Newsletter
Te Awamutu
Branch
No 201
Convenor:John Graham871 8986Email:
Secretary/Treasurer:
Sandra Metcalfe 871 3250
Email:
Editor at large:John Graham
Email:
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009 Page: 1
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate
December 2009
Te Awamutu Website:
New Zealand Society of Genealogists Inc.
Meetings are held in the Parish Lounge at St John's Anglican Church, Arawata Street (parking off George Street), Te Awamutu, at 7.30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month – February to December. Visitors are most welcome.
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Next Meeting: Tuesday 1 December 2009 – John Grahamwill run through a brief PowerPoint “Who do I think I Am”, followed by a quiz and supper. Please bring along some Christmas fare to share.
First meeting of 2010 is on the 5th of February, Julie Anso will be talking on whaling – watch this space!
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Convenor’s Corner
Many thanks to Ken Glew for his presentation showing how DNA profiling could assist genealogists tracing family members. He stressed the word could as many of the commercial profiling companies promise the world but can not deliver. There are a plethora of websites offering DNA tracing services, the main piece of advice is BEWARE before shedding out hundreds of dollars to be disappointed.
I would be keen to know if everyone receiving the newsletter via email has the ability to read pdf files – please drop me an email.
Thank you all for a successful year especially the committee who have worked tirelessly to bring some interesting speakers and topics to our monthly meetings. I encourage members to submit articles for the newsletter and put forward topics that the committee could look into as far as speakers are concerned. Also if you know someone who is prepared to talk to the group, do let us know.
All good wishes for a blessed and peaceful Christmas followed by a refreshing New Year–John
A number of research requests have been received recently as detailed below:
Delaney family
Trying to trace Peter Delaney born Ireland 1845, son of Owen Delaney & Hannah Abbott. Arrived in Auckland 15 May 1865 with his sister Sarah Jane & niece Sarah Catherine [Delaney?] on the ship Dauntless, joining his sister Sarah Jane and niece The Delaney family were Catholics and if Peter settled & died in the Waipa district then he will probably be buried in a Catholic Cemetery.
Details:
1868 – Peter was granted 10 acres of land at Pukekohe, County of Eden, Auckland.
1870 – Registered for a Government Grant for an Application of Land through the Waikato Immigration Scheme. (No 304 = Peter Delaney’s claim, dated 3 Sept 1870)
1881 – A Peter Delaney is registered on the Waipa Electoral Roll as a Platelayer and resident of Ohaupo. There is also a Mathew DELANEY, Freeholder, Hotelkeeper of Ohaupo.
If you can help please contactLorraine James 201 Harris Street,
Maxwell / Rickett families
Looking for information on Jack Maxwell of MAXWELL & WILSON stock carriers in the Te Awamutu area from mid 1920s – 1940s. The Maxwell family had shifted to
Maxwell children
The Marriage of Bert Wilson to one Jack's daughters, possibly Nora, the eldest, would also have caught some attention as to the best of my knowledge the partnershipmay have broken up because of the marriage.
Maybe that was in 1933-34-35????
Nora b.Petone 1913. MarriedBert Wilson
Mary b. Hamilton 1919
Eileen b.Otorohanga, died 1995
Heather b. Dargaville 1922
Nancy b. Morrinsville 1926
Jack also owned a property of 2000 acres at Matapara where my Dad, Alexander Holmes Maxwell, mum Minnie, my sister Jean & I lived for about 12 months before shifting to the Kairangi Settlement Scheme out from Cambridge. I attended the WharepuhungaSchool, riding to school on a pony given us by Jack Maxwell.
One of the daughters (either Nancy or Heather) married a RICKETT, the people that had the paint & hardware store down past the Post Office on Sloane Street. Mrs. Kenneth Rickett, had 3 children Neil, Craig & Judith. I think one of the boys was a plumber.
Nancy may have lived on Ohaupo Road, about ¾ of the way up the hill going out of town to Hamilton in about 1998? She had a son living next door who was a plumber.
Are any of those Ricketts still in town that you may know of whom I may be able to contact?
Bevan Maxwell main email:
William Henry Smith
I live in Australia and am on a questto find something about my husband’s grandfather William (Henry) Smith. I would like to be able to have so access to cemetery records in Te. Awamutu as this may help narrow the search.
William (Henry) Smith arrived in NZ on SS Pakeha, a troop carrier, in 1919/20, ship #13179 1919. Possible birth placeSoutham, England. Spouse: not married but lived with Hannah Helen McNamara (a Cootes at the time) but she would have done under the name Smith. Issue: William Henry Smith - no birth record found (believed to have been born Te Kuiti. Death record found. Occupation: 1919-1939? Cookor chef at a restaurant or Hotel in Te Awamutu.
Can someone please check burial records between 1933 - 1939 for a William Henry Smith, possibleburial or death notice?
Kate Smith
Actually I had a lot to do with Te Awamutu in the 1950's - 1960s. My mother ran a baby-wear shop in town called Ladybird. I spent every Friday night as it was late night shopping at the local skating rink.
Richard Hawker
Died 16 July 1947 while a patient in TokanuiHospital, and buried 17 July 1947.I am looking for family details. He married Edith Mary Cox in 1882 (marriage is on the NZSG marriages CD).Were there any children? His burial on the NZSG Index as being buried in the Te Awamutu cemetery.
Contact: Jean Price
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Irish Ancestral Research Publication
Irish Roots magazine, the only magazine entirely dedicated to Irish ancestral research within the entire island of Ireland is now on Facebook. Irish Roots magazine features many articles written by Ireland's leading genealogists, tips and tools on how to trace and embrace your Irish ancestry. Irish Roots magazine is a celebration of Irishancestry, heritage, culture and tradition.
I would be grateful if you could let your members know about Irish Roots magazine and where possible add our website as a link to your site. If you would like any further information on Irish Roots magazine, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Julie Phibbs
You will recall our guest speaker in June was John Armstrong talking on his experiences researching and writing the history of WaikatoHospital. The book will be launched on Thursday 10 December 2009 at the Bryant Education Centre, WaikatoHospital at 5pm.
“Under One Roof: A History of Waikato Hospital” has 17 chapters, 518 pages, and includes 53 black and whitephotographs.
The book was commissioned by the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust in 2007; Under One Roofprovides a comprehensive history of WaikatoHospital from its inception in1887 until the year 2000. Drawing upon archival research and interviews withlong-serving members of the Hospital’s staff, the book discusses theinstitution’s development within a range of historical contexts, and will beof interest to anyone who has worked at WaikatoHospital, or who has aninterest in the history of health or of the Waikato region.
Chapter titles are as follows:
Chapter 1: The Origins of New Zealand’s Health System
Chapter 2: War, Depression, and Social Security
Chapter 3: Specialisation Emerges
Chapter 4: WaikatoHospital in Crisis
Chapter 5: The ‘OpenHospital’: A New Era at Waikato
Chapter 6: Expanding Services, Full Wards
Chapter 7: The ‘Second Wave’ of Specialisation
Chapter 8: WaikatoHospital’s ‘Home-grown’ Specialists
Chapter 9: A ModernBaseHospital
Chapter 10: Medical and Clinical Education
Chapter 11: The End of Hospital-Based Nurse Training
Chapter 12: Waikato Rebuilt
Chapter 13: The Development of Tertiary Services
Chapter 14: High Cost Technology
Chapter 15: The Area Health Board Era
Chapter 16: The Reform Era
Chapter 17: Reforming the Reforms
As a promotional offer the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust is accepting advance orders at thediscounted price of $35 per copy, by the following means:
Send a cheque for $35 to the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust, P. O. Box 6009, Glenview, Hamilton 3246.
By internet banking, deposit $35 into the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust’s Bank of New Zealand Account: Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust, 02 0454 0015725 000. (Please include your surname as a reference.)
Drop into the book launch and purchase a copy in person.
Pre-ordered copies may be picked up from the Waikato Hospital Library, at the book launch, from Peter Rothwell (92 Delamare Road, St Andrews, Hamilton) or from John Armstrong (10 Fergusson Street, Hayes Paddock, Hamilton East).
If you would like to have the book posted to you, please include an additional $5, and send your address to one of the above postal addresses, or by e-mail to , or
Some excerpts from NZSG – Keeping in Touch (KIT) November edition
Marianne Cummins has taken up the position of Office Manager. She can be contacted at or at NZSG, P.O. Box 14036, Panmure, Auckland 1741
Any issues requiring council attention should be sent to this address and will be discussed at the next council meeting.
Genealogy Toolbar
Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society (MLFHS), based in the UK, has announced the relaease of its genealogy toolbar which integrates seamlessly with your browser links. It will healp you find and access genealogy websites and is well worth exploring. The toolbar can be downloaded via MLFHS home page or from
Membership Clerk
Ruth Kerr is back in this role and is shared with Alison Holmes (Accounts) to ensure there is somebody available for membership queries at all time
New Publications
The new Victoria Outwards to New Zealand CD-Rom will be released in December. Tjhis contains a transcription of the passenger lists of the ships leaving Victoria for New Zealand ports, as contained in VPRS 948 Outwards Passenger Lists 1852 – 1923. You can search by passenger, Ship and Port of Arrival. The cost will be $50.
Keep your eyes out for the 2009 Cemetery Supplement as well.
National library and Alexander library
Access to the holdings of both these repositories will be limited from early December due to the closure of the Molesworth Street building for redevelopment. From 8 December the Family History Section will be located at 77 Thorndon Quay. Further details can be found at
Archives New Zealand
The ground floor at archives New Zealand’s Wellington office is being redeveloped over the next few months. The changes include a new Orientation Area near the main entrance, combining the current Living Room and Gallery space. Construction will run and until 2 January 2010. During construction, the Reading Room will be open from 10:30 AM until 5 PM Monday to Friday and the most disruptive work is scheduled to occur before 10:30 AM.
Alexander Turnbull manuscript collections will be stored there while the National library is being redeveloped.Nearly 10 km of extra shopping will be put up to house the collection.
Update on LINZ Records Moves
LINZis closing three of its five remaining a Processing Centres, in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. Most of the records from the Reading rooms at these offices will be transferred to the nearest office archives New Zealand.
What's happening with the records?
- The first records to move will be from the Wellington processing centre. Deeds Registers and other Wellington and HawkesBay district records will move to archives New Zealand Wellington in the first two weeks of December.
- The Gisborne district records currently in Wellington processing centre will move to Archives New Zealand’s Auckland office in January/February 2010.
- The “surveyors Field books" will move to LINZ processing centres (eventually all of them will be in either Christchurch for the South island books or Hamilton for law file in books)
To locate records in archives, list of the records will be available via Archway soon after they are transferred.
Some records will stay with LINZ.
People can still order a copy of land titles and other records by contacting LINZ or using the standard ordering forms. Instructions for this are in the survey and title section on LINZ website
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What's the definition of a will?(It's a dead giveaway.)
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Make the most of FREE searches at subscription sites – Lost Cousins 19/11/09
None of us can afford a subscription at every genealogy site, but we can all take advantage of the free Search results they offer. True, free searches don't reveal everything - otherwise nobody would subscribe - but often they give away a key piece of the jigsaw. For example, if you're having trouble finding someone on the census, searching at a site that has a different transcription or different search capabilities might provide a vital clue.
Suppose that you have a subscription to Ancestry, but can't find your relative on one of the EnglandWales censuses no matter what names you try. Why not try a free search at findmypast.com, making use of some of the features that are unique to searches at that site - such as searching by occupation, or using wildcards at the start of a field (Ancestry doesn't allow them in the first 3 characters)?
Similarly, if you have a subscription to findmypast.com, you might like to try a free search at Ancestry.co.uk using one of the features unique to that site, such as searching on forenames alone (for example, the forename of a child and forenames of its parents).
Modifying your search can reveal additional information. Suppose that you find the right person in the London Metropolitan Archives marriage registers at Ancestry, but need to know the year in which they married - something that the free search results won't tell you. In this case a 'binary search' technique will provide the solution: first you start with a wide range, such as 1820-1840, then you try the lower half of the range, and if that doesn't produce a positive result, you try the upper half. With repeated searches you'll eventually identify the precise year - and all without paying a penny!
deCode Genetics files for bankruptcy
This week deCode Genetics, a pioneer in the field of genetic research, filed for bankruptcy. Since 2003 the company has been trying to identify the genetic causes of common diseases using the uniquely detailed genealogical and medical records of Iceland, but it transpired that the task was more complicated than was first thought.
This business failure doesn't have any relevance to the use of DNA testing in genealogical research, although readers of this newsletter will know that I have considerable reservations about the way in which DNA tests are marketed to family historians, many of whom do not understand their limitations. Over the coming months I'll be writing more about how DNA tests can and can't be used, and plan to add an extensive new section on this topic to the Help & Advice page.
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Old Occupations
CRATCH MAKER - made cratches (mangers, cribs, or frames) for hay
CRIER - law court officer, auctioneer, town announcer
CRIMPER - member of navy press gang
CROFTER - tenant of a small piece of land
CROPPER - tenant who is paid with a share of the crop
CROWNER - coroner
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GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009 Page: 1
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate