I have been searching for a great grandfather since I retired from paid employment. Several years of research and I still do not know why he changed his name for a lifetime of living in New Zealand.
It started when I was Ten.
"Dad why did your grandfather change hi name?"
He would shrug and shake his head,then say."They only changed it back to Merewether in my lifetime."
I could see a sneer on his face.
Thinking I could help him realise he had missed the point I would ask again.
" But why?"
He would change the subject.
3 weeks ago I gathered 36 descendants and supporters to a luncheon and reunion of Merewether families.
They ate off placemats I made from laminated A4 pages. Printouts of my g.grandfather's Will. I had caused the pages to stain by soaking them in tea. The deception had been running for 169 years.
'This is the Last Will and Testament of me Philip Sidney Merewether ( generally called and known as Charles Murray)of Piper's Flat near Stafford in the Provincial District of Westland and Colony of New Zealand.'
I still do not know why our pioneer goldminer hid his six children from his English family.
He wrote to them and they replied because we have the letters.
Bev
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Thread: Alias all his life
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13-03-2020, 8:46 PM #1
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Alias all his life
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13-03-2020, 10:04 PM #2
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Hello and welcome.
Sounds fascinating. You'll have to tell us more and see if we can help.
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13-03-2020, 10:24 PM #3
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Megan I realised when I found forces-war-records a forum was going to satisfy a need in me.
My family are interested but with young chidre they have no time to follow paths of discovery like me.
I can see I belong here.
Where do I read your story?
Bev
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13-03-2020, 11:05 PM #4
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Bev,
I occasionally put bits up about my family either as examples to help others, or asking for help, but there's not one place to read the story.
Like many of us here I am a family history addict, and we just like exploring not only our own trees and stories, but also those of others.
Megan
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14-03-2020, 12:07 AM #5
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Megan
A pathway I am on currently is tracking the military locations of family members either side of Philip Sidney Merewether.
His father in-law Robert Pirrie
And his brother George referred to a 'bloody George.'
At the very beginning I went to Hereford to see his childhood home at the Deanery and the place where one of his brothers died as a Reverend in London 47 Amwell Street Clerkenwell.
TB but now I know it was probably throat cancer from the symptoms he had and the rapid demise age 27yrs.
About the letters.
My brother with-holds the letters from me because he fears me writing historical fiction about us.
So I had not read Williams beautiful letters until 3 years elapsed from the date I started asking my brother for them.
So I went to England anyway.
I ordered the death cert of William in NZ first and found my own way to his address.
I suppose I have been looking for the source of my g.grandfathers 'dysfunction.'
AND there is plenty of that.
I would love to meet him because he was a man who made his own way. I see he was quite a modern guy.
I drive around our highways and wish I could show him today's world.
I like him. I do like him
His wife my ggrandmother Ellen could not read or write.
The silence surrounding her made me wonder if she was a dancing girl P.S Merewether (Sid) picked up to run his General Store at the beginning of the Goldrush.
He married her when the oldest child was 22yrs in a Registry office.
She signed with a cross.
Only last night found her father's military record.
It has been a bit like loosing your phone. You know it is there but you have looked half a dozen times before with no luck.
It looks like he is in hospital in Chatham
Robert Pirrie service number 185577 regiment Chatham Invalid Depot ( Div 2) Archive ref WO12/12369
This could mean he might die and I saw his 77th Foot(East Middlsex)regiment went to support the Indian Mutiny.
I found this to be a coincidence becusee I have been reading about British Imperialism and the Mutiny because Sid's other brother George features in the letters to Sid in his sister's replies to him.
So much of a blagard he was that I have been calling him 'bloody George'
He is the self proclaimed victim of the effect of sun during his early days in India.
To me he looks Ike a gambler or an alcoholic or both.
Post traumatic stress dsorder had not been acknowledged.
I have asked the APAC
Asian and African Studes enquiries for how to find George medical notes.
All of this to understand Sid and his wife and my dad's mother's family.
And ultimately to see ourselves through our history
Bev
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14-03-2020, 8:50 AM #6
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A very warm welcome to Brit-gen.
You mention " ...after a lifetime of living in New Zealand".
Intrigued, therefore, why he died in Sidney, New South Wales?"dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"
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14-03-2020, 10:09 AM #7
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14-03-2020, 11:40 AM #8
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The Probate Death Index on Findmypast states that he died in Sydney NSW on 13th January 1896.
Mind you, there is also an entry in the Shrewsbury School register that says he left the school in 1849 and died in Australia in 1863!
Peter
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14-03-2020, 12:43 PM #9
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That's the entry I found - admin granted to Emily Henrietta Merewether, widow Emily Merewether. Found Philip Sidney and Emily Merewether at HO107 1857 182 33. Baptism (transcription only) on FMP names him as Philip Sidney Jarrett Merewether.
P.S - I put sherry on everything - but may have to rein back a little with the recent increase in the unit cost of alcohol imposed on the Principality!!
regards"dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"
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14-03-2020, 1:04 PM #10
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https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar#calendar Says he died 13 Jan 1896 in Sydney NSW. Administration 19 Sept "to Emily Henrietta Merewether spinster the attorney of Ellen Merewether widow"
So the widow is Ellen, not Emily.
I've seen Ellen as Helen in a few records.
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