Website updated 1 September 2014

On Tuesday of this week I met in London my 8th Cousin and his wife - Bruce and Judy Bartle.  I did not know of the exact relationship until a couple of days previous to the meeting when I made a breakthough and now have managed to join Chart 7 and Chart 1.

You can imaging my joy, one less chart.  Now onto try to join up some others, there must be connections.  We cannot have so many Greathead trees coming from the same are and not being related.  Just need the documentation - or do I.  If we could get some Greathead men taking the genealogical DNA test - The Guild offer the 37 marker test for £80

Thanks Bruce and Judy for the wonderful time in Somerset House, we chatted and exchanged information.  They are returning to their native New Zealand next week.

Safe journey to both of you.

The website was updated to incorporate this great news and more finds during the month

Researchers around the world

I have had many thoughts recently, here are a few

Would those who follow the Greathead site welcome a Greathead society (inexpensive annual cost) with a quarterly newsletter?

Maybe I could encourage a Greathead Representative to come forward to assist me in research certain areas of the world, local to them?

Maybe someone might like to take up the DNA banner and get the ball rolling on the Greathead DNA project?

Please tell me what your thoughts are?

Newspaper article mystery

There is an interesting article in the Marleborough Express of 22 November 1876, which states that "in view of what happened at his former marriage, Mr Greathead, on the day of his wedding took the precaution to secure the protection of the police". Elizabeth was also a widow and had recently arrived from London via Dunedin

What had happened at his previous wedding? I do not know, does anyone else? His first marriage was in England!!!!!!

Wills from New Zealand

A fellow GoON who lives in New Zealand offered to do some research for me in New Zealand. She had already sent me BMD records which helped fill in some holes for me and only gave me one entry that I cannot find. But we will get there. Now today she sent me seven wills or administraion papers. The details will be on the webiste on the next update. Many thanks Bernadette

New Zealand Greatheads

Bernadette has solved many of the mysteries and confirmed some of the data I already held about our New Zealand relatives. Many thanks. She is now sending me some wills. How very kind

Ada May Greathead

Gail has just sent me a wonderful picture of Ada, her daughter in law Winifred and grandaughter June.

She also very kindly sent me pictures of the graves of Henry Edwin and Alice Ada Greathead all the way from New Zealand

New Zealand Greatheads

It is not often I laugh out loud when I read a family history Email. But Michaels Email certainly hit the laughter button for me.

He wrote " I would like to help you update the family tree you have as my grandfather Stanley Greathead has got no children on your website which makes me worry about my existence :-( "

Shortly afterwards Michael's father wrote to me with details enabling me to link an orphan family I had with their "large branch" I was also alerted to a sex and name change I had erroneously made. Stanley's son is now, or will be on Friday Clive not Olive. My apologies for a genuine error. I must wear my glasses more often !!

Thank you to both Bruce and Michael, do stay in touch

Unidentified Greathead picture

Great news back in contact with Gayle. She has produced a photograph of what she believes to be one of Ernest Greatheads brothers. Either Robert or Walter. If that is the case I am missing a wife for Robert and details of their children. For Walter and his wife I only have details of three sons, this photograph clearly shows two sons and two daughters and another child. So just who are the family, does anyone know. Gayle and I would love to know

Please help

Passenger lists on www.findmypast.com

I was excited to see that http://www.findmypast.com/ have now added entries up to 1929. SoI have added them all to a spreadsheet and am slowly going through them matching where I can and adding information to the narratives. This will hopefully add interest and detail to the relavant people. It is interesting to see that went on a round voyage and those that emigrated. Some even returned either to stay or re-emigrate.

Grave stones in Greytown cemetery

I would like to express a huge thank you to Kim who so very kindly went around the Greytown cemetery for me and sent me details and many photographs of the graves of George and Dorothy, their sons George and Robert and John. Robert and John married sisters Emma and Mary . John Greathead and Mary's sons Herbert and Leonard who marred Annie and their daughter Rita an son Mervyn and wife Lorna. Phew what an Email. Thanks Kim you are a star

New Zealand Greethead

I have just received an Email from Jamie with whom I corresponded for a while last year. He is descended from Robert Stephen Greethead

He has very kindly linked three of the four marriages that I was asking about and I have added to my personal database. The website will be updated on 28 February. He also suggested some other areas I could search

We still need to locate the following marriage in Chatswood:
Frank Robert Greethead m Monica Rosaline Burns in 1940 (ref 15316)
So if YOU know the answer please do let me know

Many thanks Jamie, do stay in touch

Margaret Hill Greathead

Fiona sent me a copy of the death notice of Margaret (née Bilsand) from the Telegraph newspaper. I had found her death on a website but how wonderful to "see" the actual notice. Thank you Fiona.

She emigrated in 1929 from Scotland and married her husband Silas Greathead in New South Wales, Australia in 1932. They appear to have had seven children, all named in the paper and amazingly at Margaret's death six were still alive. There were also 17 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

I would love to know more about this family, gain perhaps some photographs and find out how Silas travelled to Australia.

I found Silas in 1891 census in England, his Dad, also called Silas died later that year and his Mum remarried, I do not know whether they stayed in England. One sister Elizabeth died in 1881, but his other sister Fanny also emigrated and married James Alfred Clifford in Adelaide in 1918. Did they go together?

Can anyone help me please in any way about this family? I would love to hear from you.

Death of Owen Greathead

I heard the sad new of the death of Owen the son of Leonard Bright Greathead who died recently. Bruce and Jodi are promising to give me details.

More Greathead photographs

Gayle sent photographs of Earle Greathead, Leonard and Annie (née Haigh) Greathead and their children, Rita, Mervyn, Gordon, Beatrice, Evelyn, Harold, Earle and Owen. Mabel Wilson (née Greathead) , and Walter Greathead and Bettie and their children Patricia, John and David. What was also amazing was that she also sent me a picture that I already hold of MY DAD when he was n the army during WW2. I wonder just how that got all the way to New Zealand, oh boy I would love to find out. All these photographs will be included in the 31 July update. Thank you so much Gayle

Thanks from Gayle and a photograph

Faith restored in folk. Thanks Gayle for the lovely photograph of your Mum Colleen and her sister Gay. It is easy to see they are sisters, they are so alike. Gay is the bridesmaid to her sister, Collen at her wedding

Death in New Zealand

I received an Email from Gayle to say that her Uncle Earle had died on 26 May 2006 after a short illness.

She has also promised me some photographs

Bruce has done it again

Bruce has once again come up trumps. This post produced his Mum's death certificate and a wonderful poem composed by himself and his five brothers for his Dad's 95th birthday

New Zealand Greatheads

Many thanks Bruce for the photographs sent of Owen Greathead and the house where your Mum spent her childhood. Also grateful thanks for the copy of your Dad's death certificate. I am amazed at how much information can be found on a NZ death certificate

Escapee from New Zealand

I was so please to hear again from Tony Greathead one of my earlier contacts. He was born in New Zealand and is the 2C1R to Bruce. Tony has promised to lookout some photographs. It is getting very exciting hoping to "see" my New Zealand Greatheads

New Zealand Greatheads

Bruce Bartle contacted me, his mother was Evelyn Maud Greathead . He told me a wonderful story about his Mum which I will include on the website. I am hoping that maybe he has some photographs of this branch. It would be great to bring them "alive"

Evelyn's Great grandfather, George, was born in Hudswell, Richmond, Yorkshire. He emigrated with his wife and two children onboard the ship Martha Ridgway to Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand arriving on 7 April 1842. See the website for more details of this trip