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Hi Sam,
My name is Angela and my grandmother was Marjorie Mary Munro - John Alexander Munro's daughter and probably your great Aunt.  My mum Paula has some information about the family so let me know if you are interested in seeing what she has. Cheers  Angela

Hi Angela, sorry for the late reply I really hope you see this. I’m descended from Eileen Mary, John Alexander’s (Jack’s) youngest daughter. I would be very interested in hearing more regarding what you (and your mum) know about the Munro’s, I can also fill you in on what I’ve learned since I made this posting.

I'm hoping some of you may be able to help me inregards to the identity of my ancestor, George Richard Burgess. I'll outline below what I know.

He was purportedly born in Whitchurch, Shropshire around 1819, he gives this as his birthplace on the 1851,61 and 71 censuses.

He married Ann Peacock some time prior to 1838, probably in the Stockport region. There is a marriage in Manchester of a George Burgess and an Ann Peacock in 1837, this marriage gives his occupation as a labourer of Didsbury though, and his father as George Burgess a surgeon. He also makes his mark, which seems very odd for a surgeons son, and his later occupations (if this is the correct marriage).

First daughter Sarah Ann is born in Stockport in 1838, followed by a son George in Newcastle, Staffordshire in 1841. The family are resident in Stockport in 1841, but the page is badly damaged

Another child Henry, is born in Sheffield in 1845, he seems to have died young, followed by a son John in Norwich in 1850. The family are lodging in Melton Mowbray on the 1851 census, mistranscribed as "Barges". Georges occupation is now Rope Maker.

The family settle, finally, in Boston Lincs after this, and the remainder of their children, Edwin born 1852, Joseph born 1853, Rosetta born 1857, Alfred born 1858 and Ellen born 1860 were all born here. However Sarah Ann marries in Stepney in 1857, to William Pinder Foster, giving her fathers occupation as Compositor. The two do settle in Boston though by the following year

1861 census gives Georges occupation as Grocer, presumably in partnership with his son in law William. However by 1871 the family has moved to Bethnal Green where George is employed as a Factory Manager. my understanding is that this was probably a Laundry Blue factory.

The following year George, Ann and the younger children all emigrate to New Zealand, Auckland specifically. I have the New Zealand lives of George and Ann reasonably well mapped, and the lives of their children who did emigrate as well (all bar George jr who disappears subsequent to the 1861 census). Both George and Ann died in 1892, neither left a will that went to probate.

The identities of George and his wife remain enigmas though, there is a family of Burgess's in Whitchurch but from a perusal of their wills there are no stray George's.

Also the constant change of occupations, and the incredibly varied locations for the birth of their children have caused confusion.

One thing to note is that I have been unable to find a single baptism for any of the children, possibly they were dissenters?

If this would be more suitable on another board feel free to move it, but the only constant in his life is his birthplace so I thought Shropshire would be the best place for it.

Thanks in advance and apologies for any errors, im typing this from memory on an ipad which is far from ideal.

The resource I have used for former police officers is:

Police Staff Register with Nominal Index. Book 1. 1859-1927. (Microfilm 3348)

However I can't find this file on Archway. I recall from the last time I tried to access it that a restriction was placed on the file.

I believe that you now have to specify the individual you want to research in your request and that is all the information they will provide, rather than allowing you to scroll through the microfilm.

I (think) I've had experience with this file before on another branch of the tree, I think I just provided the name and details and they transcribed all the information for me, free of charge. I think that was indexed though, not sure with this one, I might be confusing two different files though, the names all sound the same!

I might go down to the Archives in a couple of weeks time regardless, so I can do that, I appreciate the offer though.

I may have found where he was (possibly) stationed though! Putting Constable Munro into PapersPast I found an 1864 reference to a Constable Munro of Campbelltown, since there was only the one reference, and the fact that I know they were in the Akaroa region by 1866 I think this promising.

https://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=10367013&digital=yes

ADDENDUM: Access denied - authorized users only.

Sam

After tracing my family tree for the past couple of years I have succeeded in finding almost all of my 4x GGrandparents. The only outstanding ones are the parents of Robert Munro and Sarah McNee, I've been unable to find anything on this pair prior to their marriage, and little (aside from the births of their children) afterwards. What I have found follows:

Robert Munro married Sarah McNee in Invercargill in July 1864.
I have a copy of their intention to marry, which states Roberts age as 28, his occupation as "Constable" (presumably of Police) and time of residence in Invercargill as 4 days ( )
Sarah is 27, occupation "Servant" and has resided in Invercargill for 6 months.

The couple went on to have 7 children:

Catherine, born 1865, (I've been unable to trace her.)

Robert born 1866, died 1867 in Akaroa. First burial at Governors Bay Cemetary

His twin, John Alexander, born 14 Sep 1866, in Akaroa (per Foresters application.) Married twice, to Mary Emily Madden nee Burling and Maud Ransome. Died 1939 in Masterton. My GG Grandfather.

(All subsequent births in the Akaroa/Little River region)

William Daniel, born 1868. Married Christina Mckay and died in 1957

Hugh Charles, born 1870. Also came to the Wairarapa, married Eliza Melton and died in 1945.

Robert Henry Thomas, born 1871, died in 1873

Sarah Jane , born 1873, married Henry Thomas Houghton, died 1962.

After the birth of Sarah Jane, Robert Sr disappears. I am of the opinion he is the Robert Munro who dies in Christchurch in 1873, but I have no proof.

Sarah remains in Little River after this, I have found newspaper reports of her being paid to clean the Schoolhouse etc. She is still there in 1905, living in the Okute Valley. However she vanishes after this as well. The only death that matches in one of a Sarah Munro in Invercargill in 1916. This Sarah is buried in an unmarked grave. I have not bought the death cert as her burial record provides no details about her, presumably the informant was the same on both. She only ever appears on one electoral record which has made tracing her difficult (unless she took up with another man I suppose).

Now the part that intrigues me most. At some point in time John Alexander and Hugh migrate to the Wairarapa. They are, in 1896, in Tinui, working as labourers. Why and how did they wind up here? Where there family members there already? Its a tiny isolated settlement today, let alone in the 1890's. If it was due to the death of Robert, why would you send the eldest and the third sons, not the second? If anyone can shed some light on this I would be ecstatic.

A couple things that I missed earlier:

Robert was described as a shepherd on William Daniels marriage certificate, and Sarah's birthplace was given as the Shetland Islands. I've been unable to find any records of a Sarah McNee from the Shetlands.

To summarise what I'm hoping you guys can help me with

Find Robert and Sarah prior to immigration,

Find what happened to them, regarding their deaths.

Any tidbits about their lives would help, I've found few newspaper reports about them, plenty about the "other" Robert Munro (of Pigeon Bay)

Find why Jack and Hugh alone went to the Wairarapa.

Anything else I haven't listed here about their lives would be great though, those are just the main points.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Sam.


 

Interesting about the electoral roll, RK, I haven't got a worldwide sub to Ancestry this year, so can't look at them (are you able to email me copies, pretty please?),

Sure, just a minute.

 I hadn't heard about an estrangement; Angus' daughter, Annie, tried very hard to get my grandmother to call my Dad Angus, so she must have got on with him. 

I've looked through the marriage write ups for the daughters in the Woodville Examiner, and it really does appear like he was out of the picture (it is always just daughter of Mrs Mcleod, never any mention of Angus which is very odd, even if he were dead it would be daughter of the late Angus Mcleod etc). Maybe she liked him regardless 

(If you haven't got the reports I can send those as well)