Births and Deaths in Tonga

I received an email from Mr Lausii of the Registrar General's office in Tonga - Ooooh! my first overseas correspondence!!! The only records they had were for William Morrison Sutherland (Death) (so that's actually his name - I can stop searching scotlands people for other names with those initials) and the birth of Donald Gordon Sutherland (my grandfather). William Morrison Sutherland died on 6 May 1915. That's quite sad because if my records are correct, he would have died relatively young (I still have to establish a link between the Robert and Christina Sutherland tribe and the Tongans, but I'm more and more convinced I've got the right ones). If my records are correct, Morrison was born about 1870, which would make him 45 at his death - not by any account "a ripe old age".

I got the death certificates of both Robert and Christina Sutherland from the New South Wales Registry. Theycame by post and in their envelopes look very much like Bonus Bonds letters so both times I had a brief moment when I thought I'd won Bonus Bonds. This was almost like winning without the financial boost: I got a little bit more of a picture of this family (Please please, I hope I can establish that link)

Robert died aged 91 on 3 September 1916, which meant that he outlived William Morrison by over a year. He was survived by Annie (Scott) 55, Georgina 44, Robert 39, and Tina (Valentine)37. 3 males and 2 females pre-deceased him.

His occupation was listed as Importer and Indent Agent (retired) so he must have continued the business he had in Leith when he arrived in Australia - I'm wondering now, firstly, did he continue to work for the company he had been involved with in Leith? Further, was Robert and William Morrison's trading in Tonga related to their father's work in Australia? - Hmm - food for thought...and another avenue to explore.

Christina died on July 31 1922 aged 88 years, survived by the same four.

Mr Lausii gave me the telephone number of the Registrar General in the Solomon Islands where Tongan records are held. I rang them and and spoke to a very helpful Mr Pelu, who found the entry for William Morrison's death and is going to send me a copy. This should be the document that establishes the link.