Scottish immigrants

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Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Scottish immigrants

Post by Orlaith17 » Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:35 am

I’m really hoping someone might be able to add some info here. This is not for me but for someone in New Zealand who has been trying to trace a bit of his Scottish grandfather’s history. He had been led to believe his grandad came to NZ alone as a young man. I offered to help him research and through Ancestry and Scottish records, I discovered that was not the case. After his great grandad died in WW1, his great grandmother took her family there to live. He had no idea of this until this week.
What I am hoping to do now is help him trace any relatives in NZ on his dad’s side. I am putting details here of what I know in hope someone may be able to tell me any marriages etc of his grandad’s family. A death and burial date for his great grandmother would be great too if anyone can help.
John Berry died in France 8/6/2015 aged 35. He was from Dundee, Scotland.
January 2022, his widow Jane Berry travelled to New Zealand with her children James (11/3/1903) Henrietta (18/4/1905), William (21/9/1909), John (22/4/1914).
The acquaintance I am researching for is the grandson of James Berry. James got married in I think Oamaru and his wife was named Vera. James and Vera Berry had one daughter, Irene. Vera died when Irene was around 4-5 years old. So Irene was adopted into her mother’s sister’s family and lost touch with her father. His grandson was told he may have moved to Wellington for work. My aquaintance had no idea his grandfather came to NZ with his family. He only knew what his mother told him, and she clearly didnt know her father’s story as she became estranged from him so young.
If anyone can give any details of marriages/ deaths for Henrietta, William or John that would be great. I think James died in Wellington in 1965. Also a death/burial record fir Jane would be good….her maiden name was Robertson.
Many thanks in advance.

WilmaM
Posts: 1870
Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Falkirk area

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by WilmaM » Fri Sep 10, 2021 11:58 am

John Berry died in France 8/6/2015 aged 35. He was from Dundee, Scotland.
January 2022, his widow Jane Berry travelled to New Zealand with her children James (11/3/1903) Henrietta (18/4/1905), William (21/9/1909), John (22/4/1914).
You might like to edit the dates here - 2022 hasn't happened yet, though with the Covid situation anything is possible!

John & Jane seem to have married in 1901 after the census date.
I did spot the family in 1911, 2 wee girls didn't go to NZ?
Alexanderina 3, she died in 1912
and Elizabeth 9, perhaps she stayed behind in Scotland [there's a death in Dundee 1983 that matches]
Wilma

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by Orlaith17 » Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:41 pm

Sorry, I was posting late at night and made a typo. It was January1922, 7 years after her husband was killed that Jane and 4 of her children travelled to New Zealand. I have passed on the information I managed to find in Scottish records.
The person I am finding the information for had no idea that his grandfather (James) had siblings and his mother in NZ. James' daughter, Irene, the mother of the person I am helping, became estranged from her father after her mother Vera died. She told her son only the very little she remembered of her father including that he had come from Scotland. She never saw her father again after being adopted by her aunt when her mother died. They had always assumed he travelled alone. I am hoping to find some links to NZ marriage/death records to try to find information about Henrietta, John and William. The person in NZ had travelled to Scotland in 1978 hoping to try to find some of his grandad's family. At that time, they were unaware he had passed away in Wellington 13 years before.
Hoping someone might be able to send me links to research the family who settled in NZ.

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by Currie » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:17 am

Hello Orlaith,

The National Library of New Zealand has a very good guide to family research. https://natlib.govt.nz/researchers/guid ... ly-history

I’m a bit out of date with all that but it may be best to start with BD&M NZ https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
It looks like you need to put in a from date. You can click on the headers to sort the results.

See how you go with that and get back if you need a hand with anything.

All the best,
Alan

LATER. John Berry, 4th Black Watch. https://www.greatwardundee.com/entry/berry-john-1787/
Last edited by Currie on Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by Orlaith17 » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:39 am

Thank you very much for this, Alan. I have already managed to find a bit of information on Henrietta but not any of the others so far. I will have a good search in these links today. I have spent many years researching my own family and know how important it can be to understand a bit more about your ancestors, where they came from etc.and build a picture. I am always happy to help others to find out such information too. The grandfather of the man I am helping came from my own hometown in Scotland so I had a good idea of where and how he grew up before moving to NZ. Looking forward to building more of his picture. Thanks again.

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by Currie » Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:45 am

Thanks Orlaith,
I just tacked something onto my previous post without realising you had already replied, but you've probably seen it already.
Best of luck,
Alan

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by Orlaith17 » Sat Sep 11, 2021 2:00 pm

Thanks Alan. Yes, I had discovered the post with John’s photo and details of his death on Thursday and sent it to NZ. The family was delighted to have a pic of him. I have a fair few from my own ancestry in the greatwardundee site. Just away to delve into more Scottish and NZ records now.

Camby
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 9:05 am

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by Camby » Sat Oct 30, 2021 8:26 pm

Hi
Have just come across your request for help. I am John Berry’s son Mervyn. Jane was my grandmother. She remarried Daniel Greaney in Oamaru on 3/12/1923 and died in Dunedin on2/1/1959.

John Married Rita Doris Beattie in Oamaru. They also moved to Dunedin. John had five children Lewis b04/06/1935. Shona 1937 Mervyn 1939. Kevin 1941. Ian 1943. They have all passed away apart from myself. John died Dunedin at the age 57 1967.

Don’t have many details about William he moved around and worked on many hydro schemes in the South Island He had nine children seven girls and two boys. We haven’t kept in touch with them but William died before John. We have know information about James

Henrietta Married name was Kedzlie. We think there was three children who have all passed away. They also lived in Dunedin. Hope this helps. email mberry@xtra.co.nz. Ph034897522

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: Scottish immigrants

Post by Orlaith17 » Sun Nov 06, 2022 3:34 pm

Hi Camby. I can’t believe I have missed this post until now. I will send this information to the man who is seeking family information. Thank you very much for your reply.

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