CLEARY/CLERY

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hi Spades...

Hope you don't mind. Lots of words so I need the flashy formatting options again.

In keeping with the build-up to the election at least three quarters of what I've written is aimless waffle

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Hi Nerak...

Thanks for the email. The info you've sent me can be read as the baptism of Lawrence Joseph Hobson CLERY on 2 Nov 1888 taking place two weeks before his birth on 16 Nov 1888. Seems a bit strange :-) but it just shows how unreliable "official" records can be

I guess it pays to register the birth immediately, not a few months later as that's how mistakes happen. I note that the BDM website also gives the date of birth as 16 Nov 1888 so now the mistake is official. Not sure how to correct it to 16 Oct 1888, assuming that a) you'd want to and that b) the 16 Oct 1888 mentioned on the baptism record is actually the correct date of birth.

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There certainly seems to be two distinct children. One child is Lawrence Joseph Hobson CLERY, the son born in NZ to Helena CLERY and the other child is Lawrence CLEARY, the son born in South Africa to Thomas CLEARY and Ellen m.s KELLY.

It's possible that Helena's son died young and the death was not registered. I note that in Helena's 1944 probate file the only sons mentioned are Carlton Philip MOON and Alan Henry MOON. There's no mention of the Lawrence CLEARY who in 1944 was living over near Te Awamutu.

Probate File of Helena MOON
http://tinyurl.com/phjjab5

You have a few possibilities...

As mentioned, the infant Lawrence Joseph Hobson CLERY may have died and his death went unregistered. You might consider finding out where Helena's five month old daughter Mary CLERY d.1890 is buried. Maybe Mary was buried with an unregistered Lawrence. You'll most likely have to purchase a printout of Mary CLERY's 1890 death certificate to find the cemetery. No guarantee that that will lead anywhere...

or

Lawrence Joseph Hobson CLERY was adopted out as an infant and his mother Helena never saw him again or later never told her legitimate children that they had an older illegitimate half-brother...

or

Lawrence Joseph Hobson CLERY died as an infant and Helena, being associated with the orphanage, adopted the child who became Lawrence CLEARY of Te Awamutu. This seems a bit unlikely as Lawrence CLEARY was in the orphanage through to 1904. Why would Helena adopt him when in 1904 she was a married mother who already had a young family...

or

Lawrence CLEARY of Te Awamutu is nothing at all to do with your search. Coincidences do happen. CLEARY and CLERY may well be be two different families. Lawrence and Lawrence may just be two children born in a very similar timeframe who both end up at the same Auckland orphanage.

Having said that... you said that both Lawrences "were apparently at the orphanage according to other records yet the orphanage has no record of either of them." Have you actually checked the Nominal Files and not just the indexes on the NZSG CD's.

The following Auckland Archives links may be worth checking out. Not sure if they're simply subsets of the Nominal Rolls - Industrial Schools 1882-1910 [CW 14/1-27] indexed on the NZSG CD. I think the first one might be but I'm not too sure about the other two.

Although the files are held at Auckland Archives I suspect it's a bit too labour intensive to expect a kind soul to do a look-up for you. You'd need to visit in person or ask a family member. The files are indexed so it shouldn't be too arduous.

Nominal Roll - Inmates of Auckland Industrial School (R1160413)  1902 - 1904
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=1160413

Auckland Industrial School - Particulars of Admission - [indexed] (R1000727) 1894 - 1901
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=1000727

Auckland Industrial School - Particulars of Admission - [indexed] (R1000728) 1901 - 1907
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=1000728

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You might consider asking for an Auckland Archives look-up of the 1964 probate file of Lawrence CLEARY of Te Awamutu. Maybe he mentions a niece/nephew/cousin/someone who is connected to the MOON family. Would throw the cat amongst the pigeons if he did. Include the following link in your request...

CLEARY Lawrence - Te Awamutu - Retired Linesman
http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=16596665

Depending on the outcome of that you might want to get Ellen CLEARY's Estate File from South Africa. It's looking like it will cost about $20-ish. You can hope the Rootsweb lady gets back in touch with you but as you say it's not looking promising.

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Sorry about making you read this far without actually giving you anything solid. Hope you do keep up the search but I can see it running into the usual problem of no surviving documentation. Still, when all else fails there's always DNA profiling :-)

Regards
Beg