On her marriage, Catherine Mildred CUMMINGS disposed of her business, The Value House, to her brother John Edward (Jack) CUMMINGS. He had (from the electoral rolls) been her assistant in the business with the exception of the war years, when as part of the 18th Draft, he served overseas from late 1916 until his return to New Zealand in early 1919.
On his return to Matamata ‘Jack’ threw himself into the affairs of the town. Firstly being part of the movement to form an association for returned soldiers, the R.S.A., as well as paying attention to his business.
At the same time he was helping organise the Annual Social of the Matamata Rugby Union.
We are not privy to the nature of his war injuries, but perhaps his lungs were compromised. In 1923 nothing was secret and we learn he suffered from pneumonia.
He must have been seriously ill, nearly six weeks later he is finally convalescent and ordered to have a change of climate. Thames should be just the ticket!
The store has good systems in place, and seems to be functioning perfectly without him. No doubt with the aid of his sister Annie, who is at this time recorded on the electoral rolls for Matamata.
After his recovery, he continued in his role as secretary of the Matamata Rugby Union and took up golf.
It was about now the Cummings siblings staged the financial intervention for his sister Mildred, (see CUMMINGS DRAPER part 1)
He was also a member of the chamber of commerce. In 1925 he stood down as secretary of the Matamata Rugby Union, due to the demands of his business but it is clear they aren’t going to let him go easily.
“However, there may be other ways in which Mr Cummings’ knowledge of the game and the workings of the union may be utilised”
Matamata Record 2 April 1925
Later in the month he is the president!
In June 1925 he was re-elected to the combined role of secretary & treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce. (Matamata Record 18th June 1925).
Unfortunately even in a town as small as Matamata in 1925 burglaries occurred.
But he didn’t let that stop his holiday plans. He travelled with Mr R. McCabe to Australia.
His staff are wonderful! He was away for about 6 weeks. And was there at the time of the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
He was annually re-elected as president of the Matamata Rugby Union. While in 1928 he was Clay Bird shooting at Okoroire, and in December that year Messrs J.E. Cummings, C.E. Barry, L. Mehrtens, B. Hawes & P.J. McNamara were appointed to a committee to organise the building of a training shed for the rugby club.
In January, Dan Hay, the dentist, Jack Cummings the draper, and Guy Philpott (who later married Annie Cummings) the jeweller, camped at Mercury Bay and caught a 10 foot Mako Shark (Matamata Record 24 Jan 1929)
He went on a driving holiday the following summer.
In July the men of the Rocky Downs golf club were playing for a trophy presented by Mr J.E. Cummings.
From various newspaper articles it is clear that he lived, along with many others of the single men & women, at the Grosvenor Hotel, more popularly known as Black’s Boarding house. In September 1930 this wooden
building was destroyed in a fire, just after Ivan Black had reduced his insurance cover. J.E. Cummings managed to move his motor-car away, but by the time he got back was unable to save any of his personal belongings.
Late in the summer of 1929/1930 the Matamata Swimming Club was formed. At their first Annual General Meeting in November 1930 J.E. Cummings was elected one of the Vice-presidents. (there were 12 of
them!)
The men of Matamata were an active bunch. The following week was the meeting of the Citizens Committee appointed to “deal with the Rest Room and Plunket Rooms” J.E. Cummings was there. He later presented “two fine garden seats for the rest room grounds.”
And in signs of the depression, he was appointed to a Matamata committee of the Unemployment Board.
I imagine there was great excitement at the donation of Bedford Park to the town.
The deed of gift stipulated that there be four trustees. Two representing Cricket, and two r epr e s ent ing Rugby.
J.E.Cummings was appointed as one of the Rugby representatives.
But they still find time for recreation!
And to be on the jury for an inquest into a fatality at a railway crossing.
Matamata Record 6 July 1931 Business is doing well enough to expand the shop (not forgetting he had an inheritance of about £1000 from his sister Mildred in 1929).
To learn more about Matamata's recent growth and new developments, click here.
He donated a handsome shield of dark polished wood with a gilt raised flower on the centre to the Horticultural Society for annual competition between districts - The Cummings Shield. For this he was made a life member of the society.
Then the men went deep sea fishing again, chartering a launch and fishing down the East Coast from Mercury Bay to Mayor Island. J.E.
Cummings caught a good marlin (bigger than the one caught recently by a man from Waharoa!) and at some point decided they needed an aero-club.
To learn more about the Matamata's Aero Club, click here
Also in 1932 he was elected a vice-president of the Matamata District Boxing Association.
In December 1932 a new station for the St John Ambulance Brigade was opened in Tainui Street.
Described by the district officer from Hamilton as a handsome little edifice. J.E. Cummings has presented a silver cup, to be competed for quarterly among members to provide an incentive towards efficiency
Through the 1930s a Deep Sea game fishing trip, and a Deer Stalking camp are at least annual events.
In 1934 he donated another cup. This time to the Matamata Basketball Association for Intermediate play. The teams draw for the Intermediate grade published on 14th June 1934 was Business Girls v. Walton (ref Miss Mapp), Okoroire v Waharoa (ref Miss Watson), High School v Old Girls, (ref Mr Sorrenson).
After several more episodes of pneumonia,1937 was a good year. “All Records” were broken at the Matamata Racing club meeting. In particular takings at the totalisator. J.E. Cummings was yet again an official. And in July he married.
The extended trip to “the Old Country & France” began almost immediately. They arrived at Tilbury docks in London on September 23rd 1937 aboard R.M.S. Orford. J.E.Cummings had a big send off, with presents including a camera.
The tone of the report suggests he had relinquished all his positions and may or may not return to settle in Matamata.
To learn more about the departure of the sportsman, click here.
The business J.E. Cummings, The Value House continued as before, under the management of Mr W. Heyworth.
The town was not bereft of news of the trip.
While in London J.E. Cummings gave away his wife’s daughter, and they held the reception at the Alexandra Hotel, Hyde Park Corner.
A little over 6 months into the trip his manager Mr Heyworth has moved to
Hastings. This must have been irritating! He was succeeded by R. White
In addition Beatrice Cummings’ mother died. She was 85. Perhaps it was expected. But then they were off to Ireland for a few months.
Leading up to what is now known as World War 2, J.E. Cummings was posting home newspapers. (Matamata Record 28 Nov 1938). But not until October 1939 is there any indication of them planning their return. Securing passage was not easy.
To learn more about Matamata's Residents looking for war work, click here.
They did indeed make it home just in time for Christmas. Having left Southampton on November 5th 1939. First stop New York.
Several long but interesting descriptions of their amazing travels can be read in the Matamata Record. 25 Jan 1940, 30 Jan 1940, 5 Feb 1940 (opinions of Germany & Hitler) & 12 Feb 1940.
The last describes a close up encounter with the Duke of Windsor on the golf course at Cannes.
It is only a couple of months before he is again donating a trophy. This time for the Matamata Swimming Club’s Centennial Carnival.
In April he was awarded life membership of the Matamata Rugby Sub-Union.
The Matamata Record of 10 June 1940 reports on a Mock Court. His fine of £2 was the largest and suggests the length of the honeymoon had not gone without comment!
At the July 1940 Meeting of the Matamata Borough Council, (the first in the new chambers). Mr J.E. Cummings submitted a plan of a proposed subdivision of a section on the corner of Jellicoe Road. And in 1942 he offered to plant Cherry Trees on his street frontage.
He later paid for more Cherry trees to be planted along Firth Street.
To learn more about the Memorial Trees, click here.
Dan Hay must have been glad to have his deep sea fishing partner back!
Unsurprisingly J.E.C is actively involved in the Matamata Emergency Precautions Scheme (Wartime civil defence).
The same year, they get around his apparent reluctance to be President of
the Rugby union by making him Patron In 1947, deliberations began with the aim of building a War Memorial Community Centre. By now you will not be surpr i s ed to f ind J.E. Cummings was on that committee, but he did put in an apology for a meeting. Again he had been ill.
The Record of 1 July 1948 and subsequent issues published a Matamata Directory “Who’s Who in the District”. J.E.Cummings was a Justice of the Peace.
In November 1949, the Jay Cee (Matamata Junior Chamber of Commerce) conducted the first spring gardening competition. There were 39 entries , “all of a very high standard”.
“The heavily handicapped garden of Mr and Mrs J.E. Cummings was in the opinion of the judges, one of the most outstanding of its kind they had ever seen.
The following year they are travelling to England again. This time they flew, it “only’ took four days. But travelled back to Australia by boat, then flew back to New Zealand from Australia Matamata Record, 8th June 1950 Matamata Record 2 Nov. 1950
To learn more about news of Mr and Mrd J E. Cummings going from Matamata to London, click here.
John Edward Cummings died on the 10th March 1964, and was buried in the Matamata Cemetery.
These Cummings had no children. In his will he left all to his wife, other than £500 to each of his surviving sisters. Annie Philpott & Elizabeth Davies.
This photograph taken in 1960, 50 years after the founding of the business.
