Help with the Jenkins family please COMPLETED,thanks to Lu

[ellvera]

I would appreciate some fresh eyes looking at the pickle I am getting into with the Jenkins family

Henry Stovell Jenkins says on his marriage certificate that he was born in Wellington and that his father was John Jenkins, mariner and his mother, Sarah Barrett.

I bought his Fathers death certificate, which confirms the above and says that he married Sarah Matilda Barrett at age 37, in Wellington, which would mean about 1861.

There were two Sarah Matilda Jenkins on the BMD site, one age 75 and one with no age given. I bought the one aged 75,because she would have been around the right age to be John’s wife.
However, she is not. She was Sarah Matilda Bennett and married George Jenkins.

I have since discovered a death notice on paperspast for Matilda Jenkins, wife of John died 1868,age 34.Which means she is the other Sarah.

 I was about to get the cert, but I really need to discover where she was born or at least how long she was in NZ  and if I have read the guidelines here correctly, a death cert before 1876 won’t give those details.

So then I thought I would look for John and Sarah’s marriage. No luck there either –I have tried every alternate spelling I can think of and the best I can come up with is by putting Jenkins in the Brides family name which gives me two John Jenkins, no other party’s name in 1861.

Then I thought well, Henry Stovell is a fairly distinctive name, I’ll just look for his birth . Again nothing positive. He would have been born about 1864,according to his marriage age and there are two male births possible in 1863,one Henry and the other unnamed.

I haven’t been able to find either John or Sarah on a passenger list yet. John had been in NZ 48 years before his death, which makes it about 1852 when he arrived, and had three living sons born 1863,1865 and 1867. I have no idea of their names, or I could try one of their birth certificates.I haven't found a birth for Sarah,so I'm assuming she wasn't born in NZ

The only way I can connect Henry as John’s son, is an “in memoriam” on paperspast put in by his son,H.S Jenkins.

I thought of asking for an ITM lookup for the 1861 marriages, but I don’t have an exact date. Is there anything else I can do apart from buying all of the “possible” certs?
(I think I know the answer to that )
Thanks
Barbara

[Lucy2]

Hi Barbara

Aw ... I wouldn't say "pickle" ... cos you seem to have been doing everything right.      

So the search is about finding the roots of Sarah (Matilda Sarah) BARRETT ?

Firstly ... sorry, can't help you at present with locating a New Zealand marriage for the couple, though there is one in 1861, you can eliminate.  [John JENKINS - Elizabeth HAY at Dunedin - Sept 1861] :

Death record for Sarah Matilda JENKINS - died 1868 :

Yes, you're correct - the death record will contain only minimal information (e.g. it won't record her birthplace nor names of her parents  ... or even her spouse. )   Not worth spending $$$$ on.   
I'm guessing that you've found her burial at Bolton Street Cemetery in Wellington?

I did a check to see if she might be buried with members of her BARRETT family  ... but that doesn't seem to be the case.
I'll follow up on BARRETT's who were present in Wellington in those early years and see what I can find.

>>   continued - next post >>

~  Lu
 

[Lucy2]

I haven’t been able to find either John or Sarah on a passenger list yet. John had been in NZ 48 years before his death, which makes it about 1852 when he arrived,

Passenger lists :     Mmm ... there was a BARRATT family who arrived at Wellington in 1842 aboard the "LONDON".    They had a daughter "Sarah - aged 7 " born about 1835 (which was a near match to Sarah Matilda's approx y.o.b. - 1834).     I think though there is probably no connection as I've since found a death for a "Sarah BARRATT" - 1907 - 73 years - bc 1834.   

There's evidence on early Wellington electoral rolls of John JENKINS - mariner :   1854-55 at Wellington Terrace  ... and later,  1865-66 at Little Taranaki Street:   [Also a "Thomas JENKINS - mariner" in 1854-55 at Wellington Terrace ?]

[Lucy2]

Then I thought well, Henry Stovell is a fairly distinctive name, I’ll just look for his birth . Again nothing positive. He would have been born about 1864,according to his marriage age and there are two male births possible in 1863,one Henry and the other unnamed.

Again, (unfortunately) these early NZ birth records do not give a great deal of info .... mother's name / maiden name (but not her place of birth).   

Birth :   ... of Henry ?   1863 ? Edit:   Reg'd at Dunedin :
Hmmm ... you'd need to check microfiche to see where that was registered.
PS :  I've got some look-ups to do in the next day or so - will add this to my list.
[The 1863 birth "JENKINS - unnamed" I think you can eliminate.  Edit:  reg'd at Nelson:  Probably died soon after birth  ... there is what seems to be a corresponding death "1863 - JENKINS - N/R " ?]

Tracing the other sons of John JENKINS :

Might Henry have been the informant to his father's death in 1890 ?
[I'm guessing though, like most NZ d/c's - the undertaker will have been recorded as the informant ?   ]

Somebody obviously knew of the existence of the other two sons (brothers  of Henry) ?

*   Where was JOHN JENKINS living when he died ?
[Is there some family connection to Wanganui ? ]

Yes, "Stovell / Stovel" is very distinctive ... does it come from the JENKINS side of the family ?

[ellvera]

Thanks Lucy2 for all your thoughts.
you are absolutely right -it was the undertaker who registered the death
I think John must have lived in Wanganui in recent years -I found references on paperspast of him going to and fro on a ship wellington to wanganui etc on a regular basis.
I think all the Jenkins in Wellington were related (apart from George,who married the other Sarah Matilda),& must have come to NZ together.
I have no idea where the Stovell comes from -that is something I was hoping to discover.It is a surname quite common in South East England.

I will have a look at the fiche when I am next at the library,though I haven't a clue how to work out the district keys hopefully someone there will.
Many thanks
Barbara

[Lucy2]

I will have a look at the fiche when I am next at the library,though I haven't a clue how to work out the district keys hopefully someone there will.

Hi

Did you spot my "PS" in previous post ?   
I'm  happy to look up the microfiche for you - have a few others to do in the next couple of days.

~  Lu

[ellvera]

Hi Lu
No I didn't Thankyou,that will be great
Barbara

[Lucy2]

Hi Barbara

I've found Henry's birth.   

Microfiche Birth Index

1865

JINKINS (sic) - Henry Stovel   (with one "L ")

Folio  #   218   -   Registered at Wellington


However, it doesn't appear under "Jinkins" on the historical online index.      

[If you're going to order this, then just give BDM the folio number.   "Jinkins" was sandwiched between surnames "Jewiss" and "Joel".  ]

~   Lu

[ellvera]

Wow Lu
Thank you so much.I will order the cert tomorrow
I would never have found that in a million years.After your query if the Stovel came from the Jenkins family ,I went back to BDM and looked for other children with Stovel in their names.There were two -one whose father was Henry and another whose father was Phillip Henry!!. Then found an article in paperspast announcing Phillip's marriage & describing him as the eldest son of the late John Jenkins.
So only one more son to find
Quite a bit of progress,thanks to you.I wil let you know how I get on -going to turn the 'puter off now in case I get zapped by lightning
Barbara