On finding the real EDWARD ASHWIN!

[Emhab]

Hi Kate
Had 6 for dinner tonight, so it's late & I'll get right to it, as I have visitors tomorrow. Hope Sydney goes well for you.
Firstly the 2 deaths: Ashwin - On 5th March 1903 at Armagh St West, Helen Ashwin in her 82nd Year.
Deaths dated 10th Aug 1910. - Ashwin - on 5th instance, at her residence. Stoneyhurst St, St Albans, Marian Ashwin, aged 87yrs. Private interment.
Another birth:- Ashwin - On 21st April 1869 at the Limes, to wife of Mr R Ashwin, a son. (Manley John)
Then, under the title of "MANSLAUGHTER" in large letters, this story was printed on 4th Sep 1906.
" Ten Years Imprisonment." Wanganui, September 3rd.
"At the Supreme Court this morning, Leonard Ashwin who was found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the death of a boarder staying at the boarding house run by him, and which he set on fire, was sentenced by the Chief Justice to ten years hard labour. The charge or arson against him was held over." 
Sounds as if commiting arson may have run in the family a bit as his mother & brother were put through the courts on arson charges in 1879. I have that article too - quite a lengthy one - and it makes very interesting reading. Actually, the early family spent quite a bit of their time in court over various things - often unpaid debts. Mind you, with all those children to raise money must have been extremely tight for Martin & Emma.
It is getting late now, so I am off to bed.
Kind regards
Marie

[whiteKat]

Hello Marie,
Goodness it is now Wednesday and I said I would reply Sunday. However I have had, unexpectedly some very busy days since then and haven't been able to reply - and I am going out again now 11.30 am today. This evening I will have time to give proper thought to your post - again I was delighted with your post. Thank you - I haven't forgotten.
Regards
Kate

[whiteKat]

Hello Marie,
Home again and here I am. On your instigation I too found Esther Alexandra's birth notice in an old paper -  thank you sincerely - previously I have had no birth date for her only the year - so I was greatly pleased. And like you I could find no birth registration either for her!

My husband like you works in our local Gosford family History Society - you give wonderful contribution. Genealogy gets into one's blood somehow. Both my husband and I are very avid researchers of our ancestors - it is amazing what one can find find! We spent time in England recently and made pilgrim to many of the areas our ancestors trod and said hello to others under the ground. There is a certain satisfaction in finding ancestors gravestones - there is a sense of belonging! We also visited many Record Offices - they are amazing places!

I do have a lot of the information you mention  - I have scoured Paper's Past and come up with some amazing things on the Ashwin family - including the manslaughter charges concerning Leonard Ashwin and the burning down of the boarding house he owned.

I have also discovered much on Martin Richard, Emma and Edward Martin and their troubles involving suspected arson, and much on bankruptcy. I think Martin Richard and Emma Priscilla did it tough but I wonder at the choices they made sometimes - however times must have been tough in those days - and one should not judge I suppose.

I am not sure however if I have information on the deaths of Marion and Helen - Martin's sisters-  so would be very grateful for that information. The Ashwins seemed to have been endowed with strong genes because the majority of them lived to a ripe old age.

Now if there is anything I can help you with in regard to the Ashwins or Wheelers, and indeed the Copsons -I would be more than happy to help. I have some information on them. Have you been able to go very far back with any of the  families?

It is lovely talking to you.

Kind regards
kate

[Emhab]

Hi Kate,
I know what you mean about busy days - was flat out at work on Monday & never got to do a thing for my own research, but have started adding data I've downloaded earlier off sites at work to my MBK family tree, and noted that Charles Avery Ashwin had two wives. First was Ella Clifton Dunne, who he wed in 1903. They had 3 children, Joseph Avery 1904, Effie Clarice 1906, and Marjorie Ola 1909, taking us up to the cut off date for searching births. Ella died in 1918, aged 36yrs. Charles Svery remarried in 1920 to Linda Geraldine Wright.
Leonard Thomas Ashwin had married Emma Muir in 1893, and probably had a family by the time he was jailed in 1906, although I cannot see registrations for children for them on my list. One wonders how Emma would have coped, as there were no social security benefits of any description back then.

I would love any info you can give me on the Copsons, Wheelers etc. I do have some, but not a lot, so anything I can add will be most welcome. Do you know if anyone has old photos of any of the family who came to NZ?? Carl had nothing, as his Dad died so young that nothing much was passed down.
You commented on Grannie Eva Tasmania Lindberg's name - yes, it is a strange one isn't it. And yes, it was either Grannie or her Mum who was born in Hobart, hence the Tasmania link, though they went to Fiji & owned the first white man's store (according to Carl) before finally settling in NZ where Grannie married D'arcy Durham Ashwin  in 1905.
Am running out of room here, so will sign off till next time
Kind regards
Marie

[Emhab]

Hi Kate
I meant to say in my last note that what I wrote in the previous note about Marion & Helen's deaths was all there was on them - very brief notices, with no mention of who put the notice in the paper, or any family members - quite unusual.
Here are a few more Ashwin marriages & children born before 1912 that you may not have.

Martin Edward Ashwin m Alice Allan in 1892, and there are only two registered births before he died in 1902, Daisy Ashwin born 1897 and Allan Ashwin born 1899. Allan went on to marry Hazel Robina Mary Anderson in 1928.

Manley John Ashwin married Clara Elizabeth Foy in 1894, and their children in no particular order are: Rita Lois born 1907, Bernard Carl born 1896, Iris Hazel born 1900, Eric Kenneth Manley born 1895, Noel Martin born 1904,Doris Ida born 1902, Raymond nelson born 1897 & Edna Mavis born 1909.Bernard Carl went on to marry Rachel Robinson Turnbull CKA Bennett in 1926.

Henry Duncan Ashwin married Elizabeth Grace Grant in 1906 & their children are Elsie Vera born 1906 & Edgar William born 1908.

Theodore Craven Ashwin married Robina Campbell Miles in 1876 & their children are Craven Campbell born 1877 ( Robina is known as Minnie), Catherine Mary born 1879 & Norman born 1881. The family then vanish no deaths for either parent - must have moved/emigrated somewhere...

Must away - my favourite TV program is starting... talk soon
Marie

[whiteKat]

Hello Marie,

Sorry to take so long in getting back to you. we have had an extremely busy week and currently over this weekend my daughter and son in law are staying. So Monday looks good for replying to you properly.

Again thank you so much for your additional information.

Do you know much at all about the Wheelers so I know what information may be helpful?

Kind regards
Kate

[Emhab]

Hi Kate
Like you, we've had visitors for 2 days - so limited research this week. The William Horace Durham Ashwin many claim as part of Martin & Emma's family is definitely NOT their son. He was born in 1868 to Elizabeth & William Charles Durham Ashwin, reg: 1868/13408. William Charles Durham Ashwin was born in J-S 1/4 1840 in Evesham,Worcestershire so could well be a relative somewhere along the line. Durham seems to have been a popular second name in many branches of the Ashwin family back then.

The child many seem to leave off the tree who IS Martin & Emmas son is James Ernest who was born in 1873 Reg: 1873/17554. He died in 1875 aged 3yrs. Reg: 1875/459.
People seem to have Lily on their tree as Lily Jane, but her birth (V6d p18) & marriage((1886/563)have her registered as Lily Fiddian Ashwin.

I've noticed comments about how few Ashwin names there are in NZ phone books etc. Not surprising when one takes into account that in Martin & Emmas big family, only 7of them  were sons, and 3 of those either died young (2), or had no children ( Leonard Thomas). Of the 4 who did marry, Theodore Craven had 5 sons from 2 marriages, 1 of the 2 boys from his NZ marriage dying young. Then he died at 39yrs in 1893 in South Australia leaving a wife & 3 sons there, one of whom later married in NZ!!  Manley John 's marriage produced 4 sons, 1 dying young, and at least one other ending up in Qld. Charles Avery had 1 son who died when 45yrs old, and Darcy Durham had 1 son, and that's it.  So in one generation, the family was reduced down to six grandsons who could carry on the family name.  Of the 7 sons in Martin & Emmas family Theodore Craven, Martin Edward,Darcy Durham, James Ernest & Cecil Stanley all died young, the oldest being Martin Edward at 43yrs, while the girls seemed to mostly live to a ripe old age!!  Strange what genetics can show up.

There is mention of 3 of Martin & Emmas children dying young - James Ernest, and Clara Chapmen were 2 and Marian Emma died at 18yrs. Did Martin mention in his letters which children the 3 were??

Have had a bit of luck filling in the gap on my tree around Jane Ratcliff's details. She married William Stuart Kearne ( Born in England) and had 2 children, Florence Effie, born 12th Oct 1886, and John Stuart born 28th Sep 1888, both born at Riverside, California. Jane is a widow by the 1900 census. In all later census records, Jane is living with her daughter and her family, though when John Stuart was drafted for military service, he was partially supporting Jane from his earnings as a bookkeeper. Jane died at Riverside California  in 1956.

Have not had time to do much more - oh yes - my knowledge of the Wheeler family apart from Elizabeth & her parents being Richard & Sarah?  is nil.

Is what I am putting on here any use to you?? Please let me know if it is data you already have, as you are an old hand with the Ashwins while I have been covering all 8 families in my late husband's pedigree chart, and am only starting to really focus on one family at a time.

Hope you have a great weekend with your family
Kind regards
Marie

[Emhab]

Hi Kate
I have answered one of my own questions - Sarah Elizabeth was the other child of Martin & Emma who died young. She died in the same 1/4 of 1862 that she was born in.

Also found a bit more about Jane Ratcliffe Ashwin. She did return to NZ after she married - twice. I have found shipping details of her 2 voyages from NZ back to USA. The first was with the 2 children in 1903 on board the Ventura, and the second trip was in 1926 when she was 60yrs old. Evidently both ships returned to the USA via Honolulu, hence the records showing up.
Her husband William Stuart Kearne was actually born in Oakland, Adelaide, South Australia, in 1855, but by 1861 he was in England with relatives, and in 1871 at boarding school in Kent - hence the assumption he was English as shown on some of his records.

The one Ashwin child I am having trouble finding records for after the family emigrated to NZ is their 2nd child Helen - do you have any data on her at all??

Talk soon
Kind regards
Marie

[zepher]

Hi,
I have a little more information on Helen Ashwin, she was also known as Ellen and quite prominent in Christchurch with her school for young ladies. 
Miss Ellen Ashwin opened a private school called Hagley House at the cnr of Armagh St. & Park Tce in 1864.
It was later sold to (date unknown) Mrs John Crosbie and her sister Adele Fruchs and called Montflueri School for young ladies.
This building was subsequently sold to Sir and Lady Wigram who later sold it to Christs College.
The site has now been developed into luxury townhouses and the coach house converted into garages. 
I am uncertain what happened to the buildings during the Christchurch earthquakes.

I have also this extract:
Little Akaloa, Charlton and Menzies Bay school centennial:
1862-1962 souvenir booklet
The first school in the area was that of Mrs Carter with her cottage Dames school. Another was the private school run by M.Ashwin and his sisters, but unfortunately all the records on these have been lost.