Maybe you should ask me specific questions if I can help. Here's a start - Charles Frederick and Hugh Leatham Black were married to the two Hickson sisters in a double wedding in 1855 in Auckland. The Hicksons family are a 'Fencible' family - there is plenty on the web re the Fencibles. The Fencibles were retired soldiers who were recruited to come to NZ to defend Auckland from the Maori in the early days. Captain John Annesley Hickson was in charge of a troops coming to NZ in 1848. He had a large family and was the father of the two sisters (Mary Louisa and Frances Elizabeth). His wife was Elizabeth Pleasant (nee) Williams.
What I found interesting is that Elizabeth and Dr Black's wife Charlotte were actually cousins. All of them came from what is now Northern Ireland. In those days there was a very small 'pool' of suitable people for these middle class families to marry into - so not surprising that these four were married.
Miss Florence Black was a music teacher of some renown - she was the daughter of Hugh and Mary, never married. Here is an article about her: If you google Wanganui Music Socieity you will probably find it with a photo.
Black, Miss F. E., Teacher of the Piano and Singing and the Theory of Music, The Oaks, River Bank, Wanganui. Miss Black was born in Melbourne at the residence of her grandfather, Dr. Thomas Black, of Cintra, St. Kilda, and accompanied her parents to Auckland while still an infant. She was a pupil of Mr. J. H. Beale while in Auckland, and subsequently in Wellington of Mr. J. A. Edwards, who was at one time conductor and choirmaster of All Saints' Church, St. Kilda, Melbourne, which was reputed to have the best choir in the Australian colonies. Miss Black was pianist to the Choral Society of Wellington, of which Mr. Elwards was conductor. Miss Black studied singing and voice-production under Signor Carmini Morley, and subsequently returned to Auckland, where she was a pupil of Mr. Angelo Forrest, one of the best pianists in the Colony. For ten years Miss Black taught music in the Girls' High School in Wellington, Mr. Parker and herself being the first teachers appointed to give musical instruction in that school. During her residence in Wellington, Miss Black taught at St. Mary's Convent for four or five years. While resident in Auckland she taught at the Girls' High School. She has resided in Wanganui since 1893, and during the year 1894 was one of the teachers at the Boys' Collegiate School. Sh is one of the appointed teachers on the staff of the Girls' College. Miss Black has been very successful in training pupils for the Trinity College examination, and has a large connection.
I was very kindly sent a huge quantity of material from a lady in NZ who has researched the Hickson family tree also.
Fun to find out we are related!
