George Martin Stewart, Police Constable in Hokitika

[Garry Edgar2]

Hi Bek

I had to create a new account to get on here as don't think Ive been here for 10 years!

[Garry Edgar2]

Hi Whitechas

You said " Hi, I think Geroge was my great grandfather. My grandmother was Margaret and she was born in the 1890s. I do have the date somewhere but not to hand. He came from County Doon in Ireland. My grand mother was a Catholic. They were related to the Steels also. My mother and her sisters were born in Hokitika also. Their surname was Brand. "

My wife is somehow related to your peeps.  I have been trying to compile more information about the descendants of George and Catherine. It's a long story. But she has a confirmed 2nd cousin DNA match to a great-grandchild of George and Catherine^(*).

Margaret Stewart married Sydney Brand and I have identified 2 daughters.  I would love information on any more, as well as further descendancy !!!




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[Bek Stewart-Green]

Hello lovely peoples! 
Particularly to my VERY REMOVED COUSIN WSCrowley!  Thanks so much for the "fleshing out" of my family story - absolutely fascinating how he (probably) got his name!  My Father was really interested.  Also cheers for the Catherine Steward hint!  Totally had the rest with her registering her name as Catherine/Katherine/Kate with George as the Father but was only checking the Stewarts.   Those rascally record keepers!! 

Anyways, just a couple of quick questions - I still cannot find a marriage for George and Ann/Anne/Annie/Nellie - any luck?  I'm confused by the Marsden also as she is DEFINITELY listed on his police service records and his death certificate (20-8-1918) as Nellie MASON.

FROM death certificate....
...at his death he had 2 living daughters aged 43 and 42, and a son aged 41 from his first wife Nellie Mason. And to his second wife Katherine Foster. Daughters aged 23,22,18,16 and 11. Sons aged 20,17,11 and 8.
...

So everything keeps pointing to that name.  Also, I'm totally on board with the the names of the first two girls.  Got Mary (nzbdn record#1875/4494), Ellen (nzbdm record# 1876/12546) and then a William (nzbdn record#1877/7301) and in the same year an Alison (nzbdm record# 1877/5762). All to Ann and George.  Not sure if the last two are twins as currently looking for 1877 deaths.
These correlate with baptisms for 3 children to Ann/Annie and George Stewart in 1875, Ellen in 1876, and another in 1877 (MSY-2416 Methodist Baptism Register).  Importantly they are in the right location as he was a policeman in the Hutt Valley, Wellington, NZ (the only one at the time) until he was posted to Kainere, near Hokatika (can't remember the year but it's between the death of his first wife Nellie on 15 October 1877 and his marriage to his second wife Catherine Forster in Hokatika on 03/05/1894, Catherine was born in Hokatika in 1872)

My problem is with "George Stewart AKA George Hain Stewart" -  I presume the name is through the connection to 1930 probate with his sister's names listed... That all seems to track... My problem is I've got a William and cannot find any George Stewart born at the right time to the right people in the right place - is he William?  And has anyone got his birth certificate.  Or name change?

[Fresh Fields]

Welcome to RootsChat and the NZ Completed board.

As more relatives have joined the discussion, and you have more questions, it is possible to ask "spades" the NZ Moderator, to return this thread to the main NZ board, where more people will possibly see the discussion, and may be, have new suggestions to advance your research.

All the best.

Alan.

[Jenny Hannon]

Hello all.

I am coming very late to this discussion, as I only happened on this website today.

I send special greetings to Whitechas, who is my only first cousin on my mother's side. We are the grandchildren of Margaret Brand, nee Stewart, and the  of George Stewart and Catherine Foster.

I am still in touch with descend andants of George's first wife, Anne Marsden. As others have noted, they were protestant while the second family was catholic, however religion never seemed to prevent the two branches from getting along.
 
As I understand it, Catherine Foster's family came to Hokitika from the goldfields of Ballarat, in Australia. She had a brother, Septimus, who was a prospecter on the West Coast. They were originally from the northeast of England.

Catherine and George had ten children together, five boys and five girls. The children were raised as Catholics and grew up in Kaniere and later Hokitika.

Anne and my grandmother Margaret were the eldest children and the youngest was young George. I'm not sure of the age order for the others - Edward (Neddy), Robert, John (who built the church of the Good Shepherd at Tekapo), James (Jimmy), Kate, Maude, and May. Sadly, Georgie was the first of the children to die. He was only 16 and fell from a horse while crossing a flooded river. According to my grandmother, he was 'a lovely lookin' boy'.

Others in the family died young. Robert, Maude and May all died of tuberculosis as young adults. Robert had survived the First World War and married Vera. I don't think they had children. Maude married Jack Strachan. They had no children. May married Bill Coleman. They had four daughters and a son, who were very dear to my grandmother.

Anne married Jim Duncan and lived for many years in Reefton. Anne also had a daughter before her marriage. The child was called Betty and was added to the long line of her mother's siblings. She was also known as Liz and grew up to be one of the kindest people you could ever meet. Kate married Duncan McCrae.Their home was in Ikamatua. I know they had daughters, but I'm not sure if there were also sons.

I have visited the grave of George and Catherine in Hokitika. Sadly, it is unmarked.

I hope this is all helpful for those in search of connections.