Southland Times, 23 March 1880
TO MERCHANTS, FARMERS and OTHERS Having commenced business as Ham and Bacon Curer, I beg to state that I am a cash buyer of pigs
GAVIN BRIGHTON, Earn Street (Near Rodie's Appleby Hotel), INVERCARGILL

Southland Times, 4 January 1869
I, Daniel Rodie, of Appleby, near Invercargill, in the Province of Southland, Storekeeper, do hereby give notice that it is my intention to apply to the Justices sitting at the Resident magistrate's Court, to be holden at Invercargill, on the 13th day of January, 1869, for a certificate authorising the issue of a Publican's License for a house situate at Appleby, near Invercargill, in my occupation, and containing a bar and two Sitting Rooms, and two bedrooms, exclusive of those required by my family, not at present licensed, to be known by the name of the Appleby Hotel


GAVIN BRIGHTON (1855-1934)
married in New Zealand on 25 October 1878 to:
ELIZABETH NICOLL (1861-1933)

GAVIN & ELIZABETH had 17 children:
... 1
1879 - 1939 Annie Burns Brighton
ANNIE married James Blee (1880-1960) in 1909
the known children of JAMES & ANNIE:
* 1909 - 1968 Hilda Burns Blee
* 1911 - 1986 George Alexander Blee
* 1913 - Albert Blee
ANNIE BURNS Blee died at Lorneville on 11 November 1939 aged 60
- she is buried Plot 83, Block 26 at Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill
JAMES Blee died 3 May 1960 aged 80
- he is buried Plot 430, Block 36 at Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill


... 2
1881 - 1944 Andrew Nicoll Brighton
Andrew married Catherine McLeod SINCLAIR in 1911
In January 1918 Andrew was 'Called to the Colours' in the First Division Southland Recruiting District
BRIGHTON, Andrew Nicoll, head storeman, 9 Fox street, Avenal, Invercargill


... 3
1882 - 1906 Jessie Reid Brighton
JESSIE died 15 June 1906 aged 23
she is buried Grave 35, Block IV at Wairio cemetery with her parents


... 4
1883 - 1883 Margaret Nicoll Brighton
MARGARET died 6 October 1883 aged 6 weeks
she is buried Plot 1X, Block 1 at Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill


... 5
1885 - 1972 Ellen Brighton
born 16 May 1885
ELLEN married William Boden ROSS in 1913


... 6
1887 - 1915 George Brighton
George served in WWI as Lance Corporal 7/748 with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. George died of his wounds 27 November 1915 at Gallipoli aged 28
Otago Daily Times, 8 December 1915 FOR THE EMPIRE'S CAUSE BRIGHTON - Died of gunshot wound and compund fracture if skull received while fighting for his country, and buried at sea on November 27, George Brighton (No.7/748 Canterbury Mounted, 4th Reinforcements), son of Gavin Brighton, Nightcaps; aged 28 years


... 7
1888 - 1951 John Brighton
born 19 August 1888
John was an Electrician
John married Marie KARST (1879-1956) in 1916
Press, 13 March 1917 RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS TO MILITARY SERVICE
John Brighton, 91 Moorhouse avenue, Christchurch, linesman, etc., said he was a Christadelphian, and had religious objections to serving. The chairman said the only two religious bodies recognised in this respect were the Christadelphians and the Quakers. Appellant refused to sign an undertaking to perform non-combatant service, holding that if he did so he would become a member of a military organisation. The appeal was dismissed
JOHN died 25 September 1951 aged 63
MARIE died 1 September 1956 aged 78
they are buried together Plot 139, Block 13 at Bromley cemetery. Christchurch


... 8
1889 - 1973 William Brighton
William married Mary Camelia PETERSON (1894-1963) in 1914
they lived Main street, Green Island, Dunedin
WILLIAM died 8 July 1973 aged 83
he is buried with Mary in Plot 82, Block 38 age Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill


... 9
1890 - 1890 Gavin Brighton
born 12 September 1890
GAVIN died 13 September 1890 aged 1 day
he is buried Plot 1X, Block 1 at Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill


... 10
1892 - James Brighton
James served in WWI as Private 8/3872 with the NZEF, 10th Reinforcements Otago Infantry Battalion, D Company
In October 1917 James was one of the Southland detail that returned into Wellington


... 11
1894 - 1966 Mary Brighton
At the Dec 1907 Nightcaps School Breakup May was in Standard IV and came 1st
MARY married Charles David LAMOND in 1921


... 12
1894 - 1973 Robert Burns Brighton
born 14 October 1894
- nothing else known


... 13
1897 - 1986 Olive May Brighton
born 10 June 1897
At the Dec 1907 Nightcaps School Breakup Olive was in Standard II and came 1st equal with May Clifford. At the Dec 1910 Nightcaps School Breakup Olive received an Attendance prize as did her sisters Eunice & Isabell. Olive also came 1st of Standard V. In 1911 she was in Standard VI and came 1st in class. She received a good attendance certificate and came 2nd equal in cookery with Grace Hunter
OLIVE married Albert Edward COX in 1926


... 14
1898 - 1960 Ariel Brighton
In the Dec 1912 Nightcaps school break up, Ariel was in Standard 6, came 2nd in class and received a Proficiency Certificate


... 15
1900 - 1987 Isabell Brighton
born 21 June 1900
At the Dec 1913 Nightcaps School Breakup Isabell was in Standard VI and received a prize for Progress & Cookery and received an Attendance Certificate
ISABELL married Leonard William WORTHINGTON (1896-1982) in 1929
Leonard served in WWI as Trooper 13/2507 with the Auckland Mounted Rifles. He enlisted from Maungaturoto, North Auckland


... 16
1902 - 1981 Eunice Brighton
born 23 October 1902
At the Dec 1913 Nightcaps School Breakup Eunice was in Standard III and came 1st equal with Tullock Johnston in Home Exercise and received the Standard III prize for Good Attendance
EUNICE married Francis Alfred WELLS in 1925


... 17
1906 - 1986 Otheus Brighton
born 18 November 1906
At the Dec 1913 Nightcaps School Breakup Otheus was in Standard I and received a prize for Spelling
In 1940s 'surfaceman' Otheus & Mary Mavis (1905-1968) Brighton were living in a Railway House in Otira Village (high in the Southern Alps)
OF INTEREST
In 1923 the Otira Rail Tunnel opened and linked Christchurch with Greymouth
In 2013 the whole Town of Otira (18 railway houses, a hall, 1 hotel & fire station) was up for sale for $1 million


ELIZABETH NICOLL died 11 December 1933 aged 72
GAVIN BRIGHTON died 14 June 1934 aged 79
they are buried together Grave 35, Block IV at Wairio cemetery
- with them is their 23 year old daughter Jessie Reid Brighton


TIMELINE of Gavin Brighton
Southland Times, 4 May 1883 WASTE LANDS BOARD
Thomas Church and Gavin Brighton, having applied for section 62, Wairaki, were invited to tender for it.
The same course was adopted with reference to section 182, Wairio, for which Gavin Brighton, T. Scully, R. Barker and A. York were applicants.


Southland Times, 1 October 1883
It is not often that fire in a wooden house can be put out, but the residence of Mr G. Brighton, Ear, street, Invercargill, has twice passed through the 'ordeal by fire' with the result of an interior scorching. The latest occasion was on the morning of Friday last, when, a little before eight o'clock, Mrs Brighton became aware that the house was full of smoke, and on examination found a sitting room in full blaze. Fortunately several neighbors had not left home for business, and Messrs Crease, Culcott and Lawlor were speedily on the scene. They had great difficulty in remaining in the burning room, but eventually succeeded in checking the flames, not, however, before the room was wrecked and the joisting charred. The damage will be made good by an insurance as it was on the previous occasion. The fire broke out in the same spot both times and is supposed to have originated in a faulty chimney. Why do householders not line their chimneys with 10 or 12-inch glazed pipes? They can be swept as clean as a floor and the fire can then pass out through the, too often, scamped brickwork


Southland Times, 9 October 1891
Annie Lawrence and Gavin Brighton were granted time to pay rent due on the sections at Tisbury and Linton Dell respectively


Otago Witness, 11 July 1895 KNOX CHURCH MEMORIAL SERVICE
TO THE EDITOR - Sir, Kindly allow me through your popular paper to make a few remarks upon the letter signed by Mr Gavin Brighton, criticising the Knox Church memorial service by Rev J. A. Gardiner, and taking exception to the closing sentences of his discourse as published in your issue of 13th ult. I need scarcely say the Rev Mr Gardiner voiced the feelings of all who knew the late lamented Dr Stuart on that day and I fail to see how the expressions referred to can intelligently be construed to support Mr Gavin Brighton's criticism in trying to place the Presbyterian Church and the Bible against the teaching of the Rev Mr Gardiner's statements ... more


Southland Times, 22 March 1901
Mr Gavin Brighton asked that, seeing a new road had been opened through section 6, Wairaki, the road through section 62 be closed - Council have no objection


Otago Daily Times, 19 September 1907
Gavin Brighton offer 2d per acre for lease of section 20, Wairio district - Consideration held over


Northern Advocate, 30 April 1913 GAVIN BRIGHTON, LAND SUIT
APPEAL AGAINST JUDGMENT, INVERCARGILL
Notice of appeal has been filed by W. A. Stout against the judgement of his Honour, Sir Joshua Williams, in the case of Gavin Brighton v the Minister of Lands and the Commissioner of Lands for SOuthland heard at the March sittings of the Supreme Court. The circumstances are briefly:- The appellant purchased the fee simple of his lease in perpetuity to the coal measures besides the surface rights. His Honour found the former remained the property of the Crown


Otago Daily Times, 18 July 1914
Gavin Brighton, referring to a statement in a letter by T. Buxton, that "Agnostics must organise" in connection with the Bible-in-Schools question, says the Agnostics are pretty well organised already "for greater ignorance of the subject matter in the Bible cannot be found in any organised body than is shown in the churches"


Otago Daily Times, 30 November 1916
Gavin Brighton challenges the accuracy of the statement by the Rev J. A. Asher in the Presbyterian General Assembly that the war has never spelt blessing to religion


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 30 July 1918
NIGHTCAP NOTES Every now and again farmers around the district are annoyed by roaming dogs, and this week Mr Gavin Brighton had the misfortune to lose about 9 sheep that had been worried by dogs. However, the culprit dogs were traced to the home and destroyed by the owners


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 25 February 1919
An announcement pasted up in a prominent position in the township informs the readers of same that a well known resident, Mr Gavin Brighton, is intending to take the law into his own hands in regard to meting out punishment to possible thieves, whom he alleges are pestering him. The announcement proclaims that the thief may expect to be shot like a rat, with a bullet through his body if he persists in his thieving. To some people this seems strange language; one would think the thief was an animal, only that animals would not need public warning


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 7 July 1919
Yesterday Mr Gavin Brighton fell off a traction engine, which he recently purchased at Moretown and sustained a broken leg. He was conveyed to the Hospital by motor-car, per medium Mr Peter Grant


Otago Daily Times, 23 August 1920
The Southland News state the Nightcaps people are interested in an unusual position which has arisen between Mr Gavin Brighton, of Nightcaps, and the Ohai Railway Board. It appears that the Ohai Railway runs through Mr Brighton's property, the board having leased the right-of-way for a period of 50 years. One of the clauses of the lease gives Mr Brighton power to re-enter his property should any of the conditions of lease be violated and apparently this position arose last week, the result being that, after warning the board, Mr Brighton took possession of his property again last Saturday. During Sunday he erected a barricade across the line at his boundary and hoisted a warning signal for the trains to stop. On Monday morning, the driver ignored the barricade and signals, and drove straight through the blockade, scattering timbers on either side. At present there is a truce between the parties, by mutual arrangement, but it is understood that Mr Brighton intends to carry the matter further


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 10 January 1922
NIGHTCAPS TOWN BOARD Gavin Brighton complained of being refused admission to the supper room by the doorkeeper on the occasion of the opening of the Post Office - Letter received. Members considered the charge unfounded


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 24 July 1923
Gavin Brighton, Nightcaps, asked that proceedings be taken against a resident for riding horse on footpath in Morley, Village Sett;ement - Resident to be cautioned


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 3 July 1928
Gavin Brighton of Nightcaps, applied for lease of Section 5, Block II, Morley Village, 4 acres, 2 roods, which had been recently surrendered by the Nightcaps Coal co. - Year to year license granted at ?1 per annum on usual conditions


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 7 May 1929
An accident that might easily have had more serious consequences befell Mr Gavin Brighton on Friday evening. While engaged felling willow trees he was penned down by a falling tree and was held down for about half an hour before his cries attracted attention from a resident some distance away. Mr Brighton was in a state of collapse when extricated from his unpleasant position, but fortunately sustained no serious injury


Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 3 July 1928
Mr Gavin Brighton, Nightcaps, who has been laid up for the last week, has sufficiently recovered to enable him to again take up his duties


PHOTO
OTIRA viaduct between Otira and Arthur's Pass
see Otheus Brighton (child 17)