William Henry Catt in New Zealand

[garden genie]

Yes, I like the look of that one mckha. So he had lost two wives and the latest child in fairly quick succession - no wonder he decided to make a fresh start abroad. He probably intended to send for the children once he had got sufficiently established but it took some time.
Edit -Thinking about it a bit more that leaves an even narrower window for travel out, and sheds doubt on the electoral roll in reply 3.
Valcharlie - I don't know why my note says 'Australia', it was written a long time ago, but I understand it was not uncommon to start in Australia and then move on to New Zealand

[ValCharlie]

Thanks everyone
I think I have it now......
24/4/1852 First wife Harriet Golding Phillips dies of Puerperal Fever (6 days) in Ore. Tis suggests another birth, as yet no registration found.
28/4/1852 HGP buried in Fairlight
23/8/1852 William Catt marries Harriet Turner in Whatlington (her home village)
30/1/1855 Mark Catt born in Ore (there may be another child in this period?)
24/8/1855 Harriet Turner dies in Battle Workhouse & is buried at Ore
11/10/1855 Baby Mark dies in Workhouse and is buried
15/10/1855 in Westfield

The info that you have provided proves that this is the same George - my bad re date on Wellington marriage certificate and William's father. The NZ certificate has the groom's name where the UK one has the groom's father.

William isn't present at Mark's birth (or doesn't report it, Harriet does) and isn't present at Harriet's death so maybe he did leave England early enough to be in Wellington for that electoral roll entry?
This was my source for passengers on the Ann Wilson.
Thanks again

[ValCharlie]

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~ourstuff/genealogy/AnnWilson1857.htm

[mckha489]

The other child born 1852  was Edmund.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01u2m/

CATT, EDMUND       PHILLIPS 
GRO Reference: 1852  J Quarter in THE HASTINGS UNION  Volume 02B  Page 9

[ValCharlie]

Thank you.
Edmund's birth ties in with the death of Harriet Golding Phillips, she died 7 days aftr his birth suffering from Puerperal Fever, so post child birth complications.
In 1861 Edmund is in Battle Workhouse with his 3 older siblings.
William Catt had two further children with Harriet Turner - David and Mark. Mark is already covered in this thread. He died aged 8 months, shortly after the death of his mother Harriet Turner (also in the Workhouse).
David is on the 1861 census living with his mother's younger sister Martha in Hastings.
I am still wondering whether William left earlier than 1856 although if he wasn't on the Ann Thompson, which Mary Ann Morris was, there's was certainly a whirlwind romance, so he probably was.
I am not sure what happened to the two children we've 'found' today. The 3 eldest with Harriet Golding Phillips all appear to have travelled to NZ, I'm not sure about Edmund or David.
As you said, the inclusion of Harriet - called Fuller, but not really! - his second oldest child, in the newspaper article about William's death, suggests contact before 1900.
More work needed! I'm not familiar with NZ records. I've been their twice, once to follow the Lions in 2017 and once just before the Covid epidemic in 2020, but I'm slowly putting the pieces together.
Thanks for your help.

[mckha489]

Have you been able to see records of Battle Union House?
They might throw light on William’s movements.

[ValCharlie]

Sadly not. I think that they are only available in Brighton, not online. Unless you know different??? I'm in France so it's not easy, but it's also not impossible. 

[Lucy2]

Date of marriage was 12 May not 12 April.

As helpful as these ITM notices are, I'm finding with my own searches that it's worthwhile also checking the transcription of same, against the actual (original) scanned entry, provided. 

So just posting the following for clarification. 

In the case of the CATT-MORRIS 1857 marriage >

Date of (ITM) Notice =  24th April 1857
Date of Certificate* = 9th May 1857   
[* Certificate is issued on the exact date of the marriage] :

Also, the transcription of this particular ITM shows the place of marriage as (Episcopalian Church)
"known as Whitehead Church".   "Whitehead" is incorrect - it's a transcription error.
The Episcopalian Church at Taita, Hutt, was/is in fact known as "Christ Church" (Taita).
Noting though that the original scanned record shows "Christchurch" (as one word).

    ~  Lu

Edit: * for further clarification

[Fresh Fields]

Hello Lu.

Do you know when the Christ Church congregation at Taita was established, and or when their church was built, as 1857 is fairly early.

The only papers Past references I was able to find for an Episcopalian Church; Christ’s Church; OR Christ Church, in the 1850’s was the one at Nelson NZ.  Could Nelson have been a port of entry?

Alan.