Edward W Hall

[telephonist]

My great grandfather Edward Hall was from UK and only details we have are that he married Mary McCarty or Mary McCarthy in Hokitika New Zealand in January 1877.
They had a son John Edward Hall born ChCh 1880.
Edward sometimes signed his name Edwin! and could have had the middle name of Waters or Walter! A possibility he was from Devon
Any help will be much appreciated
Thanks Margaret

[Anjo]

Hi there,

                 As you can appreciate Hall is a  fairly common name. Do you have any idea of year of birth for your Edward/Edwin?

It might help locate possiblities for his family in England.

All the best Angela

[Valda]

I think you really need to find the details of your great grandfather's marriage in New Zealand which should give you the details of his parentage and his age, before a search is viable in English records. The surname Hall is just to common. There are 808 Edward Halls indexed on the 1861 census. Only two were born in Devon and only three are in Devon on census night (all born before 1829 so a bit old in the tooth for your great grandfather). There are only 219 Edwin Halls indexed. Three born Devon. One circa 1838. Two circa 1847.
As you have place, date and bride's name it shouldn't be too difficult to find your greatgrandfather's marriage in the New Zealand civil registration index.

Regards
Valda

[telephonist]

Thank you for suggestions BUT unfortunately NZ doesnt require all those details on their certificates. There is a possibility he was called Edward Walter Hall. He was born in Devon 1850-1851.  When he married Mary McCarty (McCarthy)in Hokitika he had lived there 4 years (according to the intentions to marry certificate, she had lived there for 4 months!
His marriage records say he was a Butcher.

[Valda]

No Edward Halls showing on the 1851 (in Devon only) on the 1861 and 1871 censuses (England as a whole) born Devon within 5 years of the date of 1850. Two Edwin Halls showing on the 1851 and 1861 cenuses both born Devon circa 1847. One is the son of James an agricultural labourer and the other the son of John an innkeeper. Neither showing on 1871 or 1881 censuses.
On FreeBMD (an incomplete index of the civil registration) there is a birth registration for an Edward Hall in Tiverton district Devon (parts of the registration district are in Somerset as well) in 1850. No subsequent death registration found, but it is an incomplete index. There were other Hall births registered Tiverton in the same period so I checked on them for the 1861 and 1871 censuses. No Edward or Edwin. I checked on Edwards and Edwins born Tiverton or in Tiverton circa 1850 within 5 years in case the surname had been misindexed and saw no possibilities.
There are plenty of Edward Halls, just not in Devon.
I believe New Zealand death certificates are very detailed in comparison with English death certificates and quite early on can give information on the persons parents including mother's maiden name. Can you track down Edward Hall's death certifcate to give you more information to go on?

Regards
Valda