Henry John Morgan: London to Victoria to Christchurch

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
Just some stuff on the Fitzers
I think your right about the 1881 census entry.
The family look like there were baptised en-masse to John and Harriet Fitzer porter 42 Wellington St .
Jane Fitzer bapt 29.8.1869 Whitechapel born 8.10.1861
Henry born 18.11.1868
Rebeckah 5.3.1867
James 6.2.1869

Can't see a birth registration for Jane.

1871 census Wellington st
John Fitzer 42 sorter of foreign skins Bethnal Green
Harriet 39 Bethnal Green
Peter 16 wine gum maker
Harriet 12 nurse maid
Jane 8 Whitechapel
James 2
Catherine 1mth
On the 1861 census John  is a porter  at 8 Temple Terrace Whitechapel and Harriet a seamstress.
Children John 9,Peter 5,Harriet2 and Charles 10mths.
1881 15 Nicholas St Shoreditch children Arthur 7 and Lucinda 5

The couple married at St Leonrds Shoreditch 10.2.1851
John Fitzer cooper Hoxton Old town s of John Fitzer cooper
Harriet Whitehead  same d of John blacksmith
wit John and Lucinda Barker

Ciderdrinker

[Lucy2]

Cheers Ciderdrinker    ... yes I'd also come up with the baptism (1869) for Jane FITZER (d.o.b. - 8 October 1861).

Bit frustrating ... some records I'm finding give her as Jane Elizabeth ... and others as Elizabeth Jane.
She is referred to as Elizabeth MORGAN when giving evidence at the inquest into her husband's death in 1909.   

  ~  Lu

[jorose]

Page 13 of William Thomas Morgan's war record confirms dob as "3rd November 1882".
Page 24 says birthplace "London".
Page 38 repeats birthdate/place.

That should relate to a birth registered Dec quarter 1882.  But there is no birth for William Thomas (or Thomas William) Morgan or Fitzer in London.  It is likely that he didn't know his precise place of birth, only remembering that his family were "from London".  Perhaps he was born elsewhere.  Or perhaps the year was wrong. Or perhaps his birth was registered under a different name.

The entry into Victoria may be one of those that only lists "Mr and Mrs + children" - I cannot see an obvious entry for them.  Do we have confirmation that Caroline Maria and Henry Charles were born in England?

Caroline Maria seems to list herself as "Caroline Marie" in some records (birth of child, also death index).

Now the following seems interesting.  A coincidence, or did Henry John have a first wife? Can anyone trace the fate of this family?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N17X-65T
1886 - christening of Caroline Marie Morgan to Henry John Morgan and Caroline
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFLV-2JV
1887 - christening of Henry George Morgan to Henry John Morgan and Caroline Frances

[fe_nyx]

Wow! You are all amazing!! Thank you so much.
Once I have had some coffee and my brain is working properly, I will start going through the information you have provided. I really appreciate the effort, thank you

[fe_nyx]

"Star" (Chch) - 14 October 1913 - p. 5 - Husbands and Wives -- Mother's Maintenance

.... a more informative article (though Adeline is named as "Adelaide"):   ... Mother (not named) but age given as 51 years ... lawyer mentions she has 12 children.    Mother comments she has two children at home and two at St. Saviours ... then states she has (another) elder son*

[Note:  * "another elder son" ... just highlighting this now as I have more info for son William Thomas Morgan. ]
                                                                                                                   see next  >>
   ~  Lu

The comment that she has 12 children supports what I have found. I have 14 children in total, with 2 passing away in Victoria.
I wonder if the elder son mentioned in Henry Charles, I have a note that he was a horse trainer (The Press, 7 March 1916), so he could possibly have earned a decent wage to help support her.

"Elder son" could just mean older than those at home or older than Alfred. I've just started reading through the WW1 archived stuff for William Thomas. I think with the information on there and the newspaper articles, it seems very likely that he is the first son, if his date of birth as 1882 is accurate.

[fe_nyx]

From what I have found, they had (at least) 3 children born in the London area between 1881 and 1889.
1. "First Son" Morgan - who may have died before 1916 as he was not recorded on the obituary for his brother who died in 1916. I don't know his name, but the obituary for this brother states that he is the "second son" of Henry and Jane, so my assumption is that there was one born before him.

Hi again

Are you able to give a link to the obituary, please ?
[I did locate death and In Memoriam notices for Henry Charles (Charlie) MORGAN .. no mention by name of his siblings though ? ]
And there is the obituary in the "Grey River Argus" - 16 March 1916 - Personal -- which stated that his parents live at Sydenham and he leaves two brothers and two sisters   ... which doesn't exactly stack up ??   [Note:  *  Info given in obituaries is not always strictly correct. ]

   ~  Lu

Sorry, yes I meant memoriam, not obituary. No it doesn't mention any names, which is a shame.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19180306.2.2.4&srpos=2&e=-------10-CHP-1----0henry+john+morgan--

Interesting that the Grey River Argus article says his parents live in Sydenham, since his father had died in 1909. Henry was buried in Sydenham cemetery though, so I guess *technically* he is still in Sydenham...
Odd that it mentions only 2 brother and 2 sisters. Perhaps they were his favourites of the bunch? haha. Or maybe just those 4 living at home with their mother at the time of his death?

[fe_nyx]

Having read through the military records for William Thomas, I can see why he wasn't able to contribute to his mothers upkeep. It seems as though he had a congenital deformity - hemiplegia, which caused his left side to be weaker and smaller than his right. Its amazing, that in light of that, that he went to war at all, and was of all things, a rifleman! Service worsened the symptoms and he was discharged from duty. He went on to have outpatient appointments at the hospital for treatment of the limp he developed.
Further through the records, it again states his date and place of birth: 3 Nov 1882 London.

[Lucy2]

I'd also wondered about a previous "marriage" for Henry John MORGAN ??

It seems likely to have been this one  ?

St. John of Jerusalem, South Hackney
14 July 1884

Henry John MORGAN - 22 - bachelor - occ:  French Polisher - of 3 London Lane
Father:  Henry MORGAN - occ:  French polisher

Caroline Frances PHILLIPS - spinster - 22 - of 23 Bayford Street
Father:   Thomas PHILLIPS - wood turner

Witnesses:   Thomas PHILLIPS and Emma Elizabeth PHILLIPS
[Bride and groom both signed their names ].

  ~  Lu

[fe_nyx]

I'd also wondered about a previous "marriage" for Henry John MORGAN ??

It seems likely to have been this one  ?

St. John of Jerusalem, South Hackney
14 July 1884

Henry John MORGAN - 22 - bachelor - occ:  French Polisher - of 3 London Lane
Father:  Henry MORGAN - occ:  French polisher

Caroline Frances PHILLIPS - spinster - 22 - of 23 Bayford Street
Father:   Thomas PHILLIPS - wood turner

Witnesses:   Thomas PHILLIPS and Emma Elizabeth PHILLIPS
[Bride and groom both signed their names ].

  ~  Lu

This seems absolutely likely! See below:

Surname:    MORGAN
First name(s):    HENRY JOHN
Date of death:    Tuesday, 9 November 1909
Cemetery:    Sydenham
Date of burial:    Thursday, 11 November 1909
Block number:    10C
Plot number:    3
Age:    47
Address:    HAZELDEAN ROAD
Occupation:    POLISHER
Place of birth:    LONDON
Years in New Zealand:    unknown

Robert Briton Wilson   &   Caroline Maria  MORGAN  m.   8 December 1909  at St Michael's, Christchurch.
ages:  30 / 25;        occ: restaurant proprietor;        born:  both London;   
parents:  Byron & Mary Wilson,  nee READ,  farmer.
                    Henry John   & Elizabeth Jane Morgan,  nee FITZER,  french polisher.
witness:  herbert Painter,  Barbadoes st, Christchurch:   Charlotte Rait,  Worcester st, Christchurch: