RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: Artisan99 on Sunday 02 June 13 09:01 BST (UK)
-
My paternal grandmother's father was CHARLES LEONARD LEAMAN HANKINS, who was neglected and abused by his parents in 1903.
The case received a lot of press attention at the time, and named Charles's parents as ALICE LEAMAN and CHARLES HANKINS.
My great-grandfather was removed from his parents' care and grew up in the Burnham Industrial School. Through Papers Past, I've been able to trace aspects of his life, including a cheque fraud, bar brawl, enlistment in WWI in 1915 and a bigamy trial in 1935. I have his BDM codes for his birth, marriages and death, too.
But because of the varying spellings of his name in even the official BDM records, where "Leaman" occurs as Leamen, Leamon and even Lemon, I've reached a dead end with Charles' mother, ALICE LEAMAN. I don't have any conclusive details of Alice's birth, marriages or death.
If anyone can help, please let me know.
Thanks.
Imogen :)
-
Hi Imogen :D
Welcome to Rootschat and the NZ Board. :D
Your request has been posted on the Completed Boards and since this is a new thread, I will ask the Moderator to move this to the active board where it will be seen.
Cheers
KHP
-
Thanks, KHP! I'd just realised my blunder when you post came through.
Much obliged. :)
Imogen
-
Hi Imogen,
Is this his death?
1981/35753 Hankins Charles Leonard Lemon born 2 October 1892
His birth
1895/12389 Leamon Charles Leonard Alice NR
Obviously the informant for his death didn't know his year of birth.
Cheers Janette
-
There are also 2 divorces for him
BBAE 4985/1457 D116/1958 Hankins, Esther Williamina v Hankins, Charles Leonard Leamon
1958 Akld
Restricted for 60 years Restriction expires end of: 2018
DAAC 20681 D140/439 1299 Hankins, Marjory Grenfell v Hankins, Charles Leonard Leamen
1936 Dun
oddly this one is restricted for 100 years Restriction expires end of: 2036
http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=8670046
It may be worth emailing Dunedin Archives and asking them if that is correct as most divorces are 60 years,the file may well have a copy of the marriage cert which could have more details of Alice
Cheers Janette
-
Hello...
Welcome to Rootschat :)
Here is an on-line tree for an Alice LEAMAN. Just treat it as a starting point, not as proof of anything. You still have to do the research yourself.
Once on Mundia you might have to register to explore the trees further. It's free to register.
Mundia - Alice LEAMAN
http://www.mundia.com/au/Person/12235844/1429502050 (http://www.mundia.com/au/Person/12235844/1429502050)
Mundia - Charles Leonard Leaman HANKINS
http://www.mundia.com/au/Person/12235844/1429308356 (http://www.mundia.com/au/Person/12235844/1429308356)
Regards
Beg
-
Thank you, Janette. :)
Yes, the birth and death numbers you've quoted are his. Even though Grandma grew up in care, she and her father reconnected later on. He lived in her front room for a time, and I do remember him as this little old man who lost a finger in the war. But the earlier estrangement probably affected the birth info provided after his death.
I meant to say above that I had a possible link to parents to Alice, but nothing conclusive yet to be sure.
In the cruelty trial, Alice's brother was called as a witness. In the press reports, he was named as RICHARD LEAMAN and THOMAS LEAMAN, and so on a BDM search, I found a family of Leamans with three children - Mary Elizabeth, Alice and Richard, with parents Mary Ann and William. But the birth dates mean Alice would have been turning 16 the year Charles Leonard Leaman was born.
Not confident about this potential connection, though.
Thanks for your help!
Imogen
-
Thank you, Beg!
I shall check this link out.
Imogen
-
This is the family mentioned on the Mundia tree
1877/2582 Leaman Mary Elizabeth Mary Ann William
1879/11609 Leaman Alice Mary Ann William
1881/15843 Leaman Richard Mary Ann William
It has Alice dying in Lyell Tasmania in 1908
Cheers Janette
-
In 1897 "Alice Leamon" was also in the newspaper for abandoning her child, aged 1 (I presume this is Charles Leonard). The "Charitable Aid Board" (paid for the child) and the Salvation Army (took Alice into their care). She is, unfortunately, only described as a "young woman". (these records are on paperspast).
There was an Alice Leaman who died in the right area of Tasmania in 1908 but she was an infant:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/84523740?searchTerm=Leaman
William and Mary Ann's Alice looks like a good possibility - perhaps tracing the other siblings will help confirm where Alice ended up.
-
If that is the family,this looks like them arriving in NZ
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11002-138434-64?cc=1609792&wc=M9SS-5SF:n1956471300
William Leaman aged 25
Mary A aged 32
George aged 6
Samuel aged 4
and sadly
William aged 7/12's in the margin (dead)
Cheers Janette
-
Hi again...
If you know for a fact that he was admitted to Burnham Industrial School it may be worth checking the Industrial Schools' Nominal Rolls to see if they lead to any further info. The Rolls are held at Wellington Archives.
-----
If you're unable to get to Wellington you could always start a new thread entitled...
"Wellington Archives Look-up please - Charles Leonard LEAMAN/HANKINS".
One of the kind Wellington-based rootschatters will visit the Archives on your behalf, take photos of any files and then email the photos to you. There is no cost to you except for the debt of gratitude.
You'll need to include the following in your look-up request;
His name, noting both surnames
The industrial school, namely Burnham (where did you get this info from)
The following link to the 1903 Nominal Roll...
Industrial Schools - Nominal Rolls (R12026612) 1903
http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=12026612 (http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=12026612)
It may take a week or two for someone to visit Archives and they may come away with nothing but there's no harm in asking.
Regards
Beg
-
Hello,
Just a thought, but could the original spelling of the name have been LEHMANN perhaps??
Minniehaha.
-
PapersPast have a Charles Hankins receiving a prize in 1911 for best worker in the garden at the The Boys' Training Farm at Weraroa
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=HC19111223.2.10&srpos=22&e=-------50--1-byDA---2charles+hankins--
Charles may have moved to the North Island
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/28564/boys-training-farm-weraroa-1912
Cheers Janette
-
Thanks so much for all of these replies and suggestions.
I suspect the MARGERY GRENFELL MILFORD divorce has the 100-year restriction because the break-up of this relationship and subsequent repartnering with others - by BOTH Margery and Charles - is what caused my grandmother KATHLEEN MARJORIE HANKINS and her two full sisters to be placed in foster care.
I know the names of Grandma's younger halfsiblings through the later marriages of Charles and Margery to others, but it's the mystery surrounding Charles's beginnings that have me wondering.
Thanks, everyone, for your tips! :)
-
Hi again...
The following ties in with some of the names on the Mundia trees but there's still no guarantee it's right.
-----
Here's a Mary Ann LEAMAN d.24 Feb 1915 being remembered by her son Richard and daughter M. CHAMPION.
I'm guessing M. CHAMPION is the Mary Elizabeth LEAMAN who married John Warren CHAMPION in 1901.
No mention of an Alice.
Papers Past
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ud9/ (http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ud9/)
Buried at Kaiapoi
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ud8/ (http://www.rootschat.com/links/0ud8/)
Regards
Beg
-
If that is the family,this looks like them arriving in NZ
William LEAMAN aged 25
Mary A aged 32
George aged 6
Samuel aged 4
and sadly
William aged 7/12's in the margin (dead)
Here's a theory... :)
I'm inclined to agree with Janette in that the Mary Ann d.1915 that I mentioned in my previous post is the one who migrated from Devon to NZ in 1874 aboard the Rakaia. Her husband William and three children accompanied her.
As I read it FreeBMD has this Mary Ann and William marrying in Newton Abbot, Devon in 1867 Q4. Mary Ann is a LEAMAN by birth.
I think William and Mary Ann are listed on the 1871 UK census along with their son Samuel.
This means the three children who traveled on the Rakaia are older siblings of Alice. Not sure why they're not mentioned on the above "In Memoriam" notice, but then again neither was Alice.
(Having said that, there is a possible William and Mary Ann LEAMAN listing on the 1891 census as well, which means my theory is wrong. I only have access to LDS to view the censuses, not ancestry, so I can't be sure)
The oldest son Samuel may be the 1945 burial listed on the Ashburton cemetery website.
Not sure where/if the convict William b.1809 mentioned on Mundia fits in.
Like I said, just a theory
Regards
Beg
-
Thanks for all of the advice!
You have helped a lot already, and it's aided me in picking up on a discrepancy I'd not challenged before. Upon reflection, CLLH being in Burnham was something not gleaned from an official source, but an anecdotal one. I've rechecked my notes and it seems most of the cruelty press coverage stated he was staying at "the Samaritan Home" and would be committed to "the Industrial School".
But in a 1905 court news report dealing with Charles Hankins being ordered to pay 5s per week maintenance for CLLH, it states that the boy is in "the Caversham Industrial School".
Thanks for the reminder re: official vs unofficial sources. :)
I wouldn't have thought to question which industrial school he'd attended till quite a bit later on otherwise.
Imogen
-
Hi again...
The Ashburton Family History Group have primary school records of a dozen-ish LEAMAN children. There are four who attended the primary school at Rakaia, namely Richard, Mary Elizabeth and Alice, who we think are siblings. The fourth child is a Samuel, who may be the child found by Janette on the 1874 passenger list of the "Rakaia". My theory is that he is an older brother to the three other children.
Primary school records - Surnames starting with L
(This is a 1MB pdf file. Hope you can view it. If not let me know)
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlasfhg/L.pdf (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlasfhg/L.pdf)
I've no idea of the school record details held by the Ashburton FHG but I do know that they won't tell you unless you pay them NZ$10
Here are contact details for their School Records Officer. If you decide to go further then maybe drop her a "just making an enquiry" email to find the best way to proceed.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlasfhg/Schools.htm (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzlasfhg/Schools.htm)
-----
Are any of the surnames mentioned on the following Will part of your extended family.
I think Rosina was the widow of the above-mentioned Samuel LEAMAN
Rosina LEAMAN
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0udu/ (http://www.rootschat.com/links/0udu/)
-----
The annual Industrial Schools' Nominal Rolls mentioned earlier list all of the children at all of the schools in the one volume. It's alphabetical by school so finding Charles shouldn't be too difficult (famous last words) :)
Regards
Beg
-
Oh, thank you, Beg!
You and everyone above have provided so many more links and ideas that I didn't realise were possible!
It's been a stop-start process these past few years, and given that even at my level of the tree there are multiple marriages and half-siblings not growing up in the same household, it's taken a lot of digging to just get this far.
My internet access is primarily by smart phone, so have not yet viewed the last two links you have posted, but I'll touch base once I've seen them on a full screen. :)
Many thanks,
Imogen
-
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/FamilyHistory/Justice/
- has some summary of what sources you might be able to use to find details about Alice from police/court/prison records.
Mildly curious is the "Eliza Alice Leaman" death in 1953 aged 75. I don't see any marriages/births which would indicate that this is a "Mrs Leaman".
Yet another possible spelling - Leman. An Alice Leman is mentioned at paperspast, as the victim of an assault by Joseph Francis Cordors at Fendalton.
-
Mildly curious is the "Eliza Alice Leaman" death in 1953 aged 75.
Hello...
I've checked the BDM NZ Cemetery fiche.
Eliza Alice LEAMAN (plot no.218) is buried next to a Frederick William LEAMAN (plot no.219).
Frederick William died in 1933 aged 48, so born c.1885
Eliza Alice died in 1953 aged 75, so born c.1878
BDM NZ website has an 1883 birth for a Frederick William LEAMON, son of Henry David and Maria Jane LEAMON.
1883/8304 - LEAMON, Frederick William - mother: Maria Jane father: Henry David
BDM NZ website also has an 1878 birth for an Eliza Alice LEIMAN, son of Henry and Maria Jane LEIMAN.
1878/17509 - LEIMAN, Eliza Alice - mother: Maria Jane father: Henry
I've no proof but possibly Frederick and Eliza are brother and sister, both children of Henry and Maria Jane LEAMAN.
Regards
Beg
-
1878/17509 - LEIMAN, Eliza Alice - mother: Maria Jane father: Henry
Regards
Beg
Hi,
There is a school record for a Eliza Leamon born 10 July 1878, unfortunately, no Parent/Guardian is shown. But the date and month match for the Leiman Birth Registration on BDM.
School Records (APWs)
Name : LEAMON Eliza
School : Lyttelton
Register Number : 264
Admission Date : 21 Jan 1889
Address : Lyttelton
Birthdate : 10 Jul 1878
Last School : L B S
Last Day : 20 Dec 1892
Further enquiries to : Canterbury Branch - NZSG
LBS I think would be Lyttelton Boys School? Down as Eliza Alice in the 1900 E/R for Ashley, Canterbury
and there is a Frederick Wm Leaman as well, unfortunately no birth date showing
School Records (APWs)
Name : LEAMAN Frederick Wm
School : Spotswood
Register Number : 09
Admission Date : 25 Sep 1894
Parent / Guardian : Henry LEAMAN
Address : Waiau, Cheviot
Last School : Lyttelton
Last Day : 19 Dec 1894
Destination : Work
Further enquiries to : Canterbury Branch - NZSG
There is an earlier record for Fred Leaman with the birth date of 1 April 1883, but we know that we take the birth dates with a pinch of salt on School Records.
Cheers
KHP
-
and another for Eliza, this time with Parents name :D and surname spelt Leaman. The Second initial must be a transcription error. The address below matches the one given for Henry David Leaman and Maria Jane Leaman on the 1893 Electoral Roll Disc.
School Records (APWs)
Name : LEAMAN Eliza
School : Lyttelton
Register Number : 619
Admission Date : 26 Jan 1891
Parent / Guardian : H T LEAMAN
Address : Canterbury St
Birthdate : 10 Jul 1878
Last School : Governors Bay
Cheers
KHP
-
I've no proof but possibly Frederick and Eliza are brother and sister, both children of Henry and Maria Jane LEAMAN.
Regards
Beg
Looks like there are more ... taken from school records, I may as well throw them in, to keep or put on the scrap heap :D
Henry David Leaman born 7 April 1881 ....On the BDM site down as Henry David Leamon. On E/R he is Henry David Leaman Jnr
Maud Muriel Leaman 1884 - On the BDM site as Maud Muriel Leamon .... can't see a School Record
Ida Muriel Leaman date of birth 11 Jan 1886
Alfred Walter Leaman date of birth 26 July 1888
Maurice Leaman date of birth 12 June 1894
Bertha Leaman date of birth 30 June 1891
Cheers
KHP
-
Goodness! I'm quite overcome by all of this excellent advice and assistance.
Thank you all so very much.
It's very much a stop-start affair just now, but I'll make sure to update you all on any progress.
Just wanted to express my gratitude for all of the help thus far. :)
Best regards to you all,
Imogen
-
Thanks again for all of the clever leads provided in this thread. :)
I haven't followed all of them up yet, but am happy to report that a source within the family says the age of Alice at the time of Charles's birth and the link to Rakaia resonate with what he had heard about her from within the family. Anecdotal, but helpful, nevertheless.
Apologies to the moderators for not requesting myself for this to be moved to the 'Completed' category.
Thanks again for all of the assistance!
-
I am A grand daughter of Ida Muriel Leaman and trying to trace back but get stuck after her parents Henry David Leaman and Maria Jane Leaman. Feel they must have emigrated to New Zealand ::) but not sure where to look for these records and also do not know Maria Janes maiden name . Maybe Macpherson as my Mum often said that she was a decendant of Macphersons.
-
Hi Fran,
Children of Maria and Henry
1874/38138 Leaman Maria Jane/ Maria Jane/ Henry
1886/3475 Leaman Ida Muriel / Maria Jane /Henry David
1888/19092 Leaman Alfred Walter Herman/ Maria Jane/ Henry David
1891/11209 Leaman Bertha Annie McPherson / Maria Jane/ Henry David
1895/7101 Leaman Lewis Morris McPherson / Maria Jane /Henry David
A death for Maria and Henry
1927/4452 Leaman Maria Jane 76Y
1907/5138 Leaman Henry David 63Y
Cheers Janette
-
Hello Fran
... welcome to RootsChat. :)
A spelling error it would seem ... but very possibly this is the (NZ) marriage ?
Maria Jane McPHERSON -- Henry LEMON -- year 1874
~ Lu
-
Hi Fran
... this is a possibility for Henry David LEAMAN's arrival in NZ.
Immigration : Per ship "Blue Jacket" to Canterbury.
Arrived : 30 August 1867
David LEMMON - aged 22 years - Farm Labourer - ex Down* [ poss. *Co. Down, Ireland ]
[Aged 22 in 1867 gives a birth year of circa 1845. Henry David LEAMAN appears to have been born c. 1844 ... so a good match in the scheme of things. ]
~ Lu
-
Fran ... and this a possibility for Maria's arrival.
Immigration to Otago :
Per ship "Cospatrick" - arrived Otago - 6 July 1873
Maria McPHERSON - aged 22* - occupation: Cook [* born c. 1851 ]
ex Surrey, England.
[Note: a good match for Maria Jane LEAMAN - 76 - d. 1927 [bc 1851 ] ]
~ Lu
-
My neighbour asked me to search for her biological father which from what we have read here. Is this person. Would you be interested in making contact?
-
Hi Heathory and welcome to RootsChat,if you post a couple more times (a smiley face will do) you will be able to send personal messages to other folk on the board
http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php
Cheers Janette
-
:)
-
This man was quite a character. She knew she had 2 older sisters and a younger brother but it seems there was another child older
-
My neighbour asked me to search for her biological father which from what we have read here. Is this person. Would you be interested in making contact?
Hello Heathory :D
I have just read your recent posts today and am definitely interested in making contact. I have found out more information about Charles's life during the past couple of years (2015-2016) and have even turned up an additional wife that no-one else in this branch of the family knew about - as well as two possible additional sons.
When Charles was sentenced in 1935 for his bigamous marriage in Napier in 1929, the judge said that as a result of the union, there were "five children now wards of the state". Charles married my great-grandmother Margery Grenfell MILFORD (MULFORD) in 1920 and they had three daughters between 1921 (my grandmother) and 1924. It was whilst celebrating the third daughter's birth in 1924 that Charles is reported to have become intoxicated and stabbed a barman through the hand.
Charles and Margery went their separate ways in the mid-to-late 1920s, both eventually bearing children to new partners, though they were not formally divorced from one another until 1936. However, the three daughters from their marriage to each other were placed in foster care and they unfortunately did not get to grow up in a conventional home. At the start of my search, I wondered a lot about who the additional children were who were described as wards of the state by the bigamy sentencing judge.
The family knows about a son born in 1947 to Charles's final wife, but there is confusion about whom Charles was with between Margery and the later wife. Some people are insisting that the lady he had the 1947 son with is the same lady he married bigamously in 1929.
I disagree with this, as the later wife was herself married to other men prior to Charles and the timelines clash. I believe that Charles married an Ellen Violet WATSON on 28 August 1929, with BDM Marriage code 1929/5381. The groom is named as Charles Richard HANKINS. I don't have access to this document yet, but my hunch is that either there was a clerical error or a bit of subterfuge by the already-married Charles.
There is a BDM Death record for a Charles Leonard HANKINS aged one year in 1937. (Death Code: 1938/23291) But because of the restrictions around searching for births from less than 100 years ago, I cannot look up this baby's birth to see the mother's name. This child was born after the bigamy trial, so was not one of the five wards of the state. I have found a 1973 death record for a Leonard Watson HANKINS, which gives his birth date as 13 February 1929. I am only going by a hunch here, but I suspect that this boy was one of Charles' and Ellen Violet's children and may possibly be one of the five. I definitely have more sleuthing to do in this regard, but the 1935 Hawke's Bay General Roll places Charles and "Violet Ellen" HANKINS at the same address in Hastings.
An article I found on the Papers Past website last year details a bit of drama in the lead-up to Charles's 1920 marriage to Margery. He was convicted of helping an inmate of an industrial school (Margery) escape, and it was stated that Charles had been "previously married". I have no information about the reported earlier marriage.
Thanks for posting here. I shall message you my email address, but wanted to comment with the above newer information so that any other extended family who might see this will know where things stand with my research into Charles.
Kind regards,
Imogen
-
I am A grand daughter of Ida Muriel Leaman and trying to trace back but get stuck after her parents Henry David Leaman and Maria Jane Leaman. Feel they must have emigrated to New Zealand ::) but not sure where to look for these records and also do not know Maria Janes maiden name . Maybe Macpherson as my Mum often said that she was a decendant of Macphersons.
Hi, it was nice to read your post, though I guess it might be quite old. Your grandmother was my grandad's sister. They were the family of Henry David Leaman and Maria Jane McPherson who married in Christchurch in 1874. We have quite a lot of the family history as the Leamans moved from Lyttelton to Cheviot/Parnassus/Spotswood area when they got a farm in the Cheviot Hill ballot. We grew up in Cheviot. Henry David was German, from Danzig, he was naturalised in 1890.His name was Laemon. I think he came to NZ around 1860, probably born about 1844.Our family story is he jumped ship. I don't know how Maria Jane got to NZ, she had a sister also. It would be great to find out. Some of the graves are in Cheviot cemetery, including Henry David's and his son Henry David. Of the children, Fred was killed at Spotswood in 1933, Lewis died on Walkers Ridge at Gallipoli, Alfred (known as Bate) came home from WW1 and was a farmer till the Depression hit. His daughter lives in christchurch, she is 92.Harry was the ferryman on the Waiau at Parnassus before the bridge, and only had one leg! He lived till quite an age. Anyway I see people have done some searching on this. The name spelling is certainly difficult on the BDM site. I have the marriage certificate of Henry David and Maria Jane, and it was mispelled as Lemon. Be great to get in touch and have a chat. My sister, fortunately, got interested in this when Mum was alive and put a lot of it together. I hope to write it up and give it to the Cheviot Museum.