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« on: Sunday 05 April 09 02:08 BST (UK) »
Hi
Marget Noble (nee McKenzie) came to New Zealand with her husband of 2 years (Roderick Noble) and her 1 year old daughter Isabella in 1859. Her life in NZ was not happy as I have discovered - although the story seems to have been 'lost' from the 'family history'. We have strong reason to believe from the circumstances of her death that she had epilepsy, the type that 'runs in families' Therefore we have reason to believe that it would also have been present in other members or ancestors or descendants in Scotland / New Zealand. (I mention this as a hint that couild alert someone perhaps to make a link and therefore make contact)
Margaret was born in Nairnshire in 1829 - her parents were Isobel (sometimes referred to as Elizabeth) Cumming and John McKenzie. It seems that either John McKenzie died in the early 1840's OR that the parents relationship didn't last for some reason and that Isobel remarried a man by the name of McDonald in the late 1840's and had 2 more children.
There is a strong link with an address called "Blairmore" in Cawdor in Nairnshire. This is the address on her marriage certificate - also the address in the 1841 census of her parents and siblings is No 11 Blairmore. In the 1851 census Margaret is listed as a 'servant' for the farmer at "Blairmore.
In 1841 census Margt can be found at the age of 10 listed as 'servant' in the McDonald family in Nairn. (Interesting as all the children of the McDonald family are essentially grown up at this time. Interesting also as her mother renmarreid a man by the name of McDonald.
Margaret's sister Isabella death record can be found in NZ 1863 - in Dunedin - burial record states that Isabella's husband Roderick Noble was the informant and that Isabella had been in Otago for only one year - which means she came out to NZ in 1861 or 1862
The ship that Margt and her husband came out on was the "Gala' and has listed a "Wm McKenzie" - also the informant for the birth certificate of Margarets 4th child Alexander was "William McKenzie, settler" The child was born in Warepa (Clutha district) in 1866 and was named Alexander Noble.
Other siblings (besides Isabella - the eldest born in Scotlkand , and Alexander - the youngest) were:
Margaret Noble (born 1861 died 1864 - bureid with her Aunty in the Southern Cemetry, Dunedin))
John Noble born 1863
Mary Fraser Noble born 1865
Events that occured in 1867 resulted in the 4 children being cared for by the Otago Benevolent Instuition - (an 'orphanage' I guess u would call it) Isabella Noble ended up in Queenstown - there in 1880, and with a strong connection to the Salvation Army. There is reason to believe that there is a family connection in Port Chalmers also as her eldest child was born and brought up in Queenstown however was registered at the age of 6 weeks in Port Chalmers.
It seems therefore that at least 2 of the Margaret McKenzies siblings came to NZ and settled in Otago - William settled in the Clutha district - somewhere near Warepa. We think he died in the district and is buried at the Balclutha 'Old Cemetery' in 1893. Isabella McKenzie, as mentioned, died in Caversham, Dunedin.
The other siblings born in Scotland , as far as I can tell, were Christina (or Christian) born April 1831
John, born January 1836
David, born March 1838
If anyone can recognise anything in this story and / or can point me toward any further information or links to any of these people I would dearly love to hear from them.
Thanks
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