John Loughlin, Ponui Island, Thames *COMPLETED*

[Janette]

it probably does Althea,
With the Laughlin instead of Loughlin and
he gave his address as Riverhead ,I wonder if there are other Laughlin's in the Riverhead cemetery

[Lin Up a Tree]

Well what a wonderous lot of contributions Janette has made to unravelling this story - how much does she rock!

Re: "W"/ question of being the right person --

A google search for the phrase "claimed to be widowed" turns up many examples where separated/divorced spouses claim to be widowed rather than publicly admit the reality. (This story also came up in that search, fascinating: http://scheelgenealogy.blogspot.com/)

Assuming that there was no clerical error & that John was in his right mind & provided his own details on the Hospital admission record, it's possible that he could well have chosen deliberately to state that he was widowed in the same manner.

That gives a lot more weight to the original theory that he had left the family, whether out of desperation or not, doesn't it..?


I wonder if Eliza Jane also claimed to be widowed before her husband's death?

Speaking of whom, I also came across some explanations as to how she may have ended up being property owner; apparently as of 1884, the Married Women's Property Act enabled married women to own property in their own right: so that ties in with her first appearing on the Burgess Roll in 1887.

The interesting related pages I read are:
http://www.mwa.govt.nz/women-in-nz/timeline/1800.html
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/husband-and-wife/1
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/family-homes/1
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/divorce-and-separation/1

[Lin Up a Tree]

Re: spelling variations --

I think the surname is simply just spelled either way over the years. In the NZ BDM index alone, the deaths, for example, of wife Eliza Jane (1904) and son David John (1919) are recorded as LOUGHLIN. However, the deaths of son Samuel Jamieson (1931) & dau-in-law Anne Lilias Munro (1932) are both recorded as LAUGHLIN.

LOUGHLIN is the spelling recorded for the marriages of most of the children, except for Samuel (LAUGHLIN), Eliza (also LAUGHLIN) and David (LONGHLIN).

The same variations (along with the odd other) are seen throughout most other records too.

[Janette]

There are no other Laughlin/Loughlin deaths prior to John's death in 1892 apart form a John Loughlin in 1865

[lindynz]

And I think that 1865 death was in Otago. The only other John Loughlin of that era I have found was also in Otago, and is almost certainly not our John. So unless he left the country, or went missing and was never found this would have to be him - and I would have thought there would be some record if he had done either of those things.

I agree with Lin about the spelling, after realising that sometimes the name was spelt with an "a" numerous examples showed up from the same family.

I think he probably just wanted a clean break, perhaps it was easier to tell people he was widowed - it would have saved the shame (not to mention paperwork) of a divorce.

[kiwihalfpint]

I agree with Lin about the spelling, after realising that sometimes the name was spelt with an "a" numerous examples showed up from the same family.

Have to agree ...... I have one with Laughlin as a first name in my tree, and every piece of information I found it was either spelt with an "a" or an "o".

Do you know what his middle name was?   John


Cheers
KHP

[lindynz]

Some people seem to think his name might be David John Loughlin, same as his son. They also say he was the only child of a second marriage, but I don't know if there is any truth to that.

[thamesboy]

David John Loughlin (Laughlin) is one of my ancestors, I am descended thru Agnes.  We always had it that he died at City Missionary, under the name John Laughlin, which could explain why the connection took so long to make.  He born about 1820, Comber, Ireland, m. Eliza Jane Adams.  She was born ABT 9 Oct 1822, Ballyboley, Down, and she died 29 July 1904.  Family historians state David John died "before 1904", but until quite recently he was just "walked away", so possibly they wrote him off.  I do have a rcord from a family member that says "he as the only child of his father's second marriage, but I have never been able to locate his parents, and spent several weeks in Ireland trying to do just that

[thamesboy]

From the Loughlin Family Tree", compiled December 1984, I have that "there are several references to John Loughlin in the log of the cutter "Midnight".  He travelled to Ponui Island on August 9, to begin work for Mr. Chamberlain.  Isabella followed him on August 23, and Sarah on 8 September, 1865".  John's wife, Eliza Jane (nee Adams), arrived in Auckland pn the "Chile", tpgether with children Mary, Agnes, Eliza Jane, Samuel and David on 4 December 1866, and followed John to Ponui Island on 10 December 1866.  In 1869 they moved to the Thames area, and in 1901 settled at Whakatete Bay on the Thames Coast where descendants of John and Eliza still live.
  I have a sketch of the homestead somewhere, it is long gone, but I have visited the site.  Descendants do still live there, and there is even a 100 yar old rose bush, named after one of my great aunts. Have photos somewhere.  Agnes Loughlin McCormick was my great grandmother, and there is information on the family available thru The Treasury, online cemetery websites, etc., plus I have "stuff".