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Trish - fascinating that your G/G Grandfather did a similar thing to George Smith and fancy ending up in New Zealand. My stepson and his partner live near Kaikohe so next time we visit, I must have a look at the Pioneer village. Many thanks for all the postings - I started off earlier with just a name but with all the kind assistance offered, I really have been able to "flesh out" the family.

Sandra - thanks for the obituary references which really provide the sort of detail you cannot ascertain through a census listing or a birth/marriage/death certificate - fascinating reading. Also the census and find a grave references. I can see I will be busy over the weekend printing these off and adding them to my family file.

Everyone's kind assistance is most appreciated.

Thanks so much - a lot to digest there and will have a good read tonight. In the interim - yes, it does look like George Smith abandoned Hannah at some point. They had a child (named Eva) who died a couple of years after birth. At the time she died, George's family went over to the USA. Unclear what happened next - perhaps George wanted Hannah to come with him but she didn't want to leave her family or maybe he just left her. He had been to the USA earlier (prior to their marriage) so perhaps thought life was better over there or wanted to follow his family. When Eva married, she put on her birth certificate that her father was George Smith, a grocer. It looks like Hannah never told Eva of her conception - she would no doubt have told her that her father was George Smith, being the man she married and named on the marriage certificate - perhaps the "grocer" was a reference to Eva's father as George Smith was an iron miner. George didn't fare much better in the USA. He married and they had a child who died aged two. George died young. The Nanticoke family history society have been very helpful and provided quite a bit of information about George. At one point he went to British Columbia and contracted rheumatic fever and perhaps that was a factor in losing his two children.

His father's name on the marriage certificate was James Bird (deceased), Engine driver. I have the 1901 census and he is listed as being born at Redworth, Yorkshire. The record shows they had 10 children between them at that stage - James (22) railway engine stoker, born ? Yorkshire; Joseph (20) railway engine stoker, born Middlesbro Yorkshire; Fred (18) born Middlesbro; Eliza (16) born Middlesbro; Louis ? (13) born Middlesbro; Eva (my grandmother) (11) born Frizington, Cumberland; Willie (7) born Middlesbro; Maggie (4) born Middlesbro: Ada (3) born Middlesbro and Lillian (6m) born Middlesbro. The last 4 children belonged to William and Eva and the first 5 to William and his first wife. I will have a look at the 1871 and 1881 census records for the Bird family as I already have that for Hanna.

I have what appear to be two ancestor burials. Ann Hewitson of Ingleton, 65 years old buried 12 July 1818 and Henry Hewitson of Ingleton, 60 years old buried 31 December 1813. Was wondering if anyone has details of the headstone inscriptions for these two individuals (if there was a headstone) or has them incorporated into their family tree. Many thanks
Peter Huitson - New Zealand

Karenlee,

I just had a look on the UK telephone directory site and found a  Handley living in Colchester! Looks like I may have found a living ancestor for a change. I will have to send them a letter over and see if they will respond.

Hey, many many thanks for you kind assistance - without that, I would certainly not be at this point now!

Kind regards

Peter
Moderator Comment: Post modified to remove details of living people