I have been studying the
descendency of both my Mother and Fathers Scots, Irish and German
ancestors.
As I have previoulsy
written, our Robertson Clan married into McBeath of Dunedin New Zealand.
This line, put's the jigsaw peices together. Mary's mother was Anne
McLeod who married Hector McBeath both of Scotland.
They left Scotland, lived
at Macedon, Victoria for some time and then shipped themselves to Dunedin,
New Zealand.
Thomas J.
Robertson: This jigsaw is still far from completed but this
genealogist believes that these two families may have had a fall-proof
system whereas Thomas's parent's may have been buried at Anderson Bay
Dunedin, in Plot 22. This is also the same with our McBeath Family of
Dunedin, Plot 22 Southern Cemetery.
Genealogy doesn't just take
you to your family members, it also makes you think about, how they lived,
who they lived with and what place in history did their lives construct...
I've been busy, researching
in the state libraries, reading newspapers, books and I even found a
distant family member who I really could have spoken too - but he
unfortuanately passed away before I could learn where he was in New
Zealand. Barry Alan Holliss, related to, Rex Holliss Communist Writer and
Supporter of N.Z had spent the last six years with the Banks Pennisula
Council at Lyttleton N.Z. Barry marr: Marie who was the daughter of Alex
Robertson, B: 1894 Nelson and the sister of my mother. Who funnily enough
lives at the same street address - as the Printing Firm, Robertson/McBeath,
Dunedin. N.Z.
Alex Robertson, who bears
the name of the Clan poet, Alex Robertson. Married a German, New Zealand
born girl went by the name of Muller. She was born at Picton in 1909 and
did not know much about her German Descendants whom I gather emigrated to
Nelson, New Zealand. When she passed away in 1980, she resided at 68
Grafton Street, Christchurch.
My research lead me to read
about the 1968 Wahine Disaster of New Zealand.
This Car-Ferry had one Captain Hector Gordon Robertson, who resided at the
Hutt Region, of Wellington N.Z. This got me thinking as my grandfather had
also be a resident of Hutt, Wellington during the 1920's he had been
working as a 'Brassmoulder'.
Was Hector related to
Alex's older brother Hector Robertson b: 1877? That jigsaw still needs to
be completed.
Ken McLeod, the Helmsman of
the Wahine Car-Ferry is also another peice of the jigsaw. Who was he
related too?
The Police Rescue
operations for Cyclone Giselle and the Wahine Ferry Disaster were co-ordinated
by Chief Inspector George Twentyman of N.Z police National Headquarters,
1968.
What bought me to these
conclusions?: the marriage registration number on the Microfilm provided
to my State Library Genealogical Centre for Thomas J Robertson and Mary
McBeath, Marr: 1875 at Dunedin is 336.
When Cyclone Giselle hit
the Wahine Car-Ferry and captsized it, their were many NSW and Victorian
Travellers on the ship who were passengers for Tiki Tour 336.
My research makes my mind
boggle.
Further more: I was born at
Timaru, N.Z and I have found using the Internet Cemetery sites provided
for by the City and District Council's, one unfortunate passenger who
drowned listed as Wallace Allen Robertson to have been interred at Timaru
Cemetery in 1968. Dad, Abercrombie, who has been research by a
Lilley - name, also mentioned in 'The Wahine Disaster
Book' moved lot, stock and barrel to the North Island around
1968, from Timaru, N.Z. We didn't take the Ferry!
Clan Robertson can also
proudly associate itself with the famous Prime Minister Keith Holyoake
through, the family: Stringer / Robertson Marriage.
Genealogy:
is so much more interesting that first thought, my Abercrombie's are the
Scot/Irish, County Cavan, Ireland, connection. We have not been able to
connect this family with any Scot's Abercrombie's. My GG Grandfather
Thomas John Robertson, died at Nelson, Waimea. He had been working for the
Govt, Railways of Nelson before he died at age 61.
I married into a Mills
Family, and have researched their genealogical history back to Patea, New
Zealand and Kent, England through some intreped emailing.
There is always a
Detective, within most families and Genealogy makes for that skill. I hope
you enjoyed this part of my story from New Zealand and Australia.
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