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Part of the worldwide genealogy/family history community

FamNet eNewsletter April 2020

  ISSN 2253-4040

Quote: Genealogy is not fatal - but it is a grave disease

Contents

Editorial 1

Do you want to receive this newsletter every month?. 1

Regular Contributors. 1

From the Developer 1

What Happens to our Family History when we’re gone?. 1

The Nash Rambler 1

The Undead in Waikaraka Cemetery: 1

DNA Testing for Family History. 1

Coronavirus and things to do. 1

Wairarapa Wandering. 1

Bellemin. 1

Digging Into Historical Records. 1

Mystery Rotorua Photograph. 1

Chinese Corner 1

Louis Ting Kitt 1

Anne Sherman. 1

Fun stuff in the 1911 census. 1

Jan’s Jottings. 1

Something different to try whilst you have to stay inside. 1

Guest Contributors. 1

Ken Morris. 1

Murray Reid. 1

Rangiaowhia -An Objective View 1840 to 1865. 1

An Invitation to Contribute: 1

From our Libraries and Museums. 1

Auckland Libraries. 1

Recent releases from Auckland Libraries SoundCloud. 1

Group News. 1

Whangarei Family History Computer Group. 1

Waikanae Family History Group. 1

Waitara Districts History & Families Research Group. 1

News and Views. 1

Various Articles Worth Reading. 1

Copyright 1

Internet Archive. 1

FamilySearch. 1

Book Reviews. 1

In conclusion. 1

Help wanted. 1

Letters to the Editor 1

Advertising with FamNet 1

A Bit of Light Relief 1

To Unsubscribe, Change your Email Address, or Manage your Personal Information. 1

 

Back to the Top. 17

 

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Editorial

Hello fellow hermits.

Greetings and welcome to another issue of the FamNet newsletter.

We live in incredible times. If, two years ago, you would have predicted that a Labour Government would completely lock down NZ and force everybody to stay at home I would have bet big money that you were wrong. But, like every other New Zealander I followed orders. We have no choice. For people of my age the alternatives are too risky. So, at the moment, my computer is my best friend. I have had to make adjustments because my lovely wife is working from home - the dining table is out of touch to me and the cats. No I'm not being starved; we eat elsewhere (in the house).

Anyway I'm deep into genealogical research. My Murray brick wall seems to be broken. I have acquired a couple of convicts and my first Irish ancestor. But this solution is tenuous and hinging on the belief that two ex convicts from Tasmania changed their christian names when they moved to Auckland. I have to spend a bit of time trying to disprove it - maybe I'll be a little less stringent. I cannot believe how much material is available on line. There are a lot of websites that have escaped my attention until now. I hope you are having as much fun as I am. But remember to keep in contact with your friends and acquaintances. I heard a funny comment today - you think you have problems, think about all those men with two "wives" and families. They’ve had to make a choice now - poor fellows.

You may have come to the conclusion that my trip to the UK has been postponed. We have managed to push it forward six months. So far we have not lost any money but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. NZ is the best option for us now. All I need is for my children to stop bullying me. But they care about this clown.

I normally finish this section with the words "I'm off for a coffee" but that pleasure is but a dream. Nobody can make a coffee as good as my special lady barista. My Wednesday session with my old mate has also gone. Bugger! My favourite scones are out of reach. I'll be in tears soon.

Please look after yourself. This is not a time to be silly. You must do as you are told and look after yourself. If you are silly you may have what I always considered fictional - a funeral with nobody present.

Regards

Peter Nash

Do you want to receive this newsletter every month?

This newsletter is free. There are not many free newsletters of this length in New Zealand. I am biased but it should be an interesting read.

To subscribe is easy too. Go onto the FAMNET website - don't misspell it as I have, twice already. https://www.famnet.org.nz/

The front page is lovely, but click on [Newsletters].  A page opens showing you a list of all the past newsletters, you can click the link to read one that you’re interested in.

Like the front page, the newsletters page has a place where you can log on or register.   It’s in the top right-hand corner.  Put your email here and click [Continue].   If you aren’t already on our mailing list, there will be a message “Email not in database” and a button [New User] appears.  Click this and follow the dialog to register.  It’s free and easy.  You should receive a copy every month until you unsubscribe.

Robert has assured me that he will not send begging letters to your email - apparently, he has enough money at the moment. You will not have to put in your credit card number. You will not be charged a subscription.

Tell other genealogists so they can enjoy the newsletters too.

Regards 

Peter Nash

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Regular Contributors

From the Developer

What Happens to our Family History when we’re gone?

If you get this newsletter then you’re probably above 50, and you will have spent a lot of time researching your family history, not only the bare bones (names, dates, relationships), but adding the stories and pictures that make it interesting.  Even without Covid19, we’re in the age bracket where life no longer seems infinite.  We’ve made a will so our major assets will be handled properly, but what about all this work on our family history?  Will it be lost?   Will our children be able to access it and carry it on?   What if they aren’t interested?   Often the next generation aren’t really interested now – they’re too busy raising children, creating careers – but become interested later as they approach retirement.  Hopefully we’re still around to help them, and pass on your history to them.

If, like me, you’re lucky enough to have a child that has identified themselves as the next generation of family historian then it’s easy.  But if not, what should you do?  Physical materials can only go to one person, but today most of our family history is electronic, on our own computers and various web sites.  This allows us to have as many copies as we like, so we can give one to each of our children.   Even better if it’s available with one or more web sites: it’s then available for anyone with access permissions.  Make sure that you’ve written down the passwords to your computers and web sites where your children will find them when they sort out your effects, otherwise all the information will be lost.

For FamNet, all the databases that we host must have an owner, somebody who has the master permission to decide who can see the information in the database, and make changes to it.  You can record your instructions about your database in the trustee field in your profile (see below).  If your email starts bouncing, we will conclude that you’ve disappeared and we stop sending newsletters to your email.  Your database will remain available, but of course it won’t be updated.  If we are later approached by somebody else claiming to be your relative and wanting to manage the database, we’ll ask a few questions, check what the database and profile says, and attempt to contact the recorded database owner.  In the three cases so far we’ve not found the original owner, and gladly made the relative the owner of the orphan database. 

To set the Trustees field, click [About you], log on, and click [Edit profile].   You’ll find this field towards the bottom of your profile information.

Hopefully it will be a long time before we have to think about your trustee information, or database handover.  Stay safe everybody.

Telling your story: Index

1.    Writing your story as notes, or with Word.  

2.    Embedding pictures in Word documents

3.    Saving Documents for Web Publication.

4.    Saving Scrapbook Items

5.    Sharing your Story: Managing your Family Group

6.    On Line Editing: More Facts, Family, GDB Links

7.    Comparing and Synchronising Records

8.    Producing and Using Charts

9.    Merging Trees.  Part 1:  Why Bother?

10.  Merging Trees.  Part 2:  Adding Records On-Line

11.  Merging Trees.  Part3.  Combining Existing Trees

12.  Finding Your Way Around FamNet (Getting Help)  

13.  FamNet – a Resource for your Grandchildren

14.  FamNet’s General Resource Databases
15.  Updating General Resource Databases

16.  Privacy

17.  Indexes: beyond Excel.

18.  Linking trees

19.  Uploading a GEDCOM file

20.  Uploading Objects to your Database

21.  Bulk-uploading Objects.  FamNet resource: Useful Databases
22.  Publishing Living Family on Family Web Sites 

23.  Have YOU written your family story yet? 

24.  Editing and Re-arranging your Family Tree On-line.

25.  It’s the Stories that Matter

26.  Using QR Codes for your Family History

Robert Barnes

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The Nash Rambler

The Undead in Waikaraka Cemetery:

As you may be aware, I have a little genealogical addiction. I spend at least an hour a day on it and have gone too far to stop and undergo addiction treatment. In the past I took the Hillsborough digital cemetery database from the Auckland Public Library and corrected it, added the MIs and Burial Records to it and updated the MIs and added them. When I said I took it I mean it was given to me by the library and I gave my "corrected and improved" database back to them. There were about 15,000 burials in that cemetery. At the time it was how I coped with the depression I was then feeling after my unfortunate tangle with some renegade NZSG councillors - at least that was how I justified it.

Well, after completing that cemetery I was asked to do the same to the Waikaraka Cemetery records. Off I went and have now completed 14,500 entries of a total of 20,500. I cannot think of any justification for this particular addiction other than "because it's there" and I thoroughly enjoy the feeling when I can say "I knocked that bastard off".

To make corrections I use a series of sources and I have a hierarchy of these sources to come up with the "corrected entry". When in doubt, I enter more than one version of an entry where surnames and given names vary. But I have decided that I would take the BDM website dates as the date to be entered. Of course, we can have quite a debate about this and I know that that this website does have weird entries. My logic is that a researcher may find an entry on my database and may want to purchase a death certificate and probably needs the date on the BDM website.

The resources I use are:         NZBDM website

                                                PapersPast

                                                FindmyPast (NZ Burials database) - can search on given names

                                                Funeral directors’ records

My problem is this. In the records for the early months of 1965 I have found about 20 entries that I cannot find on the BDM website or in the FindmyPast website database which I assume has been compiled from the microfiche. But they do appear in the Funeral Directors databases and all were buried by the firm C H Barker. Some have a headstone!!!!! I have no doubt that if I wandered into the Auckland Public Library and scrolled through the newspaper films I'll find their death notices.

So I have a problem in that about 20 people are buried in that cemetery who are not recognised as dead by that Government Department that officially recognises dead people by issuing a death certificate. That means they are "undead" - maybe I'm watching too many weird TV films!!!

So I emailed that Department asking a small question. See below.

The Original email:

From: Peter Nash [panash@xtra.co.nz]
Sent: Wednesday, 19 February 2020 1:48:58 PM
To: BDM Historical Records
Subject: Missing Deaths in Index

Greetings

In my humble opinion, I am an experienced genealogist and relatively well known in that field.

I'm undertaking an indexing project on the Waikaraka Cemetery in Onehunga, Auckland.

Attached is a copy of a few entries in my database. I have obtained the basic index from the Auckland Public Library and am correcting that database as well as adding the monumental inscriptions and burial records - the red bits are what I'm adding or correcting. There are a lot of errors. I am doing this for my pleasure & the final database is to be given to the library and the cemetery management if they wish to receive it. I have also completed the same exercise for the Hillsborough cemetery. (No comments about my sanity please.)

I am using your death index as "proof" of correct surname, given names and death dates together with PapersPast. We can debate the merits of this but my logic is that a researcher may want to obtain a certificate and my details make it easy.

I have other sources such as funeral directors' records and FindmyPast to pick up aliases and hyphenated names etc. So that if I can't find it on BDM I do a lot of wriggling to verify the names & dates and I eventually find the entry on your database.

My problem is this. I am currently in the early months of 1965. The attached database is a list of about 20 entries that I cannot find on your index but are found in funeral directors’ records. I have no doubts that I can find them in newspaper records. The interesting fact is that they are all burials done by the funeral director C H Barkers.

Is it possible that these are missing from your records?

Awaiting your comments with interest

Peter Nash

(Phone number was included)

 

First response: dated 19 February 2020

Kia ora Peter

Thank you for your email.

All of the available records are in the database, provided the event was registered.

We do know we have some transcription errors in the names from when the records were scanned.

I have forwarded your email to the appropriate staff member who will respond within 15 working days. 

For any other enquiries please reply to this email, visit our website at www.govt.nz/bdm, or contact us by phone. 

Nāku noa, nā

(name withheld by the Editor)

Customer Services Officer | Births, Deaths and Marriages Office

No other response has been received.

Does this mean that Births, Deaths and Marriages do not believe they existed or died, or will not add them to their system if I can provide further information, Or are they telling me I am mistaken and please can I bugger off and leave them alone.

I wonder how many other undead are buried in other cemeteries.

Peter Nash

panash@xtra.co.nz

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DNA Testing for Family History

From the editor: Gail has written quite a series on DNA Testing. You will see them all on the FAMNET website and they are a must-read, particularly if you are considering or have had a test done. They are easy to read and not too technical.  Click Index so far to see these articles

Coronavirus and things to do

Are you tired of reading all the bad news, the boring news, the medical news, the financial news, the travellers’ woes and so on and on – ad nauseum?

Well I am.

Does that make me a self-centred intolerant person?

Probably, but no matter what newspaper I pick up or TV news broadcast, it has something to do with the latest round of coronavirus and numerous problems surrounding that or Royal family issues. Therefore, I shall have to change my ways or accept such types of labels.

When it becomes too overwhelming, I switch off and head for the calm of genetic genealogy. 

But even there I find stuff on the coronavirus.  Look at this as an example  https://dna-explained.com/2020/03/12/phylogenetic-tree-of-novel-coronavirus-hcov-19-covid-19/

Certainly, that article has excellent advice which is not to be sneezed at (no pun intended).  I was especially interested in learning that facemasks are to stop you touching your nose and mouth with your hands.  Apparently, your hands and every item or surface you are touching daily, can be loaded with germs.  No wonder we are being told to wash out hands multiple times a day.

But hunting further, I found this gem – written by Roberta Estes.  You will find it at https://dna-explained.com/2020/03/14/fun-genealogy-activities-for-trying-times/

Fully immersing myself in genealogy, now that clubs and organisations I might have gone to are mostly slowing right down, I am discovering new family connections.  I am also thoroughly enjoying the wiki of Familysearch.org.  I usually never have sufficient time to do my own research, so in its own way, my self-imposed reclusiveness is reaping dividends, even if my financial investments are not.

Gail Riddell 

gailriddelldna@gmail.com

Wairarapa Wandering

Bellemin

One of the unmarked graves up at Clareville Cemetery, Carterton, has on the plans, BELLEMIN, plot 13, 14 - therefore it is a double grave.

On 9th August, 1884, Albert BELLEMIN was thrown from his horse at Ngahauranga Gorge, near Wellington, and he, sadly, lost his life.

Albert was born in France in 1832 and was a French master and teacher of Drawing at Christ’s College. Christchurch. In March 1884, he taught at Gladstone School in the Wairarapa.

He was married to Jane Frances, a daughter of Capt John Meyrick PAYNTER at St Lukes Church, Christchurch in 1866. Her father came from Pembroke, Wales. They had several children with a son serving during WW1. She died in 1909.

Now for some reason or other, many newspapers have his name incorrect but he was ALBERT not ARTHUR as stated.  I have checked it out with Birth, Death and Marriages, family and Public Trust which was in charge of his accounts.

I have been in touch with a family member, and he has visited the grave.

Adele Pentony-Graham

12 Neich’s Lane

Clareville 5713

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Digging Into Historical Records  

Mystery Rotorua Photograph

There is no date for a partial photograph that shows my great-grandfather William Naylor Jenkins (1847-1925) standing with a cane in front of Maori carvings. The handwritten note on the back, written by his daughter Eunice Elizabeth Mewis Chambers, simply reads “W. N. Jenkins at Rotorua – my father.”

A search of DigitalNZ for the keywords ‘Rotorua carvings’ revealed that the carving on the left hand side of the image was from the doorway of a carved meeting house at Whakarewarewa. A photograph in James Cowan’s 1925 book “Fairy Folk Tales of the Maori” gave it the title “Kura-of-the Claws. The ogre-woman of the forest.”

The same book also had a photograph that showed the complete carving that could be seen on the right. This was described as a carved sliding window of a Maori house at Whakarewarewa that featured “A Maori artist’s idea of Hatupatu.” [1]

An entry in Te Ara shows both carvings in a display setting and states that they were produced by the master carver Tene Waitere in 1904-5. [2] Tene was living at Te Wairoa when the Tarawera eruption occurred on 10 June 1886. He was one of the survivors who sheltered in the carved house, Hinemihi, along with his wife Ruihi Te Ngahue and their daughter, Tuhipo. [5]

A comment at the bottom of the Te Ara webpage referred to an article, written in 1970, titled “Historical notes on the carved house Nuku te Apiapi” by William John Phillips. This was published in the Journal of the Polynesian Society and it provides a full description of both carvings. [3]

When Nuku te Apiapi was opened on Monday 12 March 1906 a large group of Europeans were present. [4]

“For some years Nuku Te Apiapi was used as a show place for tourists. Guides Sophia Hinerangi and Maggie Papakura were permitted to admit visitors under their charge, but as the years passed the house was allowed to deteriorate.” [3] Tene Waitere’s grand-daughter, Rangitiaria, was known as Guide Rangi of Whakarewarewa. [5]

Was William Naylor Jenkins in Whakarewarewa for a specific reason? In April 1906 he was in Rotorua and it was reported that he had sent to Mrs Jenkins a photograph of the monument erected to her relative, Edwin Bainbridge. [6] This relationship was mentioned again in the obituary of Mrs Mercy Jenkins who died at Westown, New Plymouth on 23 July 1906. She had moved from Eltham to seek medical treatment. [7]

A recollection of Harry Reginald Jenkins (1881-1970), Mercy’s third son, was that Edwin Bainbridge came to “visit his Aunt Selina Drake and his cousins” and “stayed at his mother’s home prior to going to Rotorua.” [8] The home of Mercy’s mother, Ceres Selina Drake nee Walters was in Johnsonville and Mercy’s was in Eltham.

Edwin left London on R.M.S. Parramatta on 29 January 1886 and arrived at Sydney on 20 March. [9] On 03 April he left Sydney for Noumea and Fiji on the steamer Victoria. [10] He wrote to his relatives from Fiji on 16 April saying that he was going to visit the Lake Country of the Province of Auckland. [12]

On 24 May Edwin arrived at Auckland from Fiji on the steamship Arawata. [11]. He went to the North Shore to watch a colonial football match on 29 May then listened to Rev Thomas Spurgeon at the Baptist Chapel the next day. Before leaving Auckland he had met with John Percival McArthur (1858-1901), Hon. Granville George Waldegrave (1859-1937) and Actaeon Edward Courtney Forrest (1864-1908). [12]

Edwin left Auckland for Oxford (now Tirau) on 04 June then travelled by coach to Ohinemutu the next day. On Sunday afternoon, 06 June, he continued on to Wairoa and stayed the night at McRae’s hotel. [24] The next day was spent at Rotomahana visiting the terraces. On 08 June he decided to stay in Wairoa rather than return to Rotorua with the party. [13]

Attempts to find obvious genealogical links between Edwin Bainbridge and the Drake family have been unsuccessful. Tantalisingly, Ann Walters (1759-1803), a great aunt of Ceres Selina Drake did marry a George Bainbridge in 1781 at Auckland St Andrew, Durham. Edwin’s family was of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Northumberland.

Harry Reginald Jenkins also related that his “Aunt Agnes Fortescue and her husband had ridden on horse-back with Edwin from Wanganui to Taupo. The Fortescues were returning to England and had gone to Taupo to visit Dr Samuel Walker, who had gone there after the death of his wife Jane, who was sister to Agnes. Before going on to Auckland, the Fortescues, together with Edwin, set off in high spirits for Rotorua, where they stayed at Brent’s Hotel, which had been founded by Stephen Brent, son of William who had gone on the English trip with William Jenkins. After seeing all the sights in Rotorua, the Fortescues set off on horseback for Auckland to catch their ship, and Edwin went on to see the Pink and White Terraces.” [8]

This entire passage conflates and mixes up events. In 1960 Harry was in his 79th year when he was urged by his daughter, Thora Melita Parker (1911-1994), “to place on record some of the events of my life while I still have the memory and faculties.”

Percival Trosse Fortescue and his wife left from Wellington on RMS Kaikoura for London on 11 February 1886 [14] and arrived in Plymouth Sound on 23 March 1886. [15] Dr Samuel Walker died at Taupo on 24 December 1880. [16] His wife, Jane Tutin Walker nee Jenkins, died 29 Sep 1890 at Mount View Asylum, Wellington. [17]

The Fortescue’s did travel to Taupo and they arrived at Wairakei from Tokaanu on 02 February 1885. [18] They may well have been present for the opening, in March, of the Rotorua Temperance Hotel situated near the Government sanatorium. [19] This was first advertised by the proprietor, Stephen Thomas Brent, on 07 March 1885. [20] The Governor appointed Fortescue as a member of the Licensing Committees for East and West Taupo in May 1885. [21]

Also visiting the Hot Lakes district in February 1885 was John Percival McArthur (1858-1901) and his wife from London. [18] He was the nephew of Sir William McArthur, MP for Lambeth, London. [22] John Percival and his two brothers attended Leys School, Cambridge at the same time as Edwin Bainbridge and his two brothers. [23] In July 1885 Fortescue was placed in charge of the defence works at Kaiwarra, Wellington. [25] His services were dispensed with in November 1885. [26]

On learning that Edwin Bainbridge was the missing English tourist, J. P. McArthur, Hon G. Waldegrave and A. E. C. Forrest, travelled together to Rotorua. [24] They arrived on Saturday night, 12 June, just in time to view the body and for J. P. McArthur to make the necessary funeral arrangements for Edwin and the five members of the Haszard family. All attended the simple funeral at Ngongataha the next day. [27]

Perhaps the death of Louisa Haszard, aged 73 years, on 05 July 1886 at Kaukapakapa was due to more than just the long illness she suffered. [28] She lost her nephew and four grandchildren in one day. Her daughter, Amelia Jane, was rescued after being entombed for several hours. Amelia later recalled that “my two daughters escaped into a detached portion of the house” and “while sitting in my chair with my three remaining children around me I was pinned to the floor by the roof falling in and I believe that it was at that time my husband was killed. I had my youngest child, a girl aged four in my arms, a boy aged ten on my right and a girl of six on my left…” [29]

Despite losing her husband, three children under two years of age before 1876, three children on 10 Jun 1886, and then her mother shortly thereafter, Amelia lived to be 81 years of age. She died on 06 March 1925 at Herne Bay, Auckland. [30]

Amelia was predeceased by another nephew, Norman Frederick Johnston Haszard, who died in 1919 in the Federated Malay States as the result of complications following an attack of influenza. [31] In 1897 at Roslyn, Dunedin, Norman married Emily Ruth Forster, the niece of Dr Samuel Walker who died at Taupo in 1880. [32]

Another point of interest is Prince Edward Island in Canada, where Amelia Jane was born at Belle Vue on 09 June 1843. [33] She came to New Zealand on the Prince Edward along with 13 other Haszard family members and arrived at Waitemata on 13 May 1859. [34, 35]

Another Prince Edward Island native was Stephen Thomas Brent, of the Rotorua Temperance Hotel. He was born at Charlottetown on 23 September 1834 [33] and arrived at Nelson with his parents, William and Elizabeth Brent, on the Lady Grey, in July 1855. [35, 36]

The intrigue lies with the grandfather of Mercy Jenkins, Captain John Drake, for whom birth and death dates remain elusive. When he was declared bankrupt in 1826 he was the owner of a schooner named Rising Sun. [37] Drake had just returned from a voyage to Cape Coast Castle, Ghana, and if unsuccessful as a financial venture, this may have been the cause. [38] The Rising Sun was built at Prince Edward Island in 1819. [39]

The quest to understand why the ‘memory’ of Edwin Bainbridge and his relationship to Mercy Jenkins was so strong has fallen short of finding any single piece of evidence that would explain the strength of that memory. Instead a cobweb of relationships has been revealed and in this instance the trauma of the Tarawera eruption seems to have acted as a peg around which all sorts of memories have coalesced.

Perhaps finding a copy of the complete photograph of William Naylor Jenkins standing with a cane in front of the Maori carvings may shed some further light on the conundrum.

In the words of Harry Reginald Jenkins, remembering the night of 10 June 1886, when he was five years of age and living near Eltham: “I remember very vividly the lurid glow in the sky, and the terrifying grumblings and tremblings, which frightened us all out of our wits. Thinking this must be nothing less than the end of the world and hell-fire itself, I crept into bed and pulled the blankets over my head.”

Images relating to this article can be seen via the DigitalNZ story “Carved house Nuku Apiapi & William Naylor Jenkins” https://digitalnz.org/stories/5e7c6a43b155fb000a773e67

 

[1] Fairy Folk Tales of the Maori by James Cowan (1925) – Part of the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-CowFair.html

[2] Te Ara Story: Te Arawa Page 2  https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1519/hatupatu-and-kurangaituku

[3] Historical Notes on the Carved House Nuku Te Apiapi by W. J. Phillips – The Journal of the Polynesian Society Volume 79 No.1 Pages 71 to 85

http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/

[4] New Zealand Herald 13 Mar 1906 Great Maori Celebration – Opening of the Carved House

[5] Roger Neich. 'Waitere, Tene', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1996. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3w1/waitere-tene  

[6] Wanganui Chronicle 24 Apr 1906 Local and General

[7] Taranaki Daily News 24 Jul 1906 Obituary – Mrs Thomas Jenkins of Eltham

[8] And Not to Yield by Thora Parker (1987) page 124

[9] The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) 22 Mar 1886 Shipping Arrivals

[10] The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) 05 Apr 1886 Shipping – Clearances April 3

[11] Auckland Star 24 May 1886 Shipping Intelligence

[12] New Zealand Herald 02 Jul 1887 Supplement Page 1 The Late Edwin Bainbridge

[13] Nelson Evening Mail 17 Jun 1886 A Canterbury Gentleman’s Account (Auckland Herald)

[14] New Zealand Times 11 Feb 1886 The RMS Kaikoura

[15] Dundee Evening Telegraph 23 Mar 1886 Special Telegram

[16] Letter: Inspector Scammell, Armed Constabulary "B" Division Officer, Taupo 30 Dec 1880 to Lt. Col. Lyon, Waikato – Archives NZ Reference Archives NZ Wellington Reference: P1 135c 1881/1164

[17] Coroner’s Inquest case file for Jane Walker – Archives NZ Reference J46 47/ 1890/575 (R238177729) – and online at FamilySearch

[18] New Zealand Herald 11 Mar 1885 Visitors to Wairakei

[19] Bay of Plenty Times 14 Mar 1885

[20] Bay of Plenty Times 07 Mar 1885 Advertisement

[21] Archives NZ – Archway – Justice Department correspondence – letter from the Governor, Wellington received 11 May 1885 appointing Captain Percival Trosse Fortescue Member Licensing Committees, East and West Taupo – Reference ACGS 16211 J1 378/t 1885/847 (R24525064)

[22] UK National Probate Calendar 1887 Sir William McArthur

[23] 1881 Census The Leys School, Cambridge – Bainbridge brothers and McArthur brothers

[24] Internet Archive: Full text Edwin Bainbridge: A Memoir by Thomas Darlington (1888)  https://archive.org/stream/edwinbainbridgem00darl/edwinbainbridgem00darl_djvu.txt

[25] Archives NZ – Archway – Police Department correspondence – letter from Captain Fortescue, Kaiwarra received 15 July 1885 regarding a letter which appeared in New Zealand Times relative to the condition of the men at that station – Reference ACIS 17627 P1 188/ 1885/1944 (R24452876)

[26] Archives NZ – Archway – Police Department correspondence – letter from the Governor received 05 Nov 1885 stating that the services of Captain’s Capel and Fortescue were dispensed with – Reference ACIS 17627 P1 190/ 1885/3087 (R24470634)

[27] New Zealand Herald 17 Jun 1886 The Volcanic Eruption at Rotomahana

[28] Auckland Star 05 Jul 1886 Death Notice for of Louisa Haszard

[29] New Zealand Herald 07 Mar 1925 Tarawera Eruption – Death of Survivor

[30] Auckland Star 06 Mar 1925 Death notice for Amelia Haszard

[31] New Zealand Herald 24 Dec 1919 Obituary for Norman Haszard

[32] Observer 15 May 1897 Marriage of Norman Haszard to Emily Ruth Forster

[33] The Government of Prince Edward Island http://www.gov.pe.ca/parosearch/

[34] Marlborough Express 06 Feb 1909 Early Immigrants brought by the Prince Edward

[35] NZ Bound: Maritime Province Canada to New Zealand  http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nzbound/maritime.htm#Prince%20Edward%20Island

[36] They Voyage of the “Lady Grey” by Geoffrey A. T. Lightband in Journal of the Nelson and Marlborough Historical Societies Volume 1, Issue 4, October 1984. New Zealand Electronic Text Centre - http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-NHSJ04_04-t1-body1-d17.html

[37] Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle 26 Nov 1826 Bankrupts – John Drake

[38] The Morning Post 24 Oct 1825 Ship News – Rising Sun

[39] Lloyds Register of Shipping 1826

Pandora Research

www.nzpictures.co.nz

Dawn Chambers
nz19thcentury@outlook.com

 

Back to the Top

Chinese Corner 

Louis Ting Kitt

Louis Ting Kitt (Lu Ting Git), from Baak Shek, in Jung Seng, was a devout Presbyterian who campaigned against opium and gambling, organised support for the Kuomintang and who was said to have gone to China to meet Sun Yat Sen.

He arrived in Wellington in 1887 and opened a fruit shop and general store in Tory Street.

In 1896 he purchased the Fruit and Grocery Business in Tory-street “lately carried on by Yung Lee, I hereby give notice that I will not be responsible for any debts contracted during the time Yung Lee was carrying on the business. (Signed) LOUIS KITT “ [1]

He was naturalised and baptised that same year.

He married his wife Chun Poi Ha, known as Poy Ha Kitt, from Tup Gwong village, also in Jung Seng, in 1904. They had 5 children, all born in Wellington.

Louis Kitt, of Wellington, and a number of others recently petitioned Parliament asking that more drastic measures he taken for the suppression of opium smoking. The Public Petitions Committee yesterday recommended the Government to give effect to the prayer of the petition. [2] [3]

 He was a strong advocate of political change in both China and New Zealand, and a leader of the Chinese community in Wellington.

In 1912 he returned to China and met Dr Sun Yat Sen. Back in New Zealand, he slowly withdrew from politics, and moved to Manaia. He had a fruit shop in Manaia, as early as 1915. [4]

He died in Manaia, 17 August 1931 - at the age of 62.

1    EVENING POST, VOLUME LII, ISSUE 83, 29 AUGUST 1896

2    NEW ZEALAND TIMES, VOLUME LXXVII, ISSUE 5360, 20 AUGUST 1904

3    NEW ZEALAND TIMES, VOLUME LXXVII, ISSUE 5316, 30 JUNE 1904

4    HAWERA & NORMANBY STAR, 1 OCTOBER 1915

Helen Wong

helen.familytree@gmail.com

Anne Sherman

Fun stuff in the 1911 census

As you may be aware the 1911 census in England and Wales differs from previous census returns, in that we see the actual household schedule completed by our ancestors, rather than the enumerators’ books.  This has led to some very interesting finds which, under normal circumstances, the enumerator would not have copied.

As with all forms people are asked to complete, on occasions the instructions have not been fully understood, and incorrect information can be included.  One example is that of Charles Godfrey of Wimbledon who included all of his children in the return included three who had died.  We know that he lost three daughters, one aged 1 week, another aged 10 weeks and another who is listed as being “born dead”. These three have been crossed out, but we can still read the entries. Another helpful return also lists all of the children, but in this case they were all grown up and married with children of their own. The schedule has the ‘fertility’ information (years of marriage and the number of children to that marriage) for each of the married children of the head of the household.  Once again the information had been crossed out as they did not live with their parents, but can still be seen.

On occasions you can find doodles on the schedules. On the schedule for Alfred Figg of Middlesex someone drew a pair of eyes, with eyebrows, and changed the 11 from 1911 into an ‘m’.

 

 

One of the most common forms of incorrect information being added is that of pets.  In August 2013 Sky News reported that 16% of dog owners included their pet in the 2011 Census.  This also occurred in 1911 and some can be found by adding for ‘cat’, ‘dog’ or ‘mouse’ in the searching terms and leaving all the other fields blank. 

Frances Stone of Nottinghamshire listed her cat and dog (aged 7 and 8 years old respectively).  Ernest Ladbrook of Ipswich completed most of the sections for his black cat Bob, who is listed as being a 1 year old pet who was born in a stable in Ipswich, but he is uncertain if the cat was married or had children as questions marks have been written in these columns. Additionally Bob’s occupation was listed as a nomad, mouse handler who worked on his own account, mostly at home.    Likewise William Chubb of Liverpool included his 2 year old British dog Brestow, who was born in Yorkshire, was single with no children, worked as a watchdog, and had no infirmities.

Alone with the names of pets, the owners may have written interesting descriptions. Arthur Delve of Smethwick did not add his pet in the columns for people but wrote along the bottom of the form “Biddy faithful Irish Terrier bitch, a demon on cats and vermin. Aged 11 years.”

The 1911 census was taken during the suffragette movement and some women made it clear that they did not see why they should complete the census returns if they were not allowed to vote.   For this reason some women simply did not include themselves on the schedules. Eleanora Maude of London crossed out her name and details only for her husband to add them again, and he stated at the bottom of the form “My wife unfortunately being a suffragette put her pen through her name but it must stand as correct it being an equivocation to say she is away, she being always resident here and has only attempted by a silly subterfuge to defeat the object of the census to which as Head of the family I object.” 

Others completed the census but included their description of being a suffragette.  Mary Howey of Malvern describes herself as an artist and suffragette and wrote “Votes for Women” across the centre of the form.  John Curphey of Liverpool listed his whole family and gave the occupation of his eldest daughter as ‘Suffraget’ [sic].

Perhaps some of the funniest descriptions come, not from incorrect entries, but from transcription errors.  One website describes George Barras of Burnley as a “Caster Salesman Prostitute Machinist” when in fact he was a Salesman for a Provision Merchant. Another entry shows Richard Auty in Leeds as being a ’Prostitute Machinist Missionary’, which in itself can raise a smile, but I doubt that Mr Auty would have been happy with the description as his occupation clearly shows him to be a Primitive Methodist Minister! 

Transcription errors appear for all resources so always check the original as well as the index. When I first viewed the 1911 census, Grimsby in Lincolnshire had miraculously moved to Devon!  Why this had occurred I do not know, but it was quickly rectified.

If you have found any amusing 1911 census entries please share them with me on my social media sites: https://www.facebook.com/leavesfamilyhistory/ or  https://twitter.com/leavesfamhist

Anne Sherman

anne@leavesfamilyhistory.co.uk

Jan’s Jottings

Something different to try whilst you have to stay inside

Looking at “Hints and Hits with FamilySearch”  and “Rellies around me”.

1. Go to www.familysearch.org. You must register and create an account. All free! Give yourself a nice short, snappy User name and password - as you might be using them quite frequently.  Look Upper Right-hand corner to click to Logon or Create an account.

It is a good idea to have entered your data into FamilySearch. BUT .......

Once you have registered, see if you can follow the instructions below, and you might find that someone has already entered your data and you can “Find Hints and Hits” and “Find Rellies Around Me” without entering more data.  BUT - do plan to enter your data into FamilySearch eventually.

2. Just for fun, check to see if some info is already there. So, looking at my pedigree chart (I have 4 for me and 4 for David - one for each grandparent to be number 1).

I will choose a family couple at random. I have selected Adam ADAMSON and Elizabeth WISHART who married in 1786 in Edinburgh. I have the home page for familysearch.org and I click on Family Tree and then Find.   I type the info for my couple and hit Find.  The first hit matches my information I entered. I can click on Adam and look at his personal information and/or click on Tree and see just how much information is there. Do the same with Elizabeth.   Make a note of the name and ID number beside each name. This number is a very quick way to get back to a person as you can search on this number.  

Look to your left and you should see the word Landscape with a short pedigree outline beside it. Click on the down arrow and there are more choices as to how the information is displayed. Look to the right and see the word Options - click this for more choices eg turn on Research suggestions and then you will see the icon to click on for some research suggestions. Just have a play clicking on the different choices. Make a note of those you want to use again and how you found them!!  

Something else to try whilst you are having to stay at home!!  You can decide that you will be very organised with this fun search!!  Or you can just go for the fun of it.  So I will look at this, second, procedure.

But do remember that you should/could be keeping track of where you have searched and what you have searched and who you have searched. Decide on a source - I have Genealogy Hints ‘My Heritage’ or FamilySearch etc as a source and can include the Family name in the details.  This means I can add a person that I have found in someone’s genealogy in FamilySearch - a hint or perhaps a confirmation of my research  - and click to source all new info to this new source.  

If nothing else, think about buying an A5 or A4 Indexed tabbed notebook.  You could look for the Pukka Pad brand. You can move the tabbed sheets so this lets you count the number of pages and keeping say 10 for Notes, divide the rest into 4 for your 4 families.  Buy two sets of sticky coloured dots. One the largest you can find and the other the smallest. The largest ones turn anything into a file for your blue (England), green (Ireland), red (Scotland) and yellow (Aussie) or purple (NZ) family and the smallest are great to stick on your pedigree charts so you can see at a glance which countries you are working on on that chart. Also buy a date stamp and get into the habit of dating your notes. You might rather use the notebook for research origins - eg Ancestry (red), My Heritage (orange), FamilySearch (green), The Genealogist (blue), FindMyPast (purple) etc.  You would choose the colours that you can work with of course!!   Having a set of coloured pencils means you can write info from Ancestry in red, from FamilySearch in green etc. Means you can tell at a glance where you found the info.  Even the heading in a colour is a help.

You need a pedigree chart. Preferably one that shows your family back to your third or fourth great grandparents. You do need family in the 1800's. Just fill in what you know so that you can do a search to start this fun.  Or print from your genealogy program. And you do need family who have died!

When I search I enter the name - forename and surname - of one of a couple and Birth country if possible and birth year if I have it. Then select spouse and add name - sometimes you only have a forename or surname. Then search.  

You could use forms that will help you keep track of what you are looking at. OR - just use the reverse of the pedigree chart!!! Make sure you note the day’s date (having a date stamp is a good idea). Good idea to fold the pedigree chart into thirds (portrait) and then in half landscape. That will give you 6 sections for 6 different set of notes. Decide what you will note in each section and keep to those headings each time you work on the reverse of a chart.

What we are going to do is to do a quick check on FamilySearch to see if someone has entered any info on our families.  You don’t need to have entered anything into FamilySearch (the LDS Church data base), but you do need to register - this is free to do.  Go to www.familysearch.org. Look on upper RH corner.  Create account. Follow instructions.  Keep your User name and password short, as you may need to use them lots!!!

A click on the FamilySearch icon (upper left hand corner - FamilySearch in green) will take you to the Home Page.

Some background info. FamilySearch has three databases.  A - is data that genealogists (and others) have entered about their families - FamilyTrees.  B is data taken from records that FamilySearch (FS) has filmed/digitised/etc. Parish Registers for instance.  C is the FS Library catalogue. Also check the Wiki - data about everything and anything.   C is great for place/location information.  Also to check on family history books. NB I have allocated the A, B, C - this is not part of FamilySearch.

We are going to work with A.

From the Home Page, Click on FamilyTree, then click on Find. Now look at your pedigree chart and key in a person’s name, birth year and country. Click on spouse and key in the name and birth country.  Or WHY. (What Have You}.

I am looking at a pedigree chart starting with my 4 x great grandfather, Thomas NEWCOMBE and his wife Sarah PERRY. They were born late 1700's and died 1848.   I entered birth year and place for Thomas and name for Sarah. Hit Find!!!  As often happens the first hit was mine. All the info showing agreed with what I had. It also showed Thomas’ parents.

Make a note, wherever you are making notes, to show what you search for and your hits. I make a note of the PIN (personal id number) for Thomas, Sarah, his Father Thomas and Mother Alice. These all begin with the same characters - L1TB - which would indicate that they are from the same batch of entries.

I click on Thomas and choose Person (rather than Tree) as this will show me the information entered for Thomas.  Study this carefully and check on items like Collaborate, Sources etc. Click on Tree (towards upper right hand side) and see how far back the Tree goes. One of the fun things to do is to create a fan chart. With the Tree on your screen, look towards the left and see Landscape with a little mark on the right hand side. Click on this and choose Fan Chart. Choose the number of generations and choose what you would like to see displayed. Cursor on person you want to start the chart from. Gives you something to send to a new rellie! Something to give to a new cousin so they can see the extent of previous research. A file to send for them to print out. There may not be anything there! It dos happen sometime.  So you will need to get busy and enter what you have found into FamilySearch.

More fun!!!  Enter your search criteria and then look towards the right hand side of the screen. Here you will see listed FamilySearch’s partners. The first is to use FS’s database created from the records they have filmed (my B). Here you may find your family entries in Parish Registers etc. Then there are others like Ancestry etc. These are pretty useless at home, unless you have a paid sub. You can see the info for free in your Family History Centre. My Heritage you can use with an Auckland Library card. Check out each one, as they take you straight to where your family entries should/could be.

Then you should see Latest Changes. Look to see if there are any changes to the data and what they are. Click ‘Show All’ - this will show you others working on your tree and you can email them to make contact and encourage discussions.

Work your way through the other items on the right hand side.

Repeat and Repeat for each of your family!!!

Like to try something else?   Go to your Google Search. The place where you type what you want Google to find for you on the internet.  Using the same couple, I would type “Thomas Newcombe” NEAR “Sarah Perry” and hit enter.  I have 8 hits. This is what I call a ‘bull’s eye” search! Because it nearly always brings up interesting, different, websites and new information. It will search for a web site that has these two names NEAR to each other - usually within 8-10 words. If you have common names then try adding the place eg “Thomas Newcombe” NEAR “Sarah Perry” NEAR London. If you have lots of hits, then study them carefully and note anything that will help you create your search string.  You can - (minus) too.  Eg  “Thomas Newcombe” NEAR “Sarah Perry” -London. Telling the search engine you do NOT want the web site that has London. This is a great way to learn how to create your search string. Watch for something unusual - eg if you knew Sarah Perry’s mother was Ermatude you could include this in the search.

Have fun!!! Try to keep a record of your research.

3.  Now you need to have the FamilySearch ap.   Go to the www.familysearch.org web page.  

From the FamilySearch info leaflet:
How do I download FamilySearch mobile apps?  The FamilySearch Family Tree mobile app provides a more portable way to do family history.  Available for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices. With this mobile app, you can (possibly) connect with your ancestors and their descendants.  And look at the data wherever you are!!

You first need to download the Google Play app.   On your device (usually your cell phone) open the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.  Search for FamilySearch. Choose Android: Tap Install or Apple: Tap Free or Kindle: Tap Get App.  Install and tap its icon to open it.

This is called “Rellies around me”.  Looking at my device, I tap the FamilySearch icon. In upper left hand corner you should see the hamburger icon. Three straight lines same length. Click on this, then click on Relatives around me.  Click on Scan.   If, by chance, someone nearby has their device on and has clicked on ‘relatives around me’ and is your rellie - their name will show!!!!   Fun to do this at a genealogy meeting (when will we have one of those again??!!).  

Just for fun, I suggest we each go online on our devices and do a search for rellies each day at - say 8pm and for an hour.  Just in case there is a rellie nearby!!

Jan Gow
jangow@gmail.com

Guest Contributors 

Ken Morris

 

Ken Morris

Murray Reid

Rangiaowhia -An Objective View 1840 to 1865

The name Rangiaowhia was unknown to me until I began genealogy research of my grandchildren. I was surprised to learn that their lineage could accurately be traced back to that place possibly as early as 1847. Six generations earlier their 4th gt grandparents were Thomas Power and Rahapa te Hauata.

That couple were very central to the formation of the village, and resided there for over 15 years. I found the Te Awamutu museum held considerable information on the couple, and has Rahapa’s taonga which had been gifted to the museum by the West family. A week or two later I visited both the museum and the Catholic cemetery at the village which contains a plaque in memory of the couple.

I recounted my findings a few weeks later to a history group in North Waikato and was stunned to be told by a senior kaumatua, “That was the place where the troops locked women and children in the church and burnt it down” I couldn’t challenge the story as I knew the church no longer existed.

I then set about learning as much as I could about Rangiaowhia. I quickly learnt that there had been a European missionary presence in the region since 1841. Firstly, with the Anglican mission at Te Awamutu under Rev. John Morgan followed in 1844 by the Catholic mission at Rangiaowhia under Father Pezant.

Today all history of the village centres on the events of 21 February 1864, and earlier events are glossed over. The objective of this paper is to cover the history of the place and the people involved in its development from 1840 to the end of hostilities 25 years later.

There is little published history of the area pre European, but my understanding is the dominant hapu are Ngati Apakura, with a number of small scattered settlements. The land was in its natural state and quite swampy in parts. The area was still in recovery after the horror of the “Musket Wars” pre 1840.

As well as concentrating on religion the missionaries placed high importance on education and cooperative farming methods, with new crops not previously known to the Māori. To this end they had great support from Sir George Grey, who became Governor in 1845. He had an immediate rapport with Māori as he strove to learn their language and culture.

Grey supplied the mission with horses, ploughs, harrows, drays etc. He also had Thomas Power sent to the Waikato as an assistant to Rev. John Morgan. He even arranged to cover Power’s salary of a Guinea a week for a year.

The venture was a resounding success. Within a few years’ large volumes of a wide range of produce was being transported north to Auckland, Australia and further afield. A report from Power stated that 1317 acres (525 hectares) was under cultivation in 1850. Freight was mostly by water. A number of flour mills had been established and the population steadily grew at Rangiaowhia and the farmed land expanded. Within a few years two substantial churches had been built by Anglicans, and Catholics who also built a substantial mission station, school and boarding hostel.

Visitors to the village described it as similar to those in rural England with many families having large plots of their own under cultivation. As time went by the area being farmed expanded as did the range of produce and animals. Sadly, the expansion did not last and productivity in the area declined alarmingly in the pre war years. International economics played a part when exports to Australia ceased. More importantly the once fertile soils became depleted due to the failure to fertilise, lack of crop rotation and not allowing land to lie fallow for a period. The consequence was less crops of a lower quality, and declining income.

During his tenure Grey visited Rangiaowhia twice. He even arranged for two young Māori men to travel to England with a bag of the village flour as a present for Queen Victoria.

They were well received and each presented with portraits of the Royal family. One hangs in the Te Awamutu museum. Sadly, the other was lost when the Catholic priest’s home burnt down in 1865.

Over the years relations between the Crown and Māori deteriorated for a variety of reasons. In the Waikato there was a general fear that too many immigrants were flooding into the area with demands for land. King Te Wherowhero, and his successor Tāwhiao, claimed they had no allegiance to the Crown as “Waikato” had not signed the treaty. A contentious claim as most of the 32 chiefs who signed at Port Waikato in April 1840 were Waikato sub tribes.

In 1863 Tāwhiao declared “No European would cross the Mangatawhiri” a river near Mercer.

By this time Grey had returned for his 2nd term as Governor, partly because of his previous rapport with Māori. In response to Tāwhiao’s declaration Grey demanded all Māori north of the Mangatawhiri declare allegiance to the Queen or leave the district. Obviously spoiling for a fight Grey sent General Cameron’s army south merely days later. The troops crossed the Mangatawhiri River. The Waikato war had begun.

When the army reached Te Awamutu Cameron chose not to attack the large Māori force in the superbly defended Pa at Paterangi. He decided instead to capture the village of Rangiaowhia, thus cutting supply lines. His plan worked almost perfectly. Cameron was surprised to find there were many armed men in the village, some of whom chose to make a stand with the result that there was loss of life, at and around, a large whare. 

Today the common knowledge of events at Rangiaowhia is that Grey and Cameron were evil people who were prepared to kill any who stood in their way, whether combatants or unarmed men women and children. With one exception none of the NZ historians have taken that stance. In Cameron’s case all praise him for his efforts to minimise casualties and loss of life. He was under orders however. Most historians would agree that Grey was a different man during his second term. He became overly punitive and vindictive and I think that is borne out by the speed in which he reacted to Tāwhiao’s challenge and the huge land confiscations that followed. He believed that as the Queen’s representative he was the lead authority in the country and Tāwhiao was in rebellion. There was no room for two monarchs.

He did act within the law, and did negotiate with Tāwhiao, who knew full well that land confiscation would likely follow. My personal opinion is that Grey was hurt by the fact that Waikato Māori were now his enemies rather than friends as 15 years earlier.

Today the story accepted by many is that soldiers locked innocent women and children in a church and burnt it down. I have no idea of the origins of the story but do know that my own brother recounted the story over 50 years ago when he took his children to the site.

Below is the earliest and most detailed publication of the story I can find, from 2009. The author was Tommy Wilson, a regular columnist of the Bay of Plenty Times, an NZ Herald paper.

His troops herded all the local Maori up like cattle and locked them in the church, and then set it alight - killing all 144 inside. Those who tried to escape were shot and only one 3-year-old girl got out, by being thrown through the burning back wall.

These prominent people and historians have all repeated the story in various ways over the years: Hazel Coromandel-Wander, Leah Bell, Vincent O’Malley, Dame Susan Devoy, Shane Te Pou, Rahui Papa, Assoc. Prof Tom Roa.

Of the above two are inconsistent in their narrative. Ms. Wander wrote of the burning church in her Massey MA Thesis. In a recent communication she described the church as a Whare Karakia, with fewer deaths. Mr. O’Malley makes no mention of the story in his major work on the NZ Wars. He even reproduces one of the paintings mentioned earlier in that work. However, in a major NZ Listener article he states, “some unofficial estimates suggested more than 100 deaths”.  Most historians would cite the sources of such a claim.

They all sound very convincing until one delves into the history, but a simple online search very quickly reveals the story to be untrue: documents held at the National Library are consistent and unequivocal proving that a massacre of women, children and elderly did not occur.  Firstly, there are published eye witness accounts. Secondly, there are newspaper articles post February 1864 mentioning events at the Catholic church proving it had not been burnt down.   One in 1931 describes the recent demolition of the Catholic church.  There are even paintings and sketches of the Catholic church done after February 1864.

Surely if I can so easily find such evidence then I would suggest all of those mentioned above could have also but they obviously didn’t bother.   It is hard to imagine the motivations of anyone knowing the truth but choosing to perpetuate this myth.

While it is acknowledged that oral histories are acceptable when no written language exists, this was not the case at Rangiaowhia. Both missions had for over 20 years been teaching English, written and oral, to 50 or more pupils at a time. Wiremu Tamihana did write his views but failed to recount any deaths in a church. One resident subsequently wrote to Gov. Grey, seeking compensation for personal effects taken by soldiers. She wrote in Māori.

Sadly, today the myth is being perpetuated as many school groups are taken to Rangiaowhia and the same story is being told. Some of these children are as young as eight!

Looking toward the future I have very little hope that New Zealand History will ever be properly taught in our schools if the above account of events in one small village can become twisted so easily.

Murray Reid

3 March 2020

An Invitation to Contribute:

I have a number of people that contribute occasional articles. These appear irregularly if and when the authors send them to me.  I use them to bulk up each month's newsletter. The more we have the more "rests "I can give my much-appreciated regular columnists.

This is a way that a person can get some of their writing published. Of course we are all writing up our research results, aren't we? I have always said that every genealogist is an expert in some small piece of history, resources or research methods.

We circulate this newsletter to about 7,000 subscribers worldwide but is read by many more as it is passed on to other readers and LDS research centres. Every month I get feedback on my poor attempts at writing and I have now made many "new friends", albeit digital ones. In a few months I hope to meet a few when I waddle along to a few conferences and meetings in England and Scotland. I have even had a few very helpful assistances in my research.

Why don't you contribute an article?

My basic requirements:

1) The column must be in English

2) The column should be no longer than 1,200 words approximately

3) The article should be emailed to me in a Word document format

4) The subject should be genealogical or historical in nature

Do not be afraid about your "perceived" bad English. The article will be edited, in a friendly manner, by me and then Robert. Then all columnists and a few valuable proofreaders get to read the newsletter before it is emailed out.   You’ll be paid $0 for your article, which is on the same scale that Robert and I pay ourselves for editing and publishing the newsletter.                  

From our Libraries and Museums

We are offering a forum to our libraries and museums to publicise their events, and to contribute articles to this newsletter that may be of interest to our readers. Auckland Libraries makes good use of this free service, let’s see if other libraries and museums take up this offer.

For readers of this newsletter: please bring this to the attention of your local libraries etc, and encourage them to participate.

Auckland Libraries

From the Editor: For obvious reasons the lecture programme at the library is suspended. But I believe that Library card holders can access Ancestry.com throught the library website.

Recent releases from Auckland Libraries SoundCloud

Researching your Property – a 4-part series

Auckland Council Archives archivist Eoin Lynch

https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/researching-your-property-part-1-auckland-council-archives/s-xwlpi

Auckland Libraries’ local history librarian Joanne Graves

https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/researching-your-property-part-2-auckland-libraries/s-AiwWQ

Heritage New Zealand’s outreach advisor Antony Phillips

https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/researching-your-property-part-3-heritage-new-zealand/s-4tYGz

Auckland Council’s Heritage Unit, Heritage Researcher Marguerite Hill

https://soundcloud.com/auckland-libraries/researching-your-property-part-4-auckland-council-heritage-unit/s-by8U8

 

Nga mihi | Kind regards

SEONAID

Seonaid (Shona) Lewis RLIANZA | Family History Librarian

Central Auckland Research Centre, Central City Library

Heritage and Research

Auckland Libraries - Nga Whare Matauranga o Tamaki Makarau

Ph 09 890 2411| Extn (46) 2411 | Fax 09 307 7741

Auckland Libraries, Level 2, Central City Library, 44 - 46 Lorne Street, Auckland

Visit our website: www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

@Kintalk on Twitter / Auckland Research Centre on Facebook

 

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Group News

Whangarei Family History Computer Group

 Contacts: 

image001 Wayne: (09) 437 2881 wayne@bydand.co.nz

 Pat: (09) 437 0692 whangareifamilyhistorygroup@gmail.com

Venues

Thursday evening venue is 6 Augusta Place, Whau Valley. Call Wayne or Pat or;

email Whangareifamilyhistorygroup@gmail.com, if you need directions.

 Saturday meetings are held in the SeniorNet rooms in James Street.

The rooms are upstairs in the Arcade leading to Orr’s Pharmacy and Tiffany’s Café, Start time 9.30 till finished before 1.30pm.

 

 

 

 

Waikanae Family History Group

 Contacts: Email: wfhg2012@gmail.com

Venue: Meets every 4th Thursday morning at the Waikanae Chartered Club, 8 Elizabeth Street Waikanae, just over the Railway Crossing from 9.30am to 12 -12.30pm, every month from January to November.

Research days: at the Waikanae Public Library, 10am to 12 noon on second Wednesday of each month.

 

 

Waitara Districts History & Families Research Group

 The contact details of this group are:

Waitara Districts History & Families Research Group

Rose Cottage 33 Memorial Place

WAITARA 4320

Tel: 06 – 754 – 3212

 

waitarahistory.genealogy@xtra.co.nz

 

 

President:- Rona Hooson 

Vice President:- Doree Smith

Secretary:- Trish Smart

Treasurer:- Marilyn O’Lander

 office:-067543212

 

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News and Views

                                            

                                                                                    Or should we say 4 weeks

Various Articles Worth Reading

From the Editor: Because of space restrictions and copyright issues I cannot put the complete articles in this newsletter so here are some URLs that are worth looking at:

Copyright

            https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2020/03/10/and-the-difference-is/

Internet Archive

Now is the time to explore the availability of books on line. Read this article from one of my favourite bloggers

            https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2020/03/25/hats-off-to-internet-archive/

FamilySearch

Now is the time to explore this marvellous resource: https://www.familysearch.org/en/

Remember to create an account (it is free and not a recruitment opportunity for the organisation)

I have been using the Research Wiki section. I put in "Tasmanian Convicts" and this led me to many resources that I didn't know existed. Have a play.

         

Book Reviews

It appears that none of us have read any books in the month before lockdown. 

In conclusion

Help wanted

Letters to the Editor

Advertising with FamNet

Every now and then we get requests to put an advertisement in the newsletter. I have therefore created a new section which will appear from time to time. Advertisements will be included only at the Editor's discretion and will be of a genealogical nature.

If your organisation is not a group subscriber then there will be a charge for advertising events and services, which must be paid for before publication. Charges start at $NZ25 for a basic flier, and increase for more elaborate presentations. Like everyone else we need funds to help keep FamNet going. Fees are very minimal. If your organisation paid a yearly subscription you can have all the advertising you want all year round in the Group News section. Your group could be anywhere in the world, not just in New Zealand. The editor will continue to exercise discretion for free events.

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A Bit of Light Relief

ad

A guy walks into a bar, sits down and says to the bartender, "Quick pour me twelve drinks."

So the bartender pours him twelve shots and the guy starts shooting them back as fast as he could, one after another. 

The bartender says to the guy, "Boy you are drinking those drinks really fast."

The guys says, "Well, you would be drinking really fast too if you had what I've got."

The bartender says, "What've you got?"

The guy says, "A dollar."

 

tube. I hope you will enjoy these clips.                                   

                                     

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