Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Family History month at Digital Scrapbook Place

Its nearly August already can you believe it????

August is going to be a great month at DSP . We have a big month long event which focuses on scrapbooking your Family History.

Genealogy and Digital Scrapbooking make perfect partners. –

You have the information – but you want a great way to display it for everyone to ooh and ahh over – create layouts !!- Print a book with beautiful illustrations and graphics for your future generations to cherish.

If you are new to genealogy  and already scrapbook, we will have advice you you too- and if you are new to both – well you are in for a treat!!!

Just for Family History Month I’ve created a free “plopper”  or instant page for you to download and use.

You can  download it from the Freebies gallery at DSP .. The link to the preview is here . IF you aren’t already a member at DSP you will need to sign up in order to see that gallery.

 

For those who are new to scrapbooking Ive created a quick tutorial on how to use Ploppers

You can view the tutorial here .

Do show me if you use it. Id love to see what you create.

Monday, July 30, 2012

News from the Past

I was scanning some photos and effects of my Grandfather Trevor Goodwin today and in amongst the Cadet books, and drivers licenses, and school reports  I found a bit of news.

Really important news this was too and well worth keeping. You see my Grandfather was a signalman on a Patrol boat in the Pacific in World War 2.

 

And clearly felt these pieces of news he obviously relayed onwards were worth keeping'. ( I think he was right!!)

 

 

Surrendertelegram2

surrendertelegram1

Women of Strength

I was thinking today about how we view ourselves as women these days as strong and powerful compared to women of the past who had fewer rights and many more restrictions in their lives, and you know I think actually the women of my past were far more powerful and must stronger women than I am.

From the great great great Grandmother Sarah Ann Abbott ,who outlived a husband and lived through the deaths of 8 of her children, to Margaret Rea  who followed her husband from Ireland to KatiKati, only to end up living with her family of 4 young children  in a grass hut while her husband worked industriously trying to cultivate a farm out of previously untouched land.

Take Mary Ann Gleeson as an example. She left Ireland alone  at age 16 and sailed on the “Broddick Castle” – a trip that  started on the 7th Octover 1875 and didnt end till the ship reached Auckland  on March 25th 1876.

She was but 16 years old, alone and travelling to a new land to stay with an Uncle.

Within a few years she had met and married James Goodwin, a railway worker. Within 18 years she had 10 children, and within 4 years of the youngest being born, her husband had died, leaving her alone with a newly leased farm to run and manage.

Such strength Im afraid I know I dont possess, though I hope some modicum of it has passed down the gene pool to me should I need to call on it some day.

maryanngleeson

Obituary
Mrs Mary Ann Goodwin 63 Years in Waikato
Mrs Mary Ann Goodwin, widow of the late Mr, James Goodwin, who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs, R.J.Maisey, Allen Street Morrinsville on Sunday,aged 82 years, had been a resident of the Waikato for the past 63 years.
After spending her early life in Dublin, Mrs,Goodwin came to New Zealand in 1876 on the well known passenger ship, Brodick Castle, to an uncle in Te Awamutu. In 1880 she married Mr Goodwin, whose parents were very early settlers of the Auckland Province. Mrs and Mrs Goodwin lived at Te Awamutu and Hamilton, Mr Goodwin being employed on the railway. In the early eighties he was one of the men engaged in the construction of the railway bridge over the Waikato as a preliminary to the extension of the railway lines to Morrinsville, Te Aroha and Tirau.
In 1897 Mr Goodwin made plans to go farming as his sons were growing up, but he died after a brief illness as the result of a chill. His widow was left with a family of nine children the eldest being only 16 years of age. With courage typical of the pioneering generation in the Waikato, Mrs Goodwin and her sons carried on a farm at Newstead for many years until the family had grown up.
For Some years Mrs Goodwin lived in retirement at Morrinsville. She enjoyed fairly good health and retained her faculties until the end. Of a retiring nature, Mrs Goodwin was always please to chat about the pioneering days in the Waikato , and possessed a splendid memory of those critical times when prices for produce and also wages were very low, and the task of bringing up a large family was very hard. Mrs Goodwin’s eldest son, William was killed on active service during the Great War. A daughter also predeceased her. She is survived by six sons and one daughter who are: Messrs, James Goodwin(Auckland), Philip Goodwin (Wellington), Percy Goodwin( Dargaville), George Godwin, (Papatoetoe), Lionel Goodwin (Hastings), Norman Godwin( Manurewa) and Mrs R J Maisey ( Morrinsville).
The interment took place at the Piako Cemetery yesterday, The Rev G A Naylor conducted the service
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MORRINSVILLE STAR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 28 1939

 

famhistmonth1gif

Im very excited about your upcoming Family History Month at Digital Scrapbook Place.  Many of our members began scrapping to share their family history stories, many want to learn the best ways to discover a  new hobby in Genealogy. If you are at all interested in either you should definitely pop along to DSP and check out the wonderful community we are developing amongst Genealogists and Scrappers alike.

We will be hosting chats several times a week in our chat rooms, and have lots of ideas to get you started, and discounts on products that will make creating a wondeful visually beautiful display of your research.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

The Goodwin/Goodrum conundrum continues

 

Today I spent an hour at Auckland Museum doing a little more research on William Henry Goodwin/Henry Goodrum.

Im afraid Im none the wiser, in fact if anything I’m even more confused.

In a book on  British Colonial soldiers who discharged in New Zealand I found the following entries

GOODERAM

 

As you can see there is a William GOODWIN listed, but he is from Woodbridge which is in Suffolk, and according to the details I have on his sons death certificate our man was from Norfolk,

The other name of interest is Henry GOODERAM- He  is from Gissing which is in Nofolk – It appears he enlisted  on the 28th may 1844 and discharged on 31st Jan 1857 after having been part of the NSW detachment in 1846.

Additionally we found this entry in a book on men who received honours for fighting for NZ ( this book published 1900)

Gooderun

I think we can assume Henry GOODERUN and Henry GOODERAM  and Henry GOODRUM were one and the same. ( although assumptions are not always wise)

 

Of course this still doesnt explain the change of name from Henry GOODRUM to William Henry GOODWIN.

I did however find out some more information about the BOYT family that he married into from a book on the NZ Fencibles  ( The Royal New Zealand Fencibles 1847-1852 By Ruth Alexander, Alan La Roche, Gail Gibson)

There is an interesting snippet about Janes sister Joanna who married the son of another Fencible , John Reece. They came out on the Ramilles together and were next door neighbours

This book also tho states that Jane married William GOODWIN son of Fencible James GOODWIN, but as I mentioned in my earlier post – all references to that Willliam Goodwin have him aged 1 when he arrived in NZ in 1849, certainly not at all close to the age of the William Henry GOODWIN or Henry GOODRUM who married Jane Boyt in 1852.

 

A further book I viewed on the Waikato Regiments has Henry GOODRUM enlisting in  the 4th Waikato as a substitute for William Bowden in Onehunga  on 30 July 1864. He lists his age here as 39 which would make him born 1825 which is in the right ball park for the man who was the father of my Great Great Grandfather.

 

Oh and then just to confuse me even more – I came across this article in Papers Past

Entitled Despaches from Colonel Despart, To Governor Fitzroy – New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 6, 12 July 1845, Page 2

 

Camp. Jst July, ,1845. The following are the directions, and the distribution of the troops, for the attack on the pa, at 3 o'clock, this evening. The principal attack will be made on or near the right angle on the front face, (that face being considered the front one 1 that is opposite the camp), and the whole column for this attack will be formed as follows :2 sergeants and 20 volunteers from the three corps will form the advance, and proceed with the most perfect silence till they reach the stockade. This party will be followed closely by the assaulting body, under Major Macpherson, composed of 40 grenadiers from the 58th and 40 grenadiers from the 99th Regiments, and will be accompanied by a small party of seamen, and by 30 pioneers from the volunteer Militia. The seamen, and as many pioneers as there are sufficient tools for, will' be supplied with axes or hatchets for the purpose of cutting down the stockade. Those pioneers that cannot  be supplied with axes or hatchets are to carry the ladders as well as strong ropes, which will be supplied by the Artillery department, for pulling down the stockade. Major Macpherson's party will be closely followed by Major Bridge, of the 58th Regiment, having under him the remainder of the grenadiers of the' 58th, to be made up to 60 rank and file from the battalion of the same Regiment, and 40 rank and file from the Light Company of the 99th Regiment.— ln all amounting to 100 rank and file. A strong supporting party will be formed under Lieut.Colonel Hulme, 96th Regiment, consisting of the whole of the detachment of the96thRegiment, completed to 100 rank and file by the battalion men of the 58th Regiment. The moment an entrance is made into the pah, this party will instantly follow* the preceding parties The remainder of the force will be under the personal command of Colonel Despard, for the purpose of directing assistance wherever necessary, with the exception of 40 rank and,file of the 58th Regiment, under command of Capt. Thompson, of that corps, who will occupy the hill overlooking the pah, and the camp it being considered necessary to do so, from the attempt made by the natives in the morning to get possession of it. By order, R. B. Deering Lieut. 99th Regiment,- Acting Brigade  Major.

The names of the non-commissioned officers and privates, killed and wounded, as yet known, are a,s follows Her Majesty's 58th Regiment.

KILLED.
Sergeant Halliday
  “            Morrow
  “           Andrew
  “           Wilson
Corporal William Stewart
Privates – Davis,
              Claxton
               Punchett
               Goodrum
               Fisher
              Norton
              Reynolds
              Payne
              Sutton
              Doherty
              Leech
              Molloy
              Anderson
Thirty five wounded. Two Sergeants and 33rank and file.names not yet reported..

Thursday, July 26, 2012

A Young Soldier

 

 

One of my  most interesting ancestors to date has to be Samuel Middlebrook. My great great Grandfather on my mothers side.

He emigrated as a child with his family from Yorkshire, and by the age of 17 was apparently fluent in Maori. I know little of his early life as yet, but on a recent trip south we stopped at the KatiKati Museum.  I knew that he had raised a family there and was important in the settling of the area by the Ulster Irish Settlers.

In the museum we found this treasure of a portrait. One I had never seen or heard of before.

youngsoldier

 

The journalling on this layout reads:

This portrait of Samuel Middlebrook was hanging in the
KatiKati Museum. Its description stated he was about 17 years old, and in the uniform of the Tauranga Armed Constabulary. His son Bert once said in a speech to the Ohinemuri Historical Society, that Sam ran away from home at 17, joined the Armed Constabulary in Tauranga, later joining the Lands and Survey Department where he would be involved in the original surveying of the Tauranga district, and later assist Sir George Vessey Stewart lead his Irish settlement party into the district.
The Armed Constabulary and had the combined roles of regular police work and also supporting the militia during the Land Wars of the mid to late 19th Century. Initially Law and Order was kept by British forces but increased taxes on the colony for each British soldier meant by 1846 the time had come for the New Zealand Government to raise its own force to supplement their numbers With a combination of mounted and unmounted members the recruits were trained as light infantry and cavalry and their numbers were drawn from volunteers. From 1867 -1886 they were the only permanent force in New Zealand until the permanent Militia Force was formed in 1886.

The Goodwin /Goodrum Conundrum


One of the biggest conundrums I’m facing in these early days of my genealogical journey is the Goodwin Family branch.
My great grandfather Phillip Goodwin was very interested and proud of his wife’s family tree but really didn’t speak much to me ever of his side of the family, and I was surprised to learn recently that he had 9 brothers and sisters.
There has to be an interesting story amongst that lot I’m sure so why was he so closed about them.
His Mothers story alone is worth telling. She came alone  from Ireland at 16 in 1876 to live with her Uncle. ( I’ve yet to discover who he was) . By 1880 at age 21 she had met and married her husband James Goodwin, and within the next 18 years she had at least 10 children.
Sadly in 1898 James died of Acute Pneumonia leaving her a widow, with a new farm and all those children to raise ( the eldest of whom was only 16.)
I have a copy of James death certificate and here is where the story starts to get tangled.
Print image.tif.print (1 page)

Its not easy to read but it states James parents were William Henry Goodwin Farmer, and Jane Goodwin formally Boyt.
James was 38 when he died making is birth year around 1860, but there is no birth registered in that name according to Births Deaths and Marriages…..
Boyt isn’t such a common name so she was relatively easy to find.
Jane Boyt was the daughter of William Boyt who was a Fencible at Onehunga.  They arrived on the  Ramilles in 1847.
But search for a marriage between William Henry Goodwin and Jane Boyt and you will come up with nothing.
The only marriage for Jane Boyt appears to be one in 1852 to a  Henry GOODRUM, and interestingly enough there is a birth registered in 1860 for a James GOODRUM .
Did Henry GOODRUM change his name to William Henry GOODWIN, and if so why add the William.
My mother had a Goodwin family tree which states James Father ( no name given) came out to fight the Maori Land Wars and was a member of the" “Old 4th Waikato Regiment”
There is no William Henry Goodwin listed as a member of the 4th Waikato, but there is a Henry GOODRUM
see this web page by Colin Dent who was kind enough to provide me with the information he had on Henry GOODRUM

Name Henry Goodrum
Reg. # 485
Rank Private
Company 1 (Source: land register)
Enrolled 30 Jul 1864, Onehunga
Born Gissing, Norfolk, England
Trade/calling Labourer
Age at enrolment 39
Height 5ft 8½in
Ship HMS Racehorse
Marital status Married
Colour of eyes Light Blue
Colour of hair Sandy
Complexion Fair
Religion Protestant
Relieved from service 1 Apr 1865 / 29 Mar 1866
Possession of land 1 Apr 1865 / 29 Mar 1866
Town section # 41, West Hamilton, Victoria Street (east side).
2nd lot south of Grey (now Bryce) Street
Country lot # 19, Knights' Survey, Pukete
Country lot location Hamilton/Ngaruawahia road, Te Rapa
Remarks Substitute for William Bowden Reg. # 7
Sources:
Nominal & Descriptive Roll of the 4th regiment of the Waikato Militia, Microfilm BRN 173610 / FHL
287479, Hamilton Public Library, National Archives ref. AD 144/4.
Land Grants to Waikato Militia regiments, includes the Long Roll, Microfilm BRN 173606 / FHL 287480,
Hamilton Public Library.
H C M Norris, Manuscripts and Notes, Hamilton Public Library ref. Msc 0046.

Henry GOODRUM comes from Norfolk,
According to the Death certificate of William Henry GOODWIN – he also comes from Norfolk.

I’m beginning at this point to feel that these men are one and the same.
Additionally Henry GOODRUM seems to disappear after  he is discharged from the 4th Waikato in 1866. There is no death registered in NZ to a Henry GOODRUM.

A death notice for William Henry GOODWIN states the following:
GOODWIN Died 9th January 1912 at Firewood Creek, Ngaruawahia, William Henry Goodwin, of old age, fractured leg and exhaustion 20 days, aged 86 years. Last seen by Dr Percy Swaseger 8th January 1912. Born Norfolk, England, in New Zealand 64 years. Married at Onehunga at age 22 to Jane Boyd. Male issue living - aged 39, 42, 45, 55, 57. Female issue living - aged 54, 66. Buried Ngaruawahia 10th January 1912.
Informant - W. Vant, undertaker having charge of the funeral.
 
and for Jane,
GOODWIN Died 27th August 1913 at Ngaruawahia, Jane Goodwin, household duties, female, of cirrhosis of the liver, senility and heart failure, aged 83 years. Last seen by Dr H. E. Tait 13th August 1913. Born South Wales, daughter of ..... Boyd, soldier, and ...... ...... Male issue living - 60, 55, 46, 43, 40. Female issue living - 61, 51. Buried Ngaruawahia 29th August 1913.
Informant - John William Tait, undertaker having charge of the funeral
 
So a search at Births Deaths and Marriages under GOODRUM brings up the following births
YEAR/RECORD NAME AGE 1912 AGE 1913
1858/867 Goodrum, Alice Ford 63/64 63/64
1858/868 Goodrum, Sarah (Auckland) 63/64 64/65
1860/1175 Goodrum, James (Auck) died before 1912 died before 1913
1863/2001 Goodrum, Henry (Auck) 48/49 49/50
1866 Goodrum, Samuel - Mother: Jane - Father: Henry 45/46 46/47


Then additionally under GOODWIN
1868/16085 Joseph(Mother Jane, Father William Henry) 43/44 44/45
1872 Frederick James Russell ( Mother Jane, Father William Henry 39/40 40/41

Some of the  ages don’t match exactly with the ages at death so I’m not really much the wiser. I’m surmising that Alice Ford and Sarah are twins based on the record numbers.
I know Sarah was a daughter of William H Goodwin despite her birth registered as GOODRUM, based on on an except from the Cyclopedia of New Zealand about an E Moffitt whose wife Sarah Ann was listed as the daughter of WH GOODWIN.
EJMoffitandfamily
MR. EDMUND JOHN MOFFITT, who has been a Member of the Ngaruawahia Town Board since 1891, was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1844, his father being a military officer. Mr. Moffitt arrived in Auckland by the ship “Red Jacket,” in 1860, and has been a resident at Ngaruawahia since 1873. For five years he has held the contract to convey cream and butter to and from the local dairy factory, and he farms about fifty acres of land and milks a number of cows. Mr. Moffitt was married, in 1875, to a daughter of Mr. W. H. Goodwin, of Firewood Creek, and has two sons and two daughters. ( http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc02Cycl-t1-body1-d3-d3-d7.html)

I know that James was the son of WH GOODWIN  despite his registration and GOODRUM, based on his death certificate as above.
To confuse matters even further there was another William Henry GOODWIN who married a Jane ( Russell) in 1853  and who farmed in Kaukapakapa.

Yesterday I took a trip out to Archives in South Auckland and found the Will and Probate of William Henry GOODWIN
WHGWill

This will dated August 1911 leaves his estate to “my dear wife Jane Goodwin the income thereof during her life and after her death upon trust for my said son William Charles Goodwin absolutely.”

William Charles is another new name…so just adds even more mystery, and what of all his other children???
The only William I can find who might fit at births deaths and marriages is registered as a GOODWIN birth  that would fit is one born in 1865 with no mother or father name listed in the database at Births Deaths and Marriages
So this mystery continues to be a challenge for me. I suspect I’m going to have to spend a lot of  money on birth and death certificates to get an answer ..if I ever do!!
More to follow I’m sure…..