McGrath Family New Zealand

[sandy feet]

Hello All, Just recieved the two birth certs for Margaret Anne and Peter Stephen. It would appear that these people are brother and sister. I have attached both certs and it does confirm the McCloy/ Turner connections to Margaret Jane McGrath. It also lists her birth place in england but am finding it difficult to read. I have attached both docs. Maybe someone has a suggestion? This should help with tracing her back further.

Regards Sandy

[Lucy2]

Hi Sandy

... great.   

Looks to me like Margaret McGRATH (nee TURNER) was born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, ENG.
Will see what further info I can find.

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Hello Family Researchers of Peter McGrath,
I too have been searching for Peter McGrath (my second great grandfather) born 1838 in Waterford Ireland.
A few things come to light after reading your posts.

5. I have Peter leaving Wellington and arriving in Australia, on his own, aboard the Wakatipu, on 22 March 1878 - which fits with your posts re leaving NZ following bankruptcy solo.

Hi Julie  ... have just been reading back over this thread and noticed I should have offered (earlier) a correction to the above :   

Certainly there is a person named Peter McGRATH who travelled from Wellington NZ to Sydney by the "Wakatipu" in March 1878 (actual date on ship's manifest is 21 March 1878) however that doesn't "fit with any of the posts" made in this thread. 

Peter McGRATH was declared bankrupt in 1884 - and testimony in his Court case, states he departed Wellington NZ on or about 1 March 1884* per the ship "Hauroto" destined for Sydney.

Edited to add:  *  Refer "Evening Post" (Wellington) - 17 September 1884 - Magistrate's Court -- Peter M'GRATH's case.

  ~  Lu

[Juliannet]

Hi Lu,

Thank you, you are indeed correct. Our posts have come along-way since my first posts! At that point I was still unconvinced that "my Peter McGrath" was the road contractor. It's a very apt time to say thank you to both you and Sandy for all the hours of research that has got us to this point.

Warm Regards
Julie

[Juliannet]

I have ordered the marriage certificate of Maurice and Frances. I'm hoping to find more about Maurice's Mum, Margaret Turner.

[Lucy2]

Hi Julie ... yes we certainly have made some progress recently thanks to the info you supplied.
Lots more digging to be done though.        I do so love these searches which are shrouded in mystery.   This McGRATH case has some strong parallels with one of my own families > my  Australian-born gg/grandmother left a husband and babe in her wake and fled to the West Coast in 1865, later moving to Christchurch.  Had it not been for an extremely dedicated (smallish) group of RootsChatters who embraced my search, I doubt her story, (riddled with myriad scandalous goings-on of a whole family both here and in Oz), would ever have been uncovered. 

As you will have learnt already, finding some of our families, doesn't always come easy.  I'm an advocate of getting "my hands" on as many official documents as possible - though at times the likes of B, M and D certs can prove disappointing (and misleading) - in the general scheme of things, they usually (eventually) assist in building a bigger picture.    And of course there are a wealth of other resources which we can tap into.   But it really is a matter of just chipping away;   gathering all manner of information;  the process of elimination ;  working on hunches and theories, thinking "outside the square", etc.  .... then attempting to put the "jigsaw" together.
Here's hoping we can continue on this roll.   

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

.... However I have found police records regarding Peter Stephen McGrath (Jnr) at the age of ten in Sydney. He was arrested for break, enter & steal on 31st October 1888. Police report says Mother Margaret was widowed living on £2 a week with her son and daughter.
The report also states there are FOUR (4) other children in the family, three working and one in a convent.

You will locate Peter Stephen McGrath in the (Ancestry)
New South Wales Australia Entrance Books for The Vernon and The Sobraon 1867-1911. Book VIII. 339 pg 429
Ref; 2094

Additional information in
Book VI. 429 pg 339

Also see (Trove)
NSW Police Gazette 1854-1930, Jan 1894 pg 14 (bottom left hand corner)

You made a really good find with the above information, Julie.   Well done.   

Comment:     Whilst the police records only give the name as "Peter McGRATH", and the date of birth shown, is incorrect*,  I think we can now safely assume that this is the child Peter Stephen McGRATH who was born at Rangiora, NZ.   [His mother is mentioned as "Margaret" - she was a widow with 5 children as at October 1888 / it provides confirmation Peter was born in New Zealand :   This tallies with info shown in the birth and death certs. obtained and the knowledge that a McGRATH child (Thomas) had died in 1885.]

[*  NZ Birth printout provided by Sandy - confirms that Peter Stephen McGRATH was born at Rangiora on 8 April 1877.   The NSW Police Gazette summary gives his birthdate as March 1878.  ] I wouldn't be too worried about an incorrect d.o.b. - many parents with large families often got these confused.    NZ school records are testament to this.   

  ~  Lu
 

[Lucy2]

This is a link to Rookwood (I have found 3 Margaret McGraths) I have found one NSW BDM death for a Margaret J McGrath from Redfern and a few TROVE death/funeral notices.
http://search.catholiccemeteries.org.au/default.aspx (This is from Rookwood)
   Surname   GivenNames   Age   ServiceDate   Location   Type
Select   Mc Grath   Peter   46   17/06/1885   SEC*M1*CC**464   Burial
Select   Mc Grath   Margaret J   Unk   01/03/1908   SEC*M2*C**362   Burial
Select   Mc Grath   Margaret   Unk   22/06/1887   SEC*M1*F**35   Burial

Select   Mc Grath   Margaret   65   24/12/1900   SEC*M1*4**1099   Burial ->->-> (3 yrs older than Margaret might be) Address is 46 Bay St Glebe (However mother of Patrick) yet this address fits with a police Gazette :-/

From BDM NSW
Registration Number   Family Name   Given Name(s)   Father's Given Name(s)   Mother's Given Name(s)   District   PDF Availability   
3036/1908   MCGRATH   MARGARET J   DENIS J   ANNIE   REDFERN   Unavailable

Hi Julie ... pretty sure we can eliminate all of these Margarets. 

1.   The first one > Margaret J. McGRATH -- died 1908 > appears to have been the infant daughter of Annie M. and Denis J. McGRATH  (born in 1907) -- and is also the same as the one you've given the NSW BMD death reference for.  [She shares a plot with her maternal grandmother, Margaret YAW and another daughter of Annie M and Dennis J. McGRATH. ]

2.    Margaret McGRATH - no age - d. 22 June 1887 - shares a plot with Margaret COKER (d. 1943) who appears to have been her daughter (d/o of Margaret and Martin).   A memorial inscription (including COKER name) reads "Margaret McGRATH, 21 June 1887, erected by her children."  [Also noting that 1887 is too early - Margaret, the mother of Peter S. McGRATH was apparently still alive in October of 1888. ]

3.  (Highlighted in red) :  This Margaret McGRATH - 65 - d. 24/12/1900 is buried with a John CROWLEY (. 1872 - aged 21 year 8 months - s/o Margaret and John).  Cemetery record states memorial to John CROWLEY, erected by his mother (whom I assume is the Margaret McGRATH in same plot ? )   Funeral notices (6 January 1872) show that John CROWLEY - late residence 74 Campbell Parade -  had a stepfather named Denis McGRATH and a brother-in-law named Thomas EVANS.

  ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

 (This is from Rookwood)
   Surname   GivenNames   Age   ServiceDate   Location   Type

Select   Mc Grath   Margaret   65   24/12/1900   SEC*M1*4**1099   Burial ->->-> (3 yrs older than Margaret might be) Address is 46 Bay St Glebe (However mother of Patrick) yet this address fits with a police Gazette :-/

Hi Julie

Could you please just explain re above Margaret

*   Where you found the Bay Street address - and its significance to the Police Gazette (how it fits) ?

*   How you know that this Margaret had a son named Patrick ?

  Thanks   
       ~  Lu