Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

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Biographical Notes

William Selwyn Rutherfurd, who may have been known as Selwyn, was the son of William and Florence Ada (née Green) Rutherfurd. William, senior, was born in Lisieux, France of a Scottish father in 1836, and Florence was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1857. They married on 20 October 1880 at St Sepulchre’s Church, Auckland, New Zealand. William had been at Timaru since the 1870s, where he was a grain, shipping and customs agent, and also agent for the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company. In December 1881 he was appointed the sole agent for the New Zealand Accident Insurance Company for the district. He also owned several houses in Timaru. William Selwyn Rutherfurd was born on 6 June 1889 at Te Ngaio, Maori Hill, Timaru, South Island, New Zealand, and was baptised on 25 July 1889 at St Mary’s Church, Timaru. Bishop Selwyn was one of the sponsors at his baptism, perhaps the reason for his name? Selwyn Rutherfurd’s two older sisters had also been born at Timaru and baptised at St Mary’s (Maud Wyville Rutherfurd in 1881 and Emily Mary in 1884). William Selwyn, Maud andEmily were all educated at Waimataitai School, William starting in 1894 a few months after his fifth birthday. The family was then at Te Ngaio, Timaru. Maud’s record noted that she had gone to Sydney. Come September 1897 and the Rutherfurd family was preparing to leave New Zealand. Several houses were to be sold at auction on 9 October, the 10-roomed house at Maori Hill probably his own residence. On 7 October there would be a clearing sale, which sale continued two days later (furniture, books, pictures). Miss Lissaman was seriously hurt when she was run down by a cyclist on her way home after attending a sale at Rr Rutherfurd’s house, Maori Hill. Mr W. Rutherfurd had resigned the agency of the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company. Mr Rutherfurd had been an active and at times outspoken member of the Timaru scene for some years – Chamber of Commerce, St Mary’s Parish, insurance, local bodies.

In 1905, Florence Rutherfurd departed Sydney, Australia, by the “Ventura”, arriving at San Francisco, California, USA on 21 August and going to her mother Mrs Green. On 29 March 1911, William Rutherford was residing in Los Angeles, United States of America, when he petitioned for naturalization. He was born on 26 April 1836 at Lisieux, France, was now retired, and had emigrated to the United States from Sydney, Australia on 4 December 1905 per the “Ventura” and arriving on 25 December. He had declared his intention to become a citizen of the US on 2 September 1908 at Los Angeles. His wife was Florence Ada Rutherford who was born in Cape Town, South Africa and was now resident at Los Angeles. He had three children – Maud Wyvell born on 17 September 1881 at Timaru, New Zealand and now resident at Torquay, Devonshire, England; Emily Mary born on 11 March 1884 at Timaru and now resident at Los Angeles; William Selwyn born on 6 June 1889 and now resident at Los Angeles. Indeed, William Rutherfurd (retired, Mrs Florence A. Rutherfurd (nurse), Emily M. Rutherfurd (woodcarver) and W. Selwyn Rutherfurd (surveyor) were all residing at 705 S Westlake Ave, Los Angeles, in 1908. Maud Wyville Rutherfurd had married at Los Angeles in 1906.) William and Florence were residing in Los Angeles in 1910, Florence working as a nurse in the Sanatorium [source - census]. With them were Emily and her husband Ralph Fullerton Mocine who had married in 1909. And in 1911, Wm Rutherfurd (retired), Mrs Florence A. Rutherfurd (nurse) and Wm S. Rutherfurd (surveyor) were all at the one Los Angeles address.

In fact, William Selwyn Rutherford, 16 years old and single, had departed Sydney, Australia per the “Ventura” and arrived on 25 December 1905 at San Francisco. He was accompanied by his father, William Rutherford, 68 years old, and his sister, Maud Rutherford, 23 years and single. Their contact was their mother/wife – Mrs F. A. Rutherford, Los Angeles. All three were in good health. William Selwyn Rutherford declared his intention to seek naturalization son 31 May 1910. He was a surveyor, born at Timaru, New Zealand on 6 June 1889, and now residing at Los Angeles. He emigrated to the United States from Sydney, Australia per the “Ventura”, arriving on 25 December 1905. He had the little finger of his left hand off. He declared his intention again on 26 May 1914. He was again residing at Los Angeles, having emigrated to the United States from Victoria, Canada per the “President”; he then arrived in Los Angeles from Le Havre, France per “La Savoie” on 1 December 1913.

William Selwyn Rutherfurd enlisted on 3 September 1918 at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for service in World War One with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He had had no prior military or naval service. Actually, William was conscripted rather than enlisting. Now a farmer at Duncans, British Columbia, Canada, single and of Church of England affiliation, he named his father as next-of-kin – William Rutherfurd, Duncan Station, B.C., Canada. He joined the 2nd Depot Battalion, British Columbia Regiment.

Just over two weeks later, on 18 September 1918, Private Rutherfurd was discharged at willows Camp, Victoria, B.C. He had requested to be discharged as he was joining the Royal Air Force. He was paid 16 days’ Regimental pay and 16 days’ Field pay. He weighed 150 pounds and stood at 6 feet 0 inch. He had a chest expansion 3½ inches to 38 inches fully expanded. He had a medium complexion, blue eyes and light hair. On leaving the service, When he was medically examined on leaving the service, it was noted that his nutrition was good, and he had no history of nervous trouble or lung trouble and no heart problems. The 3rd and 4th fingers of his left hand were deformed. His character and conduct were very good. His address on discharge was R.A.F. Training Depot, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Thus, William Selwyn Rutherfurd joined the Royal Air Force – Service Number 270982, his service commencing on 27 September 1918. His parents shifted to Menzies Street, Victoria, British Columbia. He served in the United Kingdom. Private W. Selwyn Rutherfurd died at Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 25 May 1919, aged 29 years and was buried at Victoria (Ross Bay) Cemetery, where 135 casualties were buried. He died of illness – hypertrophy of liver - attributed to his war service. His gravestone is engraved with the insignia of the Royal Air Force. He is remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and is commemorated in the First World War Book of Remembrance.

At the Waimataitai School on 31 January 1922, a marble tablet which had been erected on the facade of the school in a commanding position was unveiled by the Mayor of Timaru in the presence of a large assemblage of past and present pupils, relatives of ex-pupils of the school who gave their lives in the war, and others. The tablet which was veiled by a large Union Jack, had been erected in memory of noble ex-boys of the school who had responded to the call of duty. The hymn, “O God Our Help”, was sung, after which Mr Armitage “told the boys and girls that the soldiers had died in order that others might live; they had made the greatest sacrifice that it was possible to make in giving their lives for humanity and they would always be remembered with pride. In their school the foundation of good character had been laid and laid so well that when their country told them that it needed them they were quick to respond without thought of what it might mean to them. Little had they thought when they were pupils at the school that they would ever be called upon to play such a dramatic part in the world’s history as they had played.” The inscription on the tablet reads: “For King and Country. In memory of ex-pupils of the Waimataitai School who gave their lives in the great war 1914—1918.” Some 45 names follow, one of them S. W. Rutherford. A tribute was paid to the fallen, “The Last Post” was played, the impressive ceremony closed with a verse of the National Anthem.

In 1921 William and Florence were at Oak Bay, Nanaimo, British Columbia, William recorded as a retired merchant. Florence Ada Rutherfurd died on 4 August 1929 in Victoria, Canada, aged 71 years; William Rutherfurd died on 6 July 1931 in Victoria at the grand age of 98. Maud who had married Arthur Miller Shaw, lived for a time in England, their residence named “Timaru”. The family was in British Columbia in 1921, Maud dying there in 1943. Emily (Rutherfurd) Mocine lived with her family in the United States, dying at Los Angeles in 1957.

New Zealand cousins of William Selwyn Rutherfurd also served in World War One. Herbert Spencer Rutherfurd, the eldest son of John Rutherfurd (brother of William Rutherfurd, senior) was died of wounds in Belgium on 31 July 1917; Thomas Wyville Leonard Rutherfurd (Wyville), the youngest son of John Rutherfurd, who was awarded the Military Cross in 1917 and was seconded for Special Service in the British Army, died of pneumonia in Mesopotamia on 19 October 1918; Robert Alexander Rutherfurd (Alex), the fourth son of John Rutherfurd, who transferred to the Imperial Forces in England and served in Egypt and France, died in Wellington shortly before his 94th birthday. Frederick Anthony Rutherfurd, the son of Elliot Stanley Rutherfurd and grandson of John, lost his life on air operations in the Atlantic in 1944 (World War Two). Other New Zealand born cousins, sons of Major Charles Ferdinand Rutherfurd (brother of John and William Rutherfurd), served in the South African War – Percy Charles Rutherfurd, the fourth son, and Adrian Cecil Sutherland Rutherfurd, the youngest son, both with the New Zealand Forces; perhaps also Norman Norcliffe Rutherfurd, the third son.

Sources

Canada Great War Project [23 March 2015; 25 July 2018; 25 May 2025]; Canadian Expeditionary Force Service File (Canadian Archives) [2018]; Canada, Soldiers of the First World War (ancestry.com.au) [ 22 March 2015]; CWGC [23 March 2015]; Canada War Graves Register (per ancestry.com.au) [22 March 2015; 23 April 2018]; Canadian Virtual War Memorial (Veterans Affairs Canada) [23 March 2015]; Canada Death Indexes (ancestry.com.au) [22 March 2015]; 1908 & 1911 US City Directories (ancestry.com.au) [23 March 2025]; 1910 USA Census return (ancestry.com.au) [23 March 2025]; 1921 Canada Census return (ancestry.com.au) [23 March 2025]; Various records from ancestry.com.au [22March 2015; 23 April 2018; 25 May 2025]; Timaru Herald, 24 September 1878, 8 January 1880, 19 September 1881, 8 December 1881, 6 July 1883, 13 March 1884, 10 June 1889, 30 September 1897, 2, 8 & 11 October 1897, 1 February 1922, NZ Herald, 8 November 1880 (Papers Past) [22 & 23 March 2015; 19 April 2018; 05 December 2022; 25 May 2025]; St Mary’s Timaru Baptism records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [21 October 2018] School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [22 March 2015]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [22 March 2015]; Ross Cemetery headstone image (Find A Grave) [25 May 2025]

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Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

TS