Harvey Thomson and Rachel Hall of Taranaki *COMPLETED*

[Thamesite2017]

Electoral rolls
1893 Harvey is living at STRATFORD and a butcher
1896 Harvey is at ELTHAM, a butcher, Rachel - household duties
Bye
Althea

[Thamesite2017]

There are also a stockman as well?
1893 a Harvey thomson who is a stockman at Otaki electorate, koputoroa Kereu

rate entry
THOMPSON  HARVEY  ELTHAM  1899/1900  -  -  1899/1900  SECS 4 & 5 BLK 10 NGAIRE 
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sooty/ratebook1894-1900-Q-Z.html

Would have thought name fairly unique..but maybe not
Bye
Althea

[seek10]

Thank you both for your information - it's great!

There is another Harvey Thomson/Thompson, who was from Invercargill and travelled up to Wanganui in 1871 to be the clerk to the resident magistrates court in Wanganui. I am yet to find out if he is connected to my Thomson family. I am still looking for Harvey's father, also named Harvey Thomson (born 1825), who I've lost track of after the death of his wife, Jessie Chalmers in Scotland. Going back another generation, his father (the original Harvey Thomson born in 1790) was an indigo planter in Java. An interesting family - other researchers had lost them in the mid 1850s - they never knew they travelled all the way to NZ. Would love to know what brought them out here - I wonder if they followed other family members?

[seek10]

I have come a little bit further in my research regarding Harvey Thomson/Thompson Snr (1835-?). I have just received a certificate (a marriage cert of one of Harvey Thomson Jnr sisters) that says that he was a clerk of the court. However, I still need some more information to confirm that he is in fact the father of my great great grandfather, and I cannot seem to locate a death date. I have information from PapersPast and online that state from 6 Nov 1865 Harvey Thomson Snr was employed as a Clerk, Resident Magistrate's Court in Wanganui, Registration and Returning Officer and Deputy Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Does anyone have any ideas of where to search next?

[Eyesee]

Not sure where you are in NZ, but the Alexandra Room at the Wanganui Library has an extensive card index of the Wanganui newspapers. BGound to be something in there about them.

Someone else may know if they will do lookups, or someone in Wanganui who is a member of RC may do it for you.

Ian C

[johnbarr]

Hi Catherine,

I can see there could be some confusion if there were in fact two Harvey Thomsons in NZ at the same time. 

From your comments, it would appear that is so....
I have information from PapersPast and online that state from 6 Nov 1865 Harvey Thomson Snr was employed as a Clerk etc
and from your first post
He came to NZ in 1868

A Harvey Thomson was mentioned in the NZ Gazette for 1870, on page 80.  It might help if you were to check that entry. Instructions for contact are here
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0aay/

John B

[johnbarr]

There is a Harvey Thomson, buried 9 Mar 1870 at Invercargill
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0agf/

I can not see this death at BDM under Thomson or Thompson, so might have been mis-transcribed.

Might be worth an enquiry to Invercargill to try and get more detail.

John B

[seek10]

The date of arrival in NZ was estimated from Harvey Thomson Jnr's death certificate - and we all know how reliable those details can be! His sisters' death certificates give an arrival date of 1869, so there is a little variation there - although I suppose they could have come out on different ships. I am yet to find their entry into NZ. I am dealing with a son and a father of the same name - with the father being the clerk and the son being the butcher/Eltham councillor... fun stuff! It's still possible that HT the clerk is not related - when I could find some info about his death it might help to confirm or deny this.

[seek10]

Hi John,

Yes - good idea, I will contact Invercargill. HT the clerk was charged with embezzlement in 1871 and acquitted on the 7 May 1872, so that would narrow down the options. Perhaps there are three Harvey Thomsons in NZ at that time!