Author Topic: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand  (Read 4507 times)

Offline Lucy2

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #18 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 10:44 BST (UK) »
NZ Birth Index

Children born to Mary Letitia and Edgar James ANDREWS :

ANDREWS
1884 - Edgar William

1887 - Charles Herbert

1891 - Violet Mercer

1895 - Harold Leslie

1897 - Kathleen Mildred

1899 - Henry Gordon

1906 - Eileen Proctor


Offline Lucy2

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #19 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 11:36 BST (UK) »
Mary Letitia ANDREWS :

I've looked at a good number of records to try and find some indication that this Mary Letitia (nee MERCER) was born in Ireland.  But all (so far) to no avail.  :(

Amongst records searched ... the WW1 Army records for her sons, but they enlisted at a time when parental details were not recorded on their attestation forms.  [Where parents names are recorded, their birthplaces and time in NZ is also noted.]

Mary died at Wellington (North island) in 1935.
Her headstone at Taita Cemetery ( Section J - row 14 - 3509 )  reads >
"Mary Letitia ANDREWS d. 20 October 1935 - 69 years  Also - Violet Mercer ANDREWS d. 24 April 1933 - 42 years.  Also Edgar James ANDREWS d. 31 August 1907 aged 45.
Also Harold Leslie ANDREWS - K.i.A. Messines, France, 15 June 1917 aged 22 years. "

There was a Probate record for Mary >
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9T3-G4MD-Z?i=569&cc=1865481
Her estate was taken care of by the Public Trustee and there doesn't seem to be anything on file which states where she was born.

Mary's husband Edgar had died in 1907.  There is a Probate file for him also (Year:  1909) ... includes a copy of his death registration.  Another Public Trustee-administered estate - and although Mary Letitia was named as executrix, there is a again no statement which might have verified her birth place.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9K9-K922?i=246&cc=1865481

So this Mary Letitia has the same year of birth (c. 1866) as the Mary (10 years) travelling to NZ in 1876 with Joseph and Sarah HENDERSON.  ??
The child > Henry aged 6 > is a good match for Henry Proctor MERCER.  But where were the other two children  > Jane Proctor and brother Richard ???   Did they travel to NZ at another time ?
[I couldn't find them on a passenger list. ? ]

   ~  Lu

Offline Lucy2

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #20 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 11:52 BST (UK) »
I think there is a need perhaps to check on some details of the 1876 marriage of Sarah MERCER and Joseph HENDERSON.

I'm not suggesting you purchase an expensive marriage certificate, but there was at the time, a requirement in NZ for parties intending to wed, to complete a notice of "Intention to Marry".
It recorded details of names of bride and groom, sometimes their ages,  their occupations,  their status (bachelor / spinster/ widowed ), how long they had resided in the locality in which the were to marry, their usual addresses etc.

The Intention to Marry notices (ITM's) are held at Archives New Zealand in Wellington, but you could post a separate look-up request in this forum and a kind soul visiting the Archives, may be able to obtain the record for you.

   ~  Lu

Offline Lucy2

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #21 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 20:44 BST (UK) »
Hi Daniel

As earlier suspected, Jane Proctor MERCER and her brother Richard, arrived in New Zealand separately and at different times to their mother.

Here is Jane arriving as an assisted immigrant into Canterbury in 1882.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1WQ-MNG

Vessel :  "Rakaia" - Sailed from UK on 28 May 1882 /  Arrived NZ on 3 September 1882

MERCER - Jane - 19 years [bc 1863 ] - ex Armagh - general servant

In the last column on the list in respect of Jane's entry, you'll see ( under Remarks), "Canterbury 71".   This refers to "an account" into which a person or persons sponsoring Jane's passage to New Zealand, has paid fare money in advance of her arrival.   The Provincial government of the Canterbury Province had paid a portion, and it was probably (although, not necessarily) a member of Jane's family already residing in NZ, who paid the remainder.
----

In an earlier post here, I mentioned that on Jane Proctor LEGGETT's death (1946), the cemetery burial book had noted she had been in NZ for 70 years (arrival c. 1876).  [Would seem there was some confusion, with 1876 being the arrival date of her mother and younger siblings ?? ]

   ~  Lu






Offline Lucy2

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #22 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 21:01 BST (UK) »
Richard MERCER  :

Richard was also an assisted emigrant to Canterbury, arriving in 1887, and part of his passage money had also been paid by a relative, friend or prospective employer.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D133-GDD?i=13&cc=1609792

Vessel :  "Ruapehu" - Departed Plymouth UK, 7 May 1887
Arrived ?  -- called at various NZ ports.

Richard MERCER - 21 Years [ bc 1866 ] - single -  Irish - occupation:  Farmer



The following lists simply show Richard's name along with other passengers.  No additional info.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XH53-Y9M?cc=1609792

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-XH53-TW3?i=204&cc=1609792

   ~  Lu


Offline Lucy2

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #23 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 21:29 BST (UK) »
Richard MERCER  :

Vessel :  "Ruapehu" - Departed Plymouth UK, 7 May 1887
Arrived ?  -- called at various NZ ports.

Richard MERCER - 21 Years [ bc 1866 ] - single -  Irish - occupation:  Farmer


Just in case you're interested, Daniel.  ;)

The "Ruapehu" arrived at Lyttelton (the port serving Canterbury), on 25 June 1887 - having previously called at Wellington.  Some passengers for Canterbury had already been transhipped from Wellington via the steamship "Rotomahana".     The "Ruapehu's" journey had been via the Cape (Africa) and Hobart (Tasmania, Australia).    Reports of the voyage state it was "uneventful".
Quite a trip though for a young lad ?   ;D

    ~  Lu

Offline Ryan1

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #24 on: Wednesday 11 October 17 03:40 BST (UK) »
Dear Lu, Minniehaha, Janette, Spades, Maddys52, Dundee and Twiggy Tree.  I am really quite overwhelmed by your responses to my post.  THANK YOU all for your brilliant detective work, guidance and generosity of time and for solving a very mysterious part of my families past.

Lu as per your advice in Reply 20 I will certainly put up a request for the Intention to Marry information as this may yield a clue to mystery number 2 as to whatever happened to Sarah’s first husband William Mercer as he does not appear to have passed away in Armagh.

Again, THANK YOU all.

Kindest regards.
Daniel Ryan.

Offline maddys52

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #25 on: Wednesday 11 October 17 04:29 BST (UK) »
Well done Lu, (and all), that was a great idea that Jane and Richard may have arrived separately.

Ok, here is a loooooong shot.

Plugging in Joseph HENDERSON into the shipping records mentioned above, there is a family of:

Joseph, Sarah, Mary, Henry and son born aboard, from Armagh on 29  April 1876.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kup/


Just wondering now who this son is?

Offline Ryan1

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Re: Mercer Family arrival in New Zealand
« Reply #26 on: Wednesday 11 October 17 04:56 BST (UK) »
Dear Maddys52,

Sorry to say that I don't know who that son is!!  I've only had a very quick look at the BDM indexes since seeing all the posts to see if a name stood out, but nothing thus far.

Kindest regards,
Daniel Ryan.