RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: Knubley on Friday 28 October 11 00:57 BST (UK)
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Hi, can anyone help please? In connection with a book that is being written about the history of the legal firm Brookfields, we are looking for information and in particular any photo of Edward Joseph Prendergast, an Auckland barrister and solicitor who was born in 1876 in Feilding (parents John Prendergast and Mary Bradley) and married in Wellington in 1914 to Agnes Ethel Devine.
The following is taken from "Prendy's" 1956 obituary - "Mr Prendergast was admitted to the Bar as a solicitor over 50 years ago and started to practise in Levin. He later came to Auckland and joined the firm of Devore and Cooper, later amalgamated with Brookfield and Schnauer in 1919 to form Brookfield Prendergast and Schnauer. Once a promenent Court lawyer, Mr Prendergast appeared in the first case in NZ in which a man was convicted of a crime on fingerprint evidence - the Gunn murder case. Several years ago he left Auckland and, until his final illness, practised in the back-country districts of NSW." Thank you
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There are a few notices about the law firms in Paperspast that may be of general interest.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
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One of his cases http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g2f/
There are nine of his house sales files at Archway
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/SimpleSearchResults.do
Search "Edward Joseph Prendergast"
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Not sure if this is a probate for his wife or not
PRENDERGAST ETHEL AGNES ERI
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=23042839
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This is the Prendergast entry in the NSW BDM that matches the death noted
9626/1956 PRENDERGAST EDWARD 79 YEARS CHATSWOOD
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/Index/IndexingOrder.cgi/search?event=births
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Possibly him getting confirmed as a lawyer in NSW, although I note that another person with that name features in Trove in 1912 too
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g2h/
EDIT, this confirms it is the NZ person
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g2i/
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His wife's notice of probate
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g2j/
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The couple's engagement notice http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g2k/
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They were married 13/4/1914
1914/5816 Agnes Ethel Erina Devine Edward Joseph Prendergast
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0cz3/
EDIT, their marriage notice http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g2l/
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Other ideas in case they haven't been considered:
Would the Gazettes at Archive NZ have appointments of lawyers? Might they have some of his cases there?
Would the Davis Law Library have a photograph and further information about Edward?
Ancestry will show you where Edward and his wife were registered to vote
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0g2m/
Have you contacted the Auckland Museum about a photograph? I looked in the Heritage Collection that Auckland Library have online but nothing jumped out at me. http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/heritageimages/index.htm
Not sure if I am telling you what you already know but the probates will list children, if any.
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Thanks very much for your help. There are some excellent ideas that we will follow up. Cheers.