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MOFFET(T)/MOFFAT(T) from Southland, NZ c1865-1888

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 3 Oct 2011 04:55

Margaret Moffet born about 1849 possibly in Scotland. Possible birth surname similar to REFRAIN.
Married John/James Moffett/Moffat c1865 in Invercargil, NZ.
Had 3 children: 1) Frances born Feb 1868 in Invercargil and married Henry GREENFIELD, NZ 2) Alice born 1895 in NZ and married Henry COUPER and 3) Henry who I think was the youngest child and it has been said died somewhere overseas.
On her death cert Nov 1888 at Dunedin, NZ. Margaret was named as relict of John Moffet.
The names John and James are both used as the father on each daughters marriage information...as are the surnames MOFFET(T) and MOFFAT(T).

I have been unable to find a marriage certificate or any information about John/James that I can tie in with Margaret, Frances, Alice or Henry. I have been unable to find a death or burial for him too.

I have not been able to find any information about their son Henry, but i do have a photograph of him.

I remember from about 30 years ago the name Joyce JAMES, I believe she was a daughter or grand-daughter of Alice COUPER but sadly now passed.

ANY information on this brick wall is greatfully received... thank you

Cherilyn

Cherilyn Report 3 Oct 2011 05:09

How could Margaret have had a child born in 1895 if she died in 1888?

kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 3 Oct 2011 05:37

opps sorry... Alice was married in 1895... she was born dec 1874... just goes to show how careful you need to be. Thank you

kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 3 Oct 2011 06:03

A little more info on this family:
Husband- James/John was possibly a farmer and died c1874/75
Son- Henry was a sailor and died overseas possibly in Singapore
Margaret nee Couper (dau of Alice) married James JOYCE 18 April 1938
Harrold Moffet Couper (son of Alice) died 1961/62

Quoy

Quoy Report 3 Oct 2011 06:55

Hello

in case you do not have this it might be worth while searching through the burials

The website provides access to about 55,000 records for the four Invercargill and Bluff cemeteries and the Southland Crematorium. The cemeteries and crematorium are operated by the Council's Parks Division.

http://www.icc.govt.nz/ServicesA-Z/Cemeteries/CemeterySearch.aspx?page=0

kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 3 Oct 2011 10:07

Thanx Quoy... nothing there that jumps up to grab my attension but a good site to bookmark being a kiwi with some southern roots :)

Persephone

Persephone Report 3 Oct 2011 10:31

Frances Moffat married Henry Greenfield 1887

Their children:

Ernest Henry born 1888
Albert Percy born 1889
Johannes Leslie Born 1891
Frances Evelyn born 1892
Alexander William Moffett 1895
Alice Dorothy 1901
Phyllis Olive 1904

I can get you full birth dates
Do you want the children's marriages? Their deaths etc?

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 3 Oct 2011 10:32

Quoy,

Thank you so much for that link to Invercargill area records.
There are 23 listings for a surname of interest to me and most if not all of them are likely to link into my tree.
I'm going to be busy checking.........

Gwyn

Persephone

Persephone Report 3 Oct 2011 10:37

Alices' marriage to Henry Couper 1895 shows her surname as the variant
Moffet

Harold Moffet Couper born 1904.

There is a Margaret Moffet married in 1893 to Robert Moffet

Persephone

Persephone Report 3 Oct 2011 10:42

Gwyn

You can search quite a lot of our cemeteries by going to

http://www.clanfraser.org.nz/genealogy/cemeterylinks.html

That one takes you to the Invercargill site and others.

Persie :-)

Persephone

Persephone Report 3 Oct 2011 10:50

This marriage for Margaret Couper to James Joyce in 1938.

On the marriage disc/records

Margaret Joyce Couper married John Charles James in 1938...

No other record for 1938.. for Margaret Couper ?

Persephone

Persephone Report 3 Oct 2011 10:58

Margaret Joyce Couper born 16 May 1914...

Died 1993.

Persephone

Persephone Report 3 Oct 2011 11:18

There are two deaths re Margaret Moffet in 1888

One on 15th November aged 39

One on 13th November aged 35

How weird.. more often than not they haven't been registered but will be found in a cemetery...

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 3 Oct 2011 11:29

Thank you for the cemetery links Persie.
I'm going to be kept safely away from housework today !

Gwyn

kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 3 Oct 2011 20:14

Thank you Persie :)
I am the great-grand daughter of Frances MOFFET (and all variation LOL). I have most details of her siblings. How do you have access to them? Are you related? (Margaret) Joyce JAMES had given me some basic details MANY years ago and over those years I have been able to confirm most as correct. It is the details from Margaret and James MOFFET back that I am trying to now ferret out.
I have the possibilities of Margarets maiden name being: REFRAIN (from Joyce), RHYDANE( from Alices marriage cert), and DEAN (from Margarets death cert). Margaret seems to be pretty well settled within the Dunedin and Invercargil areas but no apparent information available. There were 2 James Moffets arrive into the area from Scotland at around the correct time but again nothing else I can grab onto to research further...AH dear brick walls :( still isn't it wonderful when you finally knock one down :)

Persephone

Persephone Report 3 Oct 2011 22:37

Kiwicolleen

Which death cert do you have of Margaret.... I am wondering if the BDM in NZ have made a fauxpas... I was going to e-mail them and ask them to check it out.

No I have enough relatives thanks.. I am not related to the Moffets. I do have a few Coupers but they are not yours as far as I can tell.

I am no help re tracing back.. I delve in NZ only.

I should say you need to use Scotlands People site .. costs but can be worth it if you can get on the right track.

Persie

kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 4 Oct 2011 07:56

I have Margarets death cert dated 15 Nov 1888... it corresponds with her burial records and grave photograph... she is buried with 2 of her grand-daughters (GREENFIELDS) so it is def her :) thank you for your help :)

kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 26 Oct 2011 13:27


I have my gr-gr-gr-grandparents as Margaret and John/James Moffett (and varients). They are the parents of Alice, born 1874, married Henry COUPER 1895, ; Frances, born 1868, married henry GREENFIELD1887; and Henry born1866. I have the death cert and burial information of Margaret (Nov 1888) which states she was: 39 yrs, relict of James Moffet,, fathers surname of DEAN (although I have been told REFRAIN) born in scotland, in NZ 24 years, married in Invercargill at age 16, and ages of her 3 children as Male 22yrs, females 21 and 14yrs. I am told that the son Henry was a sailor and died young overseas possibly in Singapore. I am unable to locate a marriage cert, death cert for James or Henry. Are you able to provide any further information especially regarding the marriage of Margaret and James, and the deaths of James and Henry. thank you.









kiwicolleen

kiwicolleen Report 5 Nov 2011 08:52

ok well... certs have arrived from NZ for Henry Moffet marriage and death of James Moffit.... neither are my family :(

Persephone

Persephone Report 5 Nov 2011 17:29

NZ is 13 hours ahead of UK so a bit later on you could try that phone number I pmd to you re one of who I think might be family...

Otherwise I will see if I can find a Greenfield in the family and see if you can get info that way.... someone may just be sitting on it all. Because of the registration system not starting in the early days a lot of info is hard to find... and then even after it started record keeping was a bit hit and miss... wasn't compulsory. On top of that the handwriting was not always the best and not everything has been entered into the system correctly. A lot of my NZ heritage has been handed down, it is not on the registry.

Persie