RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: johnbarr on Thursday 19 February 09 01:35 GMT (UK)
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I am trying to get further details of this man who married my grandmother in 1908.
Marriage Cert shows him as Douglas William Hamilton, age 24, occupation Bush Contractor, status bachelor, bp Dannevirke, us. res. Dannevirke, father George Douglas Hamilton, farmer, mother Gertrude Gwendoline Hamilton/Hughes.
The only close birth I can see is William Douglas Hamilton, folio 2359, b 1881 in Paeroa which is a long way from Dannevirke?
Can anyone see a death that might be him?
Also, have not been able to find a marriage for his parents in NZ or UK.??
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. :)
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Hi John
Mmmm ... wonder if the parents married in Australia ?
(Perhaps you could post a query on the AUS board and see if anything turns up ?)
The father, George Douglas HAMILTON - died 1911 - is buried at Dannevirke. See >>
http://www.tararuadc.govt.nz/asp/cemeteries_results.asp?menu=ce
Lu
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--- In the adjacent plot (Settlers Cemetery, Dannevirke),
is (presumably the mother ?)
"Gertrude Helen Alicia Gwendoline HAMILTON" - d. 1914 - aged 61.
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Excellent - many Thanks Lu :)
and yes, good suggestion to try for a marriage in Oz.
I'll do that now ;D
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The only close birth I can see is William Douglas Hamilton, folio 2359, b 1881 in Paeroa which is a long way from Dannevirke?
Sure, it is a long way from Dannevirke. ;)
Do you have access to the 1881 Electoral Roll to check if the father George Douglas HAMILTON is living in or near Paeroa ?
[Someone on here may be able to assist with a look-up ?]
William Douglas Hamilton
Can anyone see a death that might be him?
Any idea of where he might have been living ?
Lu
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Sister thinks they were living in Pukepoto near Ahipara (Northland) during WW1, where he apparently had bullock wagons and a sawmill.
She also thought he had gone off with men and horses to War - but I cannot find any sign of his WW1 service records at Archway or Cenotaph sites.
Granma was living in Wellington in 1922 when she divorced him, so I guess he was alive then, but I have no idea where ???
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Isn't Rootschat amazing ???
I followed Lu's suggestion and posted on Oz board, and lo and behold a marriage not in Australia but Scotland ::)
- and a link to the whole amazing history of father George Douglas Hamilton at
http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=2H9
So now I have some very complete details about Douglas William Hamilton's parents - but still nothing on him ??? ???
The biography detailed in the link above definitely has the parents living in Dannevirke in 1884 - so why can we not find Douglas William's birth ???
or death ???
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1930 probate, in New Plymouth
William Douglas
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1930 probate, in New Plymouth
William Douglas
This William Douglas HAMILTON is buried in the Hawera General cemetery (Presbyterian). No age given ?
Grrr ! Can't get back to the South Taranaki DC's database
.... keep getting an "error message" !
Need to check who (if anyone) he is buried with ?
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the William Douglas at Hawera is aged 49.
There is however a Douglas William at Hastings which fits the age at marriage….
http://www.hdc.govt.nz/cem/cemetery_home.html
Bren
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Thank you Bren, that's looking very promising.
Now if I could only find his birth ???
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Hi johnbarr
Not sure if you are still chasing this information, but Douglas William was born 24 Apr 1887 in Dannevirke and died 19 Apr 1958 buried in Hastings cemetery.
http://cemeterybase.hdc.govt.nz/Details.aspx?id=508908
Douglas William is my 3rd great uncle. Was your grandmother Abigail Toamia?
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Hi Greg,
Thanks for your post and information.
Douglas William Hamilton was my mother's step-father. My grandmother Margaret Jane Vowless 1870-1965 married him 4 Jul 1908 and later divorced him - or the marriage was anulled? See Evening Post 22 Nov 1915 for report from the Supreme Court. I did this research some years ago and cannot remember if I ever found final outcome of the unusual Court case.
I had the cemetery details but I never did find his birth, so thanks for that. May I ask what was your source for that information?
John B
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Hi John
Thanks for that info. I did a little research on Douglas and Margaret and found a few newspapers articles, looks like it was annulled due to claims Margaret was already married. Are you descended from Margarets children prior to this ( apparently she had 3 when she married Douglas) or from her later marriage to Herbert Stubbington?
I recently purchased Douglas Williams death certificate from NZ archives hoping to clarify his DOB but unfortunately it was not recorded. The date I got was from family but it is simply word of mouth and I am not convinced enough to record it confidently. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a birth record for him on NZ BDM.
According to Douglas's death certificate he was married 3 times, twice after your grandmother.
Greg
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PM sent.