New Plymouth - early records ? COMPLETED

[silicondale]

lil -

That's a great bit of detective work. Many thanks for the information. I'm not sure if he was a man of great wealth. As far as I can determine, his father wasn't an Admiral, just a Master in the Royal Navy, who had retired from the sea even before Henry emigrated in 1841. Following Henry's death, his shop fittings and personal property were auctioned (according to the auctioneer's ads in the Taranaki Herald), which suggests that either there weren't any heirs or the value of what he left was negligible - or both. probably no headstone because there were insufficient funds to pay for it and no family around in New Zealand to make the arrangements. Of course, in 1876 he still had two younger brothers and three sisters in England, all of whom were reasonably wealthy, but it would not surprise me to find that they had lost touch long before.
- Steve

[lil growler]

Hi steve

I have spoken with the lady from St Mary's and she's a great source of information. The only records regarding Henry and Elizabeth is the marriage date that you already have. There is a birth for a Rosely Dalby 20 August 1944 Baptism 28 8 1946, her parents are Davy and Jane Dalby. I have no idea if they are related but think it's worth hanging onto just in case. There is no other information on the Dalby's.

What I was told was, all woman were shipped out of New Plymouth ( except for the one's who refused to leave their husbands ) due to the Maori War that started in/around 1860. The woman moved to Nelson as it was safer there for them.

I have  looked on the Nelson City site, cemetery records and haven't found Elizabeth there. You may be right that she went back to England, but I will further investigate  the Nelson path, even if it's just as a process of elimination. There should be shipping records at the library or online for departures from New Plymouth to Nelson.

Do you know if Elizabeth came to New Plymouth with other family members? there are a lot of Pilcher marriages pre 1856, this is from another source. I wondered too, if she did have family here she may have moved to be with them during the wars.

The hunt continues

Regards

lil

[lil growler]

Hi steve

I have spoken with the lady from St Mary's and she's a great source of information. The only records regarding Henry and Elizabeth is the marriage date that you already have. There is a birth for a Rosely Dalby 20 August 1944 Baptism 28 8 1946, her parents are Davy and Jane Dalby. I have no idea if they are related but think it's worth hanging onto just in case. There is no other information on the Dalby's.

What I was told was, all woman were shipped out of New Plymouth ( except for the one's who refused to leave their husbands ) due to the Maori War that started in/around 1860. The woman were moved to Nelson as it was safer there for them.

This may purely be coincidence but there is a Mr Dalby arriving in the New Plymouth port 16 August 1876 from Nelson on the ship, Taupo. I went back to Papers Past to look for the article re: Auctioning of Henry's belongings and couldn't find it again. I'm sure the auction was around about this time.
http://dbtxt.npdc.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll  The record of arrival is on here.

I have  looked on the Nelson City site, cemetery records and haven't found Elizabeth there. You may be right that she went back to England, but I will further investigate  the Nelson path, even if it's just as a process of elimination. There should be shipping records at the library or online for departures from New Plymouth to Nelson.

Do you know if Elizabeth came to New Plymouth with other family members? there are a lot of Pilcher marriages pre 1856, this is from another source. I wondered too, if she did have family here she may have moved to be with them during the wars.

The hunt continues

Regards

lil

[silicondale]

Many thanks once more, lil - quite amazing what you can turn up. All of the women being shipped out around 1860 would seem to fit. I'm wondering if she used the opportunity not to return. One explanation could be that she did indeed return to England (with any children) some time in 1858-60, though I've drawn a blank with census searches. It doesn't help not knowing where Elizabeth came from: it seems there are two main groups of Pilcher families, in Kent and Hampshire. The passenger list for the Timandra lists her simply as a daughter travelling with parents Mr & Mrs Pilcher. It doesn't seem to me that this would be sufficiently big as a family group to explain any other Pilcher marriages, unless her mother died and her father remarried.

I shall try checking the Dalby name on passenger lists from England to Nelson in 1875-6 to see if this other Mr Dalby was perhaps one of Henry's brothers.

I think the Rosely Dalby that you found must have been unrelated. We have no trace of any Davy or Jane Dalby in the family as far as I know. There are several Dalby lines which are only distantly related (if at all).

Thanks again for all this help - it's so difficult to find out anything about New Zealand family history from this side of the world!

- Steve

[lil growler]

Hi Steve

I have been looking through the ships passenger lists hoping to find Elizabeth either departing for Nelson or England. What I did find was this information arriving on the Timandra.  Pilcher, Thomas  39 yrs, Baker. Naomi  36 yrs. Elizabeth, 14 yrs and Thomas 7 yrs. You may want to print this  http://www.geocities.com/familyhistorynz/timandra.htm  On another site I found Henry on the Amelia, his occupation listed as a Draper.

Still looking

Regards

lil

[lil growler]

Hi Steve

I haven't forgotten you. I'm going to need to put some leg work in myself if I wish to find further information on Henry and Elizabeth. Although I have searched on line, you are correct, there appears to be more passenger lists to NZ, rather than leaving.  I will go to the library myself and see what i can find. It may take some time as I work, but I will get there along with the cemetery search, etc. Did I mention that Henry and Elizabeth married in New Plymouth. Also I have contacted the Nelson library on the off chance that Elizabeth did move there, even if temporarily. I think though that in light of the advertisement in the 1858 Taranaki Herald, mentioning Henry was selling to move back to his home land, that it is more likely Elizabeth went directly home. I can understand the difficulty you have researching for here, it is so much easier for a person living in the area that your researching to assist.

regards

lil growler

[lil growler]

Hi Steve

Finally some progress. Where to start! If you have a look on this site, click on the name or unknown next to Primary Maker and you will find Individual ( people ) , Early New Plymouth and surrounding area photographs that may be of interest to you. http://vernon.npdc.govt.nz/collection/search.do

From the Butler Indexes ( by Fred Butler ) These are held in the Library Archives. Fred was an eccentric man who liked to paste clippings and any relevant  information in books about Taranaki and New Zealand. There is a story on the Pukeariki Website regarding him and his hobby, but I can't find it.

It doesn't say in the book whether this has been copied from the original document as this piece I have typed below  is hand written by Fred Butler. It is dated 7th September 1861.

To his Excellency Colonel James Gore Brown companion of the most honorable order of the Bath?, Governers and Commanders in Chief in and ova Her majesty's Colony of New Zealand and Vice Admiral of the same , etc, etc, etc....
Sir - We, the undersigned, inhabitants of Taranaki, desire apon your Excellency's approaching departure from New Zealand to express our appreciation of your ministration of The Government of this colony and more especially the measures taken by your Excellency in connexion with the Natives of this district, etc, etc, .....

New Plymouth , Taranaki

26 August 1861

signed by the Settlers of New Plymouth/Taranaki  ( there are many signatures )

Dalby H A included



I have found him in the Burial Indexes Block B and row 11. There is no inscription in the Inscription Indexes for him.
I have looked on the ships list for Taranaki and so far have only found what you already have. I do need to go back to the library and check a folder for Evacuees to Nelson, June 1860. It wasn't alphabetically listed and I ran out of time. Although I did find a ships list to Nelson for the females evacuating, but it was incomplete.

I couldn't find any information on the Pilchers at all.

This first picture is the Census Returns for Houses at New Plymouth to 31st Dec 1852. In the second section  of names he is the 7th person down. Interesting the Census states 2 children under 7 yrs. But it doesn't mention a female adult. Although possibly the wrong box was marked??

[lil growler]

The 2nd picture is a List of persons liable for Rates in the town of New Plymouth in 1859.

Grrrrrrr i can't upload the other picture's, it keeps telling me I have already submitted them and to change my file name which I have done 3 times already.

I'll try again later, If I manage too the 3rd picture will be the Wises Directories, Taranaki Province,  Alphabetical Directory 1872

The 4th a Census Return for 1846

the last 2 pictures are of one article from the newspaper.

Click on the reference numbers jpg to enlarge your pictures, you should be able to zoom in, if all else fails you may need to PM me your email addy.

Regards

lil growler

[lil growler]

we'll see if this works