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Thank you Caro,

I think I may have some unclear phrases in my post about Charles Rufus Marshall Workman. I meant to say that the daughter of Mr Charles Workman who was my great-grandma was the grand-daughter of the Protestant missionary couples from her mother's side.... I did not know about her grandparents from her father but thanks to you that I have some ideas about them now. Also, the priest I was talking about was a French priest called Fr Corbrett (locally called Fr Ukenio) who was a close friend to Charles when he was on the island of Beru here in the Gilberts Islands. This was the priest who became a center of communication between Charles (when he was abroad) and his baby daughter who was left in the care of her mother on the island of Beru. 

It was told that Fr Corbrett used to visit my great-grandma and with him always he brought money, clothes and other baby stuff who he claimed to have come from Mr Charles Rufus Marshall Workman. Thus, Mr Workman did support my great-grandmother when she was a baby girl until there were no more words from him. Please note that in those days, there were a lot of troubles in relation with communication...there were only one sailing boat to come to Kiribati every 2-3 months or even longer in a year!!!

We have no idea how Mr Workman left the Pacific when the World War I broke...how he died and so forth. This is only matter for us to know more about him....this is all we want to know especially if he had children. We would like to know whom we are related to in blood and flesh if that is acceptable.

Well, there is much more to say about Mr Charles Rufus Marshall Workman...how he met the mother of my great-grandmother etc.....how he had descended a well known family here in Kiribati (Gilbert group of Islands)

As you said, if you still have a photo of Charles, please send it to my email...I really appreciate having it. Maybe we could not have him as a real great-granddad but a photo would fill in that empty space in our family.

Thank you and I hope to hear from you as soon as possible Caro.

Hi Jo,

Thank you very much for your reply. I think I got the right person to ask to about the wareabout of Mr Charles Rufus Marshall Workman who worked in the Pacific and in Kiribati for specific as a Residence Commissioner during the colonial period (1910s)

I just want to know if Charles is survived with children and all about his relationship because in that way I may be able to track where I really come from and who are my blood relatives!

Charles was known in Kiribati as 'Tiareti' a local name given to him (which is the Kiribati prounounciation of Charles).

I have spent the last 6 years looking for families of Charles in England because I know that my great grandmother never had a chance to know them as promised by his father to the French priest (Fr Corbrett) who took care after her since her father left for the first world war in Europe.

Please let me know more about this strange lost long ancestor of mine.


Regards,

Lourdes

Thank you Geoff-E

I am happy for your information on Mr Workman. I wish his daughter still somewhere in England and survived with children.

Actually I am on the other side of the globe....lolz...do not know how to contact this family of Mr Workman. If could be offered more assistance on this matter, I would be very grateful.

Thank you very much again for your kind assistance and support on this research.


Regards,

Lourdes.