hankins

[dalek39]

chillis.........I too thank you very much for your effort in what you are doing for us..you have gone beyond the bounds..and..everyone else who have been such a help.. that is so much appreciated...Like Glamis, I am quite a distance away and would dearly love to be there to help...but, unfortunately,  that is not to be...so...if there is anything I can do this end within my power, I will do.
Re the Hankins.. (they will be forever remembered, not only by Glamis and I ) but by the ones who have worked on the records, helping us....   Apart from a few little loose ends to clear up, I think we can let them "rest in peace"....
I look forward to hearing from you again, and others, and will open a new thread on another branch of the family............

[Glamis]

Ditto, I am so sad that this has come to an end- rightfully though but it also impacts with my 'Lieut.Col. James Dalrymple' thread in the Scotland branch. We have a few ends still to tie up but for the main part we've answered my Mum's questions re: her childhood whispers and apart from that we have given Agnes Weymss Hankins nee Dalrymple a position which I strongly feel she may have felt she didn't have. She sounds as though she was actaully quite sad at times from my Mum's memories of her. Certainly she was austere-all the children referred to her as 'Mater' which has a distance to it and MUms aid she never hugged etc, they didn't dare as Grandchildren but they did their Grandfather J H Hankins who my MUm said was a 'sweetie'.Thank you all. I too have another branch or two now to look at through my Father's side but I do know a 2nd cousin and a sister-in-law have also done a fair bit on them. I just don't know what they have though.

[dalek39]

Chillis..Little Nell...
I have just recieved confirmation on Hannah Maria Hankins death burial..It states...........
I can confirm that Hannah Maria Hankins is buried in the Hokitika Cemetry, her interred date is 17/01/1873, she died at the age of 44 years.
Also buried in the same grave is James Merritt, he was interred on the 12/01/1873...
I can also tell you there is no headstone on the grave.
 You can check our website www.westland.govt.nz  and go to the cemetry and you will find the entry.

From the Community Liason Officer.
Westland District Council.
Hokitika   NZ.

[Glamis]

Oh, well found except who is Mr Merritt?

[dalek39]

That is the million dollar question...Who ?? I have emailed the cemetry to see if they know any details..Bit strange she was buried with him...five days apart...leaves a lot of questions ...
I have found a death notice in papers Past..on the28th May, at Stafford Street, Hokitika, James Merritt, late of Fox's Creek, Storekeeper, aged 40 ....and...a Coroner's Inquest, held the day before at the Oddfellows Hotel, Revell Street before a Dr. Maunsell on the body of merritt, who died the previous day... There was a comment by his wife Ann Merritt..stating he was seeing a Dr.for a drinking problem.
There seems to be an inconsistency here re dates, but would be strange for there to be two James Merrits living at Hokitika at the same time...but it does happen...
He was 41..buried 12/01/1873...Hannah Maria hankins..44..buried, same plot..17/01/1873..

[Glamis]

MMm, very strange. If they died within a week of one another it does suggest some possible event. It is intriguing. There has to be something reported prior to the burials. Keep going Dalek39.

[KirstyG]

The notice of that James Merritt's funeral is in the paper dated 30th May 1873, for the following Friday.

I don't think he would have been buried several months before he died, so maybe they made a mistake on the cemetery index.

The cemetery details indicate that James Merritt was 41 years of age and denomination was Anglican. In the same plot (2509) was Hannah Maria Hankins, aged 44, denomination Roman Catholic.

They each seem to be the only people with their respective surnames in that cemetery.

The fact that Hannah Maria was buried so soon after James Merritt may indicate that they opened one plot at a time, and as there was space the next burial simply went there also. There was apparently no religious separation in this burial ground as has been seen in others.

I know these seem to be conflicting statements.


We need more information or it's just guesswork.

Kirsty

[Glamis]

Yes, that's sensible KirstyG- Is this a public grave or a private one for instance?

[dalek39]

Kirsty G / Glamis
                          I have already written off to the cemetry to see if they have any records, or other information why this happened....I am onto a very nice lady who so far has been very helpful, so cross the fingers I get her again,,,,will keep you posted..( pardon the pun)