Henry Baigent

Henry Baigent (1844 – 31 August 1929) was a timber miller, and served as a Nelson city councillor and mayor. The Nelson firm of H Baigent and Sons Ltd was formed by him. His funeral was noted as one of the largest that had ever taken place in Nelson.

Henry Baigent was the son of Edward and Mary Ann Baigent (née Hern). His parents had come out to Nelson from Windlesham, Surrey, England in 1842 on the Clifford. His brother Joseph was born three days after his parents' arrival in the colony and Joseph was only the seventh child to be born in Nelson.

His father was a member of the Provincial Council throughout its existence, and afterwards in the House of Representatives.

Baigent was married twice, firstly to Margaret Inglis Wallace in 1866, who died in 1880. He then married Phoebe Atmore in 1885, an older sister of Harry Atmore, who would later represent the Nelson electorate in Parliament for several decades. Phoebe had previously been married to William Wilkie. She died in March 1920 after a long period of illness.

Baigent had at least eight children; Albert Henry Baigent and Edward Sydney James Baigent by his first wife Margaret and the remaining six by his second wife Phoebe.

Baigent's eldest son Albert died suddenly in October 1905 off an illness. His son John was part of the 29th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Regiment, C Company. He embarked for Glasgow on 15 August 1917 the New Zealand Shipping Company liner the "SS Ruahine" and then to France. He was killed in action on the Somme while part of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion on 29 March 1918. His son Cyril from his second marriage died in 1923 as a result of war disabilities.

His father brought a small gristmill and also a saw-milling plant with him. In February 1843 he settled in Wakefield where he set up the gristmill, a small affair two feet in diameter driven by a water wheel. Then in 1845 he erected his sawmill.

...
Wikipedia