McGrath Family New Zealand

[Lucy2]

Hi Sandy ... welcome back. 

I can't of course say conclusively why Margaret might have changed her middle name - perhaps though it may have been to distinguish herself from someone of the same name;  or (as sometimes happened), people modified their names slightly (or even completely) so as not to be easily traced.
Names changes though were a reasonably common occurrence.  It wasn't deemed to be a criminal offence, and all that was required was that a person be able to prove that "that was the name they were commonly known as".  (Apparently that is still acceptable today.)    Some of course went to the trouble of changing names officially by deed poll, but that was an expensive exercise, out of the reach of many.

Now I need to scroll back to beginning of this thread to check on something  ... so will continue this in my next post.   >

   ~   Lu

[Lucy2]

Hi Sandy

Earlier in this search we'd steered you the way of a baptism for a Margaret McGRATH (bapt. 22 March 1974) which seemed a distinct possibility, given at that time we only had a name for the mother and there were no births with a father named "Vincent".  That child though was ultimately eliminated.

Next on my list of "possibles" was the child "Margaret Anne McGRATH" - birth registered in 1875 - parents, Margaret Jane and Peter McGRATH.
Have been able to determine from the NZ online Birth Index (where it's possible by "tinkering" with dates, to arrive at the birthdate recorded on the birth registration), that this Margaret Anne was born on "21 March 1875".   That date is of course a year and a day from that calculated on her death cert. ... and it seems that she was more likely to have been 26 years (rather than 25) when she married in 1901.  [Again, not all that unusual to find on official records that people have "forgotten" their current age ... or that for some reason they've "tinkered" with their exact age, raising or lowering it to suit circumstances. ]

I've since checked records at the library, to find that the birth of this "Margaret Anne McGRATH - 1875" - was registered at Christchurch.    ["Rangiora" was a registration district also at that time but the Registrar's office at Christchurch is not too distant and it may have suited the person registering the birth, to lodge it at Christchurch ?    Incidentally, in 1877, Peter Stephen McGRATH's birth was registered at Rangiora.]

Refer next post for additional info.   >

[Lucy2]

Hi Sandy

If you wish to purchase the birth record for "Margaret Anne McGRATH - 1875" from NZ BDM, I've added the reference number here.    We always recommend that you obtain the "pintout" copy of the registration (as opposed to the actual certificate) as it tends to offer more information (and happily is less expensive - $20 odd NZ. )

NZ BDM reference

1875 / 9758- McGRATH - Margaret Anne - Parents:  Margaret Jane and Peter MCGRATH

NOTE:   Unfortunately an 1875 NZ Birth record will only give you the following information.
Name of child / date and place of birth / Father's name and occupation / Mother's name and maiden name / name and, sometimes the address, of the person registering the birth / date and place of registration.    However, from the year 1876*, further info is included - e.g.  the places of birth of the parents / their ages / and the place and date of their marriage.

re:   (Mother) Margaret / Margaret Jane McGRATH (alias TURNER etc.  )

I'm picking it's going to be a mission of sorts to find further for this woman.      To date we have a variety of names ... with the only indication of her birth year so far coming from the 1866 NZ marriage - Matilda McCoy / Peter McGRATH when she was apparently aged 30 (born c. 1836).

It seems likely that the Peter Stephen MCGRATH who died in Sydney in 1946 (s/o of a Margaret and Peter) is possibly the chap of same name born at Rangiora NZ in 1877.
Just a suggestion ... but by purchasing his NZ birth record "printout"  also, you would get the additional information relating to parents (as explained above *) ... which in turn may assist with tracking (mother) Margaret.   

1877 / 4578 - McGRATH - Peter Stephen - Parents:   Margaret and Peter

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Sandy, the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, Baptism Index, also has the following entries :
[I seem to remember copies of these cost only about $NZ 5.00 ? ]

No.  2716 - McGRATH - Margaret Ann - baptised 3 April 1875 - Place:  Cathedral
Parish ID - 18
[Though second name missing the "e", I think this is probably Margaret Anne McGRATH given her birthdate and this baptism just a week or so later ?]

No. 3112 - McGRATH - Peter Stephen - baptised 13 May 1877 - Place:  Cathedral
Parish ID - 18

   ~  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.
The report goes on to say the mother was of doubtful character as she had been arrested by the police previously......

Hi Julie

Could you let us have the source of the above police record, please ?  [From your Reply # 60 ]

[I have found later reports re: a Peter McGRATH (bc 1878) at Boggabri, via the NSW Police Gazette entries (ex Ancestry) ... just can't locate, (and I've also tried the newspapers), the above report which mentions his mother Margaret ]

Thanks. 
    ~  Lu

[clancam37]

Hi,  Not sure who's searching here.  Have you tried the site "Papers Past" an excellent NZ site for early newspaper searches.  Also Ancestry.com has NZ Electoral Rolls.
Regards
clancam37

Hi Sandy

If you wish to purchase the birth record for "Margaret Anne McGRATH - 1875" from NZ BDM, I've added the reference number here.    We always recommend that you obtain the "pintout" copy of the registration (as opposed to the actual certificate) as it tends to offer more information (and happily is less expensive - $20 odd NZ. )

NZ BDM reference

1875 / 9758- McGRATH - Margaret Anne - Parents:  Margaret Jane and Peter MCGRATH

NOTE:   Unfortunately an 1875 NZ Birth record will only give you the following information.
Name of child / date and place of birth / Father's name and occupation / Mother's name and maiden name / name and, sometimes the address, of the person registering the birth / date and place of registration.    However, from the year 1876*, further info is included - e.g.  the places of birth of the parents / their ages / and the place and date of their marriage.

re:   (Mother) Margaret / Margaret Jane McGRATH (alias TURNER etc.  )

I'm picking it's going to be a mission of sorts to find further for this woman.      To date we have a variety of names ... with the only indication of her birth year so far coming from the 1866 NZ marriage - Matilda McCoy / Peter McGRATH when she was apparently aged 30 (born c. 1836).

It seems likely that the Peter Stephen MCGRATH who died in Sydney in 1946 (s/o of a Margaret and Peter) is possibly the chap of same name born at Rangiora NZ in 1877.
Just a suggestion ... but by purchasing his NZ birth record "printout"  also, you would get the additional information relating to parents (as explained above *) ... which in turn may assist with tracking (mother) Margaret.   

1877 / 4578 - McGRATH - Peter Stephen - Parents:   Margaret and Peter

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Hi Sandy and Julie

Before I post further info here, just wanted to advise that it has been sourced using the following variations of the surname :

McGRATH    /    MAGRATH   /   MGRATH - which often appears in search results as M'GRATH 

The name McGRATH is often also pronounced as "McGRAW" (though I haven't found anything for this family under that spelling. )

Where possible in following posts, I will give the name as it has been written in the particular source - to save having to explain the variations in spelling.   

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Hi clancam37

Thanks for your post. 

Sandy feet (Sandy) and Juliannet (Julie) are the persons researching this McGRATH family.

I am in New Zealand and have a handle on the very many resources which are available here (and also to some extent, those available in Australia ... and via Ancestry etc. )

This thread has recently "sprung to life" again with new information provided by Julie which offers the hope that progress can at last be made.           I had contributed to the earlier searching by Sandy at which time I'd made copious notes (thankfully retained) ... though not all that information had been conveyed in this thread.    I'm about to start adding that now.   

   Cheers
        ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

From NSW Police Gazettes [Source:  Ancestry ]

Publication Date :   15 April 1885   [Excerpt from article. ]

McGRATH - Peter ... warrant issued by Redfern Bench for arrest of Peter McGRATH, charged with unlawfully deserting his wife Margaret, leaving her without means of support.
McGRATH is 35* years of age, 5 feet, 9 or ten inches high, stout build, round shoulders, dark hair, dark brown beard, whiskers and moustache.   A contractor.

[Note:   Obviously the age given is somewhat incorrect (maybe it was guessed at ? )   The police information here though ties in with a newspaper report of the Court hearing published in  > "Evening News" (NSW) - 18 April 1885.   In that Peter McGRATH is shown as a "road contractor" ... and his sons give testimony in the Courtroom. ]   
Refer next post for additional details    >>