family search in Tonga

[cosmo]

Hi I am looking for some help in locating the descendants of an EDWIN WILLIAM SANDYS
born in Roscommon Ireland. He left home in 1870 when about 15 and travelled in the south seas before finally settling in Tonga. He married BERNICE LATU and had 4 children WILLIAM, RICHARD, JANE and MARTHA. The last letter we have from him was in 1931. However someone contacted an uncle of mine for EDWIN'S birth certificate asa grandson wished to join the army and needed to prove his descent. Any info would be great. thanks.   Cosmo

[Pacific]

hi
A lot of the British subjects were registered at the British Consulate in Nukualofa.  Usually British parents had their children registered at the consulate when they were born.  Some of the records ha are at the University of Auckland Library in the Special collections.  You can go to their web site and see what records they have.  They do not have birth registers for British subjects those were more likely sent to England.  They do have microfilms with Tongan death and marriage registers.  Anyone can look at those.  The birth registers are a different matter.  You have to have a special permission from the Tongan registrar to  look at those.  It's difficult to get that permission.  There is one person in NZ that has that permission her name is Christine Liava'a.

It can be very complicated finding people in Tonga because they go by so many different last names.  Often they use their middle names as last names.  Some births  are only registered with first and middle names and no last names.  You do get used to it after you know what names the people use.

Good luck
Hera

[DotBrennan]

Hi Cosmo


This could be daughter Martha….

NZ Marriage 1923, Folio ref: 08966
Martha Memelupe SANDYS
Ahi ROYAL

and there is an Undertakers record in 1944 for:
Martha Melelupe ROYAL
somewhere in the Thames Valley
Undertaker was “Twentyman’s”

I googled and found this:
http://www.twentymans.co.nz/html/history.html
They should be able to give you more info.

There’s also a School record for:
Ahi ROYAL
Paeroa School
Admission date: 6 Feb 1907
Address: Komata
Dob: 1901
Last Day: 17 Dec 1914
Destination: Thames H S


Bren.

[cosmo]

Hi
thank you both so much I had nearly given up hope of ever finding the family. Recently I googled Nehemiah Sandys and up popped this clip from bebo "........My husband Nehemiah  sandys... and mentioning their families in Tonga" my the poster was living now in Australia, so I joined bebo and replied to her but nothing back and it must have given her a scare,   as her account was frozen to me and google no longer give the connection.        but their are still Sandys in Tonga.

Thank you for your help I will try your suggestions.
Cosmo.

[ChristineL]

In the Western Pacific Archive at Auckland University are some estate papers from Tonga. This is a summary of notes I took from the file.

British Consul Tonga; BCT 4/III
Papers relating to Estates administered by HBM Consul in Tonga 1907-1968
..................
1225667
item 39; estate of late John Alexander Rafter-deceased 1950


address bk ; John G Rafter c/- E W Sandys, Nomuka, Haabai, Friendly Is via Fiji
died 3 December 1945

St Helen’s Lancashire

Mortgage to G Reichelmann

Auction sale book for Consul

Letter to Miss Jane M Winiata, c/- Lee’s store, Koutu, Rotorua, NZ stating Estate wound up Nov 1946

Heirs; Richard Sandys- elder brother, who changed his name for personal reasons (mother’s surname)
          390 Powell St, Vancouver, B C , Canada -  ¼ share

William Rafter , brother; 2 Laffack Cottge, Carr Mill, St Helen’s England;
- ¼ share
         
Mrs Martha Peace- sister; 77 Cambridge Rd , St Helen’s, England ; ¼ share
         
- 1/12  share each- Richard Rafter, Jennie Rafter, Stephen Rafter, 100 Recreation Street, St Helens England- children of the late Stephen Rafter, the deceased’s younger brother

Jane Winiata nee Jane Matilda Royal was cousin to John Rafter

Effects contained a Carnegie Bronze Medallion, a WW1 medal, a King George V Jubilee medallion etc
................
It appears that some of the Rafters changed their name to Sandys, and that there were both Rafters and Sandys in Tonga at the same time.
.................
I have a Wesleyan baptism of Tevita Lisiate  (David Richard) Sandys in Haapai, Tonga on 15 November 1891, to Mr Sandys and Belenaise of Nomuka.
...............
There is a Ms Sandys as deputy principal of Levuka Public School in Fiji, now, who is probably a relative.
.................
Ahi Royal (male) married Martha Memelupe Sandys (female) in NZ in 1923
................
Jane Matilda Royal also attended Komata school in 1930.
................
There are posts about this family here
http://boards.ancestry.myfamily.com/surnames.sandys/10/mb.ashx

[cosmo]

Thank you  I have made contact with some one on the other pages you recommended, how ever your notes add futher missing names.  It is great to tie up this side of the family tree. Again thank you for taking the time to search for us.

[NUKU]

Hi I am looking for some help in locating the descendants of an EDWIN WILLIAM SANDYS
born in Roscommon Ireland. He left home in 1870 when about 15 and travelled in the south seas before finally settling in Tonga. He married BERNICE LATU and had 4 children WILLIAM, RICHARD, JANE and MARTHA. The last letter we have from him was in 1931. However someone contacted an uncle of mine for EDWIN'S birth certificate asa grandson wished to join the army and needed to prove his descent. Any info would be great. thanks.   Cosmo

Hi Cosmo,

I'm trying to do a research on my dad's family history. His name is ^(*)and had three brothers, Alexander, Edwin and Vincent. Their father was Richard and mother was Latai Mafile'o Sandys and grandfather Edwin Sandys. My dad was born on 6/8/1920 in Nomuka, part of the Haapai islands in Tonga. My father is still alive of the four brothers, and they all had to registered and served during WWII in Tonga. Hope you could point me in the right direction.


^(*) Moderator Comment:
Edited in accordance with RootsChat policy of not publishing details of living people here, or details of people who may still be living. This is to protect all concerned from spam, identity abuse, internet abuse, etc, etc.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.

[cosmo]

Hi Nuku
 I am delighted with your contact and will continue our contact via personal messages  Welcome back to the home family!

[spades]

Congratulations on finding each other, Nuku and Cosmo 

Spades