formed in 1876, then a member of the first Borough Council in 1877-9, polling 5th highest in the elections, and was elected a second time 1886-7....