Parents of Florence HENRY born Shorncliffe England @ 1875

[rach2413]

Thank you ALL for your contributions. At present, I am discounting the Maidstone born family, but I've saved the info. in case !  Thank you CB53 firstly for defining where Shorncliffe & Elham are! Comments : I can't find the girl's births in New Zealand. I have tried to find a death for Valentine Micheal HENRY as i'm guessing he died as an infant but no joy so far. I found a possible R.C. baptism for him in Lancashire (mainly in Latin!) & birth 8 July 1862. I don't know about the Father's name but the Mother is Maria. I haven't found the parent's deaths or resting place either - they are not in the greater Wellington area. However he may have gained a fencible land grant, so I will look in the Auckland area tomorrow & do some more searching. I will check for the girl's births in Australia since the Shorncliffe record says they had returned from Sydney. Tomorrow I will look for James'birth. It's not all as clear as YET!! but thanks for the interest & help esp. CB53 !! I am definitely going to have to get that marriage certificate for Florence in due course. Again thank you all for leads thus far ! rach

[Christine53]

Valentine Henry died in Wanganui in 1887. You can read about it here :

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=WC18870502.2.19&srpos=27&e=-------10--21----2valentine+henry--

Other articles on the same website refer to his having served previously in NZ and his appointment as local drill instructor in the Militia after settling there.

You mention not finding the girls' births in New Zealand. They would most likely have been recorded by the Army Chaplain and not as births of New Zealand nationals - I gave you the birth for Edith Mary in one of my earlier posts. With all the moving about some may not have been registered at all , of course.

All very interesting . I think you will need that marriage certificate to confirm , or the Elham birth certificate for Florence  but that would be more difficult for you. Good luck and do let us know what you discover .

Christine

[Christine53]

I found a possible R.C. baptism for him in Lancashire (mainly in Latin!) & birth 8 July 1862. I don't know about the Father's name but the Mother is Maria.

I think you must be referring to the baptism of Michael Henry 8 Jul 1862 in Liverpool , parents Patritu Henry and Maria Mullen. Patritu is Patrick. I don't think this is Valentine Michael - he was born in Portsmouth , right at the other end of the country.

[Christine53]

I think Valentine Michael may have gone to New Zealand before the rest  of the family :

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSYV-1TT

This Valentine is the right age and gives birthplace Hants , ie Hampshire - his birthplace on census being Portsmouth , Hampshire.

Also from the Victoria Police Gazette 1888 :

Valentine Michael Henry , late of Wanganui , was telegraph operator but went to sea , wanted at home where his mother is dangerously ill. 23 Mar 1888

[Christine53]

I've found Valentine Henry junior in the Liverpool Asylum for the Infirm and Destitute in Liverpool, NSW, Australia :

Valentine Henry 33 RC , single , miner admitted 22.12.96. discharged 18.5.97., Notes : no friends, no means;
family mentioned : sister Edith Hill , Wellington; sister Florence Henry Wellington; parents Valentine Henry, soldier, and mother Maria Kelly.

Note there is a word under the heading 'how discharged' which may say Disc(for discharged) , but it could be Died - not sure .

[Top-of-the-hill]

    Shorncliffe camp was probably in the Elham registration district - Folkestone certainly was.

[rach2413]

Thanks heaps CB53 - from the Police gazette clue, I found her (Maria's death) on 3 April 1888 - no clue whether son heard in time. As you suggested, once i had the Wanganui lead, I found quite a bit more about Valentine. I wouldn't have known that Hants was Hampshire either! Thank you!

 Thank you too, Top of the Hill - your guess has proved correct !

I've got plenty more to go on with - thanks again !!