Kennedy

[Colin K]

Hi Group.

Over the last few years I have been adding every "Kennedy" event in New Zealand onto one tree to try and see if I could build a descending line of Kennedy families back to the founding Settlers to show the origins of the name in New Zealand, A kind of DNA record . Currently I have around 8000 names, My current problem at the moment is 3 x "Murtagh Kennedy's" all from around the Rangiora area , I assume that with this name they or one or two of them originated from Scotland. Can anyone tell me  if they have researched this name and if so are they are linked by birth and or marriage. Any help would be appreciated.

Colin Kennedy

[Thamesite2017]

Do you also have the variant spelling Murteigh
http://www.genealogy.org.nz/FF_Search_31.aspx

this is listed in NZSG frst families: Murteigh and Nora Kennedy

Bye
althea

[Colin K]

Hi Althea

Yes I do, as Mutagh Leonard Kennedy. But I am fairly certain that the NZSG transcriber has misread the "A" as "EI" as other records show the spelling as Murt"a"gh,
Of interest the wife Nora you mentioned is also spelt in 2 differnet ways  on various documents, I am reasonably sure  the correct spelling is Norah and her maiden name is Casserley. Thank you for the super quick responce, it certainly prompted me to do a quick recheck of my notes and files on this couple
Thanks again
Colin

[Canterburynorth]

Hi Colin,

I have come across these Kennedys whilst researching mine in the same area.
Murtagh (1) d.3/1917 age 76 (Catholic) Sometimes known as Murtie, wife Rachel McClean, family John, Murtie Leonard  wife Norah Casserley dau Thomas & Mary nee Connell, and Margaret.

Their son John was born in Belfast c 1860.

Murgtagh   d.6/8/1922 age 67 (Catholic) (2) Son of Henry, wife Catherine Joyce   dau of Thomas and Bridget.

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hello Colin,

May I please ask a general question about your research :-)

I'm fairly new to genealogy and was unaware that NZ had a group of people thought of as founding Settlers. Is this similar to the "First Fleet" of Australia. Or the "Founding Fathers" in the US. Or is it less specific - e.g a general timeframe such as 1769 to 1840

Absolutely rapt if a KENNEDY was involved in a founding group as I'm a direct descendant, although my lot didn't arrive in NZ until 1880.

And am absolutely staggered at the amount of work involved in cataloguing 8000 people. Pre-1900 I may have found and researched about fifty of my family. Pre-1800, the grand total of a dozen definitely possibles and one possibly definite.

And the one possibly definite is a KENNEDY :-)

All the best
Beg

[Thamesite2017]

Hi Beg
In the auckland Old Colonists register there is: (online Akld Lib)
Samuel Kennedy born 1864 NZ, parents Samuel and Margaret arrived 1862

John Kennedy born 1866, parents William and Robina arrived 1863
and brother Charles Kennedy b 1862 Glasgow

More details in register
Bye
Althea

[Colin K]

Hi Leandra:

Many many thanks, for the information: It will help me re-allocate 2 children that I had  placed in the incorrect marriage.  Thanks again.

Colin

[Colin K]

Hi Beg:

Firstly, being new, welcome to family history:

In answer to your questions I guess a better term of phrase would have been the First of each Kennedy family to settle in New Zealand: In a way they foundered the Kennedy name here in New Zealand. probably a better term could also have been "Colonists"

Yes just over  8000 Kennedy NZ BDM events and I still have a tea chest to go through of info collected over the last twenty or so years  whilst researching my Mums maiden name and having put all those little slips of paper with the "found" information away for a rainy day: The rainy day arrived a year ago and so rather than dropping dead and having someone come in and burn the lot I decided to put the lot onto one family tree  and have fun linking all the events back to the original families more to have a record of Country of Origin of the various families, be it Scotland, Ireland, Australia or other Country, It keeps the mind active and hopefully will allow other Kennedy researchers to add to and use in the future: ( and of course, correct any errors )

Of Interest, I have found new Kennedy arrivals to New Zealand as late as  1910 being described as "Settlers" so New Zealand is still in a way very young in terms of European settlement family history. 

The DNA Term was meant to mean a chance to trace current Kennedy's back to those first family Events and from there to provide the  Link or DNA back to Country of Origin. Hope that all makes sense

Trust this answers your questions

Kind Regards
Colin

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hello Colin,

Thanks very much for the welcome :-)

And thanks very much for the explanation of what you've been doing.

Grandmothers and sucking eggs spring to mind but whatever you do make sure your efforts survive you. Have you considered organising your information on-line. Or at least uploading your efforts as you go.

WikiTree seems the most "honest" of the collaborative websites. It's reasonably straight-forward to use. And it will save you duplicating the efforts of others by suggesting possible links into your tree. The website says there are about 5000 KENNEDYs listed on the WikiTree (but they mostly seem US-based to me).

But best of all the WikiTree will still be here, in one form or another, long after you and I are just memories.

The usual caveats apply when dealing with the efforts of others but there's no harm in having a look. If you want you can start your own branch of the tree and keep it private. No-one else can see it unless you invite them in. A good area in which to experiment.

It's free to browse the WikiTree but to start adding to it you need an invite. If you're interested let me know and I'll send you one.

All the best
Beg