1876: Death of Lord George Lyttleton
April 19, 2023
By AHNZ
Today in history, 19 April, 1876, Lord George Lyttelton (59) killed himself by throwing himself down a flight of stairs in his home, Hagley Hall. A feat only an upper class Englishman could hope to execute. With the stairs in my house I’d have to repeat the exercise many times over to achieve that result.
“He is remembered today as the glue that kept the association together over its five years of operation and Christchurch wouldn’t have happened without him. He was one of our greatest promoters.” – www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz
“In 1876 Lyttelton killed himself at the age of 59 by throwing himself down the stairs in a London house” – Wiki
Port Lyttleton and Hagley Park are both named after him and he is the man who commissioned the John Godley statue in Cathedral Square. Certainly a Canterbury Founding Father and one who even visited the colony. Places like Wellington and Nelson and Auckland cannot say that!
According to the Bruce Herald (Otago) of 1876 it wasn’t so much the stairs that killed Lyttleton as injuries sustained by a long drop. In the middle of being shaved by an attendant, he “…threw himself over the bannister, falling down two flights of stairs into the hall below. The best. medical skill was summoned, but the skull was fractured, and he very shortly expired. The late Lord Lyttleton was one of the most-useful men of the day.” Ref. Papers Past
He had been suffering from Depression for some while. A similar situation to another early New Zealand Founder, our second Governor Robert FitzRoy. Suicidal thoughts here also involved a razor but rather than take extra steps as Lyttleton had to (for he was already on Suicide Watch,) FitzRoy (59) cut his own throat on 30 April, 1865. Another Springtime suicide and at the same age! Ref. 1865: New Zealand Governor Commits Suicide
“On the date named, this man was engaged in -shaving Lord Lyttleton, who asked Him to allow him tp have the razor for a moment. The man refused the request but acquiesced in a wish expressed by Lord Lyttleton to be allowed to walk up and down the room a little.” – Otago Witness (1876,) Papers Past
What’s going on here guys?
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1870: Lyttleton Burning, AHNZ
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