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Jane Yandle

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Jane Yandle (1844 – November 1915) was a professional furrier and taxidermist noted for her taxidermy of New Zealand birds, some of which are still on museum display more than 100 years after her death.

Early life

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Sarah Jane Yandle (née Turle) was born in 1844 in Taunton, Somerset, England.[1] Her mother was Mary Turle (née Fox), whose occupation on the 1861 census was stated as "Naturalist", a commonly used title for a taxidermist.[2] According to family records, Mary was also known as "the bird stuffer of Taunton", and her father, Joseph, was a watchmaker and musician.[3] Jane's father died in 1855 when Jane was only 11.[4] In 1863, at the age of 20, Jane married William James Yandle.[5][6]

Taxidermy business

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The couple arrived in New Zealand in about 1866 on the SS Percy[7] with their baby daughter, Polly. [4] Jane Yandle gave birth to at least eight children, although not all of them survived to adulthood.[8]

In February 1866, a case of preserved American birds was exhibited by Mrs Yandle at the opening of the Library and Meeting Rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association.[9]

Jane presented a dabchick and two whalebirds to the Auckland Institute in 1870.[10][4] Thomas Kirk paid £2 to Mrs Yandle for a tippet and muff made from kiwi feathers, on behalf of Sir James Hector who had commissioned the items as she was the only professional taxidermist and furrier in the city.[11][12][4] Te Papa Tongarewa holds a kiwi feather muff in its collection donated by Sir James Hector's daughter in 1948.[13] In 1877, a rare white crane which had been shot by Mr H. McMurdo was sent to Mrs Yandle for stuffing.[14] The Daily Southern Cross newspaper of 5 May 1875 noted that Mrs Yandle's shop contained a large glass case containing around 90 American birds, stuffed and mounted. The birds had been brought back from the US by Samuel Morrin, a Canadian-born entrepreneur who had settled in New Zealand.[15]

In the early 1870s, the Yandles were living at 18 Grey Street (now Greys Ave) in Auckland. While William worked variously as a furrier, taxidermist, dog breeder and butcher, Jane operated a furrier and taxidermist business at one time located in Queen Street, Auckland.[16][17][18][19] William narrowly avoided bankruptcy on a number of occasions, and Jane, having revived the furrier and taxidermy part of the business, took over its management in 1877 in her own right.[20][21] The Colonist recorded notes about a carriage wrapper made of pheasant skins by Mrs Yandle, who was described as a well-known local taxidermist.[22]

Later life

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On several occasions, Jane was the victim of assault at the hands of her husband, for which he was convicted. William acknowledged in court that he had a problem controlling his alcohol intake.[23][24][25] Jane herself was convicted and fined 20 shillings plus costs for breaching the 1881 Gaming and Lotteries Act[26] by running an illegal lottery at the Masonic Hall, Newton, Auckland.[27]

In 1893, Jane signed the Women's Suffrage Petition on sheet 374.[28] Many women who advocated for suffrage around this time had experienced domestic violence often related to alcohol consumption.[29] In 1894, Jane applied to the court for protection from her husband who was bound over to keep the peace. Two years later after a further court appearance for assaulting his wife, William was advised by the judge to leave Auckland.[30] Jane continued running her furrier and taxidermy business for which she was acknowledged in the local press at the time. She retired from business in 1908. Her daughter, Jane Greacen (née Yandle), followed her mother into the taxidermy trade.[8][31]

Jane Yandle died at her daughter's home in November 1915 aged 72.[32] The New Zealand Timber Museum in Putāruru holds several examples of Jane Yandle's taxidermy work in its collection.

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Further reading

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  • Adams, Charles Francis, "Diary of a young American taxidermist visiting New Zealand, 1884–1887" [34]
  • Hunter, Kate, "A bird in the hand: hunting, fashion and colonial culture," Journal of New Zealand Studies, 1 November 2011 (pp 91–105) "A muff in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa usefully provides an entry into the world of feather garments in New Zealand. It is made from a whole skin of a spotted kiwi. The skin was padded and lined with chocolate brown silk before being rolled and secured. A casing at each end holds a cord that cinches in the ends of the tube, and attached to one end are two brown tassels. It came into the national museum collection in 1949 as part of the bequest made by Marjorie Hector, the daughter of Colonial Museum director James Hector. In Hector’s papers is a letter showing that in 1872 he sent five kiwi skins to Thomas Kirk, director of the Auckland Museum, to be taken to a Ponsonby furrier. There they were made into ‘a tippet and muff’. There is reason to suggest that this very muff is now in Te Papa."[35]
  • Star, Paul (1997) "From Acclimatisation to Preservation: Colonists and the Natural World in Southern New Zealand, 1860–1894," PhD thesis, University of Otago, p. 137. (unpublished).

References

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  1. ^ "Index entry". Free BDM. ONS. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  2. ^ "FreeCEN – UK Census Records (England, Scotland, Wales)". www.freecen.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  3. ^ Fox, Mary. "Turle Name". Turle Name. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Regnault, Claire (2021). Dressed : fashionable dress in Aotearoa New Zealand 1840 to 1910. Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. pp. 245–250. ISBN 978-0-9941460-6-9. OCLC 1245592939.
  5. ^ "Index entry". ONS. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Index entry". Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Deaths". Auckland Star. Vol. LIII, no. 297. 15 December 1922. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b Bishop, Catherine (2019). Women mean business : colonial businesswomen in New Zealand. Dunedin, New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-988531-76-2. OCLC 1101570485.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ "YMCA Opening Entertainments". DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. Vol. XXII, no. 2673. 9 February 1866. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Papers Past". Daily Southern Cross. Vol. XXVI, no. 4100. 11 October 1870. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Receipts". James Hector's personal accounts, ID: CA000294/001/0001/0055. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
  12. ^ Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand MU000147/004/0054
  13. ^ "Muff, kiwi feather". History, ID: PC000107. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
  14. ^ "Untitled". Thames Advertiser. Vol. VIII, no. 2077. 23 June 1877. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Untitled". Daily Southern Cross. Vol. XXXI, no. 5522. 5 May 1875. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Photograph looking up Queen Street, Auckland". National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 1880. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  17. ^ "News of the Day". The Press. 7 June 1877. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  18. ^ "A stitch in time saves nine". Observer. Vol. XI, no. 700. 28 May 1892. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Advertisements". The Observer. Vol. 9, no. 549. 6 July 1889. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Papers Past". Daily Southern Cross. Vol. XXXI, no. 5522. 5 May 1875. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  21. ^ Auckland Trade and Professional Directory for 1866-7 (PDF). 1867. p. 50. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  22. ^ "New Zealand Notes". The Colonist. Vol. XIX, no. 2251. 30 June 1877. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Police Court". Auckland Star. Vol. XIII, no. 3638. 8 April 1882. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  24. ^ "Police Court". Auckland Star. Vol. XXV, no. 216. 10 September 1894. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Police Court". Auckland Star. Vol. XXVII, no. 44. 21 February 1896. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  26. ^ "Gaming and Lotteries Act 1881". New Zealand Acts as enacted. 1881. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  27. ^ "Papers Past". Auckland Star. Vol. XXII, no. 308. 30 December 1891. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  28. ^ "Mrs. Yandle | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  29. ^ "Beginnings – Temperance Movement". New Zealand History. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. p. 2. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Police Court". Auckland Star. Vol. XXVII, no. 44. 21 February 1896. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  31. ^ "Advertisements". Auckland Star. Vol. XL, no. 220. 15 September 1909. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  32. ^ "Deaths". Auckland Star. Vol. XLVI, no. 285. 30 November 1915. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  33. ^ a b Truttman, L (30 May 2011). "Wiliam and Jane Yandle Taxidermists". Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  34. ^ Gill, Brian (April 2014). "Charles Francis Adams, diary of a young American taxidermist visiting New Zealand, 1884–1887". Archives of Natural History. 41 (1): 13. doi:10.3366/anh.2014.0206 – via Researchgate.
  35. ^ "Muff, kiwi feather". History Collection. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
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