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Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: huriteAO on Friday 29 September 17 01:52 BST (UK)
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My Greatgrandfather, William Charles Gentry (b1870) had three sisters, Mary Martha who died a childless spinster at 21yrs, Rebecca who had two daughters, one who died at 9mths, and who had one daughter. Family history is silent on his third sister Katherine, apart from the fact that her assets were distributed to William's children & grandchildren. I have come across a probate document from 1952 for a woman who I am hoping IS my great aunt. I am going to write to the Public Trust to see if I can get any information to match what little we know of her to help us plan a family reunion. Has anyone had such assistance from the Public Trust Office?
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Due to the Privacy Act, I doubt they would be able to give out family information without you being able to provide legal documentation (certs etc) for proof of your identity.
Perhaps you could give your local Public Trust Office a phone call to enquire if such info would be available to you if you are able to prove your identity! That's what I would do firstly.
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Hello,
If the lady in question is deceased and you are comfortable about disclosing her name, we may be able to find information which perhaps the Public Trustee does not have or would be unwilling to disclose.
Minniehaha.
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You can search on Familysearch. William Charles is there and it even includes a copy of his death cert - I haven't seen one included before:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9V-LHJM
Jamjar
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I think this may be the one you are referring to:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89QW-V9J5?i=388&cc=1865481
Jamjar
Added: The will of the husband of the above is difficult to read, but It looks to me that they weren't together at the time of his death. He appears - if I'm reading it correctly - to have left all to someone else, just mentioning an allowance for his wife.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9V-VS2D
He was 64 in 1925, so born in 1861. She was 74 in 1952, so born 1878.
1876/14465 Gentry Catherine Ann Rebecca and Charles William
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Family history is silent on his third sister Katherine, apart from the fact that her assets were distributed to William's children & grandchildren. I have come across a probate document from 1952 for a woman who I am hoping IS my great aunt.
Hi
The NZ Birth Index (online), shows a birth registration for >
1876 - GENTRY - Catherine Ann
Parents : Rebecca and Charles William (same parents as for your William Charles)
And in 1896 there is a marriage for a >
Catherine GENTRY to William Andrew MARTIN
(You probably already have that information. ;) )
Searching the NZ Birth Index (online) I can't really see a birth for the above couple (up to "today's date" 1917) ???
Further, there is a probate record for >
William Andrew MARTIN who died in 1925.
The handwritten Will on the Probate file, I've really only skimmed over (it's not easy to read in a hurry ;D) ... but it shows the wife of this man is named as Catherine Ann.
Here's the link >
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9SN-HBWM?i=131&cc=1865481
You may like to look in a little more detail (but it seemed that the couple, did not have any children - or that if they did, then they weren't mentioned. ) ???
~ Lu
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... oops Jamjar ... hadn't seen your addition to your earlier post. ;D
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William Andrew MARTIN :
[Not necessarily relevant to the search for family of Catherine / Katherine MARTIN. ;) ]
The beneficiary mentioned in the Will of William Andrew MARTIN (husband of Catherine Ann MARTIN - presumed to be Catherine Ann, nee GENTRY), is named as Apikara LARDELLI, widow of Whangara via Gisborne.
Mrs LARDELLI appears to have been the widow of Victor Strachan LARDELLI a sheep farmer of Whangara, who died in 1915. She is recorded only as "wife" in her husband's Will.
William Andrew MARTIN was named an executor in the estate of V.S. LARDELLI.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G995-39S8-C?i=89&cc=1865481
~ Lu
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Many thanks jaybelnz, minniehaha, Lucy2 and Jamjar
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huriteAO
... you may like to look further at PapersPast, but the only item I found for William Andrew MARTIN (died April 1925 ) was the following which was published in a number of national newspapers.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19250428.2.100
Unfortunately no personal details whatsoever.
~ Lu
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huriteAO
I wouldn't perhaps read too much into the fact that William Andrew MARTIN left a good part of his estate to the widowed Apikara LARDELLI (it seems that he was also a friend or colleague of her late husband, Victor S. LARDELLI, who incidentally left a sizeable estate, himself.)
And William A. MARTIN did of course also make provision in his will for his (estranged ?) wife Catherine Ann, to benefit financially.
William A. MARTIN's last Will was dated 18 November 1922.
It is not until 1925 that Apikara LARDELLI is shown as living at 7 Harris Street, Gisborne (the residence of William Andrew MARTIN). [She could though have been there earlier ? Electoral rolls cannot always be relied upon to given accurate info.]
Catherine Ann MARTIN in 1919 had lived at # 5 Harris Street - with William A. residing at # 7 Harris Street, Gisborne. The Harris Street properties owned by William A. were described in his Will ... "# 7 Harris Street being the middle of the three houses (owned) on that street".
I can't find Catherine again until 1935 when she's living in Auckland at # 17 Maurice Ave, Parnell (there in 1938 also). [Note: She's not the Catherine Ann Martin living with a daughter in Hastings (1928). ]
Noting also that the Will of William A. MARTIN stated that (after bequests to Apikara and Catherine Ann) the residue of his estate should go to his sister, Margaret TONER (looks like?) of Sydney, Australia.
So it really does not seem like he and Catherine had children.
~ Lu
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Waikumete Cemetery - Auckland :
[Note: According to an earlier recent thread on here, there are currently (but soon to be resolved) issues with obtaining information from the online records for above cemetery. ]
The following though comes from cemetery (burial) information (source: ancestry.com) >
Waikumete Cemetery - Wesleyan F - Row 6
Plot 59 : Katherine Ann MARTIN - buried 14-8-1952.
[Plots which have headstones, are indicated as such in this record. It appears there is no h/stone for Katherine Ann MARTIN. ]
~ Lu
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Just in case you don't have this wee one on your family tree......
1878/7036 Gentry Frederick Rebecca Charles William
1878/2419 Gentry Frederick 5D
Added:Death notice:
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18780701.2.6?query=c.%20w.%20gentry
Minniehaha.
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This birth of this baby does not appear to have been registered.......
Same family?
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THA18850302.2.4?query=charles%20w.%20gentry
1885/842 Gentry Ellen 12M
Minniehaha.
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This birth of this baby does not appear to have been registered.......
Same family?
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THA18850302.2.4?query=charles%20w.%20gentry
1885/842 Gentry Ellen 12M
Minniehaha.
Maybe not.......
1882/2268 Gentry Rebecca 32Y
Minniehaha.
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William Charles Gentry is my Grandmother Ethel's half-brother I believe.
Can't add much to the info the others have provided but have Catherine spelt with the "C".
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William Charles Gentry is my Grandmother Ethel's half-brother I believe.
Can't add much to the info the others have provided but have Catherine spelt with the "C".
THANK YOU WHENU ... I have been wanting to communicate with you. Now I see where you come in ... the Australian family. Yes, Ethel is a half-sister to Catherine/Katherine and William. Their father sure had a lot of children, with many dying in infancy or too soon in adult life. I'd love to talk more.
Nau mai e te whanaunga
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This birth of this baby does not appear to have been registered.......
Same family?
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THA18850302.2.4?query=charles%20w.%20gentry
1885/842 Gentry Ellen 12M
Minniehaha.
Maybe not.......
1882/2268 Gentry Rebecca 32Y
Minniehaha.
Thank you Minniehaha ... Ellen's mother is Sarah Souter/Sowter. Rebecca is Catherine's mother, my gggrandmother
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Just in case you don't have this wee one on your family tree......
1878/7036 Gentry Frederick Rebecca Charles William
1878/2419 Gentry Frederick 5D
Added:Death notice:
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18780701.2.6?query=c.%20w.%20gentry
Minniehaha.
Thanks again ... we have Frederick and Frederick Charles
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Waikumete Cemetery - Auckland :
[Note: According to an earlier recent thread on here, there are currently (but soon to be resolved) issues with obtaining information from the online records for above cemetery. ]
The following though comes from cemetery (burial) information (source: ancestry.com) >
Waikumete Cemetery - Wesleyan F - Row 6
Plot 59 : Katherine Ann MARTIN - buried 14-8-1952.
[Plots which have headstones, are indicated as such in this record. It appears there is no h/stone for Katherine Ann MARTIN. ]
~ Lu
This is amazing Lu ... I looked there because her two sisters were buried at Waikumete in 1893 and 1903. I hadn't found her there. Thank you very much. I just wonder who saw to her burial arrangements with all her generation dead. I have much yet to find...Thank you again for this starter
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huriteAO
I wouldn't perhaps read too much into the fact that William Andrew MARTIN left a good part of his estate to the widowed Apikara LARDELLI (it seems that he was also a friend or colleague of her late husband, Victor S. LARDELLI, who incidentally left a sizeable estate, himself.)
And William A. MARTIN did of course also make provision in his will for his (estranged ?) wife Catherine Ann, to benefit financially.
William A. MARTIN's last Will was dated 18 November 1922.
It is not until 1925 that Apikara LARDELLI is shown as living at 7 Harris Street, Gisborne (the residence of William Andrew MARTIN). [She could though have been there earlier ? Electoral rolls cannot always be relied upon to given accurate info.]
Catherine Ann MARTIN in 1919 had lived at # 5 Harris Street - with William A. residing at # 7 Harris Street, Gisborne. The Harris Street properties owned by William A. were described in his Will ... "# 7 Harris Street being the middle of the three houses (owned) on that street".
I can't find Catherine again until 1935 when she's living in Auckland at # 17 Maurice Ave, Parnell (there in 1938 also). [Note: She's not the Catherine Ann Martin living with a daughter in Hastings (1928). ]
Noting also that the Will of William A. MARTIN stated that (after bequests to Apikara and Catherine Ann) the residue of his estate should go to his sister, Margaret TONER (looks like?) of Sydney, Australia.
So it really does not seem like he and Catherine had children.
~ Lu
Many thanks again Lu. I'll try Toner if I go down that track. I'd previously looked for Jones