Biography

THOMAS MERRETT WILKINSON

Burial register ID: 8380
Surname: WILKINSON
First name: THOMAS
Middle names: MERRETT
Gender: Male
Age: 74 Years
Cause of death: Unknown
Burial type:
Date of death: 15-Oct-1899
Date of burial: 17-Oct-1899

Block: 127
Plot: 10
Inscription:

On the front of the monument:-

SACRED TO THE MEMORY

OF

THOMAS MERRETT

WILKINSON

DIED OCT. 15th 1899

IN HIS 75th YEAR

AND PHILLIPPA

WIFE OF THE ABOVE

DIED AUG. 31st 1907

IN HER 86th YEAR

AND THEIR SON

ROBERT

1866 – 1947

“THY WILL BE DONE”

On the left angled side of the monument:-

SUSANNA MOTHER OF

THOMAS MERRETT

WILKINSON

DIED DEC. 6th 1881

IN HER 77th YEAR

On the right angled side of the monument:-

SUSANNA FREEMAN

SISTER OF

THOMAS MERRETT

WILKINSON

DIED 7th NOV. 1902

IN HER 71st YEAR

“SWEET REST IN HEAVEN”

On separate plaque in front of monument:-

CLARA ESTHER WILKINSON

Wife of ROBERT

1869 – 1960

ROBERT MERRETT WILKINSON

Son of ROBERT & CLARA

1900 – 1976

Bio contributor: Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust

Thomas Merrett Wilkinson was a medical practitioner who came out to New Zealand on the Cashmere, which arrived in 1860. He afterwards went to Melbourne, but returned to Dunedin in 1862 and purchased a chemist’s business in Princes Street, ‘The Medical Hall’, from John Sutton. In 1888 Robert Wilkinson joined his father in the business and it became known as Wilkinson & Son.

A branch of the business was opened at the north end of Dunedin in 1874 and continued until 1960. Robert’s son, Robert Merrett Wilkinson was apprenticed to the chemist’s business in 1915 and became the manager of the branch chemist’s shop in 1921. He later became a partner in the parent company and returned to ‘The Medical Hall’. Trevor Hollebon joined them as an apprentice in 1941 and became a shareholder when the company Wilkinson & Son Chemists Ltd was formed in 1951. Mr Hollebon became principal of the company in 1955, and in 1976 Alan McMillan, who had also been apprenticed to Robert Merrett Wilkinson in 1952, joined the company with an equal shareholding. The original branch chemist’s shop in North Dunedin is now separately owned as Unichem Know Pharmacy Ltd. In 1995, Warren Leonard, Alan McMillan’s son-in-law became a shareholder in the company, and he and Mr McMillan are the current joint owners.

Thomas Wilkinson was for some time a member of the city council, to which he was elected in 1868. Thomas died at his residence, St Ronans, in Upper Dundas Street, Dunedin, on 15th October 1899 at the age of 75, leaving a widow and one son, and is buried here in the cemetery.

(Details from Wilkinson & Sons website: www.pharmacy1852.co.nz/more.htm and the Otago Witness, 19 October 1899)

There are 6 Interments in this grave:

Surname First names Age Date of death Date of burial
FREEMAN SUSANNAH 69 Years 07-Nov-1902 09-Nov-1902
WILKINSON CLARA ESTHER 87 Years 28-Jul-1960 29-Jul-1960
WILKINSON ROBERT 82 Years 26-Apr-1948 28-Apr-1948
WILKINSON ROBERT MERRETT 76 Years 07-Feb-1976 09-Feb-1976
WILKINSON SUSANAH 76 Years 06-Dec-1881 06-Dec-1881
WILKINSON THOMAS MERRETT 74 Years 15-Oct-1899 17-Oct-1899