Ada Rosina Colquhoun (nee Bishop) Joseph Colquhoun Andrew Colquhoun

[Gaye Colquhoun]

So here's a new very confusing twist in the Colquhoun saga....My brother has contacted the record keeper at Rhossdhu in Dumbarton, Luss, Scotland who has confirmed that a Joseph Colquhoun was born 10 June 1873, and has verbally confirmed that he (the record keeper) has records that connects this Joseph COlquhoun with Adalaide Bowyer and also Ida Bowyer and Donald Colquhoun. We have know email or paper copy of this. I'm very confused, how can the be 2 people, from 2 different countries both be married to my Grandmother? How can we verify which one is actually our Grandfather?

[BushInn1746]

My grandfather  Joseph Colquhoun born in Belfast between 1875-1878. Was married to Ada Rosina Bishop 7th June 1900. His parents are listed as Andrew Colquhoun and Annie Colquhoun nee Smith. His second marriage was to Ada Bowyer in 1921. His second marriage certificate states he was born in Dublin. He was never divorced. His death cerificate shows he was born in Dublin and died at age 89 in 1963. We doubt he was born in Dublin as he enlisted in WW1 as a Protestant Soldier. His ashes are buried in the Protestant returned soldiers section of Waikamete cemetery so it's unlikely that he was a Catholic from Dublin. I have also been told he was born in Dumbarton,  County Luss Scotland. My father and uncle were adamant he was Scottish and my brother remembers him having a Scottish accent. I am wondering if there were 2 Joseph Colquhouns in Auckland at that time and seeek clarity on this matter. Both his marriage certificates and death certificate show different ages and places of birth. It is believed that he may have arrived in New Zealand with his parents as my father spoke of Aunts and Uncles living in Auckland when he was growing up and I have made contact with one of their offspring. I also remember visiting 2 of his cousins who lived in Selwyn Street Onehunga - Betty Lewis (nee Colhoun) and Ina Collins (nee Colhoun) whose mother's name was Jess. They changed the spelling of their name to Colhoun. Ada Rosina Colquhoun was buried in Mangere Lawn Cemetery in 1964. Joseph and Ada had 5 children. Leonard Robert Colhoun born 1900, Reginald Percy born 1902, John Colhoun born 1903, Myrtle Ivy Colhoun born 1904 and Ethel Gladys born 1907. Their last known address was Emma St, Mt Eden in 1916.

Hello

It seems you have conflicting information and doubts as to who your Grandfather is, then you need to look at your known family first? See what is recorded on your Father's Death (if deceased), Marriage and Birth Certificates?

When people ask me about tracing family history and have a conflict of possibles, I always say start off with seeing or obtaining the Full Certificates of all your known family, the known family (now deceased) and that they all actually relate to each other.

My Dad told me his Father's first name (killed when my Dad was a boy in WW 2), I couldn't find an Index match, so I got Dad to get his original Birth Certificate out and my Grandfather also had two middle names!

We traced our family addresses in a City and across two Counties 1900 to 1980, to make sure we knew who all my deceased family were, where they lived and were linked to each other, to known addresses and addresses discovered on Certificates and RAF records. When they disapeared in one address on an Electoral Register, they would appear in another (a double check).

Mark

[Gaye Colquhoun]

Thanks for all you're advice and infromation. Unfortunately all my grandfathers children have passed away and there's only the grandchildren left. We have the Irish Joseph Colquhoun's birth, immigration, marriage and death certificates. But my brother is adamant he was from Scotland and has come up with this other guy. I remember my Father and his brother being adamant their Father was for Scotland. Why would they say that if he was Irish? They weren't the sort of people to joke about such matters. I have no recollection of my Grandfather as he died 6 months before I was born. I'm getting it in 1 ear from my brother thet we're Scottish and in other ear from my cousin that we're Irish. It would be nice to be able to shut 1 of them up.

[BushInn1746]

There are Scots in Ireland and vice versa (Irish born, living in Scotland).

[BushInn1746]

Hello

"They changed the spelling of their name to Colhoun."

Why?

I don't need to know, but you definitely do, when tracing your family history. Why has part of your known family changed their surname spelling? Was it deliberate and why?

When this occurred in my family, the person who changed his surname at Marriage to my Great Aunt (on my Mother's side) did so because my Mother's family born back in the 19th Century didn't want my Great Aunt to marry an Irishman and my Mother was honest enough to tell me about the history.

When my Gt. Aunt went into a Nursing Home, a 1930s Reference to him from his Commanding Officer of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was found (now part of our family papers) which confirm his Birth name was a known Irish surname and my Mother has also confirmed that was his surname.

Are there any Brothers and Sisters to the family member claimed to be born Ireland and are their Certificates and any other documentation, any help?

If any were in the Armed Services, what do their Military Records say? Or are there any other documents, like Wills? Or Immigration Files, closed documents like Census, you can obtain from your government?

Mark

[wivenhoe]

Death certificate for Joseph COLQUHOUN, died 1963....what does it have for years in the colony?