George Martin Stewart, Police Constable in Hokitika

[Lucy2]

Robert STEWART - b. 1898 - s/o Catherine and George STEWART, served in WW1.

Go to the following and click on the "beige-coloured" link >
STEWART - Robert - WW1 - 72531 - Army

https://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=7821710&digital=yes

The record tells that Robert's next-of-kin was his Mother, Mrs Catherine STEWART of Rolleston Street, Hokitika.  [Electoral rolls show that Catherine and George STEWART - retired policeman, lived at that address for many years. ]

At IMAGE # 5 - Attestation of Robert STEWART - whilst it doesn't give the names of his parents, it does say that his father was born in Limerick, Ireland and his mother, at Hokitika, New Zealand.

   ~  Lu                                                                     continues  > >

[wscroley]

Thank you all so much for all this extra information!  I shall have to go away and digest it all.  It just goes to show that finding a record depends on what you type in as I had been on to Family Search for instance and been through all the permutations and come up with nothing.  It is interesting that the family continues the name 'Robert' as I found a baptism in the Limerick records for a George Stewart, son of Robert Stewart.  Perhaps this Robert was the brother of George and my ggrandfather, William.
Thank you again and very best wishes.

[Lucy2]

Whilst searching on  "'George Stewart" I also spotted the following Probate file >

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMZ-N98P-V?i=251&cc=1865481

This contains the 1930 Will of George STEWART*, late of Wellington, Civil Servant, [* file also records that he is a.k.a.  George Hain STEWART ]

      in which he makes bequests to >

.... my sister  Nellie BEAUMONT

....  my sister   Mary DUNCAN**  ..... my nephew  Arthur DUNCAN

[**  I take it that this is the woman also known as "Miriam"
NZ Birth :  1875 - STEWART - Mary - parents:  Ann and George
NZ Marriage :   Miriam STEWART - William James Angus Archibald DUNCAN -- Year: 1894 ]

NZ Death Index (online) shows >

1945 - STEWART - George Hain - 68 years   [bc  1877 ]

   ~  Lu                                                                   continues  > >

[Lucy2]

Hi

Have a bit more for you to "digest".   

If I'm recalling correctly, I think you also said that you had dismissed the record of a
Martin STEWART baptised 1840 at Doon. ??

I checked this at FindMyPast and it says >

"3 February 1840

Martin .. s/o  J .. orge  ?  [with a question mark on the transcribed version]  STEWART and Biddy MOLONY ... of  [can't decipher name ]
   ....   Nancy and Thomas MOLONY  .. [who are probably the sponsors ?]

Parish :  Doon and Castletown
County :   Limerick and Tipperary".
------

There is also a "tree" at the ancestry website for this same Martin (the record had been written up for a "Martin George "Mtn" STEWART (1840-1918) -- Doon RC Parish records :
Parents:  George STEWART (1810- 1881)  and Bridget MOLONY (1820 --) 

A "Nellie MASON" is recorded as the first wife of "Martin George STEWART". 

Further -  there is an enlistment record for the year 1858 - Royal Irish Constabulary - Martin STEWART - 19 years - born Limerick :
[I think the date of service ended at 1864 with a note that the man STEWART was departing for Australia. ]
 

Will leave it for you to decide.   

   ~  Lu

[wscroley]

Thank you all.  I saw the tree on Ancestry and messaged the owner at the beginning of January, but no reply as yet.  Not sure where the name 'Nellie Mason' came from.  I had put the record of Martin Stewart's baptism to one side as he was baptised as a Catholic whereas the rest of the family I've identified were all Presbyterian/Church of Ireland.  But the summary record for Martin Stewart's RIC service lists him as Protestant. (My Findmypast subscription has just expired).   Perhaps George was Protestant and Bridget, Catholic.  The probate details are very useful for identifying the subsequent generations.  Miriam/Mary (Nellie Beaumont's sister) was also known as Marian according to the NZ Electoral rolls.  The two sisters were living together in 1935.  Miriam's husband appears to be living at a different address with their son and Nellie's husband was living in the Cook Islands before his death.  What a complicated family!
Thanks again and best wishes.

[whitechas]

Hi, I think Geroge was my great grandfather. My grandmother was Margaret and she was born in the 1890s. I do have the date somewhere but not to hand. He came from County Doon in Ireland. My grand mother was a Catholic. They were related to the Steels also. My mother and her sisters were born in Hokitika also. Their surname was Brand.

[Bek Stewart-Green]

Hello!  I believe you are trying to get in toach with me.  I am a direct descendent of the "George" Stewart you are looking for.  You also reference my page so I should probably explain a few points.  My Great Grandfather's actual name is not George rather his name is "Martin Stewart".  My Father is still living so he can remember his Grandmother, Catherine (nee Forster) talking about him very vividly.  His wife, my Great Grandmother Catherine always called him "Martin" and would apparently get quite irrate if people called him "George" LOL.  This information was pivotal in finding my Great Grandfather's birth records as we have been looking for him as "George" in Ireland and could never find him.  It becomes complicated as in the NZ records as he is mainly listed as George with no mention of Martin.  His birth records come from County Cork RC Parish records for Doon and Castletown 1824-1899.  Parents are listed as George Stewart and Bridget Malone.  We know these are his parents as he lists them in his later Constabulary records.  George and Bridget have 6 children listed on the record;
1833: William Stewart,
1835: Anne Stewart,
1838: Ellen Stewart,
1849: "Mtn" Stewart (which is our Martin - he appears to have changed his name to George - it should also be noted that his Father was of Scottish decent and not Irish and "Martin" would have been written down phonetically by the priest.  Martin is NOT an Irish name - so goodness knows what the priest thought they were saying!!!),
1842: Mary Stewart,
1845: Bridget Stewart.
"George" enlisted in the Irish Constabulary in 1858 (film#556063, page173) and from there on the 18 November 1864 joined the Armed Constabulary from Melbourne in Australia and fought in the Maori Wars in NZ (he had to get permission to emigrate to Australia from the Irish Constabulary).  His joining date for the New Zealand Police Force is 9 May 1877.  Most of what we know comes from his police record in the national archives in NZ.  At the time they needed to get permission to marry and this is where we get the name of his first wife as Nellie Mason - he lists her as his first wife with 2 children (no idea of names) when he sought permission to marry his second wife and my Great Grandmother Catherine Forster - he simple stated she had died.  We have been unable to verify Nellie as this probably was not her actual name and we have no idea where they may have married... Could have been Ireland, could have been Australia and goodness knows what name George was going by at the time!
Anyways - it all get a bit complicated with my lot but if you want to chat more you can text or call me on (*) and we can discuss further!  P.s. I'm in Australia.


[Moderator edit: phone number deleted to protect personal privacy]

[wscroley]

Hello and thank you for getting in touch! Martin's elder brother, William was my great grandfather.  George Stewart married Bridget Moloney (various spellings) and Bridget had a brother, Martin, born in about 1812. He was murdered in 1836 so that is probably where the name came from-also a saint's name and Catholic children were given saint's names at this time.  Martin Moloney's murderer, James Prendergast, was transported and ended up in the Hawkesbury region of NSW! There was another Stewart sibling in addition to the ones you named-baptised as Catharine Steward in 1848. She died in 1882 with her mother present. As you say Martin was in the RIC (as Protestant to make life easier!), emigrated to Australia, joined the NZ Militia, served with the Taranaki Military Settlers and was awarded the NZ War Medal.  He joined the NZ Armed Constabulary and then the NZ Constabulary. Martin Stewart married Ann Marsden in 1872 in NZ.  This info comes from the birth certificate for their second child, Ellen (aka Nellie) born 1876.  Their first child, Mary was born in 1875 and their third, George Hain in 1877. As Ann died in 1877 maybe she died in childbirth. My father was born in Cork and joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in WW1. My mother said that his great grandfather had been in a Scottish Regiment. The only relevant George Stewart I can find on the scotlandspeople website was born in Aberdeen in 1804. I have various certificates, newspaper articles etc to support the above and my tree is on Ancestry. I can invite you to view it if you would like. Send me a PM and I will send my email address to you.  Regards

[kiwihalfpint]

Hello,

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Cheers
KHP