Newsletter
Convenor: John Graham 871 8986
Email: jmrg@xtra.co.nz
Secretary/Treasurer:
Sandra Metcalfe 871 3250
Email: Metcalfe@wave.co.nz
Te Awamutu
Branch
No 201
December 2009
Editor at large: John Graham
Email: jmrg@xtra.co.nz
Te Awamutu Website: www.teawamutu.net/genealogy
New Zealand Society of Genealogists Inc. www.genealogy.org.nz
Meetings are held in the Parish Lounge at St John's Anglican Church, Arawata Street
(parking off George Street), Te Awamutu, at 7.30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each
month – February to December. Visitors are most welcome.
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Next Meeting: Tuesday 1 December 2009 – John Graham will run through a brief
PowerPoint “Who do I think I Am”, followed by a quiz and supper. Please bring along
some Christmas fare to share.
First meeting of 2010 is on the 5th of February, Julie Anso will be talking on whaling –
watch this space!
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Convenor’s Corner
Many thanks to Ken Glew for his presentation showing how DNA profiling could assist
genealogists tracing family members. He stressed the word could as many of the commercial
profiling companies promise the world but can not deliver. There are a plethora of websites
offering DNA tracing services, the main piece of advice is BEWARE before shedding out
hundreds of dollars to be disappointed.
I would be keen to know if everyone receiving the newsletter via email has the ability to read pdf
files – please drop me an email.
Thank you all for a successful year especially the committee who have worked tirelessly
to bring some interesting speakers and topics to our monthly meetings. I encourage
members to submit articles for the newsletter and put forward topics that the committee
could look into as far as speakers are concerned. Also if you know someone who is
prepared to talk to the group, do let us know.
All good wishes for a blessed and peaceful Christmas followed by a refreshing New
Year – John
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate
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A number of research requests have been received recently as detailed below:
Delaney family
Trying to trace Peter Delaney born Ireland 1845, son of Owen Delaney & Hannah
Abbott. Arrived in Auckland 15 May 1865 with his sister Sarah Jane & niece Sarah
Catherine [Delaney?] on the ship Dauntless, joining his sister Sarah Jane and niece The
Delaney family were Catholics and if Peter settled & died in the Waipa district then he
will probably be buried in a Catholic Cemetery.
Details:
1868 – Peter was granted 10 acres of land at Pukekohe, County of Eden, Auckland.
1870 – Registered for a Government Grant for an Application of Land through the
Waikato Immigration Scheme. (No 304 = Peter Delaney’s claim, dated 3 Sept 1870)
1881 – A Peter Delaney is registered on the Waipa Electoral Roll as a Platelayer and
resident of Ohaupo. There is also a Mathew DELANEY, Freeholder, Hotelkeeper of
Ohaupo.
If you can help please contact Lorraine James 201 Harris Street, Gisborne
LMJames@xtra.co.nz
Maxwell / Rickett families
Looking for information on Jack Maxwell of MAXWELL & WILSON stock carriers in
the Te Awamutu area from mid 1920s – 1940s. The Maxwell family had shifted to
Maxwell children
The Marriage of Bert Wilson to one Jack's daughters, possibly Nora, the eldest, would
also have caught some attention as to the best of my knowledge the partnership may
have broken up because of the marriage.
Maybe that was in 1933-34-35????
Nora b.Petone 1913. Married Bert Wilson
Mary b. Hamilton 1919
Eileen b.Otorohanga, died 1995
Heather b. Dargaville 1922
Nancy b. Morrinsville 1926
Jack also owned a property of 2000 acres at Matapara where my Dad, Alexander
Holmes Maxwell, mum Minnie, my sister Jean & I lived for about 12 months before
shifting to the Kairangi Settlement Scheme out from Cambridge. I attended the
Wharepuhunga School, riding to school on a pony given us by Jack Maxwell.
One of the daughters (either Nancy or Heather) married a RICKETT, the people that had
the paint & hardware store down past the Post Office on Sloane Street. Mrs. Kenneth
Rickett, had 3 children Neil, Craig & Judith. I think one of the boys was a plumber.
Nancy may have lived on Ohaupo Road, about ¾ of the way up the hill going out of
town to Hamilton in about 1998? She had a son living next door who was a plumber.
Are any of those Ricketts still in town that you may know of whom I may be able to
contact?
Bevan Maxwell main email: bevan@maxwells.id.au
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate
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William Henry Smith
I live in Australia and am on a quest to find something about my husband’s grandfather
William (Henry) Smith. I would like to be able to have so access to cemetery records in
Te. Awamutu as this may help narrow the search.
William (Henry) Smith arrived in NZ on SS Pakeha, a troop carrier, in 1919/20, ship
#13179 1919. Possible birth place Southam, England. Spouse: not married but lived
with Hannah Helen McNamara (a Cootes at the time) but she would have done under the
name Smith. Issue: William Henry Smith - no birth record found (believed to have been
born Te Kuiti. Death record found. Occupation: 1919-1939? Cook or chef at a restaurant
or Hotel in Te Awamutu.
Can someone please check burial records between 1933 - 1939 for a William Henry
Smith, possible burial or death notice?
Kate Smith katesmith@westvic.com.au
Actually I had a lot to do with Te Awamutu in the 1950's - 1960s. My mother ran a
baby-wear shop in town called Ladybird. I spent every Friday night as it was late night
shopping at the local skating rink.
Richard Hawker
Died 16 July 1947 while a patient in Tokanui Hospital, and buried 17 July 1947. I am
looking for family details. He married Edith Mary Cox in 1882 (marriage is on the
NZSG marriages CD).Were there any children? His burial on the NZSG Index as being
buried in the Te Awamutu cemetery.
Contact: Jean Price jean.price@clear.net.nz
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Irish Ancestral Research Publication
Irish Roots magazine, the only magazine entirely dedicated to Irish ancestral
research within the entire island of Ireland is now on Facebook. Irish Roots
magazine features many articles written by Ireland's leading genealogists, tips and tools
on how to trace and embrace your Irish ancestry. Irish Roots magazine is a celebration of
Irish ancestry, heritage, culture and tradition.
I would be grateful if you could let your members know about Irish Roots magazine and
where possible add our website as a link to your site. If you would like any further
information on Irish Roots magazine, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Julie Phibbs
www.irishrootsmagazine.com
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate
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You will recall our guest speaker in June was John Armstrong talking
on his experiences researching and writing the history of Waikato
Hospital. The book will be launched on Thursday 10 December 2009
at the Bryant Education Centre, Waikato Hospital at 5pm.
“Under One Roof: A History of Waikato Hospital” has 17 chapters, 518
pages, and includes 53 black and white photographs.
The book was commissioned by the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust in 2007;
Under One Roof provides a comprehensive history of Waikato Hospital from its
inception in 1887 until the year 2000. Drawing upon archival research and interviews
with long-serving members of the Hospital’s staff, the book discusses the institution’s
development within a range of historical contexts, and will be of interest to anyone
who has worked at Waikato Hospital, or who has an interest in the history of health or
of the Waikato region.
Chapter titles are as follows:
Chapter 1: The Origins of New Zealand’s Health System
Chapter 2: War, Depression, and Social Security
Chapter 3: Specialisation Emerges
Chapter 4: Waikato Hospital in Crisis
Chapter 5: The ‘Open Hospital’: A New Era at Waikato
Chapter 6: Expanding Services, Full Wards
Chapter 7: The ‘Second Wave’ of Specialisation
Chapter 8: Waikato Hospital’s ‘Home-grown’ Specialists
Chapter 9: A Modern Base Hospital
Chapter 10: Medical and Clinical Education
Chapter 11: The End of Hospital-Based Nurse Training
Chapter 12: Waikato Rebuilt
Chapter 13: The Development of Tertiary Services
Chapter 14: High Cost Technology
Chapter 15: The Area Health Board Era
Chapter 16: The Reform Era
Chapter 17: Reforming the Reforms
As a promotional offer the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust is accepting advance orders at the
discounted price of $35 per copy, by the following means:
 Send a cheque for $35 to the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust, P. O. Box 6009, Glenview, Hamilton 3246.
 By internet banking, deposit $35 into the Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust’s Bank of New Zealand Account:
Waikato Health Memorabilia Trust, 02 0454 0015725 000. (Please include your surname as a reference.)
 Drop into the book launch and purchase a copy in person.
 Pre-ordered copies may be picked up from the Waikato Hospital Library, at the book launch, from Peter
Rothwell (92 Delamare Road, St Andrews, Hamilton) or from John Armstrong (10 Fergusson Street, Hayes
Paddock, Hamilton East).
 If you would like to have the book posted to you, please include an additional $5, and send your address to
one of the above postal addresses, or by e-mail to johnarmnstrong@slingshot.co.nz, or rothwell@actrix.co.nz
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate
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Some excerpts from NZSG – Keeping in Touch (KIT) November edition
Marianne Cummins has taken up the position of Office Manager. She can be contacted
at office.manager@genealogy.org.nz or at NZSG, P.O. Box 14036, Panmure, Auckland
1741
Any issues requiring council attention should be sent to this address and will be
discussed at the next council meeting.
Genealogy Toolbar
Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society (MLFHS), based in the UK, has
announced the relaease of its genealogy toolbar which integrates seamlessly with your
browser links. It will healp you find and access genealogy websites and is well worth
exploring. The toolbar can be downloaded via MLFHS home page www.mlfha.org.uk or
from http://MLFHS.OurToolbar.com/
Membership Clerk
Ruth Kerr is back in this role and is shared with Alison Holmes (Accounts) to ensure
there is somebody available for membership queries at all time
New Publications
The new Victoria Outwards to New Zealand CD-Rom will be released in December.
Tjhis contains a transcription of the passenger lists of the ships leaving Victoria for New
Zealand ports, as contained in VPRS 948 Outwards Passenger Lists 1852 – 1923. You
can search by passenger, Ship and Port of Arrival. The cost will be $50.
Keep your eyes out for the 2009 Cemetery Supplement as well.
National library and Alexander library
Access to the holdings of both these repositories will be limited from early December
due to the closure of the Molesworth Street building for redevelopment. From 8
December the Family History Section will be located at 77 Thorndon Quay. Further
details can be found at www.natlib.govt.nz/building
Archives New Zealand
The ground floor at archives New Zealand’s Wellington office is being redeveloped over
the next few months. The changes include a new Orientation Area near the main
entrance, combining the current Living Room and Gallery space. Construction will run
and until 2 January 2010. During construction, the Reading Room will be open from
10:30 AM until 5 PM Monday to Friday and the most disruptive work is scheduled to
occur before 10:30 AM.
Alexander Turnbull manuscript collections will be stored there while the National library
is being redeveloped. Nearly 10 km of extra shopping will be put up to house the
collection.
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate
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Update on LINZ Records Moves
LINZ is closing three of its five remaining a Processing Centres, in Auckland,
Wellington and Dunedin. Most of the records from the Reading rooms at these offices
will be transferred to the nearest office archives New Zealand.
What's happening with the records?
 The first records to move will be from the Wellington processing centre. Deeds
Registers and other Wellington and Hawkes Bay district records will move to
archives New Zealand Wellington in the first two weeks of December.
 The Gisborne district records currently in Wellington processing centre will
move to Archives New Zealand’s Auckland office in January/February 2010.
 The “surveyors Field books" will move to LINZ processing centres (eventually
all of them will be in either Christchurch for the South island books or Hamilton
for law file in books)
To locate records in archives, list of the records will be available via Archway
www.archway.archives.govt.nz soon after they are transferred.
Some records will stay with LINZ.
People can still order a copy of land titles and other records by contacting LINZ or using
the standard ordering forms. Instructions for this are in the survey and title section on
LINZ website www.linz.govt.nz
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SMILE A WHILE
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What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway.)
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Make the most of FREE searches at subscription sites – Lost Cousins 19/11/09
None of us can afford a subscription at every genealogy site, but we can all take
advantage of the free Search results they offer. True, free searches don't reveal
everything - otherwise nobody would subscribe - but often they give away a key piece of
the jigsaw. For example, if you're having trouble finding someone on the census,
searching at a site that has a different transcription or different search capabilities might
provide a vital clue.
Suppose that you have a subscription to Ancestry, but can't find your relative on one of
the England & Wales censuses no matter what names you try. Why not try a free search
at findmypast.com, making use of some of the features that are unique to searches at that
site - such as searching by occupation, or using wildcards at the start of a field (Ancestry
doesn't allow them in the first 3 characters)?
Similarly, if you have a subscription to findmypast.com, you might like to try a free
search at Ancestry.co.uk using one of the features unique to that site, such as searching
on forenames alone (for example, the forename of a child and forenames of its parents).
Modifying your search can reveal additional information. Suppose that you find the right
person in the London Metropolitan Archives marriage registers at Ancestry, but need to
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009
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know the year in which they married - something that the free search results won't tell
you. In this case a 'binary search' technique will provide the solution: first you start with
a wide range, such as 1820-1840, then you try the lower half of the range, and if that
doesn't produce a positive result, you try the upper half. With repeated searches you'll
eventually identify the precise year - and all without paying a penny!
deCode Genetics files for bankruptcy
This week deCode Genetics, a pioneer in the field of genetic research, filed for
bankruptcy. Since 2003 the company has been trying to identify the genetic causes of
common diseases using the uniquely detailed genealogical and medical records of
Iceland, but it transpired that the task was more complicated than was first thought.
This business failure doesn't have any relevance to the use of DNA testing in
genealogical research, although readers of this newsletter will know that I have
considerable reservations about the way in which DNA tests are marketed to family
historians, many of whom do not understand their limitations. Over the coming months
I'll be writing more about how DNA tests can and can't be used, and plan to add an
extensive new section on this topic to the Help & Advice page.
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Old Occupations
CRATCH MAKER - made cratches (mangers, cribs, or frames) for hay
CRIER - law court officer, auctioneer, town announcer
CRIMPER - member of navy press gang
CROFTER - tenant of a small piece of land
CROPPER - tenant who is paid with a share of the crop
CROWNER - coroner
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SMILE A WHILE
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GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
Te Awamutu Branch NZSG # 201 – December 2009
Disclaimer: All efforts are made to ensure the information published is accurate
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