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Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: tkgafs on Saturday 15 October 16 12:48 BST (UK)
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Hello,
I intend to have a holiday in New Zealand in 2018 and have some ancestors who emigrated to the country from Scotland in the 1850s. What would be the best resources to look for any descendants they may have had.
thanks in advance
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I would say by checking out birth records marriage and death electoral registers all depends if they remained in the same place ...A lot of people moved about maybe even Australia ...You could also try the Library to search archives that are available ..Enjoy your trip lovely place really lovely country
Rosie :)
Should have added try www.familysearch.org or Ancestry/ Find My Past ..Check with your local library for Ancestry
Rosie
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If you would like to post the ancestors names we could maybe help you find where they were living and also come further forward,
Cheers Janette
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That would be a great help, I made a mistake with the date though they probably went to New Zealand around 1900 - 1910.
The family bible simply lists the following three family members as going to New Zealand with no further information as when or where they went.
John Ferguson born 6th December 1874 in Borgue, near Kirkcudbright Scotland
James Ferguson born 12th March 1881 in Rerwick, near Kirkcudbright Scotland
Alexander Ferguson born 26th June 1888 in Culdoach, near Kirkcudbright Scotland
These three are some of my grandmothers brothers, making them my great great uncles.
Their parents are William Ferguson and Margaret Beattie who where married at Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland on 29th May 1874
There is a family tree on Ancestry that has an Alexander Ferguson marrying a Lillian Mary Oliver in St. John's Church, Wellington, NZ on 27th March 1919, but I'm not currently a member of Ancestry so cant see any evidence.
Any help would be gratefully appreciated
thanks
tim
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Hi Tim.
Did the boys have middle names and do you know their occupations?
Cheers Janette
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Hi Tim
I have found Alexander's WW1 file
http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE13780233
He states he had lived in NZ 7 years so arrival round 1910,he gave a Wellington address with John his NoK
Cheers Janette
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Hi Tim
The next-of-kin listing on the WW1 NZ Army record for Alexander, shows his brother's name as
"John B. FERGUSON".
The form which records next-of-kin shows that this brother was living (outside of Wellington) at Palmerston North.
[I have some further info for Alexander and wife Lily, which shows that at one time they also resided at Palmerston North. ]
~ Lu
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Tim ... the following is the brother of Alexander FERGUSON :
NZ Death
1943 - FERGUSON - John Beattie - 67 years [born circa 1876]
There is a Probate file for him, available for viewing at the FamilySearch website.
Here is the link >
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1865481
John Beattie FERGUSON -- Palmerston North -- Year: 1943
It confirms his birthplace as Kircudbright, Scotland.
John also had a wife > Susan > and it seems his marriage was possibly in Scotland ?
As yet have not found any issue to this couple.
~ Lu
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Hi Tim
The wife of John Beattie FERGUSON was Susan Bailey* or Baillie* FERGUSON.
[Spelled as "Bailey" in her husband's will ... and as "Baillie" on NZ electoral rolls and NZ Death index. ]
NZ Death
1945 - FERGUSON - Susan - 60 years [born circa 1885]
There doesn't appear to be a Probate file for this lady.
~ Lu
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Archives New Zealand have an index listing for an >
"Application for Assisted Passage" (to NZ)
in the name of
Mrs. Susan B. FERGUSON -- Years: 1908 - 1909
[The Ship's name "Athenic" was also given in the "more information" part of the listing. ]
---
In 1909 > arrival date looks to be 20 February > the "Athenic" from London and Plymouth [via other ports ? - need to re-check this] arrived in NZ.
A passenger listed as >
" Mrs S. B. FERGUSON" was destined for Wellington.
She appeared to be travelling alone ?
[There are three other FERGUSON names on the (large) passenger list > a Miss L. - 24 / Miss E. - 22 / Miss M. 18 > but these girls were destined for Port Lyttelton in the South Island. ]
Have also checked for any possible New Zealand-born children to Susan and John B. FERGUSON.
[Online Birth index is searchable to "today's date" - 1916 ... there are though no listings for this couple. ]
~ Lu
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... did notice whilst searching the NZ Birth Index (online), the following registration for a "still born child".
1919 - FERGUSON - N/R (Name not recorded)
Parents: Lily Mary and Alexander FERGUSON
[Am not able to tell from other resources checked, whether the couple had further children.]
~ Lu
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Cemetery details in respect of John Beattie & Susan Baillie Ferguson together with headstone photographs........
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=3981
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=3980
Minniehaha.
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Cemetery details for Alexander & his wife Lily Hamilton Ferguson?........
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=4236
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=4237
Minniehaha.
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Cemetery details for Alexander & his wife Lily Hamilton Ferguson?........
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=4236
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=4237
Minniehaha.
Wrong couple.
~ Lu
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Hi Tim
Was about to give you burial info for John B. and Susan B. FERGUSON at Palmerston North, but I see it has now been added to the thread. ;D
Please note though, the that the further cemetery records added here for the "Alexander FERGUSON and his wife Lily Hamilton FERGUSON" are not your Alexander .... nor was his wife named "Lily Hamilton".
~ Lu
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Tim
... I'll add shortly, further info (including deaths) for Alexander FERGUSON and his wife Lily.
~ Lu
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Cemetery details for Alexander & his wife Lily Hamilton Ferguson?........
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=4236
http://www.pncc.govt.nz/services/onlineservices/cemetery-and-cremation-search/warrant/?id=4237
Minniehaha.
Wrong couple.
~ Lu
I did include a question mark ;D
Minniehaha.
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Tim ... a little extra info for John Beattie FERGUSON :
New Zealand Army, WW1 Reserve Rolls - 1916-1917
FERGUSON - John Beattie - Comm. Traveller - Bath Street, Palmerston North
Classification: B
[Note: Reservists were classified by the number of children they had. "B" classifcation = one child.]
Not sure exactly when this reserve roll was drawn up ... and can't see a birth to John and Susan FERGUSON up to "today's date" 1916. But seems there was a child ... probably born late 1916 ... or in 1917. [Whether that child reached adulthood, is another matter ? ]
~ Lu
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I did include a question mark ;D
Minniehaha.
Sure ... but the man buried at PN was born c. 1880. The Alexander FERGUSON being sought was born 1888 ... with possibly a wife named Lilian (Lily) Mary. ;D
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Hello Tim,
May I suggest that you e-mail the Palmerston North Library to request scans of any death notices for John Beattie & Susan Baillie Ferguson.
http://citylibrary.pncc.govt.nz/
[See "Contact" at top of page.]
There may be information in the notices about family members of the deceased.
Minniehaha.
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Hi again Tim
Have found a possible daughter for Alexander FERGUSON (and his wife Lily).
Need to do quite a lot more digging for this lady ... will post when I have confirmation.
~ Lu
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Wow what a lot of information has appeared overnight I'll need to digest it today.
On their Scottish birth certificates or in the family bible they don't seem to have middle names, but perhaps they did have them.
I have never looked for any of them getting married in Scotland as the bible details the Scottish weddings of all their siblings and any children they had, but these 3 are simply entered n the wedding section as New Zealand.
Thank you all for your help so far and anything else you find will be a bonus
Yes I would ultimately like to contact their descendants and hear of their life there.
Tim
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Hi Tim.
Did the boys have middle names and do you know their occupations?
Cheers Janette
Other than their names and dates of birth I have no other information about them. All the detail in the bible provides is New Zealand. Their Scottish birth certificates dont include middle names although some of their later siblings do have them.
thanks
Tim
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I have now confirmed that John Beattie Ferguson did marry SUSAN BAILLIE ANDERSON in Dumfries Scotland on 6th June 1908
Susan is a schoolteacher and was born in Colmonell South Ayrshire in 1884
John is a draper
in 1901 they seem be living with susans parents in Wolverhampton
Tim
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Tim ... the following is the brother of Alexander FERGUSON :
NZ Death
1943 - FERGUSON - John Beattie - 67 years [born circa 1876]
There is a Probate file for him, available for viewing at the FamilySearch website.
Here is the link >
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1865481
John Beattie FERGUSON -- Palmerston North -- Year: 1943
It confirms his birthplace as Kircudbright, Scotland.
John also had a wife > Susan > and it seems his marriage was possibly in Scotland ?
As yet have not found any issue to this couple.
~ Lu
I keep getting an error when I try and view this record for some reason.
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Hi Tim
Yes. there seems to be a problem at present with accessing some FamilySearch records. ;D
Other than the John Beattie FERGUSON probate record I gave you, I also received an "error" or "try again later-type" of message for some other records I was chasing up. Just a question of being patient I think. ;)
~ Lu
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I have now seen the ancestry family tree which has Alexander marrying Lillian Mary Oliver in 1919 and until I can see the actual marriage records I'd treat it with extreme caution as the same tree has my grandmother marrying the wrong person in the wrong country and dying about 30 years before she actually did (and as she lived with us I'm certain of the date) !!
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Lucy2 where did you manage to find this info from ?
Tim ... a little extra info for John Beattie FERGUSON :
New Zealand Army, WW1 Reserve Rolls - 1916-1917
FERGUSON - John Beattie - Comm. Traveller - Bath Street, Palmerston North
Classification: B
[Note: Reservists were classified by the number of children they had. "B" classifcation = one child.]
Not sure exactly when this reserve roll was drawn up ... and can't see a birth to John and Susan FERGUSON up to "today's date" 1916. But seems there was a child ... probably born late 1916 ... or in 1917. [Whether that child reached adulthood, is another matter ? ]
~ Lu
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See the title - NZ Army, WW1 ... etc. [Source: Ancestry.com]
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... incidentally, that NZ Army, WWW Reserve Rolls listing gave J.B. FERGUSON's address as "Bath" Street ... fairly sure though that should be "Batt" Street.
~ Lu
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I have now seen the ancestry family tree which has Alexander marrying Lillian Mary Oliver in 1919 and until I can see the actual marriage records I'd treat it with extreme caution as the same tree has my grandmother marrying the wrong person in the wrong country and dying about 30 years before she actually did (and as she lived with us I'm certain of the date) !!
Hi
I've seen your trees at ancestry (along with a "tree" of another researcher - although it seems not to be the one you speak of above ? ).
It's possible I can assist with other information ... but in the meantime can you direct us to the tree you mention above ? [Just the name of the tree and a clue to which country it relates to is sufficient -- no need to identify the researcher by name unless you send this info via PM. ;) ]
~ Lu
PS: Please be aware that we can't always supply here, conclusive evidence of whomever or whatever it is being sought. Sometimes it's necessary to purchase copies of records, especially B, M and D, to advance a search. ;)
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Thanks for your PM, Tim.
I can check the "ancestry tree" at this end. Will get back to you later on this.
~ Lu