William Atkinson ( 1842-1928)- Ireland, Victoria and NZ -Closing the Gaps
Carolbea
William ATKINSON married Sarah ATTWOOD in Southbridge, Canterbury New Zealand in 1872. I am a descendant of his grandchild Albert Charles sometime known as Albert Edward ATKINSON.
William ATKINSON's obituary in 1928 states that William went to Australia at the age of twenty, where for a time he was a member of the Melborne constabulary. There is a William Atkinson aged twenty years, Irish on the sailing of the " Lightning" from Liverpool to Victoria in 1861. Communication with an Atkinson family researcher in Australia indicates that William may have been the son of John ATKINSON and Sarah McCAULEY of Ballykelly in Ireland and grandson of Marmadule and Mary ATKINSON. Marmadule ATKINSON was a Solicitor in Londonderry, Ireland. There is much annocdotal evidence to support this assumption.
If this assumption is correct then William ATKINSON farmed at Magherafelt in Ireland in 1860( ref: Griffiths Register), went to Australia in 1861, was in the Melbourne Constabulary and got married in New Zealand in 1872. His application to marry states that he had been in the Southbridge area for a period of four months. There were other ATKINSON's in Southbridge when William and Sarah lived there - Thomas and Annie ATKINSON and a Joseph ATKINSON who was a sponsor of one of Thomas and Annie's children.
Can anyone assist in closing the gaps?
Is there a record of the Melbourne Constabulary in the 1860- 1872 period?
To date have not been able to establish when William came to New Zealand.
Who are the other Atkinsons in Southbridge, Canterbury, New Zealand?
Comments
Carolbea on 2011-02-16 15:47:05Many thanks for support
I have their marriage and death certificates and some family birth cvertificates and while they confirm that William's mother as Sarah McAULEY or McCAULEY consistently, his father is shown as William ATKINSON.
To confuse matters more my g/grandfather William ATKINSON on some of his childrens birth certificates is shown as WILLIAM JOHN ATKINSON . However, on his marriage and death certificates he is shown as William.
To date I have several places of birth between England( Liverpool and Plymouth) and County Derry Ireland. His death certificate( 1928) states he had been in NZ for 70years so some pluses and minuses for my William ATKINSON being the William ATKINSON of Ballykelly.
Carolbea on 2013-09-10 01:57:48ATKINSON - Update on William ATKINSON son of John ATKINSON and Sarah McAULEY of Broharris Derry Ireland who married Sarah ATTWOOD in 1872 in Southbridge Canterbury NZ- now know that William's youngest brother John ATKINSON (born 1853-Broharris Derry N/Ireland) came to New Zealand abt 1876. John married in Dunedin Sarah Ann RAMAGE. They raised a family of eight.It is possible that they farmed in the Totara area North Otago. John and Sarah ATKINSON had two sons William Lennox ATKINSON who married Marion TAYLOR( Waiareka Parish ) and John ATKINSON who possibly married Janet Ramsay LOWREY ( Waireka parish)and six daughters. Looking to further increase information on this family line.