Alexander and Vera BARRON, lived in Rarotonga

[Lucy2]

it's after 9 PM here

Just curious...where is here :-)

  ... see reply # 6   

Hi Beg

Agree there is the possibility that Jean belongs to another family.   

Can only think that (mother) Susan and her babes, remained in Otago up until ??  1918.   It was wartime after all.
Bit difficult to confirm Susan's whereabouts in the timeframe leading up to her (apparent) appearance in Eltham, 1919.

~  Lu

[Beg Clonrode...]

it's after 9 PM here

Just curious...where is here :-)

  ... see reply # 6   

Ouch!

See reply #19.....

I'd forget my head etc

:-)


--------------------------------------


There is only one BARRON birth in Dunedin from August 1911 (100 years ago) to Jan 1914 (mentioned on Australian electoral roll)

She is listed on the 1938 Dunedin North electoral roll. She is unmarried. Other people living at the address make me think her parents are Alexander BARRON and Isabella, formerly NEAME.

Can't mention her birth (less than 100 years ago) but am allowed to mention her death (deceased born more than 80 years ago)

Registration number 1994/58482
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Ddeaths

Cremated at Waikumete Crematorium in Auckland.
http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/cnlser/cm/cemeterysearch/default.aspx


Her husband
Reg number 1983/33420
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Ddeaths

Cremated at Karori Crematorium in Wellington
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/cemeteries/search/search.php

I think she is more than likely a relative.


Regards
Beg

[SonofSussex]

Not much time today for family research but I did want to mention the following:

Received a very nice response today from the Department of Justice in the Cook Islands.  It appears that they handle BDM requests so I should be able to get a death certificate for Alexander Barron.

Hmmm.....I do see the possible time line and geographical problems with Jean McMillan Barron.  On the other hand, I keep coming back to her middle name and the way it is spelled.  It seems Hugh may have used this spelling too, at least that's the way it was spelled by Wellington cemeteries.  I was also thinking about whether an unborn child would, or should, be counted when registering for military service.  Is it possible that an individual with two children would be less likely to be sent off to the front in Europe?  That might be an incentive to put down two children instead of just one.

Regarding the non-appearance of Hugh in the NZ electoral rolls.  I couldn't find anything either, nor could I find him in the Australian rolls.

I've been thinking that Hugh may have spent a good portion of his life in the Cook Islands.  He was about 9 when his mother Susan died in 1924 and about 11 when his father Alexander married Vera in 1926.  IF Hugh was the first born child, then the second child would have been even younger.

Alexander died in Rarotonga in 1932 when the two children were still teenagers.  Assuming that they too were in Rarotonga they may well have stayed on with their step-mother.  I know that Vera was still in Rarotonga in 1945 so maybe the 'kids' were too  (Hugh would have been 30 then).  Vera did return to the Wellington area (she is listed in the 1949 electoral rolls) but there is no mention whatsoever in her will or probate records of any children by Alexander and Susan.

Since there is nothing in the electoral rolls for Hugh, nor is there any pre-1956 marriage information for him, perhaps he did spend most of his life in Rarotonga (or at least not in NZ).  Of course, the children could have been brought up by relatives of Alexander but then why is there no record of Hugh in the electoral rolls?

FYI, I am on the eastern seaboard of the US, about half way between New York and Philadelphia (and some 14,000+ km from New Zealand!)

[Lucy2]

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.

Have now checked the Wellington newspapers of the day,  and unfortunately there was no death/funeral notice published for Hugh McMillan BARRON.

~  Lu

[SonofSussex]

After a long wait, I finally received a copy of Alexander's death certificate from the Cook Islands.  Overall it was disappointing and contained little information.  Not at all like the NZ certificates.

However, it did mention that in May 1932, when he died, Alexander left behind THREE children - two boys and one girl - whom I assume were all from his first marriage.  One of these was obviously Hugh McMillan Barron.  During my correspondence with the Cook Islands BDM people I asked if they had any record of a marriage for Hugh.  Nothing, so his whereabouts after 1932 remain unknown, except for his death in Wellington in 1962.

I've been researching my mother's family for the last month or so but I'll now return to this issue of Alexander and his second wife, Vera Margaret, and their time in Rarotonga.  As previously noted, Alexander was a manager of something or other when he died and since his widow stayed on in Rarotonga until at least 1945 I'm thinking that perhaps the two of them operated some kind of hotel or pub that allowed her to keep working.

Also wondering how on earth to pursue the question of the three children, given the 100 year rule about births.  Could really use some advice here.

[Holm]

The Jean McMillan Blair who died 18 Aug 2007 and her maiden name was Barron was  the daughter of George Alexander Barron and Agnes Mckerrow McMillan and was born at Waitahuna.
Have followed this thread with interest as George was my grandmothers brother

[SonofSussex]

Holm, thanks for posting this.  Since you have followed this thread you know that there were doubts about whether Jean was in fact a daughter of my Alexander Barron.

I have again been in touch with the Department of Justice in the Cook Islands and they have no records pertaining to any Barron marriages there (I thought one or more of the three children might have lived and married there).  As a result, I've pretty much hit a brick wall concerning the other two Barron children.  Since they were born after 1911, birth information is pretty well impossible to come by.  It was pure dumb luck that I found the birth information in Australia about Hugh.

[Kiwifruit]

Are you still trying to do this research. I am off to Rarotonga in 2 weeks. I am friends with Alexander's Grandson and will be going to clean up the grave and put some new flowers on it.