Looking for the family of Robert Jenkins of Wellington New Zealand
John Cocking aka Roberts aka Robert Jenkins came from England and initially settled in Australia. It appears that he may have come out to Australia before or after his wife and family who arrived in Sydney in 1835 on the "Margaret". They settled in the Braidwood area of NSW and was by this stage known as John Roberts. At some stage he left his family and moved to Wellington in New Zealand changing his name to Robert Jenkins. He had a family with a Maori woman (name unknown). The children's names were Mary Ann, William, Charles and Jethro. John Cocking aka Roberts aka Robert Jenkins died in Wellington in 1859. If any one has any information on this Jenkins family I would be very interested.
John Cocking married Anna Maria Whitmore in London, England in 1816. His English origins are unknown to me although they appeared to have lived in Blackfriar Road, Southwark, Surrey when the children were born. If any one has any info on this I would also be interested.
on 2012-08-08 08:46:03
NeddieR has been a Family Tree Circles member since Aug 2012.
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HI there.
We have a Robert Jenkins in our family history who married a Polynesian lady with the name of A Hui in NZ. They had one child. Mary Anne Jenkins born approx 1840 in Port Nicholson, Welling ton, NZ. She went onto to have 8 children onwe of whom was Henry Strickland, my Great Grandfather. That's about all i have and not sure it is the same Jenkins
Hello Greg I am delighted to hear from you. Yes it is quite possible that your Mary Anne Jenkins is the same as mine. According to John Roberts aka Robert Jenkins' last will and testament her mother was E or F Hui and she was born in 1842 I found this in a NZ paper "Daughter born 11th April, 1842 to Robert Jenkins's lady" He also refers to Mary Ann in his Will. I can't lay my hands on the newspaper that this report was in but if you are interested I will have a hunt for it. Mary Ann was definitely born in Wellington or there abouts and I have just got some information from an Australian cousin about one of his children born in NZ to Ms Hui. Have you done your DNA. If so my DNA matches are up on Gedmatch and also FTDNA. I would love to talk further with you my email address is nerida1951@hotmail.com. I am a direct descendant of John Cocking aka John Roberts aka Robert Jenkins and his wife Anna Maria Whitmore.
Regards
Nerida Roberts
We also have a Robert Jenkins of Wgtn aka John Roberts of Mayfield of the Lower Boro in Braidwood NSW. He landed in Petone late 1839 I think and started a pub in what is now Courtney Place. We have a copy of his will somewhere.
In 1851 there was a Robert Jenkins who was a member of the anniversary fete which had Sir George Grey as its patron.
Robert Jenkins was also active in horse breeding and racing.
Yes this is the same Robert Jenkins. He was a very active horse breeder and was involved in the Petone racing events. I would love to know how we are related. I have been in touch with descendants of Mary Ann Jenkins who married Henry Strickland. She moved to Victoria. I am really keen to know what happened to the Jenkins boys. Can you help me with that? Or any other information you may have on Robert Jenkins or his family. I have researched his Australian Roberts family extensively, if you are interested. His eldest son John William Roberts also died in New Zealand.
I have drawn a blank on the Jenkins side of life too and was hoping you had managed to track some down for I wonder if you were actually in NZ as we are. Funnily enough just a few days ago I was thinking of looking up Wellington electoral rolls for the latter part of the 1800s in the hope that there might be a record of them. However in those days Maoris were not allowed to vote I understand (I could be wrong) and so might not be on Electoral Rolls.
Greg Crumps entry confused me a little - "they had one child" … she went on to have 8 children … wo was the father for I see the surname Strickland mentioned.
It is possible that Greg Crump is a descendant of Mary Ann Jenkins seeing he seems to know a bit about her. I am in contact with a descendant's of Mary Ann - they may know who Greg is and where he fits.
Mary Ann Jenkins did marry an Edwin Strickland on 5 April 1858 in Creswick, Victoria and died in 1886 in Ballarat Victoria I have managed to find 7 of her children born in Victoria through the Victorian BDM index. So obviously she migrated to Australia but when I have no idea.
According to Robert Jenkins/John Roberts Will there were also 3 boys from the same relationship - Charles, William and Jethro. Oddly today I have also heard from a Malcolm Reeves who lives in NZ and his wife is a descendant of John Roberts. I am presently communicating with him ---it would be great if we could all hook up and share what we know.
This is very exciting knowledge being new to researching my family's history. It appears Mary Ann Jenkins is my great great grandmother. I would love to know how and why she came to Australia. She married Edwin James Strickland b.1831 from England in Creswick in 1858. The goldrush had swept through the area in 1852.
Their son Henry 'Harry' Strickland b. 1871 was born in Barkstead Victoria and he married Mary Ann Elizabeth Eaton b.1873. They had 18 children one who is my grandmother Elizabeth Lillian Strickland b.1916 I believe the name Greg Crump posted above is my cousin as a Crump married my grandmothers sister Jenny 'Jinnie' Strickland b.1897. John Crump who maybe Greg's uncle? remembers as a child seeing a photograph of his grandmother who would have been Mary Ann Jenkins and couldn't believe the resemblance I had to her and that's how I came to know that we were of Maori decent as I remember my grandmother telling me as a child we had the same skin because her grandmother was from New Zealand.
If anyone has any information on how and why Mary Ann Jenkins arrived in Australia and more on her family in NZ, I would really love to hear from you.
Hello all,
I actually have a photo of A Hui and the (marriage record)and the death certificate of Mary-Ann Jenkins. I have her grave stone photos and other documents. Including the entire family tree from both the Jenkins, Strickland and Foran tree.
Mary Anne was married at the age of 13 and she was the daughter of A Hui and Robert - there was 15 children and she died in childbirth with her last
I am actually on the hunt for more on A Hui through NZ births deaths and marriages. I am great ++++ ( however many) grand daughter
Also- I have connected with a Marae in NZ that hui and her family were connected too- there are records through a Kara’s and you need to speak with the elder members . I am active in the Maori community and work travels fast and information come flooding in
Kim Strickland, that's fantastic! I would love a copy of A Hui's photograph please! My email is info@kimhaughie.com and I would love to know more about any information you may have especially as to when and why A Hui migrated to Australia. Am hoping to get to Wellington NZ later in the year to find out more! Much has been written about our John Cocking aka Roberts aka Robert Jenkins which I have links and am happy to share!
Hi All
I too am interested in any information you have on A Hui and Robert (John) who is my Great Great comes through the strickland line in the family. We have had a DNA test done and still show 14% NZ and 1% Hawaiian. I have a family tree completed by Ted Strickland for my late father and my grandmother was Teresa (Olive Maude) Strickland.
Kind Regards