Charles Hatter man of mystery

[dragonlady403]

Good day to you all.  I have been told on good authority that there are "... some very clever people on this site who are willing to share their knowledge and expertise".  So I come pleading for help: 

I have spent the past few months researching a specific branch of our tree.  Due to a fair bit of active subterfuge on the part of some of my ancestors - it has taken this long to even identify who my great grandfather was!  While I have located a couple of potentials, nothing has been concrete enough for me to feel confident in the information. The reality is, we know very little about him despite all our efforts.

Charles Hatter was born in England (his probate docs say in Oxford but I am not convinced this is correct).  Based on his stated age at death i.e. 78 in 1925, his dob should be around 1847.  We know he was an ag labourer, we know he was in New Zealand by 1876 because he married Janet Ainslie Messer in Otago, New Zealand. I have a fair bit of information on him whilst in NZ, but have been unable to figure out how he got there, when, why, or where he came from.

There is a Charles Hatter in the Devizes Wiltshire area, who had a brother Henry (recently I located a probate reference to an Alfred Henry Hatter in NZ but have been unable to find probate records for him.. another work in progress).  The Wilts family seems plausible (aside from the Oxford ref in Charles' probate docs), but I think there are too many inconsistencies to be confident in it.

I have spent countless hours scanning ship passenger lists for all NZ harbours, but to no avail.

If anyone could assist me in figuring out how Charles ended up in NZ, where he came from I would be MOST grateful!! Thanks in advance for any assistance/guidance provided.

[supermoussi]

There only seem to be 2 Charles Hatter births registered at about the right time:-

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

The Devizes one matches the date pretty much spot on.

Note that where someone was born and where their birth was registered, are not necessarily the same thing. A mother might give birth to a child while living with her mother and then move somewhere slightly different before registering the birth. Devizes is only 30 miles from Oxfordshire so it is possible that the Chas Hatter registered in Devizes was born in Oxon.

re. Immigration records they only really start in the late 1800s. Someone more knowledgeable may know the exact dates.

[trish1120]

Welcome to Rootschat.

So there is no extra info on his NZ Marriage or Death Certs?

Trish

[KGarrad]

Note that where someone was born and where their birth was registered, are not necessarily the same thing. A mother might give birth to a child while living with her mother and then move somewhere slightly different before registering the birth. Devizes is only 30 miles from Oxfordshire so it is possible that the Chas Hatter registered in Devizes was born in Oxon.

Sorry! That's completely wrong!

A birth MUST be registered in the Registration District in which the birth took place.
If a birth is registered in a different district, then details are sent to the correct district, so that the records are correct.

[lizdb]

Agree with KGarrad, registration will be place where the child was born.

Here is the Wiltshire one, on 1851

Westbrook Green, Bromham, Wiltshire
Edmond 28  farmer 2 acres
Elizabeth 28
Charles 2
Henry 7 mths   all bn Bromham
Abigail Pearce 14 visitor bn Heddington

Next door
John Hatter 46  ag lab
Jane 32
Jane 1      all bn Bromham

Bromham is in Devizes Reg District


Quite probable if he emigrated fairly young,  and was probably uneducated, he never knew what county Bromham was in!
By the time probate was dealt with ( I believe that is where you said Oxfordshire was mentioned) presumably he was dead, and whoever filled it in may have just known what he had spoken of, coming from that general part of England, and guessed Oxfordshire.

[lizdb]

Likely death for his dad

Oct/Nov/Dec 1857
Devizes 5a 59
Edmund Hatter

And a possible for Mum

Jul/Aug/Sep 1859
Devizes 5a 60
Elizabeth Hatter

No ages given at death, so death cert or burial entry in PRs would be needed to confirm if this is them.

So maybe, if orphaned by age of 10, that may have prompted his decision to emigrate. Who knows.

[lizdb]

In 1861, John and Jane Hatter (the neighbours from 1851) are still ag labs in the village of Bromham, but now have alarge family of their own, and dont appear to have taken Charles and Henry in.

Also in the village are a William and Winford Hatter, also an ag lab, with a largefamily.

Cant see ( yet) where Charles and Henry are in 1861

[lizdb]

Looks as if Henry stays in tbe area

Death
Ap/may/jun 1906
Devizes ref 5a 55
Henry Hatter age 55 

Probate index entry
Henry Hatter of
Horsepool, Bromham, Wiltshire, army pensioner, died 9 May 1906 probate to Jane, widow.


(No nearer, yet,  discovering if this is the right family,  but nothing (yet) to rule it out!)

[lizdb]

Aha, think I have found the orphaned Charles and Henry in 1861

RG 9  1292  120 20

Bromham, Wiltshire
William Cottle 31 ag lab bn Melksham
Mary 32 wife bn Stockley
Charles Hatter 12 relative bn Westbrook
Henry Hatter 11 relative bn Westbrook
Mary Hatter 3 relative bn Westbrook

Looks like they had a little sister, bn after 1851 census but before parents died.