McGowan & Rowley families Dunedin? *COMPLETED*

[Lucy2]

ROWLEY

I haven't found a marriage in New Zealand for a James ROWLEY with an Elizabeth.   [Other findings though lead me to believe they may have arrived in Dunedin from VIC. ?]

James ROWLEY : 

From around early 1862, a James ROWLEY (a Detective with the Police force), is present in Dunedin.

Articles can be found at PapersPast where Det. ROWLEY is giving evidence at different trials etc.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/

James ROWLEY appears also in Dunedin electoral rolls / directories and the Otago Police Gazette up until 1866.
[His resignation from the Police force - Otago Police Gazette - published 1 Sepember 1866.]

At some unknown date, (but probably after leaving the Police), James ROWLEY moves to the West Coast (South Island) - newspapers report him being at Greymouth / Hokitika and Westport.
[Note:  Louisa ROWLEY's birth is registered at Cobden (near Greymouth) in 1867.   Her d.o.b. is given as 23 March 1867 :]

                                            continued  >>

[Lucy2]

Adding:   

Police Force Appointment -  (effective ?) from 25 November 1861

James ROWLEY - Detective, 3rd Class
Otago Police Gazette - published 9 December 1861

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Otago Electoral Roll - 1865

ROWLEY - James - St. Andrew Street, Dunedin - Detective

[Lucy2]

PapersPast:

"Southland Times" - 30 December 1868 - "Untitled" :

Excerpt :
James ROWLEY, a well-known member of the Victorian and Otago Detective Force, has been convicted at Westport of stealing a pocketbook.   Sentenced to 6 months gaol, with hard labour.

[Lucy2]

PapersPast :

"West Coast Times" - 10 August 1872 - Resident Magistrate's Court

Evidence given by James ROWLEY at trial of George Henry CHAMBERLAIN :

A most interesting article (to say the least).   

In it, James ROWLEY states he was a convict - transported to Hobart Town in 1846 for larceny !     

[There is mention too of "one of his sons (not named) aged 13 years"  ... anyway, there's much to ponder and speculate about.] 

I also have further info from OZ newspapers re: James - but perhaps I'll wait until you find out whether he was in fact Harriet's father ?

~   Lu 

[SandraAust]

Wow! You have been a busy girl! My internet has been down since last night so had quite a bit of reading to do to get to this stage. Funnily enough I was looking at convict names yesterday on Tas Archives and found quite a few Rowley's.
I actually purchased the birth certificate for Louisa a couple of months ago and it stated James Rowley and Elizabeth SALVIN and that she was born in Brighton. Google maps shows me that this is just south of Dunedin, why then would the reg show her born (or is it just registered) in Greymouth?
I'm surprised at the lack of information on her birth certificate. So far I can't find any information for Elizabeth Salvin but I had only looked in NZ and England, so maybe right on my own doorstep is the place to look???

Thanks again for all the work you've put into this for me I really appreciate it. I'll see if I can find anything here for Elizabeth and let you know how I go. Our electoral rolls are quite sparse for back then and women may not have been included anyway.

Will let you know how I go.
Sandra
 

[mare]

Hi Sandra

I struck that Brighton situation myself, there is a place on the West Coast near Greymouth now called Tirimoana but was formerly known as Brighton, it's about 10km miles from Charleston.

  mare

[SandraAust]

Hi Mare,

That makes it even more confusing but it certainly makes sense that the registration would be in Greymouth. Thank you for that. It's definitely something to keep in mind.

Regards,
Sandra 

[mare]

  It was again Lu to thank for unearthing that little gem when we were initially focused on the Dunedin location as well for a Brighton birth. The West Coast mining towns were well populated back then. I was eventually able to make other connections to Westport and further certs to verify the location mare

[SandraAust]

Good morning ladies (& gents),

I ordered the b/c for Harriet born 1864 last night. So hopefully I will have an answer in a week or so regarding her parentage. I really hope she was Louisa's sister and wonder if there were any more children from the marriage.

Lu - you mentioned in one of your posts that a newspaper article mentioned a son aged 13. When searching the historic bmd I can't find any other births to James and Elizabeth, how can I find other children when parents names aren't always shown on the online resource? In the case of Harriet also no parents names shown so it's just keeping my fingers crossed that she it the correct one. You obviously have a wonderful talent for finding information and I wonder if you might have some more ideas for me to work on while waiting for the b/c to arrive? Was it common for Kiwi parents to place birth notices in newspapers as it is here? The majority of our "tributes" are The Herald-Sun (The Sun as it would have been known years ago). At least that's in Melbourne anyway.

Off to do some shopping now. Back in a few hours.
Sandra