I've been thinking about James Sutherland (1857), whom I seem to lose in 1883 when the rest of the Sutherland family emigrated to Australia. I wonder whether he perhaps died on board ship. It's possible, as deaths did occur on the emigrant ships and I can't think of anything else that would have happened to him.
There is no record of him marrying
There is no death record
I can't find anything in any of the gazettes.
And now I can't find the record for Ben Cruachan, the ship they travelled on.
Hmm - a mystery
Thursday, 20 September 2007
Sunday, 9 September 2007
The Ned Kelly Connection
My father always used to make a joke about my mother's uncle having been shot through the letterbox by Ned Kelly at Glenrowan.
I think he was alluding to the uncle having been postmaster or something at Glenrowan during the Ned Kelly business.
I never thought too much about it until I came across a Robert GIBBONS on the list of hostages at Glenrowan. I found another couple of entries for Robert Gibbons - He married Margaret Liddle in Glenrowan in 1871 and their daughter, Ellen Gibbons was born on 31/1/1875 (died 9/2/1875) in Wangaratta - near Glenrowan. I still didn't think too much about it because Robert wasn't a name that came up on any of my family lists.
However... Because I have a couple of fairly tight deadlines, I've spent today doing family history research - ah! there's nothing like procrastination for wasting time!. Anyway, I came across an old post on the Rootsweb board. The message asked for information about Robert Gibbons who was born in Buckinghamshire in about 1846 and died in Australia in 1914. Apparently Robert's father was John Thomas Gibbons and his mother was Eliza Susan something. The message then went on to say that John Thomas Gibbons had been married twice - the other time to Emma Hatche(?) and that Robert and his Step sister Ellen were buried in the same plot.
My 3xg grandmother - Catherine Gibbons - was the daughter of John Thomas Gibbons and Emma Hatch. Their children were:
John 1832 - died in infancy
John Thomas 1835-1897
Emma 1836-
Mary Ann 1836-1895
Ellen 1839 -1909
Catherine 1846-1930
Julindar 1850-died in infancy
Robert Gibbons, is therefore something of a mystery. The 1841 census shows John Thomas(1811), grocer, and Emma (1811), along with John Thomas(1835), Mary (1836) and Ellen(1839) living at High Street, Eton. Catherine is born in 1846 in Oxfordshire, Julindar is born in 1850 in Australia. Robert Gibbons was supposedly born in Buckinghamshire in 1843, so the dates just don't stack up. My guess is that the Ellen referred to in the Rootsweb post is actually the infant daughter, but I'd have to confirm that.
hmmm... watch this space.
I think he was alluding to the uncle having been postmaster or something at Glenrowan during the Ned Kelly business.
I never thought too much about it until I came across a Robert GIBBONS on the list of hostages at Glenrowan. I found another couple of entries for Robert Gibbons - He married Margaret Liddle in Glenrowan in 1871 and their daughter, Ellen Gibbons was born on 31/1/1875 (died 9/2/1875) in Wangaratta - near Glenrowan. I still didn't think too much about it because Robert wasn't a name that came up on any of my family lists.
However... Because I have a couple of fairly tight deadlines, I've spent today doing family history research - ah! there's nothing like procrastination for wasting time!. Anyway, I came across an old post on the Rootsweb board. The message asked for information about Robert Gibbons who was born in Buckinghamshire in about 1846 and died in Australia in 1914. Apparently Robert's father was John Thomas Gibbons and his mother was Eliza Susan something. The message then went on to say that John Thomas Gibbons had been married twice - the other time to Emma Hatche(?) and that Robert and his Step sister Ellen were buried in the same plot.
My 3xg grandmother - Catherine Gibbons - was the daughter of John Thomas Gibbons and Emma Hatch. Their children were:
John 1832 - died in infancy
John Thomas 1835-1897
Emma 1836-
Mary Ann 1836-1895
Ellen 1839 -1909
Catherine 1846-1930
Julindar 1850-died in infancy
Robert Gibbons, is therefore something of a mystery. The 1841 census shows John Thomas(1811), grocer, and Emma (1811), along with John Thomas(1835), Mary (1836) and Ellen(1839) living at High Street, Eton. Catherine is born in 1846 in Oxfordshire, Julindar is born in 1850 in Australia. Robert Gibbons was supposedly born in Buckinghamshire in 1843, so the dates just don't stack up. My guess is that the Ellen referred to in the Rootsweb post is actually the infant daughter, but I'd have to confirm that.
hmmm... watch this space.
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Cousins for Africa
I was put onto another Genealogy website www.genesreunited.co.uk and it is fantastic. I had to pay $20 for a six month registration but it allowed me to upload the family tree I've been
working on and then it threw up matches with other people's trees.
I've had difficulty finding Sutherlands so I've cast my net to include the entire extended whanau - including Allan's family.
The upshot is that I've found cousins! Cousin Beryl from Australia replied. Her and my mother are second cousins - they share a great-grandmother - Catherine Gibbons was born in Oxfordshire, England and married Charles Edward Edwards, a gold miner, in Australia in 1868. He had found a huge gold nugget and married her that year.
Cousin Nick from England replied - we share a great-great-great-grandfather.
Allan's Cousin Christopher also replied - his father is Allan's great grandfather's brother
They're fairly distant as far as relations go, but it does mean that I have other sources of information about all these lines.
Needless to say, it might be a little early to start planning family reunions.
working on and then it threw up matches with other people's trees.
I've had difficulty finding Sutherlands so I've cast my net to include the entire extended whanau - including Allan's family.
The upshot is that I've found cousins! Cousin Beryl from Australia replied. Her and my mother are second cousins - they share a great-grandmother - Catherine Gibbons was born in Oxfordshire, England and married Charles Edward Edwards, a gold miner, in Australia in 1868. He had found a huge gold nugget and married her that year.
Cousin Nick from England replied - we share a great-great-great-grandfather.
Allan's Cousin Christopher also replied - his father is Allan's great grandfather's brother
They're fairly distant as far as relations go, but it does mean that I have other sources of information about all these lines.
Needless to say, it might be a little early to start planning family reunions.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Where to now?
I seem to have hit a brick wall with regards to William Morrison SUTHERLAND and I don't know where to go now without physically travelling to Sydney and tracking down Robert and Christina's grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Outside the WPHC files, without going to Tonga (hmm, there's a thought...) information about Tongan govt servants seems to be sketchy.
My father tells me that Neomai MAHE was a lady in waiting to Queen Salote and on the Queen's visit to New Zealand, Neomai accompanied her. That's one thing I can look up.
I've done all the Sutherland sisters and brothers - There doesn't seem to be a lot about William Morrison's brother Robert apart from the information on his passport application -
BUT James, the eldest brother, is still elusive. He didn't go to Australia with his family, yet he doesn't seem to have remained in Scotland. There is no record of his death in Scotland. Perhaps he went to Canada or the United States. I think that might be the next thing to search for.
The other thing to do - and this might just require a trip to sydney - is to find out about Robert SUTHERLAND's business.
...watch this space
Outside the WPHC files, without going to Tonga (hmm, there's a thought...) information about Tongan govt servants seems to be sketchy.
My father tells me that Neomai MAHE was a lady in waiting to Queen Salote and on the Queen's visit to New Zealand, Neomai accompanied her. That's one thing I can look up.
I've done all the Sutherland sisters and brothers - There doesn't seem to be a lot about William Morrison's brother Robert apart from the information on his passport application -
BUT James, the eldest brother, is still elusive. He didn't go to Australia with his family, yet he doesn't seem to have remained in Scotland. There is no record of his death in Scotland. Perhaps he went to Canada or the United States. I think that might be the next thing to search for.
The other thing to do - and this might just require a trip to sydney - is to find out about Robert SUTHERLAND's business.
...watch this space
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Probate
I've taken a bit of time to get back to the blog. I've spent some of that time going through the Archives of the Western Pacific High Commission at Auckland University Library.
The collection contains 600 linear metres of documents covering the period 1877-1978.
The WPHC was originally established to control the activities of the European traders and settlers, in particular the more unruly and illegal activities relating to labour, but over time its grew to include general administrative functions in the New Hebrides, Gilbert Is and Solomon Is covering health, taxation, communications, land policy and public works.
Solomon Is records from the WPHC were sent to Honiara, and Gilbert and Ellice Is material to Kiribati and Tuvalu, the remainder - the records of the Western Pacific High Commission, the British Commissioner and Consul to Tonga, and the New Hebrides British Service- were sent to Auckland University.
I knew William Morrison SUTHERLAND was a Tongan government servant, so I was particularly interested in Registers of Service and Personal files, as well as appointments of officials. I looked through quite a few other files and was about to give up before I found Case files Probate Jurisdiction. William Morrison SUTHERLAND's file was the first I came across.
Probate Jurisdictions are interesting documents in that they can tell a lot about the personal affairs of the deceased .
William must have died while he was away from home, because the Probate lists his home as Nukulofa, but he died at Haabai. Financially he was comfortably off. His estate passed to Neomai and contained:
Leasehold land and buildings situated at Nukulofa and Leased from His Majesty the King of Tonga under Lease registered No. 284. value 270 pounds
American Phaeton, Horse and Harness 25 pounds
Piano 20 pounds
Double bedstead and fittings 8 pounds
2 single beds and fittings 8 pounds
Iron cash safe 5 pounds
10 assorted tables 3 pounds 15 sh
2 chests of drawers 3 pounds
3 planters lounge chairs 3 pounds
3 stretcher beds 1.10
2 clocks 1.15
6 austrian bentwood chairs 1.10
1 rocker 1.5
kitchen utensils 15 pounds
Cash 9.7
Salary due from Tongan Govt 6.0
a total value of 382.2.0
I wonder what he was doing in Haabai. He seems to have been with Frank Wall, a trader, who is also a joint executor of his will - and is listed as witness to his burial.
When I started this, I had this romantic notion that my great grandfather had perhaps jumped ship and was making his was as an island trader, travelling around, buying and selling goods. The truth is, I'm afraid, a little more prosaic. But it's quite nice, really, to think of this scottish gentleman living quite comfortably in the pacific with his Tongan wife and six children.
It's also a little sad to think that he died so suddenly at such a young age - 46 - And away from home.
The collection contains 600 linear metres of documents covering the period 1877-1978.
The WPHC was originally established to control the activities of the European traders and settlers, in particular the more unruly and illegal activities relating to labour, but over time its grew to include general administrative functions in the New Hebrides, Gilbert Is and Solomon Is covering health, taxation, communications, land policy and public works.
Solomon Is records from the WPHC were sent to Honiara, and Gilbert and Ellice Is material to Kiribati and Tuvalu, the remainder - the records of the Western Pacific High Commission, the British Commissioner and Consul to Tonga, and the New Hebrides British Service- were sent to Auckland University.
I knew William Morrison SUTHERLAND was a Tongan government servant, so I was particularly interested in Registers of Service and Personal files, as well as appointments of officials. I looked through quite a few other files and was about to give up before I found Case files Probate Jurisdiction. William Morrison SUTHERLAND's file was the first I came across.
Probate Jurisdictions are interesting documents in that they can tell a lot about the personal affairs of the deceased .
William must have died while he was away from home, because the Probate lists his home as Nukulofa, but he died at Haabai. Financially he was comfortably off. His estate passed to Neomai and contained:
Leasehold land and buildings situated at Nukulofa and Leased from His Majesty the King of Tonga under Lease registered No. 284. value 270 pounds
American Phaeton, Horse and Harness 25 pounds
Piano 20 pounds
Double bedstead and fittings 8 pounds
2 single beds and fittings 8 pounds
Iron cash safe 5 pounds
10 assorted tables 3 pounds 15 sh
2 chests of drawers 3 pounds
3 planters lounge chairs 3 pounds
3 stretcher beds 1.10
2 clocks 1.15
6 austrian bentwood chairs 1.10
1 rocker 1.5
kitchen utensils 15 pounds
Cash 9.7
Salary due from Tongan Govt 6.0
a total value of 382.2.0
I wonder what he was doing in Haabai. He seems to have been with Frank Wall, a trader, who is also a joint executor of his will - and is listed as witness to his burial.
When I started this, I had this romantic notion that my great grandfather had perhaps jumped ship and was making his was as an island trader, travelling around, buying and selling goods. The truth is, I'm afraid, a little more prosaic. But it's quite nice, really, to think of this scottish gentleman living quite comfortably in the pacific with his Tongan wife and six children.
It's also a little sad to think that he died so suddenly at such a young age - 46 - And away from home.
Monday, 28 May 2007
William Morrison Sutherland
Mr Pelu has finally come through - well, actually, he didn't. I gave up waiting and phoned again. I talked to a very helpful lady who found the my g-grandfather's death certificate and promised to send it that day. It arrived a week later.
This is very exciting because it provides the link between him and the Edinburgh/Sydney Sutherlands and gives me something more to search on.
My Great-grandfather - William Morrison SUTHERLAND died aged 46 years of Heart Failure in Lifuka, Haapai, Tonga on 9 April 1915. He worked from the Tongan Government (a civil servant!) and he had been in Tonga 19 years when he died. He married Neomai Mahe in Namuka, Haapai, when he was 28 years old.
This means:
He arrived in Tonga in 1896 aged 27 (I'd always thought he's arrived as a young man). He married in 1897.
My family bible was given to him by Mrs Burt in 1894, so that must have been given in Sydney.
Where to from here?
I'm really interested now in what he did there. I had thought he was a merchant - particularly as his father was an importer and I had an idea that this was all a family importing/trading operation.
I guess it's back to the Western Pacific High Commission Archives to try and find something about Tongan Govt Civil Servants.
This is very exciting because it provides the link between him and the Edinburgh/Sydney Sutherlands and gives me something more to search on.
My Great-grandfather - William Morrison SUTHERLAND died aged 46 years of Heart Failure in Lifuka, Haapai, Tonga on 9 April 1915. He worked from the Tongan Government (a civil servant!) and he had been in Tonga 19 years when he died. He married Neomai Mahe in Namuka, Haapai, when he was 28 years old.
This means:
He arrived in Tonga in 1896 aged 27 (I'd always thought he's arrived as a young man). He married in 1897.
My family bible was given to him by Mrs Burt in 1894, so that must have been given in Sydney.
Where to from here?
I'm really interested now in what he did there. I had thought he was a merchant - particularly as his father was an importer and I had an idea that this was all a family importing/trading operation.
I guess it's back to the Western Pacific High Commission Archives to try and find something about Tongan Govt Civil Servants.
Monday, 7 May 2007
Thomas M Sutherland and Others in NSW
Although this information needs to be cross-referenced to my Sutherlands, these are records I found in the NSW registry - linked through the NZSOG website.
Thomas M SUTHERLAND(1858)
died 1887 Penrith
married Maria O'SHEA Paddington 1875 (ref: 1428/1875)
children:
Rose (1876)
Clara (1877)
Agnes (1881)
Maria (1884)
Robert George (1879)
Christina (1865)
married Frank SYER 1885
died 1886 St Leonards (ref 6104/1886)
no children *Christina died only a year after marriage. I think she may have died in childbirth
Annie Dilworth Simpson SUTHERLAND (1865)
married John SCOTT 1884 Sydney (ref 1865/1884)
died 1965 (ref 37282/1965) *parents entered as Thomas/Maria
children:
John (1885) Ashfield
Robert S (1893) Burwood
Lina Lindsay SUTHERLAND (1879) *On earlier records as Eliza
married David VALANTINE 1903
died 1952 Mosman (ref 3249/1952)
Georgina M SUTHERLAND(1873)
died 1927 Mosman (ref 19848/1927)
* I don't think she married
Thomas M SUTHERLAND(1858)
died 1887 Penrith
married Maria O'SHEA Paddington 1875 (ref: 1428/1875)
children:
Rose (1876)
Clara (1877)
Agnes (1881)
Maria (1884)
Robert George (1879)
Christina (1865)
married Frank SYER 1885
died 1886 St Leonards (ref 6104/1886)
no children *Christina died only a year after marriage. I think she may have died in childbirth
Annie Dilworth Simpson SUTHERLAND (1865)
married John SCOTT 1884 Sydney (ref 1865/1884)
died 1965 (ref 37282/1965) *parents entered as Thomas/Maria
children:
John (1885) Ashfield
Robert S (1893) Burwood
Lina Lindsay SUTHERLAND (1879) *On earlier records as Eliza
married David VALANTINE 1903
died 1952 Mosman (ref 3249/1952)
Georgina M SUTHERLAND(1873)
died 1927 Mosman (ref 19848/1927)
* I don't think she married
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