More Buchan 'Lunatics'

I was very excited to receive an email from Roy BUCHAN - author of the book 'From Peterhead to Passchendaele' mentioned on this blog and distant relative of mine.

He also mentioned that the Mr Peter BUCHAN listed above (on the Rimutaka 1893 passenger list) as aged 35 was, in fact, mentally retarded from birth and died 3 years after landing in New Zealand.  This was roughly the same time as his brother, and my direct ancestor, Alexander Ritchie BUCHAN died while working on a fishing boat.

Before I'd even had a chance to look into it, another distant BUCHAN relative, emailed me the information that Peter had actually died in July 1897 (seven months after his brother, Alex).  He apparently died at Seacliff Hospital, Dunedin - also known as Seacliff Lunatic Asylum.
(NOTE: A further email from the same relative warns that this may not be true)

Seacliff Hospital, Dunedin, NZ c.1910

Peter was the son of  Charles and Jessie (nee RITCHIE) BUCHAN.
I will now be checking for his asylum records.

Next Steps:

• Check for Peter BUCHAN's death in New Zealand (Place of death - asylum?)
• Look into story from Roy Buchan's book that suggests he went out 'wandering' and died from exposure

Inquests and Articles

This morning I received some death certificates for members of my BUCHAN family.  On Alexander Ritchie BUCHAN's certificate it states his cause of death as 'Verdict of Jury - Sudden Failure of the Heart'.

Part of Alexander Ritchie BUCHAN's death certificate - 1896

My grandmother mentioned in a letter years ago that "Grandad B [a fisherman] was actually pulling in a fishing net, when he apparently ( I presume) had a heart attack & died at age 34".  I had no idea there was an inquest into his death though.

I searched through the newspapers on New Zealand's wonderful Papers Past site and found a mention in the 'Casualties' section:

A sudden death occurred about 8 o'clock on Wednesday night, 2nd. Alexander Buchan, who was engaged fishing with his brother John in the lower harbour, had just hauled in the net, when he went to the bow of the boat and fell forward, and on his brother going to him found he was dead. An inquest was held on Thursday afternoon when after hearing the evidence of Charles and John Buchan, John Keenan, and Dr Cunninghame, the jury returned a verdict that deceased died from sudden failure of the heart. Deceased leaves a wife and five children in very poor circumstances. (Otago Witness - 10 Dec 1896, p15)

Otago Witness - 10 Dec 1896, p15

His wife Agnes (nee FINDLAY) was left with 5 children under the age of 9 - their daughter was only 3 weeks old!

Alexander was buried in Port Chalmers cemetery on the 5th December 1896.  Also buried on the plot were members of the GRANT family who I believe to be unrelated and a Robert JONES (according to the Cemeteries Database on the Dunedin Ciy Council website).  On the entry in the Cemeteries Database is the note:"GRANT PLOT: CONSENT OF CHURCH"

image via flickr

It seems that the church took pity on Alexander's family (who had only arrived in the country 3 years earlier) and because of their "very poor circumstances", buried him in this plot as an act of charity.

I am really keen to find any surviving inquest records as I know nothing about a brother called John!

Next Steps:

• Locate inquest records (if any)
• Search for church records that may mention the burial
• Research 'brother John'

The Buchan Trio

The Buchan Trio - 1925

Alex, Gwen & Ngaire BUCHAN

The photograph above is of my grandmother, Gwenyth Jean BUCHAN (centre) and her siblings - younger brother Alexander Lewis BUCHAN and older sister Ngaire Margaret BUCHAN (their youngest sister Margaret was to appear 6 years later).

Tragically, Ngaire died of peritonitis (a ruptured appendix) when she was only ten years old (December 1927). Grandma recalls that her family received Ngaire's school first prize after her death.  I'm not familiar with school 'prizes' but I assume this means she was a very clever little girl.  I can only imagine the tears that flowed when the mail was delivered that day.

I have two copies of this photograph.

On the back of one in an unknown hand is written 'With the Compliments of the Season. from the Buchan Trio - To Auntie & Uncle from Ngaire, Gwenyth & Alex'. I'm excited to think the handwriting is that of one of my great grandparents (Charles BUCHAN or Margaret Hunter REID).

On the back of the other, in my grandmother's handwriting is 'Ngaire (died at age of 10); Gwen; Alex; We were flower girls for Aunt Mona's wedding to Walter Brundell'.

A quick check of the family tree shows that Aunt Mona married Walter on the 1st June 1925.  This means that my grandmother was 2 weeks shy of her 5th birthday, Alex was under 2 and a half years old and Ngaire 9 and a half.  She was to pass away six months later.

Emigrating to New Zealand

R.M.S Rimutaka

via NZ Shipping Company Association

Going through the cemetery records yesterday inspired me to look further into my family's immigration. The Dunedin Cemetery Records often include the (original) nationality of the deceased as well as how many years they had been in New Zealand.

My Buchan family immigrated to New Zealand from Scotland in the late 19th century. For years, I'd only had a scrap of paper with family names scrawled on it, said to be from the ship my family sailed on - the Rimutaka (1893). The scrap was given to me by my grandmother, who had been given it by someone else. Although I believed the information to be accurate, any good genealogist knows the original source should be consulted. Luckily findmypast.com has made outgoing UK passenger lists between 1890 - 1960 available online. Although, not the same as the feel and smell of using the actual records themselves, it's certainly a lot better than transcriptions (these are available too).

Shipping Schedule of the Rimutaka 1893

Despite having this information for my great grandfather Charles (and his parents and siblings), I wasn't sure how his grandfather, also Charles Buchan, made it over to New Zealand.



Charles Buchan was born in a small fishing village in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1830. I have used the census to trace Charles through his life. A fisherman, and sometimes ship carpenter, Charles and his family were last seen in the 1891 census in Peterhead, Aberdeen but I knew he died in New Zealand. A search on findmypast.com discovered him on the same ship as his son and grandchildren!

Buchan, Mr Chas; Mrs Jessie; Mr Peter; Mr William; Master John

The first and last pages of the document were provided for free which fortunately contained my 5 year old great grandfather Charles with his parents and siblings!

Buchan, Mr Alex; Mrs Agnes; Master Chas; Master Alex; Master James

So, in 1893 Charles Buchan (Sr) moved with his wife, children and grandchildren to New Zealand.

I now have a few new puzzles to solve:

• Which Jessie and John are recorded above Alex's family and how do they link to my family?
• What happened to Alex's sister Jessie (is she the Jessie mentioned above) and brother Charles?
• Which Jessie Buchan is buried in the family grave with Charles and Jessie (born Janet RITCHIE).
• Who is Master John? I've had no record of this person so far - is he Charles and Jessie's son?

Dunedin Cemetery Records Online

image via flicker

I have just spent a fascinating day researching.

The same distant relative I mentioned in my last post, had sent me digital copy of a cemetery record print out (to tie up some loose ends). At the bottom, I noticed the source was a website and a previously locked door was opened!

The Dunedin City Council website has an online search facility of the city's cemeteries. The results are more detailed than I'd expect - death date, burial date but also last address of the deceased and sometimes occupations. It also links to others buried in the same plot. This in particular has enabled me to discover people and links to other people, I wouldn't otherwise have connected.

I don't know how long this has been available for but I am so pleased I have finally discovered it. I know have some more pieces to help fit this puzzle together.