History
It was built c. 1858/60 as the Police house on Coleridge Terrace (built 30 years prior to the Lyttelton Police Station on Sumner Road, in itself the oldest working Police station in New Zealand). It was built for Canterbury's first Police Sergeant, Edward William Seager, uncle of famous architect Hurst Seager and 'gramps' of the famous writer, producer and painter Dame Ngaio Marsh.
Edward Seager arrived in Lyttelton late in 1851 from London on 'The Cornwall'; he had been the ship's schoolmaster. He joined the newly formed Lyttelton Armed Constabulary. In 1855 he married Esther Coster and the following year was promoted to Sergeant of Police (earning a grand sum of 150 pounds per year) with two corporals and nine privates, their area extended from Ashburton to Kaiapoi with his only form of transport being a solitary horse! Other duties were supervising immigrants, inspecting the slaughterhouse and eventually in 1863 the Lyttelton Gaol. Prior to the building of the gaol there had been a rather insecure lockup, which had 'walked away' assisted by those inside it! Edward Seager is the only person to have 'arrested' a lockup! After this a more secure one was built at the back of the Coleridge Terrace Police House; the foundations of this remain, as does the wrought iron archway, still seen over the gateway with the lamp-stand that once held the blue light, a traditional sign of a Police station. Edward Seager is also known for the arrest of Mackenzie, the famous sheep stealer.
Lyttelton gaol also housed the mentally ill, this horrified the Seagers who did their best to improve conditions and provide recreation for these inmates (with magic lantern shows, plays and singing). Esther, his wife, took on the role of matron of Lyttelton gaol, even though she was mother of 5 children at the time. The Seagers and local doctors lobbied for a hospital to be built and in 1863 Seager applied for the job of managing this new institution, Sunnyside. By 1864 the Seagers had left Lyttelton for Sunnyside, where they worked for another 30 years. Two of their children are buried in Lyttelton's cemetery.
Goat Alley / Kenner's Lane
Lyttelton in Seager's day consisted of small cottages in a semi-rural setting; it's largest buildings were churches on Winchester Street. The footpath alongside the house was known as Goat Alley, this ran up the hill linking Coleridge Terrace and Jacksons Road and later became Kenner's Lane. Kenner's Lane was named after an early resident of 3, Coleridge Terrace, John Kenner. Mr Kenner was one of Lyttelton's early councillors; his daughter, Miss Kenner lived in the house until 1941 and was a familiar figure to older Lytteltonians who described her as ‘a large lady with long dresses that trailed along the ground.’ Miss Louisa Kenner was Lyttelton's Librarian from 1896-1930.
The McLeod family owned the house for the next 25 years, the Girl's Brigade spent many happy a time learning to bake on the coal range in the kitchen here.
When we moved into this house the locals all told me 'this was Mrs Fry's house'. The Fry family lived in the house for 30 years and improved it by adding the modern convenience of an indoor W.C. and bathroom.
