Bombay Love Story Continued...

Obituary Notice for Drusilla WILLS (nee WREFORD)
(Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 140, 15 June 1934, p3)

This obituary for Drusilla WILLS (nee WREFORD) featured in my previous post stated that:

Mrs. Wills is survived by two children. Mr James Wills and Mrs. D. Evans, and 15 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.

My searches of the NZ BDM showed me that Thomas & Drusilla had 3 children:

Richard Henry, Drusilla Howard and James Howard WILLS birth registrations

So you may presume (as I did) that: 

a) their son Richard Henry died prior to 1934; and 

b) the Mrs D Evans referred to is their daughter, Drusilla Howard.

However a search of Wills/Evans marriages from 1865 only came up with 2: 

WILLS/EVANS marriage registration

This means that one of the surviving children was actually ANOTHER daughter called Charlotte (and the D being her husband's initial).  However, there was no birth record of a Charlotte WILLS.  So, IS this Charlotte a daughter of Thomas & Drusilla?

I was able to find the marriage of Drusilla Howard WILLS (spelt Drucilla - one of the 3 births listed) to a William SHORT in 1899.  

I checked the WREFORD pedigree compiled in 1908 (more on that another time) which notes Drusilla and Thomas had SIX children.  With only 3 of those listed in the online BDMs - is it possible to find these other children OR was the compiler mistaken?

Next Steps:

• Check birth notices in newspapers (Papers Past)
• Check BDM for WILLS deaths prior to 1934
• Scour newspapers for any other references to the family

Bombay Love Story

After receiving an email asking whether Drusilla WREFORD (the 14 year old innkeeper originally mentioned in my post Pub Crawl) met her husband, Thomas WILLS on the voyage to NZ, I delved further into this family.  It was a good question and one I hadn't really thought of since she was not my direct ancestor and I have so much to research on my genealogical plate.  However, my curiosity was piqued and I donned my detective cap to find out more.

After some apparent hard times, George & Harriet WREFORD, who had apparently ran the Hare & Hounds Inn in Witheridge, Devonshire (c1861), emigrated with their 8 surviving children to New Zealand aboard the Bombay on the 26 Nov 1864.  Sadly, their youngest daughter, Mary Ann died on the voyage, aged 2.

My first step was to consult the 1864-5 passenger list for the Bombay voyage these WREFORDS took and funnily enough there was a Thomas WILLS on board aged 23.  Drusilla was 17 at the time so quite possible they could meet and take a fancy to one another.  Or perhaps they were already betrothed before leaving England?  I diverted course to search for Thomas on the UK censuses but without having any more information about him abandoned that search and turned instead to the fabulous NZ Papers Past website.

Sisters Augusta, Drusilla and Sarah Grace
nee WREFORD

Although I was initially searching for marriage notices, most of my day has since been spent reading the articles and snippets which mention my ancestors and their neighbours, revisiting old avenues of research and getting to know the other members of this family.  My search also led me to the NZ Births, Deaths & Marriages online where I was able to locate the WREFORD sisters' marriages (or at least their registration numbers).

WREFORD sister marriages including Drusilla's to Thomas WILLS

So proof that 14 year old innkeep, Drusilla married somebody called Thomas WILLS.  The 1865 marriage made it seem likely but there was still no real evidence to suggest it was the same Tom on the Bombay with the family.

Drusilla's Death Notice
(also mentions sister Sarah Grace)

Until... serendipity stepped in.  Tweaking the newspaper search words to 'bombay' and 'wreford' led me to the obituary notice for Drusilla

Obituary Notice for Drusilla WILLS (nee WREFORD)
transcribed below
(Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 140, 15 June 1934, p3)

The death occurred on June 13 at Onehunga of Mrs. Drucilla Wills, aged 89 years.  She was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Wreford, and came to New Zealand with them when a child in the ship Bombay.  Her late husband, Mr. Thos. Wills, was a passenger on the same vessel. They were married at St. Peter's Anglican Church, Onehunga, by the late Rev. Dr. Purchas, and settled at Awhitu, where Mr. Wills engaged in the gum trade for many years.  When he retired from business Mr. and Mrs. Wills went to reside at Onehunga.  Mrs. Wills is survived by two children. Mr James Wills and Mrs. D. Evans, and 15 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.

Ta - dah!

Desperately Seeking John

A couple of months ago, I found out via an 1896 newspaper article that my ancestor, Alexander Ritchie BUCHAN, had a brother called John.  John was there when Alex died pulling in a fishing net but where was he all those other years?

18 foot shark caught in Otago Harbour 1894

Charles BUCHAN and his wife Jessie (Janet RITCHIE) migrated to New Zealand on the Rimutaka in 1893. All their children (except Charles), some of whom had begun their own families went too.  Peter, Jessie (married to John BUCHAN), Alex and William all arrived on the Rimutaka. John had never appeared with the family on the censuses and so I hadn't realised he was missing.

A little bit of research proved that John was actually twin brother of William - born 11th July 1868 in Peterhead.  Was it just coincidence that he was away from home all those census nights?  Did he stay in Scotland or

A search of shipping lists from 1890 don't seem to show John's arrival in New Zealand so it seems likely that he migrated before the rest of the family.

RMS Rimutaka

A search of the IGI comes up with  9 other John BUCHANs born in Scotland in 1868 alone. I have scribbled down these parents names to avoid confusion as the long census search begins...

Edited to add:
Just reread an excerpt from Roy BUCHANs book about the family:

The Buchan family settled in Carey's Bay, a mile from Port Chalmers. They fished in the comparative calm of the inner Otago Harbour instead of the hazardous and stormy North Sea. The main breadwinners were Jack, his brother-in-law Alexander and father-in-law Dade [Charles]. The younger two men would fish from an open boat in the harbour and Dade would sell the fish.

Could brother John actually refer to his brother-in-law John (married to Jessie)? The newspaper article mentions that Charles also gave evidence at the hearing which means he was probably also there (as the excerpt suggests).

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'

More Chiropody at Trentham

My mother found more of my great grandfather's cartoons depicting Trentham military training camp (New Zealand) in World War I (see the original post here):

That First Trentham Feeling

on Trentham Pebbles in Bill Massey's boots

(Buck - Copyright)

Recruits Coming into Camp

(Buck.17. Copyright 1917 - Trentham)

S.M. Try one on his head Sergeant

[sign] Massey's Massage Institute - hours any old time - cupping done gratis

[sign] Notice - Don't hurry - Wait your turn

("Buck" Copyright 1917 - Trentham)

Innokulatin dun ere - Don't sass the dokter - By order

(copyright Buchan)

Bill Massey was New Zealand's prime minister at the time.

I received a reply from Archives New Zealand.  Unfortunately, they seemed to ignore my request to accredit the images to Charles BUCHAN and instead focussed on which records I could access for a fee.

Chiropody at Trentham

I've finally managed to scan some of my grandmother's photos that I brought back from my holidays.

This one appears to be a photograph of a sketch:

'Chiropody at Trentham' - Buchan 1916

On the back, my grandmother has written "Done by Charles Buchan during WWI.  He was in medical unit doing chiropody".

Charles BUCHAN was my grandmother's father.  She had written a letter to me years ago, when I first became interested in family history, in which she told me:

"Dad had a slight heart problem (valve) so had not been accepted for active service & ended up in medical corp & it was there that he did his training (or experience) in CHIROPODY (lots of feet there to practice on) & on returning to NZ, decided to set himself up as CHIROPODIST much to Grandma Reid's disapproval. 'Why on earth would he decide to out on his own, when CLUFFS (or whoever) would have been more than happy to re-employ him?'"

Grandma REID was Charles' mother-in-law, who seemed to be a rather stern sort (maiden name - Janet HUNTER - grandaughter of James BROWN).  I've tried to research 'Cluffs' and its variations but came up blank (any help from New Zealand would be welcome).

While trying to find out more about Trentham Military Camp, imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this page from Archives New Zealand :

There was no mention of Charles by name or any further information on his drawing but a look around provided me with another World War One sketch by my ancestor:

Swabbing While You Wait - another drawing by Charles Buchan, 1916

I had never seen this picture before and got very excited.  I will be contacting the archives to see if I can obtain a copy of the second image or at the very least if they will credit the images to Charles.

Trentham Camp and Upper Hutt District, 1914-1918

via New Zealand Electronic Text Centre

Wreford Death Notice 1902

While trawling through old newspapers online (loving Papers Past's new search features), I came upon the death of a George WREFORD in Auckland.

Otago Witness - 25 June 1902

George Wreford, aged 48 years, was found dead on the road at Penrose, Auckland.

He had been suffering from consumption.

On the day of his death (21 June 1902), the event was published almost identically in four newspapers of the time.

Mr. George Wreford, aged 48, was found dead on the road at Penrose this afternoon. He had been suffering from consumption (Evening Post [NZ], 21 June 1902).

The detail found in newspapers can be great and even this brief mention holds valuable information for the family historian - date of death, approximate year of birth, place of death and cause of death.

The Auckland City Libraries have this burial in the Otahuhu with the note, "buried 21 June 1902 Baptist, labourer, lived Onehunga, died Penrose 21 June 1902, 48 years, born Devonshire"

When I first came across this reference, I wasn't sure if this George WREFORD was part of my bunch. I knew it wasn't 'my' George WREFORD because of the age and dates given but I'm now quite sure this is my George's son who was born 1853 in Tiverton, Devonshire.

My reasoning:

• George and Harriet (and family) settled in Auckland and eventually died there
• Born 25 April 1853 means he would indeed be 48 in June 1902
• The cemetery records mention the deceased's birth place as Devonshire

I only have one source to contradict this but I believe this 'evidence' combined outweighs that source (to be discussed in another post).

I have decided to post the details of the other people published in the two casualty sections referenced here. Not only because I find the detail given in old papers fascinating but in the hope that it may help any descendants who stumble across this blog in the future.

Evening Post, 21 June 1902

ACCIDENTS and FATALITIES

AUCKLAND, 20th June Mr. R. Hellaby, of the well-known firm of R. and W.Hellaby, Limited, wholesale butchers, died suddenly today.

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. An elderly man named John Roberts was found dead in his chair at a boardinghouse last evening.

Otago Witness, 25 June 1902

CASUALTIES.

Mr Hesson, of Alexandra, had the misfortune to lose a valuable horse and trap on Thursday last. While driving near the bridge at Alexandra the horses became unmanageable, and backed over ih& bank. Mr Hesson, fortunately, managed to unhitch the leader, which was saved. The other horse and trap went into the river, and were never seen again.

A young man named Daniel Berry dislocated his shoulder on Wednesday while loading a lorry in Cumberland street. He was treated at the Hospital, and afterwards was taken home.

The Western Star report that Horace Church (53), a rabbiter living at Wild Bush, is supposed to have been drowned in the Pourakino or Aparima Estuary on Sunday. He left home at 3 p.m. to go to Riverton by boat, his intention baing to attend church in the evening. Since then he has not been seen, while the boat was found on the flats, whither it had drifted. The missing man was subject to fits, and the supposition is that he may havo been seized with one and fallen into the river. Of course he may have gone somewhere, and the boat may have broken adrift. The missing man has a wife and three children.

On Saturday, 14th inst., a visitor from Kaipara, named Grey, was drowned while taking a bath at Kamo Springs, near Wliangarei. Deceased was recovering from an attack of pleurisy and congestion of the lungs, and was in a weak state. Deceased was secretary of the Kaipara Agricultural Soeiety.

A little girl named Queenie Ellison, six years of age, living in Athol place, was received at the Hospital on Friday morning suffering from severe burns about the face, caused by her clothes taking fire while her mother was attending to the washing. She is getting on satisfactorily.

George Wreford, aged 48 years, was found dead on the road at Penrose, Auckland. He had been suffering from consumption.

Mrs Eliza Hunsley, a middle-aged woman, died suddenly on the Papanui road whilst waiting for a tram. She had been suffering from heart disease.

The body of Hugh McPherson was found in the Matukituki River on Sunday night, 35th. McPherson, who was a runholder, was last seen driving a dray and two horses along the road, which follows the river bank. The dray was found on Monday night upside down, and covering the body of deceased. Death was apparently due to an accident.

Annie Griffiths, a widow, aged 65 years, was found dead in her dwelling in Wellington on Wednesday. The cause of death was failure of the heart, accelerated by exposure and alcoholism.

Thomas Dryden, supposed to be from Dunedin, who attempted to commit suicide at Invercargill on Sunday, died on Tuesday evening, 17th. from the injuries inflicted.

A very serious and painful accident befell William Bishop the engineer of the Champion dredge at Beaumont on Friday. Bishop was oiling the screen bearings, and while in a stooping position his coat was caught by the machinery. His cries at once attracted attention, but before the engine could be stopped his arm. together with all the large muscles and adhering flesh of his neck, breast, and shoulders, was torn away from his body. Dr Nowell was telephoned for, and he informs the Tuapeka Times that tliere is little hope of the unfortunate man's recovery.

Later news says: — Bishop died on Sunday. Bishop was oiling the screen bearings, and while in a stooping position his coat was caught in the machinery. His cries at once attracted attention, but before the engine could be stopped his arm. together with all the large muscles and adhering flesh of his neck, breast, and shoulders was torn away from the body. Dr Newell did everything possible for the unfortunate man, but from the first his case was considered hopeless.

Frederick Irwin, master of the scow Hawk, was very badly crushed between two logs, and died at Auckland on Saturday.

John Roberts, an elderly man, was found dead in his chair at a boarding-house in Christchurch on Friday evening.

Wimberley, secretary of the Hot Lakes Steam Navigation Company, was found drowned in Rotorua Lake on Sunday morning.

KILLED ON THE ANDERSON'S BAY ROAD.

A lad, 14 years of age, named James Bruton, whose parents reside at St. Kilda, met with so serious an accident on the Anderson's Bay road on Saturday afternoon that he died from his injuries about two hours afterwards at the Hospital. He was in the employ of Mr Thomas Lunn, farmer, of Anderson's Bay, aud was left in charge of a horse and trap, used for carting vegetables, outside the Bay View Hotel, Mr Lunn in the meantime going round to the back of the hotel with vegetables. The boy was told to take the horse to a drinking-trough in front of the hotel, to give the animal a drink, and it would seem that the animal took fright at something, and bolted in the direction of town. Mr Lunn was informed of the occurrence, and on going along the Anderson's Bay road a short distance he found the lad lying on the road, apparently badly injured. An express happened to be passing at the time, and in this Bruton was taken to tbe Hospital, where he expired ehortly after admission, the immediate cause of death being a fracture of the base of the skull. The only eye-witness of the accident was Mr Thomas Smith, butcher, of South Dunedin, who states that he saw tbe boy Bruton standing on the off-side of the horse and trap, on the road, in front of the Bay View Hotel, about I o'clock. The horse started off in tho direction of town, and then turned. As it was turning, Bruton attempted to get on to the step, and in doing so he slipped and got hold of the shaft. He held on for some time, till the horse broke into a gallop, when he lost his hold, and fell between the wheels, one of which struck him on the head.

From Peterhead to Grave

Northern Cemtery Dunedin via Flickr

Sometimes as genealogists we have to wait years for answers.
Waiting for the required records to become available.
Waiting for the chance to visit somewhere that may hold the key. Waiting for some kind of miracle.

But by some extraordinary stroke of luck, I didn't have to wait long at all (or do much work) to find the answers to the puzzles I listed on my Emigrating to New Zealand post.

As I searched for more information on the Rimutaka (there were a few ships with this name), I came across The Northern Cemetery site. This site, I'm told on the home page, "brings together information from many different research sources to offer you a unique view of one of New Zealand's most interesting cemeteries". On this site I found excerpts from the book "From Peterhead to Passchendaele" written by Roy Buchan, who also turns out to be one of my distant relatives.

It also contains the following transcribed monumental inscription for some members of this family buried in the Northern Cemetery, Dunedin:

Monumental Inscription

(1)
In memory of

CHARLES BUCHAN

1830 - 1910

and Wife

JANET BUCHAN

1830 - 1915

JESSIE RITCHIE BUCHAN

1888 - 1908
JOHN BUCHAN

1858 - 1926

and Wife
JESSIE BUCHAN

1860 - 1910
Arrived in NZ on ship Rimutaka, 1893

from Peterhead, Scotland

and lie buried here.

(2)
In loving memory of
ROSEMARY ANN BUCHAN

Died 5th June 1988

Aged 41 years.

(3)
In loving memory of

ANNIE ROSS BUCHAN

Dearly loved wife of ROBERT

And loved mother of

LORELEI, ROBIN and ROSEMARY

Died 22nd March 1972.

Also ROBERT BUCHAN

Died 4th January 1995

Aged 90 years.
"Keep a green bough in your heart,

And God will send you a singing bird."

(4)
In loving memory of

Henry J.D. SCRYMGEOUR

Dearly loved husband of LORELEI

Loved father of ROSS, MURRAY & ALISTAIR

17-11-1926 - 6-1-1999

(5)
CHRISTINA BUCHAN

1894 - 1978

The information I found on this site allowed me to answer the questions I had on my Emigrating to New Zealand post :

* Which Jessie and John are recorded above Alex's family and how do they link to my family?

Jessie is Alex's sister and John Buchan is her husband - I would now like to find out if John's family were closely connected to Jessie's.

*What happened to Alex's sister Jessie (is she the Jessie mentioned above) and brother Charles?

Jessie also travelled to New Zealand on the Rimutaka (see answer above). It appears Charles stayed in Scotland:

"Four of their children were: Peter (1858), Jessie (1860), Alexander (1862), and
William (1872). These sailed with their parents to New Zealand, but there is
thought to be at least one other who stayed behind".

* Which Jessie Buchan is buried in the family grave with Charles and Jessie (born Janet RITCHIE)?

"Their daughter Jessie died at the age of twenty in 1908 of meningitis and is buried in the same plot with her mother, who died two years later in 1910".

* Who is Master John? I've had no record of this person so far - is he Charles and Jessie's son?

He is John & Jessie's son, apparently just tagging along with his grandparents.

I also now have more family members to fit into the tree.

NOTE: I did find an error in this information, which should be a warning to all of us NOT to accept all that we're given without question. It appears the author confused Janet/Jessie Buchan (1833) with her daughter Jessie Buchan (1860) when he writes that her maiden name was also Buchan. I have much evidence to prove that her maiden surname was RITCHIE.

Thank you to all the people involved in sharing the information I found on The Northern Cemetery site - it is VERY much appreciated.

Image on left: "From the Road to the Northern Cemetery" by George O'Brien found on Auckland Art Gallery

Murder Most Foul

While combing New Zealand newspapers for mentions of my ancestors on the magnificent Papers Past site, I came across a terrible tragedy. I can't help but think that this is somebody's family history waiting to be discovered.

In what seems to be the typical journalistic style of its time, the descriptions are quite graphic.

3 December 1896 - Star

SHOCKING TRAGEDY.
A MANIAC MURDERS HIS WIFE.
[Per Press Association.]
WELLINGTON, Dec. 2.
A shocking tragedy happened at Pangatotara, near Motueka, last Saturday night. John Grooby, who, a fortnight ago, was released from the Nelson asylum on probation at the request of his wife and sons, who undertook to take care of him, about halfpast five o'clock on Saturday evening took an axe used for cutting firewood, and attacked his wife.
Mrs Grooby was, at the time, in the act of drawing bread from an oven. She apparently held up the bread tin to ward off the blows, as the tin was found cut right through.
The unfortunate woman was apparently then forced to the ground, and as she lay there helpless the maniac knelt down and with the axe completed his murderous deed. The whole of the front and sides of the head were cut and beaten into a
fearful and unrecognisable mass. After finishing the deed Grooby washed his
hands and face, laid the axe beside the house and walked to and fro beside the
body. He told one of his sons that he committed the act with a tomahawk, and he
subsequently said that the devil did it.
Grooby's sister, who was close by, heard screams and rushing in saw her brother chopping at his wife's head. She spoke to him but he did not reply, and she then sent for help. The murderer was subsequently arrested by the police, and at the inquest a verdict of wilful murder was returned against him. Grooby has since been brought before the Magistrate's Court, and stands remanded. The family is well known in the
district.

The next source mentions how Grooby was remanded so that the family, who were witnesses to the event, could attend the funeral that afternoon.

Apparently, mental health issues ran in the family. John Grooby's sister, who is mentioned only by her husband's name is recorded in the same edition of the Colonist (2 December 1896):

"Mrs Joseph Graves, who was formerly committed to the Lunatic Asylum, but was released some two or three years ago, has again exhibited strong symptoms of insanity. It is rumored that she left her home on Monday night, and was wandering about the whole night".

John Grooby and his sister ended up in the asylum together. The whole affair is indeed "a most sad one".

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.