Bill Nidd and his first wife Mary Ellen (known as Florence) had two daughters, Mary born in 1902 and Cecilia Florence "Florrie" Nidd born on 9 December 1903. Mary died as an infant and is buried with her grandparents in the Mount Street Cemetery. Florence died in 1908, leaving four year old Florrie in her father's care. Whether she was in fact left in his physical care is unknown - it seems likely that she did.
In 1912, Florrie won a prize at St Mary's Convent, Wellington (now St Mary's College) for spelling. She would have been aged about 8.
In 1913 she is recorded as passing music exams, as well as in July 1914, and again in August 1915.
On 14 December 1915, she is reported as having got the highest marks, at St Mary's Convent school on Guilford Terrace, in Standard five, for geography. She would have been aged about 11 years.
On 26 February 1925, she is reported to have been up from Christchurch, visiting friends in Wellington. She is reported to have still been visiting on 14 March 1925.
Florrie did not enjoy a close relationship with her father, but she was close to her young half brother, Pat. Pat could recall Florrrie coming to visit him some time in the late 1920s, and saying goodbye to him. I suspect that this visit was not immediately prior to her trip overseas, but prior to her trip to Wellington in 1925. Pat always recalled that he was a young school boy when she visited him - whereas he would have been 18 when she actually left NZ in 1932 and would have certainly recalled more about her and the circumstances of her leaving, had he known.
On 22 August 1932, it is reported in the Evening Post that Florrie arrived in Wellington with a Mrs H.J. Armstrong, en route for England. She never returned.
Years later Pat and Kath Nidd, and Jennifer Nidd, tried to track her down in England, but were never able to find her. She never married and died in London on 24 April 1984.
Her death certificate records that she died at the Westminster Hospital in Westminster; that she had formerly been a secretary, but had since retired (she was 80 at the time of her death); that she had lived at Room 93, Murray House, Vandon Street, London. She appears to have died of a stroke, and also had cancer of the oesophagus. Her body was cremated.
Her death certificate records that she died at the Westminster Hospital in Westminster; that she had formerly been a secretary, but had since retired (she was 80 at the time of her death); that she had lived at Room 93, Murray House, Vandon Street, London. She appears to have died of a stroke, and also had cancer of the oesophagus. Her body was cremated.
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