Hi all,
I'm hoping someone has Henry John Morgan in their tree, or one of his children, and can help piece together the family with me. This will likely be a lengthy post, so apologies, but there is a lot to get down.
Henry John Morgan was born c1862 in London (place of birth recorded on his burial record) and died 9 November 1909 in Christchurch.
He married Jane Elizabeth Fitzer c1881, who was also born in London c1860. After Henry's death, Jane remarried to Walter William Pike in 1916, she died in Timaru 16 July 1924.
From what I have found, they had (at least) 3 children born in the London area between 1881 and 1889.
1. "First Son" Morgan - who may have died before 1916 as he was not recorded on the obituary for his brother who died in 1916. I don't know his name, but the obituary for this brother states that he is the "second son" of Henry and Jane, so my assumption is that there was one born before him.
2. Caroline Maria Morgan - c1883/84. She married Robert Briton Wilson in Christchurch in 1909.
3. Henry Charles Morgan ("second son") - c1889. He died 6 March 1916 in Christchurch.
I have then found the family in Victoria, Australia with the following 8 children:
1. Lucy Jane Morgan - 1890-1890 (died at 5 months old)
2. Edith Morgan - 1891
3. Frederick George/John Morgan - 1893-1894 (He is recorded as Frederick George for his birth, but Frederick John for his death)
4. Adeline May Morgan - 12 December 1894 - 28 August 1972 (died in Timaru). Adeline married Francis Henry Bayliss in 1916 in Christchurch. She is buried in Timaru with her mother.
5. Alfred Edward Morgan - 1896. He married Christina Sangster Butterworth in 1925 in Ashburton. (Christina's brother married one of Alfred's sisters).
6. Ernest Arthur Morgan - 1898.
7. Ada Alice Morgan - 1900. She married William Hamilton Oswald in 1919, and died in NZ in 1969.
8. Martha Lilian Morgan - 3 June 1901. She married Albert Henry James Barnes in 1920 and died in NZ in 1983.
I have found brief birth records online for the above 8 children that show their parents to be Henry John Morgan and Jane Elizabeth Fitzer.
And then they come to NZ and have a few more children:
1. Harry Walter Morgan (my great grandfather) - 3 Feb 1903 - 14 Jan 1978. Born and died in Christchurch. He married Agnes Tod Martin 29 October 1929.
2. Lucy Jane Morgan - 26 May 1905 - 3 July 1992. She married Alfred Ernest Butterworth (brother of Christina Sangster Butterworth) in 1926.
3. Eileen Edna Morgan - 1907 - 4 June 1981. She married Frederick George Britt 16 June 1927, and both are buried in Wellington.
I can't find passenger lists to show the family traveling from London to Victoria (which must have been around 1889 and 1890 to tie in with the children's births) or from Victoria to Christchurch (between 1901 and 1903, again to fit with births).
So I am hoping that someone recognises one of these names. There may have been more children born in London, but as of yet I haven't found any that I am confident with.
Thanks for reading! Any suggestions on my next step would be much appreciated