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Hi ponsychick

If you are descended for Alex and Elsie then you are related to Joan Maxwell, she has written a book that I mentioned earlier that contains a lot of information on Alex and his father Arthur,  there is also a book that my grandmother wrote that was all the old farm diaries of the family, Joan has updated this and made it far more readable apparently (I haven't seen her book).  maybe get in contact with her and she will know a lot about the diaries and I know she knows a lot about the south island family.

Good luck
Liz

Hi Guys

Sharon I am also descended from Arthur King, have you seen the book from north to south that Joan Maxwell put out last year, it fulls in his tree nicely.  I am thinking of doing something similar on Mello.

I have been trying to get some details on the early life of Mello and have the following.

While Roelof was married three times and had a number of children from his earlier marriages very few made it to adulthood.  It appears that two daughters from his first marriage survived to adult hood and married, one died not long after her marriage and before mello was born.  The other had 4 sons.  There may have been one son who survived to adulthood, however i have seen him reported as dying in infancy however stumbled across a death record for him putting him at 41 when he died in Indonesia (it is Remke Roelof schenkel).  I will be delving into this a bit further if i can.
Of his second marriage there was one girl who died at the age of 10.
After Roelofs death Trijntje went on to have two illegitimate sons who bear the surname Oden.

Mello's birth record is here
Source    Civil register - Birth
Archive location    Tresoar, Frysk Histoarysk en Letterkundich Sintrum
General   Municipality: Ameland
Type of record: Geboorteakte
Record number: B 27
Registration date: 07-12-1831
Child   Mello Baukes Schenkel
Gender: M
Date of birth: 05-12-1831
Father   Roelof Schenkel
Mother   Trijntje Klazen Oden

There are a huge number of south island relatives!  Hope some of this is helpful.

Thanks
Liz Johnstone