I’ve spent nearly all the long weekend in foreign parts – Canada, USA, Australia and just a touch of the New Zealands. Yes, virtually of course, having splashed out on a Worldwide sub on Ancestry (for a month). All sorts of loose ends tidied up and quite a few new third cousins found, although most seem to have been born rather a long time ago, and are no more.
One of the first on the list for investigation was great aunt Daisy Maud May (originally Scott). She and her minister of religion husband Spencer had headed out for missionary work soon after they married in 1923 (in the Rhondda valley) – see likely wedding photo on the Scott/Osborne page. Their offspring mainly appeared somewhere on their travels in the Indian sub-continent. These had been tracked down a while back, partly using the previously separate Passenger List subscription on FindMyPast.
Mum also knew that they returned to Wales/England after the second world war, only to emigrate to New Zealand a few years later. A December 1953 voyage shows Rev. Spencer and Mrs Daisy May on the ship Rangitata, and that’s where the trail had ended. Supposedly their children also went to NZ, or at least the two girls, but no sign here.
Ancestry recently added some electoral roll registers to its Kiwi archives, and I could see this included a Daisy Maud May in the data. Without a sub, no more info, so this was one of many prompts.
Electoral rolls may not be exciting in terms of genealogy, but they do give addresses. So I now know where great aunt Daisy was over the period 1957 to 1981, when the list runs out – 3 different addresses in Mount Albert, Auckland. Sadly the 1957 shows her as a widow, so Spencer May didn’t get to enjoy his new home for long.
Daughter Megan Blanche however is just down the list at the same addresses. Her occupation is stated as a typist, giving me confidence that a possible April 1954 departure from Blighty is her. As a bonus, there’s also a naturalisation record on Ancestry which gives a definite place of birth – Bangalore, India. (I’ll leave out a little data as she could still be alive.)
It looks like there isn’t a bunch of young Kiwi cousins to visit, so no excuse for a (real) trip then? If there is anyone reading who knows the family, do get in touch.
UPDATE
See The return and disappearance of the missionary Mays (March 2012) for more.
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