Elizabeth Jane Breach & Yruth Nordstrum

[Nanafos]

Sorry, I forgot to say the Heath children were sent to live with Anne in 1874. I've just found some more of my papers & letters were written to Anne (you know of her) & to her sisters Mary & Grace (not sure whose sisters) Other relations that wrote to Anne enquiring after Lizzie were Fanny Butcher, Mary Forman, Mary Glover, Grace Lodge Fanny Marshall & Fanny Stretch.  There are 3 of Lizzie's letters in the book titled "The Lives of Pioneer Women in NZ, selected by Sarah Ell"
Nanafos

[Barrie Green]

Hello Nanafos,
Thank you for contacting me per the Ovenden family. I recently found the Probate for a Douglas Richard W Ovenden in Dunedin, Engineer in 1923 and was toying with the idea of sending for it. Now I certainly will. Do you know anything about him? The Will may disclose his family etc.

Lizzie always yearned for a proper education for him once the other children had left. I have probably found him in the 1891 English census at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, Lancs. where he is a boarder and his occupation is ' Student  of Electricity and Physics. Then alarm bells started ringing in my memory for also in that same Eastern Toxteth part of Liverpool is the household of Oliver Joseph Lodge, (later Sir - England's most notable physical Scientist). In the Lodge household is Edith Heath 21y b. N Z, living on own means. OJL's wife, Mary F A nee Marshall  is the daughter of Mary, a sister of Lizzie Batten/Ovenden/Heath/Breach. She was also widowed early and had this small daughter and family tinkering got her married to a much older Tompkinson. So they must have taken over the 'looking after' of the chn after Charlotte Anne Heath died in 1884. Douglas is on the 1901 Census in Hornsey Mdx London, a boarder and Electrical Journeyman. He must have come back to NZ.

Yes, I have recently purchased copies all the 105 pages of the letters from the Heaths having read about them in 'The Old Kaipara" by Byrne. I have also been in contact with a Canadian descendant of Edith Harriett Heath who had been told that Lizzie found Rev Breach very difficult to live with and went to her daughter in Canada.Will continue in another frame.

[Barrie Green]

I feel Douglas was born in Aberdeen, Scotland as a brother of Lizzie's, Abraham Batten was still there before returning to London. He had married an Isabella Machray and all their chn were born there. This could be the 'Isa' referred to in some letters. Rich. Ovenden died in 2 Feb 1866 and Douglas wasn't b. till 16 August 1866. Just think, she went thru' 2 births as a widow! Family looked after family then!
Lizzie was left 100 pounds when Charlotte Anne died in 1884 and she may have used that for her passage to Canada when Douglas was independent. The 2 chn got 3000 and 4000 pounds each in the Will.
Charles Heath's sister Mary married a Richard Forman whose son Arthur later was a teacher at Repton School Derbyshire. At that time Geoffrey Francis Fisher came to teach there also,and married Rosamond Chevallier Forman their daughter. He later was the Archbishop of Canterbury and probably that is how the letters, thankfully, were given to NZ House. Grace was a sister of Chas Heath and she married Oliver Lodge, Father of Sir OJ Lodge. Mary is probably Lizzie's sister Mary Tompkinson or Mary Forman Chas. sister. Fanny is Chas sister Frances Stretch wife of Rev. John Stretch, Bishop of Newcastle Aust, later at Maldon, Melbourne.
Yruth died of pancreatic cancer, her 1st husband d. of the 1918 flu. Would love any bits of the Ovenden family.
Thnks for making the contact   Faith Green

[Nanafos]

Thanks for that -- I've been trying to find out if Lizzie's husb Rich Ovenden is my rellie, He suppossedly went to India under the name Francis Batte(a)n, so I think that alone put's him in the family but of course that was prior to 1860.
Anyway I have Douglas' birth & marriage certs, don't know how to get them to you though, please tell me. I also have Richard & Elizabeth's marr cert.
Nanafos

[Nanafos]

Oops didn't answer your questions - Yes Douglas was born in Aberdeen 16/08/1866, he married Annie Meekin age 32 & I don't think there were any children as I've not located any. Can't find Douglas' resting place either & was holding off sending for the death cert until I could/can confirm wheter or not he's on my tree. He died in Dunedin, NZ, his wife died before him & is buried at the Southern Cemetery, Dunedin, death 20 July 1930 the surname is spelt Overden if you're looking it up.
Douglas is also on the 1901 census with the Mayer's in Hornsey, Mdx RG13/1238, Folio 36, pg 17 he's listed as a boarder & only as Douglas Ovenden.
He's also on the ship "Fifeshire" as a greaser (crew) to Sydney NSW, 25 Nov 1895, he was also on the ship "Buteshire" arr. Sydney 22 Oct 1900.
Nanafos

[Barrie Green]

Thanks Nanafos - I have RW Ovenden's Death Certificate and here are the details.
reg. Hendon, Mdx. d, 2 Feb. 1886 at Devonshire Place, Childs Hill, 29yrs, Clerk to the Works of Sewerage,cause of  death-Rupture of blood vessels, 21 days, general decay and consumption.E.J. Ovenden present at death, her res - Devonshire Place, Childs Hill, Hendon. Reg. 5 Feb. 1866. Joseph Howse, Registrar.
I was going to send for the Birth Cert thru' Scotlandspeople. Perhaps you could send me th details like I have done? Saves extra work. I also have the Marriage Cert. Of EJ & RW.
I have checked today on Annie and Douglas Ovenden's Probates. They each left a Will and both Probates are held at the Dunedin Archives. I will email them tomorrow to see if I can purchase them and have them sent to me. Then I can pass them on to you if they will do this. Can't find DRW's burial either.
Thanks for the Daily Southern Cross Heath details - I'll work through those in the morning. I have been meaning to do that for some time and it slipped my mind. I had a Marriage of Rev. Moses Breach to Hannah Taylor, 8 Dec 1859 Chittoe, Wiltshire, Eng. That will be her.
Thanks for your help - Faith Green

[Nanafos]

Many thanks Faith, really great, I've sent a "request" to Practical Family about Richard William O, I feel he's the one in the family but would like proof of course before adding Lizzie & family. I'm 2 hrs up the road from you in the sunny bay, not at the moment though. The Ovenden name has been hard to decipher for the transcribers etc which makes life interesting.
I have a typewritten copy of a letter Joseph sent to Francis in which he describes Richard's joining the army but I've not seen the original so don't know if it's been transcribed correctly.
Nanafos

[Nanafos]

Oops, forgot DRW Ovenden born 16 Aug 1866 at 4.40am, 21 Adelphi Court, Aberdeen. Father: Richard William O, Civil Engineer, (deceased) & Elizabeth Jane O nee Batten, Uncle Batten was the Informant the occupier & present.
Nanafos

[Nanafos]

Here's a bit more for you - Edith Honor (sic) Ellis died 2 May 1964, Victoria, BC checked BC BDM's, Honor Jessie Simmons died 4 Dec 1987 age 79 at Dawson Creek.
Birth Notice, The Times, England Monday Aug 3, 1914, pg 1, reads: Ellis. - On the 30th July, at 16 Elmgrove-road, Gorleston, Suffolk, to Mr & Mrs Griffith D Ellis (nee Edith Heath) a son (Douglas Owen). (Winnipeg papers, please copy).
Nanafos