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Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: minniehaha on Saturday 28 May 16 22:31 BST (UK)

Title: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: minniehaha on Saturday 28 May 16 22:31 BST (UK)
No research required here folks. It is a family story I came across while looking for information about Coker's Hotel in Christchurch.

A warning: Tissues may be required!

I will begin with the death………

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19000706.2.24&srpos=27&e=--1899---1901--10--21----0brocklehurst--

The inquest.......

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS19000707.2.67&srpos=2&e=--1900---1900--10-TS-1----0brocklehurst--

Now a widow, Minnie making arrangements to return to the UK with her baby……….

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19000813.2.46.5&srpos=1&e=-08-1900--08-1900--10--1----2brocklehurst-ADVERTISEMENT-

Going back - to the registration facts:

Marriage:

1899/1905   Minnie Louisa   Coltart   Harold George   Brocklehurst

Birth:

1899/15491   Brocklehurst   Gerald Luis Collingham   Minnie Louisa   Howard George

Death:

1900/4836   Brocklehurst   Harold George      26Y

And now for the follow up story 113 years later..........

https://genealogyjourno.wordpress.com/remittance-men-in-new-zealand/a-familys-dark-secret-revealed/

Just felt I had to share it.

Minniehaha.
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: 3sillydogs on Saturday 28 May 16 22:47 BST (UK)

What a sad story.

It does seem though that it was the way to deal with scandals and black sheep, send them off to the colonies away from "civilized folk"

Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: jaybelnz on Sunday 29 May 16 02:44 BST (UK)
That is indeed really sad!  Very interesting though, and how fortunate you were to come across it!

Jeanne
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: minniehaha on Sunday 29 May 16 03:53 BST (UK)
And wonderful that the previously unknown story was found quite by chance by a descendant in Australia.

Minniehaha.
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: kiwihalfpint on Sunday 29 May 16 05:39 BST (UK)
Quote from: minniehaha on Sunday 29 May 16 03:53 BST (UK)
And wonderful that the previously unknown story was found quite by chance by a descendant in Australia.

Minniehaha.

Thanks for sharing Minnie .... wouldn't it be lovely to receive something like that in your hands,  the jigsaw pieces falling into place. :)


Cheers
KHP
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: minniehaha on Sunday 29 May 16 05:53 BST (UK)
An amazing coincidence in this case KHP.

Have found his headstone:

https://billiongraves.com/grave/Harold-George-Brocklehurst/13587689

I can't read all of the words, but "a few more tears", "struggles here" & "weep no more" are certainly mentioned.

So, so sad.......

Postscript: the value of his estate.....

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZH19020407.2.57

Minniehaha.
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: 3sillydogs on Sunday 29 May 16 07:39 BST (UK)


I think the transcription reads:

A few more struggles here
A few more partings o'er
A few more tolls A few more tears
(can't read)      weep no more

a really sad epitaph.....
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: minniehaha on Sunday 29 May 16 08:15 BST (UK)
It appears to be part of a hymn written by Horatius Bonar [1808-1889].........

A few more struggles here,
A few more partings o'er,
A few more toils, a few more tears,
And we shall weep no more.

Minniehaha.
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: 3sillydogs on Sunday 29 May 16 08:24 BST (UK)

Still sad, but I suppose a very fitting epitaph for a man who was rejected by his family and punished for falling in love and making a "mistake".

I think it must be terrible to be paid to stay away from your home and family. He made good though, he married her, but I suppose it was just all too much....

Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: minniehaha on Saturday 04 June 16 05:42 BST (UK)
The conclusion of this story-

As the headstone on the grave of Harold George Brocklehurst was not photographed until 2014 and the magazine article about him appeared the previous year, I suspected that his descendants may not be aware of the memorial in New Zealand. On contacting the editor of 'Inside History' in Australia, this indeed proved to be the case.

Part of her reply includes a comment for me from the Australian descendant.......

 "Many thanks for your email and the two links – I was not aware of the headstone and I guess either Minnie or my grandfather or Harold’s family were responsible for that. It was a very traumatic event for my grandmother and must have haunted her all her life.... it is nice to know there are kind people out there who feel sad at what my Granny went through."

A satisfactory result I think......

Minniehaha.


Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: Kiwi Girl on Tuesday 05 July 16 10:13 BST (UK)
Wow, what a story!

Thanks for sharing it.

:)
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: MoorfNZ on Friday 09 March 18 05:49 GMT (UK)
Hi minniehaha

My name is Helen and I'm the researcher and author of the remittance men info you found :)

I'm  currently prepping for a dissertation on remittance men in New Zealand to pre-empt my Masters, and I'd love to get in touch with you, and anyone else who believes they have a remittance man in their family (New Zealand only for diss. and then I'll widen net for Masters thesis)

Thanks!
Helen Leggatt
Hunting Kiwis
Title: Re: Young love, a Remittance man, Tragedy.
Post by: minniehaha on Friday 09 March 18 06:02 GMT (UK)
Hello Helen,

Welcome to Rootschat.... :)  :)

I have sent you a personal message. In fact I think I ended up sending two!  ???


Minniehaha.