VIC - Marriage(s) -Look up please

[Kea]

No  one else  has  got onto  this thread which  is such  a  shame as  it is very very  interesting.

Hi there,

I have been following this thread because I noticed the Christchurch link and that's where I live. What a fascinating family and great detective work from all of you!
I have got so caught up that I visited the Sydenham Cemetery today and tried to find the plots for Anni Morinini and John Richings. Alas - no luck. Possibly there were never any headstones erected but many of the graves are overgrown and the headstones have fallen over. I also had trouble reading the map!! But I had a good look.

Lu - if there's anything else I can do to help from the Christchurch end, let me know.

Kind regards,

Stephanie

[JAP]

OK, more thoughts.

My understanding is that it was common for marriages to be regarded as effectively non-existent after the absence of one party for 7 years - especially when they were living at opposite ends of the world.  Certainly Sarah Ann (BLIZARD) RICHINGS formally re-married in 1875 and started a new family - long before the death of John/Thomas.  I wonder whether John/Thomas knew about this!  It would be interesting to see Sarah Ann's second marriage cert - did she portray herself as a widow or did she have John/Thomas officially declared dead!

John/Thomas RICHINGS left England say 1864.  He might have gone first to Victoria, met up with Annie (HEASMAN) MORININI there, and then they bolted off to NZ to escape the wrathful husband Alexander MORININI - who proceeded to chase them (perhaps with his and Annie's baby daughter) but sadly went on the ill-fated General Grant.
But perhaps not ...

Who knows!  I have a "bolter" in my family - she really took some finding.  She left her husband and little child in Melbourne VIC, and took off with a chap who was on the run from the Navy.  Their path can be traced by births of children (registered under various names) - from Melbourne VIC to Brisbane QLD, then back to South Melbourne VIC, then to Balmain and Paddington and Randwick in NSW.  She died in Sydney NSW in 1903 aged 38; the informant was the Navy deserter but the only marriage and child listed on the dc is that with the original husband - the 5 children she'd had with the Navy deserter obviously didn't exist!

Good idea about a will for Alexander MORININI - but how to find ...

I'd really like to be able to trace backwards from the first documented appearances in NZ as RICHINGS of each of the dramatis personae who have been seen officially with that name - at present, I think that would be John/Thomas backwards from 1881 (Dunedin bankruptcy), Thomas backwards from 1896 (first marriage), Lily backwards from ?? (date of marriage), and James backwards from 1818 (date of enlistment).

Cheers,

JAP
PS: Stephanie, what a great effort going searching for the headstones 
I have a Great Grandfather buried (according to his death certificate) in Avonside Cemetery in 1878.  But there would be no question of a headstone!  He'd undoubtedly be in a public grave - he was a labourer who died at the age of 29 leaving his wife with 6 children under 10 and another one on the way ...

[tropicalj]

Hello  there

Stephanie - what a  lovely  person  you are to  have gone and checked the cemetery  for Lu,  oh  Well done  indeed.

My  own  gggf was a bolter  left a  wife and two  children  behind  in  Durham  Came  to  Oz married  the same  year he got  here,  fathered another 12 children  6 in Victoria  and 6 in NSW. His  wife Mary Ann had to wait  the seven  years  and then  remarried  she died  not  long after  the second  marriage  poor girl.  The  family  stories tell of a  lovely  hard working  family  man!  God  if  they ever knew  the truth,  his  second wife was a staunch catholic  to  boot.

Regards Jenn

[Lucy2]

Hi  All   

Just to let you know that I haven't gone "missing in action"  !

Many thanks for the recent messages - will get back shortly on those.

Electoral details seem of utmost importance right now  ...  I'm headed to the library to "trawl through the 'fiche" - ("gone fiche-ing" ) !

As always, so VERY appreciative of all your help, expertise and ongoing interest and support.

Back a.s.a.p

Kind regards

Lu     

[Kea]

Hi Lu and co.

I have just found John Richings in BLENHEIM in 1870!! 

If you do a search on Papers Past for John Richings, there is an article from the Nelson Examiner and NZ Chronicle of 16 March 1870 regarding a court case - John Richings vs Monroe Brothers! John, butcher of Blenheim was accused of embezzlement. Apparently the accounts he kept were very loose and he didn't weigh the animals properly!
There is also a small snippet from the Otago Witness of 1881 regarding his insolvency.
He does sound like a dodgy character.

Link to Papers Past coming up...

Regards,
Stephanie

[Kea]

Here's the link ...

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast

 

[Lucy2]

Hi   JAP        In response to post # 57

Many thanks.   Convoluted family indeed !

*   John / Thomas RICHINGS:
(Explanation - some of the "John" info I have, came via an experienced researcher in Blenheim area as "trade" for me supplying her details on our common ancestors.   She searched local records for Richings births / deaths - she only found "John Richings - at Wairau Electorate (Blenheim area) 1875" :   (At this stage I was looking for "THOMAS").
New info found today:
1874-75   Wairau Electorate   (there are TWO listing for John)
(#406)   RICHINGS :  John - Lower Wairau, Household*,
- house on Section 36 :
(#407)   RICHINGS:   John  - Blenheim, Household,
- house on Section 21,  Wynen ?  Road,
1875-76    Wairau Elect.
RICHINGS:   John - Lower Wairau, Household
- Omaka - house on Section 26 :
(Nothing found earlier than this in Wairau.  *Household - refers to voting qualification - other qual's. were "Leasehold and Freehold" - "residential" may be rented accommodation?)
Circa 1880 :  Possibly in Dunedin ?  Have NOT YET located John / Thomas in this area - maybe his was a rural address - there are a lot of "electorates" which need searching.  (Frustrating) !

*    Lily RICHINGS :

Married : Francis COATES - 19 April 1901 - at Registry Office, Christchurch, she aged 27 (Francis - 40) :  [ NOTE:   Their "supposed" firstborn, Ivy Elizabeth - my unknown grandmother - appears to have been born 1899 !   There is a birth registered in that same name and year - I have cert. - it is the WRONG person !  Grrr !   Extensive search done under different names - nothing !  Another un-registered birth, I suspect ] !
ITM notice shows Lily was resident in Christchurch - 9 years (c. 1892).
Death of Lily COATES (Richings) : 16 September 1917 at age 43 (this age also in her death notice) :

*   Thomas RICHINGS (junior) :
Marriage - at Registry Office, Christchurch - 9 June 1896.
Thomas - (24) - butcher - born Blenheim - usual address Christchurch.   Parents:  Thomas Richings, butcher and Annie,  nee Heasman.     Married, Margaretta Fairbrass (she seems to have been known mostly as "Margaret") .
Divorce :   Thomas was the Petitioner.  Grounds - desertion (by M.)  27 February 1906.     Decree (not sure if this was Nisi or Absolute date) ?  - 3 April 1911.
Thomas Richings did NOT re-marry.
WILL POST electorate details after this - there's something "fishy" about them.

*  James RICHINGS:      1918 Army enlistment (address at Balclutha given - I can't find James on E/Roll ).
Yes,  Francis COATES ... definitely from Raffrey.

Phew !

Cheers

Lu     

[JAP]

Lu,

I'll have to think through all this information.

But can't you imagine them all perched up on your local clouds cackling madly - but perhaps a bit uncertainly as you close in on them 

JAP

[Lucy2]

Hi   JAP  

.....  continues  - Electoral details :

1890    Halswell Electorate (rural Christchurch)

RICHINGS:   Thomas - butcher - Wilderness Road *
- residential voting qualification.
* Wilderness Road is a source of annoyance to me - I found TWO - one is in Southland (ie far South Island), the other is in Kaikoura - roughly 1/2 way between Blenheim and Christchurch ?   (Based on all this new John / Thomas info - 1890 is too early to be Thomas junior if he was born 1872 - I'm pretty sure 21 was voting age) ?

1896     Christchurch Electorate

RICHINGS:   Thomas - labourer - Spencer Street - Addington
(Thomas, junior and wife Margaret are shown at this address
in 1900).

1896   (ALSO) !   Riccarton Electorate (Suburban Ch. Ch.)

RICHINGS:    Thomas - Jacksons Lane - Papanui -
- butcher and dealer - residential qualification.

I suspect from this info, that John Richings also used the name "Thomas"  when registering to vote ?
What do you think ?

Cheers   -   Lu