What happened to Ivor HOPWOOD who died in Australia

[maxidog]

I am so grateful for your response although I had much of it before I hadn't been able to find anything about my father's will. I remember my mother receiving a letter from a solicitor asking if she had a claim to his estate. She replied that she had as he had disappeared without paying any maintenance for me and my brother. About a year later she had another letter telling her that there were prior claims meaning she had nothing. It looks like the claimant was his mother, my grandmother, Annie Malpass, who would not have anything to do with me even though I was her first grandchild.
I feel no bitterness as they were strangers in my life but I still feel I need to know as much about them as I can find.
It looks like that you have also been able to find the previous marriage of my father's second wife, Margaret Brown. If I am correct her maiden name before her first marriage is Elinor Holden. I am so grateful for that bit of information as it means I can now make a fresh appeal for information in a Preston newspaper which is where she lived. About 10 years ago I had contacted the vicar of the church she married my father to ask if he could tell me anything about her family. He was unhelpful, telling me the church had been demolished and that he had no access to records and knew nothing of the family. I had hoped he would give me some contacts.
When I received the coroner's report from Wellington I had the name of my father's previous employer who had given evidence at the inquest. I managed to find an email address for him but after contacting him I had no response. I am hoping that one day someone in New Zealand may come up with a photo of my father as I have no idea what he looked like as an adult- I have a few photos of him and his identical twin up to the age of 13/14. That will be another area for me to research.
Thanks so much for you help and speedy response

[cando]

Your father died without a will  Administration was to Annie MALPASS. 

I didn’t mention Margaret BROWN. 
The three marriages detailed are for his second wife Elinor HOLDEN who had been married twice prior to her marriage to your father.

[maxidog]

I realised as soon as I sent that message that I had been too hasty reading your message. I knew of my father's marriage to Elinor Thursfield who was many years older than him, but I didn't know that she had previous marriages.
I made reference to his third marriage to Margaret Brown of Preston.
It is interesting that Annie Malpass was the administrator of the estate. She was estranged from my father. My father owed 16 years child maintenance payments to my mother for me and my younger brother and she had always hoped that she would get some of it if he was 'found'. A warrant was out for his arrest in GB for non payment but he 'disappeared'.
My next search is to find out if he had any other children and that is why I have left a message on Roots Chat about DNA testing. I am not sure of the way forward with this.

[mckha489]

What did his death certificate say about children? 
I realise informants may not have known, but you never know, he might have been interviewed in hospital.

An NZ death cert should have

If living issue, the number, age and sex

[tropicalj]

Maxidog reply number 21 was awaiting the death certificate way back in 2009.

Let's hope he or she still has contact with rootschat and might supply that information but hasn't been active since 2013

Regarss Jenn of the North

[Lucy2]

This  is a message for  "melrylav"
 
   [who informs that he / she was previously known as "maxidog" - but was unable to log-in to RootsChat due to forgetting registration details and so has had to re-register under a new name  "melrylav"  ]    Incidentally, the activity for  "maxidog"  showed they were online here yesterday 19 October '21 (UK time) and again just very recently ??       

I received a lengthy PM on 19 October 2021, from "melrylav" in relation to Ivor HOPWOOD.   I've only contributed in a minor way to this thread and two shorter threads on the NZ board, (which all commenced in 2009 ) so have no idea why I was approached ?    "maxidog"  last posted to this thread as recently as August 2021 re: DNA testing.

For the reasons that I prefer to contribute information via a thread in which others partake, (rather than by PM) and, because in this instance I'm unsure if  "melrylav"  who is registered only as a "guest" here, will receive my reply,  I will add further details (to follow), into this thread.

links to threads on NZ board  >>

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,401104.0.html

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=403312.msg2722208#msg2722208


    ~   Lu

*   edited to add links

 

[Lucy2]

Information for   "melrylav"     OR    "maxidog"   
       
  -    Ivor HOPWOOD - Shipping / Immigration

New information is always coming to hand, and whilst shipping / immigration lists have been searched for previously, nothing was found for HOPWOOD's entry into New Zealand.

The following record (excerpt) would seem to indicate though, that he firstly went to Australia.

Australia :
Incoming Passenger Card (Aircraft)

Arrived :  Sydney, Australia on :  29 October 1956
Embarked at :    Singapore

HOPWOOD - Ivor

Nationality (as shown on passport) :   British    (Race:  European)
Male / Age last birthday  :     37 years
Status :   Married
Occupation :   Telecommunications
Country of last Residence :    Brunei
Intended Address in Australia :  c/- Post Office, Telephones, Sydney
Purpose of Visit :    Employment - Post Office
Length of Stay :  Permanent.

[Source :   FindMyPast = FindMyPast  - pay site ]

Note:   As he had stated he was married, I did a search for his last wife (Margaret - nee BROWN) entering Australia.    Found nothing of interest.
[I'm guessing ... and it is only a guess, but probably worth exploring, from looking at other mainly UK records, that she possibly remained in Lancashire ?  There may also have been a child ??     You can follow up on this (I'm  sure another R/Chatter gave help on this earlier ? )  by beginning a search on Free BMD (UK) followed by looking at UK electoral rolls.      Please DO NOT though publish the name of the child b. 1954 in this thread - as very probably still living  ! ]

    ~  Lu

*  edited for clarity

[maxidog]

Wow! You deserve a medal for that. The information you have sent is amazing and seems more credible than any other that I have received. It's a starting point for further research by me in a direction I had never contemplated going. It now needs me to contact the Post Office telephones in Australia for any information. Are you a professional researcher as the speed that you got that information was unbelievably fast?
For the past month we have been frantically searching our home for all the births/marriages/death certificates I had bought relating to this line of my family and so far have been unable to find them. I wanted to show on RootsChat how the original death certificate sent to me from Wellington was incorrect with his date of death and the proof that they were wrong was found by me after I returned home to Wales and I had to send it all to Wellington before they reissued the death certificate with the correct date of death. Hopefully these documents will be recovered somewhere in the house.

[Lucy2]

Ivor HOPWOOD - to New Zealand  :

This man does not appear on New Zealand (or Australian) electoral rolls, as far as I can see.
That then removes an information source that may have been helpful.

Previously on this (and possibly the NZ threads),  others have asked for the details given on Ivor HOPWOOD's New Zealand death record ( either "certificate" or "printout" of same)  - which you apparently obtained back in 2009 ?     Supplying those to the thread, may well have helped advance your search ?   Is there any reason for withholding this information ?     Also seems you have medical records from Auckland Hospital  and a Coroner's report - which may also be helpful in providing clues.

If you do happen to have the 1966 death record "printout" (a copy of the registrar's entry), then it should contain the maximum amount of information available.   A New Zealand death record of that era, also contains info on "Years in NZ" (length of residency) - not always accurate, but may be of  help in searching further.     
*  What does Ivor HOPWOOD's record have for "Years in NZ" 

Should mention, that there may not be a record of his travel to New Zealand because as an immigrant to Australia (and being of British origin) he would automatically be able to travel "freely" between the two countries.

   ~  Lu