Running on the Tuakiri | Identity floor in Tūranga until Wednesday 26 March, Eccentric Christchurch is a Tuakiri Investigates exhibition which tells the stories of some of the more unique characters of Christchurch:
- an eccentric inventor, concerned with protection from sharks;
- a dodgy health oil business and unfortunate incident with a horse;
- Burke Manuscript;
- plus some 1860s satire, and the wacky world of Professor Bickerton.
To whet your whistle though, I'm going to take a slightly deeper dive into the life of one of our featured eccentrics, prolific letter writer, keen golfer and spiritualist Peter Trolove.
The Troloves were a prominent family in Nelson, although Peter was born in Lincolnshire in 1864. He attended Nelson College, and by the early 1900s he had moved to Spreydon and was working as a manufacturer. Later he lived on River Road and in Wainoni.
He started writing to local newspapers around 1908, initially on the vexed topic of bus shelters in the square.
I am sure there is a majority of us who agree with your "Utilitarian" correspondent in thinking that the comfort of the living should have preference over the exaltation of the dead [the Canterbury Pilgrims].
Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13082, 4 April 1908, Page 4
It is not known what triggered his interest in spiritualism - the belief that the dead can communicate with the living via mediums - but in 1912 he was certainly more than dabbling in that area and wrote to the paper about his experience with a medium:
I could see nothing in his crystals but have met one of two people who allege they did "see visions," and though I saw none myself, I have no difficulty believing that my informants did.
Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14423, 2 August 1912, Page 10
It was the First World War that accelerated both his newspaper correspondence and spiritualist beliefs. His conviction that the spirit lives longer than the body it temporarily inhabits caused some unusual views about the fate of ANZAC graves on Gallipoli:
What will it matter what the Turks do to the Gallipoli graves? When will people realise that our bodies are merely instruments?
Press, Volume LII, Issue 15518, 19 February 1916, Page 2
The controversy about the Lutheran Church's German bells (a church with bells donated by Bismarck was not a good look) also called for a letter.
I hope [the Press' article] will save those bells, if there is any danger from some foolish official ordering them to be melted down.
Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16280, 2 August 1918, Page 9
As he moved into the 1920s he corresponded about issues of the day such as the location of the war memorial, and the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.
We may be getting some information through, from the other side as to whether Lord C [Lord Carnarvon, who had died soon after the opening of the tomb] has been commended as a disinterested archaeologist, or blamed as tomb robber.
Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17735, 11 April 1923, Page 11
He also hung out with fellow spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle when he visited Christchurch in 1921, lamenting that they didn't get a chance to play golf, and being gifted two of the famous Cottingley Fairy photographs.
PS - The only disappointment the Conan Doyle visit had for me was that I did not get a chance to match my 8 golf bogey handicap and gainst his 9. He was keen to visit our Kaiapoi Maoris [sic]. I don't think he was afraid to tackle me.
Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17155, 26 May 1921, Page 7
As is still the case today, letters were often replied to and correspondences started. For example in 1934 he got into a debate with "A lover of girls" about women wearing lipstick. He was a popular correspondent with another correspondent noting that many readers 'delight' in his Troloviticisms.
When he died in 1937, his passing was fondly lamented - where else? - but in the letters page of the Press:
There are so many more of his letters to the editor to explore, and thankfully we can delve into PapersPast to appreciate the multitude of opinions he shared. I hope his spirit will come to visit Tuakiri Investigates: Eccentric Christchurch?
Watch this space for further eccentricities later this year!
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