Thanks, all, for such rapid, and prolific, responses to my query, and apologies in advance if I am a bit slow, as this is my first time on Rootchat and although I do quite a lot of online research, I am nowhere near as expert in the intricacies of genealogy as you clearly all are!
It seems fairly certain that we have more than one Charles Myers here, including more than one in military service there. Mine was born in Whitechapel, London, not Jersey. Ambly (yesterday 14.22) certainly has the right family.
For the moment, the best I can do is to set out below what information I have on Myers and his family, which will hopefully set you on the right track as far as possible:some of you have already found a good deal of it
Much of the information below was found by the almost superhuman efforts of an Australian researcher with whom I made contact; but even she has not been able to ascertain where the Myers lived when they arrived, and therefore the accuracy of the family story.
Charles Myers, born Whitechapel, London, 1837. Continuous Service No. 14318. Volunteered Navy 22 July 1854. HMS Cossack., No. 7 on the Ship’s Book. Discharged 1855. Received the Baltic Medal; returned to England and married Ellen Samuel
A Myers went to New Zealand on the Reliance in 1864. She believes it was a troop ship, so it could be Charles on his way to fight in the Maori wars under Governor Grey, under whom he had served in the Crimea – Grey went on Cossack to New Zealand – possibly explaining how he ended up with land in NZ.
A Charles Myers received a medal for fighting in the Maori Wars from 11 Dec. 1863 to 24 March, 1866, fighting at Gate Pa and Te Ranga. He served as a Private in the 43rd [Monmouthshire] Regiment, regimental number 385. I have ascertained that the 43rd served in the 3rd Maori War, --- 1863 – March, 1866
There were members of a Myers family living in Hokitika (settled by Europeans in 1864 after the discovery of gold in early 1864) in 1864. However, I am told that this is in South island and that the main fighting was in North Island. One archivist has suggested that Charles might have gone to Hokitika in 1866 to look for gold, and found, in the 1866 directory, a John Myers, blacksmith and horseshoer, on Revell Street.
Whole family in London in the 1861 census. Lewis born 1864; wife Ellen and her children left London on the clipper Matoaka 1st September 1864, bringing immigrants from London and arriving Waiuku 3rd January, 1865. Possibly part of the Waikato immigration scheme, bringing over 4,000 settlers to Auckland 1864-5. There is a detailed account of the Matoaka’s voyage and arrival in the Southern Cross newspaper for 4th January, 1865, listing the passengers , including Ellen, Elizabeth, Honery[sic=Henry, possibly born June 1860, Lambeth, London, and died St.Kilda, Victoria, 1928] and Louis Myers. Samuel and Jack appear to have been born in NZ.
Children Jack born 1865 (where?), Samuel born New Zealand 1868.
He is probably not the Charles Myers in the 1880 electoral roll, as a Charles Myers went from NZ to Australia in 1878. There is also a possibility of a (?)brother and (?)sister travelling from England in 1877, and also Ellen and some of her children – did she return tom England for a while?
Charles died 27 July, 1920 and buried in Adelaide, and Ellen in Melbourne. His obituary in the Jewish Herald for 6th August, 1920 read:
“…. one of the oldest and best respected members of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation. The late Mr. Myers saw war service in the Crimea, with the Naval Brigade, and in 1866[sic] emigrated to New Zealand, where he took part in the Maori War. Four sons survive him – Henry, Louis, Samuel and Jack…..”
Charles’ son - Louis (Lewis on birth certificate) Myers born ?London Jan. 1, 1864, or 1865 - very confused and possibly inaccurate – returned to England in 1920 with his daughter Elizabeth, my grandmother (Adelaide 1895-London 1988) after her marriage to Englishman Joseph Britton in Vitoria in 1917, and died in 1920s); he married Rebecca Saunders (Ballarat 1871 – London 1956).
