Alexander and Vera BARRON, lived in Rarotonga

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hi KHP...

Thanks for that.

So the assumption is that the Alexander Thomas Donald BARRON in Eltham on the 1919 Egmont roll is the Alexander T D BARRON of Eltham mentioned in the WW1 Second Reserves.

So are there records for the WW1 Reservists held at Trentham. Or am I confusing it with something else.

(Isn't there a rootschatter who lives down the road from the Trentham archives)

Regards
Beg

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hello SonofSussex...

It's possible that trying to find out about Alexander BARRON in Eltham is an unnecessary diversion. It won't directly tell you about his life in Rarotonga.

It could be easier just doing as TwiggyTree originally suggested and enquire about purchasing a death certificate from the Cook Islands High Commission in Wellington. It might mention something more than "Manager".

Details half-way down this page.... http://www.cook-islands.gov.ck/faq.php

If the High Commission can't help you then, because you're in the US, getting the Rarotonga Death Registers index from LDS would be your next best bet. I'm guessing  "FHL INTL Film 1084938 Item 1" which is the microfilm containing the relevant Deaths Index. Which will then list the relevant Death Register microfilm, most likely "FHL INTL Film 1084934 Item 3".

At least then you'd have some definite information about Alexander in Rarotonga.


Regards
Beg

[SonofSussex]

Lu,  thank you very much for the Cook Islands GenWeb information.  It is greatly appreciated.  Some of the links there are broken but most still work so I'll see what I can find.

Beg, your information is intriguing.  I had seen the WWI Reserves Index information for Alexander (yes, I'm pretty sure it's him too) but I had completely missed the C before his name.  And even if I'd seen it, I might not have thought much about it.  If you can find the names of the two children, that would be wonderful as it could lead to additional information about Alexander's, and Vera's, time in the Cook Islands.  I'm also thinking that Alexander and his first wife may have had more children since she did not die until 1924, aged 37.

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hi again...

No luck with the NZ BDM Births fiche. There were no BARRON births registered in Eltham between 1914 and 1924 that I could see.

Was only able to spend ten minutes doing the search but next library visit will spend a bit more time checking out spelling variants plus Taranaki province plus Dunedin 1911-ish.

Regards
Beg

[SonofSussex]

For some reason, I did not receive notification about many of the responses here so I apologize for not answering many of your questions.  Vera's will, which I have, makes no mention of ANY children named Barron.  I am positive that she had no children by Alexander so this means that if Alexander's two children by his first marriage were still alive when she died she ignored them.  As I previously mentioned, Alexander died intestate, but what I did not mention is that it took almost 10 years before Vera was named his executrix.  I wonder if that indicates a dispute between Vera and Alexander's children by his first marriage. 

Regarding these children, I still believe that if their names could be determined it might move my research forward.  Susan was only 22 when she married Alexander in Nov 1909.  She was 37 when she died in Sep 1924 so she could also have had more than two children.  For future searches, I've seen at least one on-line reference in which Alexander's last name is given as Batton rather than Barron.  An easy error but perhaps the children are listed as Battons somewhere!   

I shall try to obtain a death certificate for Alexander.  Perhaps I should obtain one for Susan as well.  Might at least give the ages of any issue.

[Janette]

Hello,

It would pay to order printouts rather than certificates as there is usually more info on them  also they are less costly

https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/PaymentsAndProducts/

cheers Janette

[Beg Clonrode...]

Perhaps I should obtain one for Susan as well.  Might at least give the ages of any issue.

Hi again...

You should save your pennies if that's the only reason you're going to spend them.

The two children were born between August 1911 (the latest we can see on the BDM NZ website) and August 1917 (the publication of the Reservists list). So in 1924 when their mother died they were aged somewhere between seven and thirteen. I don't think that knowing the exact age will help you **at the moment**

Will have another go at finding the children via the BDM fiches (most likely over the weekend). The annoying thing is the time spent in Australia. If the children were born there it could prove a nuisance.

Totally agree that tracing them is a good idea. If they have a younger sibling he/she could still be alive.

Regards
Beg

[SonofSussex]

Beg, I lucked out and found one of the two children in question.  He was born in Australia.

Thinking that I might find something about Alexander's and Susan's two children, I searched on Susan's name and bingo, up popped information about a son, Hugh MacMillan Barron, born in Footscray, Victoria, Australia in 1915.   

http://genforum.genealogy.com/australia/melbourne/messages/149.html

With his name in hand, I quickly learned from the NZ BDM site that Hugh died on 15 Feb 1962.  His second name is spelled McMillan on the BDM site.  Haven't yet tried to develop any further information - electoral rolls, etc.

I have sent off several e-mails to various Cook Islands-related sites.  Hope to get some responses before the weekend.

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hi again...

Well found.

His cremation is noted on the Wellington Cemetery website.
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/cemeteries/search/search.php

Wonder if there's a death notice in the local Wellington paper. You could start a thread asking for a lookup.

No mention of him on Archives or the pre-1956 Marriage index.

Rgards
Beg