Tuesday 28 February 2012

Adam RICHARDSON, Chester music instrument dealer

Recently found what happened to Adam son of John & Ann (BLAIR) RICHARDSON, and ordered his will, thinking he would mention a heap of his nieces and nephews, given he was apparently childless.
Hope the blighter gave the solicitor a good family tree as he hedged his bets and left his estate  "in trust for the person or persons who at my death under the Statues for the distribution of the personal effects of intestates would be entitled to my personal estate on my death intestate such persons if more than one to take in the proportion prescribed by the same statues". A heir hunter's dream.

Which led, of course, to yet another check to see if this time round, the fate of more of them might be found.

One mystery was Adam's brother Robert, married Margaret Dodds CLEUCH in Edinburgh in 1870, son John born about 1872, no hide nor hair after 1881 in Scotland - but where did they go?

Much more success this time round, one Margaret Dodds RICHARDSON popped up on ancestry in the, wait for it, New Zealand Electoral Rolls - and sure enough, she was at the same address as a Robert RICHARDSON, clerk.
So yet another branch of the RICHARDSONs in New Zealand.
Looks like Margaret died in 1905 and Robert in 1917.

There's also a John Blair RICHARDSON in Canterbury, who seems to have married a Violet WALKER in 1895, and died in NZ in 1940.
BLAIR is Robert's mother's name, so it looks like son John has also been found. John's burial record on the Christchurch City Council Cemeteries database shows him as aged 68, born Edinburgh, and having been in NZ 57 years. QED.

Monday 13 February 2012

Eager hands

Loved this little snippet about a fire in Dunedin in 1863.
The building concerned was being pulled down to stop the fire spreading, water not being immediately available.
"Meanwhile the houses fronting the street, were pouring forth their contents, and as usual the crowd was only too eager to assist in this part of the business, and the interference of the police became necessary to prevent the stores of Mr Fargie, wine and spirit merchant, which were in no immediate danger, from being broken into for the purpose of getting out their contents."
Otago Daily Times , Issue 351, 4 February 1863, Page 4