Martha Stapleton

[Lucy2]

Mmm ... if the Harry STAPLETON who married Fanny WARD in Victoria 1886 is the former husband of Eliza WATKINS (married 1884), then what became of Eliza ?

Victorian Marriage records (the registry copies of same), contain some excellent information, amongst which is a section entitled "Condition of Parties".
If either or both, bride or groom are widowed, the date of decease of former spouse / spouses, is recorded.
Provision is also made in this section for recording the number of "Children of each former marriage", "Living and Dead".

[Using a credit card, you are able to make an immediate download from the PROV site of a registry copy of a Victorian B, D or M record ... the cost of which is roughly the same ($20 - odd), as a printout record here in NZ.  ]

   ~  Lu

[BegClonrode ....]

POST DELETED...talking rubbish as per usual :-)

Sorry

Regards
Beg

[Elan]

Hi Lucy
If Harry Stapleton marriage to Eliza Watkins was presumably annulled as she was a bigamist would there be any other info on his marriage to Fanny Ward in the PROV as he wasn't divorced or widowed and Fanny was 26 when she married Harry. Do you think its worth a shot.

[Lucy2]

Hi Elan

Ooops  ... had just been back over the court case details (Eliza suing Thomas Stapleton senior - 1885) when your message came in.

So sorry, the Victorian marriage cert will be of no help ... (if Harry and Eliza's marriage was deemed to be invalid, then of course Harry was free to legally wed Fanny.)

Have you got the death printout for Harry STAPLETON, d. 1922 yet ?

  ~  Lu 

[Elan]

Hi Lucy
Newbe has very kindly offered to look it up. Will let all know when I do. Exciting stuff! 

[Elan]

Hello All!

I have had to resort to purchasing Harry Stapleton and Eliza Watkins marriage cert.
Eliza was 21 when marrying, she came from Gloucester UK. Father - Henry, Mother Sarah Price. Henry's occupation is listed as a Collier. They married in Christchurch registery office 1 May 1884. Eliza must of been very young when she married the Mackenzie chap, as she was only 19 when she had Martha.

[jorose]

Yes, this fits with the newspaper record that says she was 15 in 1879, putting her birth around 1863/4.

freebmd.rootsweb.com shows a marriage in 1860 in Monmouth district for Henry Watkins and Sarah Price.
That would fit with this family in 1871 (think some of the place names are off)
RG10-2599 40/29
Dog Inn, East Dean, Gloucestershire:
Henry Watkins, 35, married, collier, b. Monmouth St. Briavells
Sarah, 30, wife. b. Gloster Pillowell
Mary Ann, 9, dau, b. Gloster Whitecroft
Eliza, 6, dau, b. Gloster Respage  (Ruspidge?)
Charles, 3, son, b. dit
Henry, 1, son, b. dit

Another daughter, Alice Watkins, aged 10, b. West Dean, is in the 1871 census with her Price grandparents:
George Price, 64, coal miner, b. West Dean
Eliza, wife, 53, b. Coleford Glos.
Charles, son, 14, coal miner, b. West Dean
Alice Watkins, grand-daughter, 10, b. West Dean
(+ lodgers)

By 1881, Alice is back with her parents, with the addition of a few younger siblings.
Mary Ann (9) and Eliza (6) from the 1871 census
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3BC-S6K

Eliza I think is possibly the 15 year old aboard the Hydaspes in 1878, arriving to NZ, listed as a domestic servant from Gloucestershire: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FSBK-5MX

There are some old messages out on the web about this family. This says Mary Ann married Moses Everett (and this marriage appears in 1878 in NZ)
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/fodmembers/index.php?mode=thread&id=15867

If this is right, then Martha had an aunt and a number of cousins also in NZ. Mary Ann's husband Moses died in 1913 in a work accident which puts them in Addington at the time.

[Elan]

Thankyou Jorose
I think I may have found Eliza married to a Frederick Read with other children and dying in 1928 in Gisbourne. There is a probate at Archives in Wellington so I will put a new post up asking some kind person to help. Hopefully if its the right Eliza there maybe a mention of Martha and her other Stapleton sibling. Cross fingers 

[Elan]

Hello Jorose
Have found on an ancestry site today a marriage cert for Eliza Watkins sister Mary Ann Watkins as you so rightly said marrying one Moses Everett - 14 Sept 1878 Waddington Methodist Church Malvern SI. Have to trust the informant he/she supplied on the marriage cert is correct. ( Given the era strong possibility may not) BUT !
IF So!!
Did Martha know her Aunt

Feel like I may be getting closer to this Cooke/Stapleton family!!