RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: hensher on Friday 22 November 19 15:18 GMT (UK)
-
My great grandfather William Edmond Hensher from London was in South Africa by the early 1880s, but in a letter from him to his son he mentions 'when I went to New Zealand'. Can find no other mention of NZ anywhere. He was born in 1853 and not from a wealthy family so presume he went to NZ in the 1870s. He eventually became a gold miner in Africa. Where is best to start searching please?
-
Have you found his passage to South Africa?
His original destination when he left London would be the place to start as he could have gone from place to place.
Do you know if he travelled on his own or did he have a wife/children in London?
-
Is this him in 1901
William E Hensher 44 gold prospector agent
Daisy 26
Thomas 7
Ella 1
Gladys 2 months
Elizabeth Collis 17 servant
Death in 1903
-
Thomas William - 1893 - mmn = Beckett - baptised 5 April 1896 - Kettering - born 17 April 1893 - Thomas Edmund (Gold Prospector) and Esther Emily.
Richard Edmund - 1896 - mmn = Beckett - baptised 5 April 1896 - Kettering - born 20 October 1895 - Thomas Edmund (Gold Prospector) and Esther Emily.
Cecil Jack - 1897 - mmn = Beckett - baptised 31 October 1897 - Kettering - born 14 July - Thomas Edmund (Gold Prospector) and Hester.
Ella - 1900 - mmn = Shead
Gladys - 1901 - mmn = Shead
I can't readily see a marriage between Hensher and Beckett or Shead.
Added: BUT none of this helps in the search for a journey to New Zealand. :-[
-
He might have worked his passage if he went as a young, single man.
Was there a mining industry in NZ? Was there a gold rush in Australia which attracted him before he continued to NZ?
-
So, Esther Emily died 11 September 1897 - Tooting. Administration to Robert Hensher, attorney for WEH.
-
Hi,
do you have any more dates as to when he got to South Africa and where and when did he die please?
Cheers Janette
-
Hello.
I'm wondering how many W. HENSHER there were. On a very quick look at our archives listings and PapersPast I got only one hit pre 1885.
Otago 1865 for a design of clay pipe on sale.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT18651215.2.4.2?end_date=31-12-1885&query=Hensher&snippet=true&start_date=01-01-1839
Alan.
-
Wow this forum is a treasure trove for me! William Edmond Hensher must have been in South Africa before 1884 as that was when he married Esther Emily Beckett from Port Elizabeth. Her family arrived there in 1862. He died in April 1903 allegedly of Blackwater fever in the Gold Coast, now Sierra Leone. I've not been able to find any details of his burial.
There were several William Henshers, a family name. The Henshers had quite a dynasty of tobacco pipe makers. William Edmond's father Robert was one and the William in the newspaper advertisement was I think William Edmond's uncle, born 1806. I didn't know he was an exporter so thank you very much for that info!
-
Probate entry on ancestry says
William Edmond of 311 Hoe Street Walthamstow Essex died 20 April 1903 at Assinie near Grand Bassam French West Africa
Probate London 20 May to Daisy Gertrude widow Effects £289
Same address as the 1901 census
-
Hi again.
Just out of curiosity I went back to our PapersPast and researched the word Hensher with no time limitation, and scored only one other hit with reference to a 1927 fire, which I presume you know about.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19271008.2.195?query=Hensher&snippet=true
Alan.
-
This looks like him
Hensher W E — — 1895 Passenger Lists Leaving Uk 1890-1960 Beira, Mozambique
Hensher W E — — 1897 Passenger Lists Leaving Uk 1890-1960 Cape, South Africa
Hensher W E — — 1901 Passenger Lists Leaving Uk 1890-1960 Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast
Cheers Janette
-
He might have worked his passage if he went as a young, single man.
Was there a mining industry in NZ? Was there a gold rush in Australia which attracted him before he continued to NZ?
This link will help time-lining gold winning in New Zealand.
Does the letter mentioning New Zealand have any clues as to it's date or era? The surname is not appearing in the places I usually do initial searches, when I'm researching the pioneers of interest to me.
Alan.
-
Is there a date on the letter to the son?
What is he saying in the letter about....when he went to New Zealand?
-
Was there a gold rush in Australia which attracted him before he continued to NZ?
1881, there was a Gold Field in VIC, and a company HENSHER and Co, 5th column, scroll down to ‘Our Raywood correspondent writes: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88633110
Jamjar
-
Only 3 Hensher deaths in VIC. Any connection with this one?:
10109/1966 HENSHER Charles Henry father William born London England at Mentone aged 75
4691/1967 HENSHER Mabel father Albert James WARD mother Kathleen born Essex England death Cheltenham aged 75
Their grandson:
12258/1980 HENSHER Andrew Haydn father Donald Hensher mother Thora WILCOCKSON born Melbourne death Brighton East, aged 30
Just in case. For Charles: Death - type 9 into little white box - and funeral notice - 10 in little white box: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=MDQ-9Oe3GGUC&dat=19660526&printsec=frontpage&hl=en https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=MDQ-9Oe3GGUC&dat=19660527&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
For Mabel, funeral, 4 in little white box: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=MDQ-9Oe3GGUC&dat=19670301&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Andrew, death and funeral, 27 in little white box: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=MDQ-9Oe3GGUC&dat=19800520&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
They arrived 8 Mar 1928 Melbourne on the Hobsons Bay
HENSHER Charles
Mabel
Donald
Charles Henry Hensher Springvale Botanical Cemetery Cremated 27 May 1966
Mabel Hensher Springvale Botanical Cemetery Cremated 1 March 1967
Andrew Hadyn Hensher Springvale Botanical Cemetery Cremated 20 May 1980
Donald Charles Hensher Springvale Botanical Cemetery Cremated 4 August 1993
Thora Myrtle Hensher Bunurong Memorial Park Cremated 7 January 1999
Charles Henry was born to William John HENSHER and Laura HALL, married Sep 1883 Mile End 1c 967
His birth:
HENSHER, CHARLES HENRY mmn HALL
GRO Reference: 1890 S Quarter in MILE END OLD TOWN Volume 01C Page 441
Marriage:
March 1914 W.Ham 4a 365
HENSHER Charles
WARD Mabel
Son:
HENSHER, DONALD CHARLES mmn WARD
GRO Reference: 1915 D Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 438
Charles’ siblings were, 1884 William Joseph, 1886 Florence Sarah, 1893 Sidney, 1895 Ethel Harriet. I can’t find any on censuses until 1911 with only mother, Sidney and Ethel:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWFW-LPW
Jamjar
-
From Mrs. Google.......
https://www.myheritage.com/names/william_hensher
William Edmond Hensher was born circa 1857, at birth place.
William married Daisy Hensher.
Daisy was born circa 1875, in Braintree, Essex, England.
They had 3 children: Thomas Hensher and 2 other children.
William married Esther Emily Hensher (born Beckett) on month day 1880, at age 23 at marriage place.
Esther was born in 1862, in South Africa.
They had 3 sons: Robert J Hensher and 2 other children.
William lived in 1861, at address.
He lived in 1901, at address.
William passed away of cause of death on month day 1903, at age 46 at death place.
Maybe join up/make contact?
Minniehaha.
-
This link will help time-lining gold winning in New Zealand.
Does the letter mentioning New Zealand have any clues as to it's date or era? The surname is not appearing in the places I usually do initial searches, when I'm researching the pioneers of interest to me.
Alan.
Did you forget the link Alan?
Cheers Janette
-
Thanks Janette.
Family gave me a hurry up about possibly missing an eye check up appointment with my surgeon, so once again in haste, I did not successfully complete the link.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/gold-and-gold-mining
It was just for time lining purposes and I see the thread has now moved on with Australian info.
All the best.
Alan.
-
Thank you all for your very useful information. I think I have all the info from English sources about William Edmond Hensher but am now trying to trace his perambulations around the world! What he says about New Zealand to his son, my grandfather in his final letter in April 1903 (he died a month later) is …..'but my boy, your first experience on your first voyage was not a patch on mine when I went to New Zealand as an imigrant (sic) - half starved and like pigs'.
Re the Hensher and Co mining company mentioned in Victoria 1881 - it could well have been William Edmond as he was trading later as Hensher and Chadwick, the company being wound up in London in 1902. Even though he had married in South Africa in 1880. His in-laws, the Beckett family had been in Campbells creek inform 1864.
-
Extra to above. He must have gone to New Zealand between 1871, when he was 18 and appeared in the UK census living with his mother and stepfather, and 1880 when he married in South Africa.