Topic: ~ Locating New Zealand Ancestors ~

Q. ---> Where do I begin to look on the internet for ancestors that lived in New Zealand?

A. ---> The following contains information focusing on searching the internet for resources in New Zealand.

---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** ----------

1. http://www.CyndisList.com/austnz.htm Cyndi's List.
   For an abundance of links that will direct you to a specific area of your research may be located at Cyndi's List. There are hundreds of links on this list; using the Find on your browser will eliminate a lot of your work if you know your specific topic.

   WHERE to FIND PASSENGER LISTS & SHIP for NEW ZEALAND

2. http://www2.symet.net/whitehouse/nzbound/
   This site is dedicated to identifying genealogical resources to assist in locating which New Zealand bound ship an immigrant ancestor was aboard.
   
   
3. http://www2.symet.net/whitehouse/nzbound/siteindex.htm
   New Zealand Bound Navigational Chart/Passenger Lists
   
   
4. http://www2.symet.net/whitehouse/nzbound/search.htm Search engine for New Zealand bound ships.
   
   
5. http://www2.symet.net/whitehouse/nzbound/hints.htm#Searchable
   Search Sites - Passenger Lists, Ships
   
   
6. http://perthdps.com/shipping/mig-nz3.htm#nz
   New Zealand Migrant Shipping (1876-1885)(Sorted by Date) The information was extracted and placed in the public domain in 1988 by the New Zealand Society of Genealogists' Computing Group from Sir Brett Henry's two volumes of "White Wings" which were published in Auckalnd in 1924 and 1928 respectively.

   Although this list has been compiled in good faith, please treat the information with caution and refer to the primary sources indicated for confirmation and further research.

   Main Ports:

7. http://www2.symet.net/whitehouse/nzbound/ports.htm
   Ports for North & South Island, New Zealand with provided helps of a map of New Zealand Ports & Alternative Names or Renamed
   
   
8. http://www2.symet.net/whitehouse/nzbound/lists.htm
   Passenger Listings for Vessels bound for New Zealand - Multiple Lists & Passenger List Lookups & Emigrant Ships Offsite
   
   
   
   
9. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nzlscant/Strathallan.htm#PassengerAct
   An interesting excerpt on the definition of and adult from the same page reads "... * an Adult -- The ships and masters were limited, by the "The Passenger Acts". (different Acts for different countries at different times, but all along the same vein with the result being better conditions for the emigrant), to 2 tons displacement per passenger. ( varied for different time/countries). As part of the Act(s), children were considered * an adult, for under 14 (sometimes under 12) and 1/3 an adult under 7. Infants were free. As you can imagine, this sometimes caused Captains to "fudge" the ages, to cram more on board, but it also caused the parents to do the same, because the fares for children were rated with the same percentage. This is why some people find their "rellies" with an age two or three years younger than they expect!! Sue Swiggum co-owner TheShipsList..."

   WHERE TO START LOOKING:

10. http://www2.symet.net/whitehouse/nzbound/hints.htm
    Locating New Zealand immigrant and vessel arrival information

    Calculate year of arrival:
    A death certificate from the NZ Central Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages for any member of the emigrant family who died after 1875 will show you how long the immigrant was in New Zealand, where born and parent's names. Note that the information on a death certificate is only good as that provided by the informant. Quote the folio number and year when ordering copies of certificates. The year the death is registered can be different from death year especially if the person died in December and is registered in January. The folio number is found on the RGO BDM's Index which is available on microfiche at most NZ libraries etc. Records date back to the mid-1840s. Photocopies provide the greatest information.

    WHERE did they settle:

    Canterbury Museum's Manuscripts Department has indexed the Lyttelton Times passengerlists. first appearances in electoral rolls (1865+) and directories, found at libraries. Wise's Directories (1872+) You can trace a person's residential address by searching the Wise's New Zealand Post Office Directories Cyclopedia of New Zealand Published in six volumes 1897-1908 and contains biographical and photographs of local identities who paid a fee to be included, sometimes the ship of arrival is mentioned.
    • Vol. 1 Wellington Province
    • Vol. 2 Auckland Province
    • Vol. 3 Canterbury provincial district
    • Vol. 4 Otago and Southland Provinces
    • Vol. 5 Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast
    • Vol. 6 Taranaki, Hawke's Bay and Wellington Province.

    RESOURCES:

    LDS Family History Library has on microfilm the index to Government assisted immigrants 1871-1888, the index to Social Security shipping lists 1883-1910 and the general biographical list 1840-1870, original cards are all housed at the NZ National Archives

    The Alexander Turnbull Library (2nd floor National Library, Wellington) has the New Zealand Shipping Company passenger list indexes. Passenger lists after 1870 are held at the National Achieves, Wellington as the central government took charge of immigration. Records vary from different regions and different time periods

    The National Archives in Wellington also has the immigration and shipping lists. The NZ Shipping Co. passenger lists in large green books in the area to the left, near the tables. They will not photocopy these lists. Other photocopied passenger lists are also found here. Check indexes in the filing cabinets to the right as you enter.

    Genealogical resources:

11. http://www.archives.govt.nz/holdings/genealogical_sources_frame.html The Reference Section of the National Archives of New Zealand.
    
    
12. http://www.archives.govt.nz/business/reference/reference_email_frame.html .The Reference Section of the National Archives of New Zealand accepts reference requests by electronic mail.

    REMEMBER:

    You may never be able to identify which vessel an immigrantancestor was aboard.

    SEARCHABLE SITES FOR SHIPs that FOUNDERED:

13. http://dbase.mm.wa.gov.au/WEBFM/Shipwrecks/shipsearch.html Australian National Shipwreck Database Basic Search Facility
    
    
14. http://home.vicnet.net.au/~AGWeb/anzcat38.htm
    Data from the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Computer Group --
    • Details of 783 ships (A-K, indexed)
    • Details of 816 ships (L-Z, indexed)

    State Records of New South Wales

15. http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publications/immigration/index1844-59/search.htm
    Immigrant Index 1844-59
    
    
16. http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publications/immigration/indexmbay/search.htm
    Immigrant Index Moreton Bay, 1848-59
    
    
17. http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/185259/5259.htm
    Public Record Office Victoria -IMMIGRATION INDEXES

**********************************

*** For translation of the above document to a language other than English refer to the translators found at the top of the FAQs Index Page and follow the directions given within each link.

********************************** Back to Rhonda's -->  Rhonda's FAQ Index:
Back to Rhonda's -->  Genealogy Microfiche Resources Index:
Back to Rhonda's -->  Information Resource Center:

**********************************

Topic: ~ A Check List for researching your Ancestors ~

Q. ---> I am just starting to begin my research on my family - "Where do I begin?"

A. ---> The following list contains information focusing on where and how you would search for information dealing with your family ancestors.

---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** ----------

         James Gross {larklane@juno.com} must be given credit for part of this list. Over the years I have used many different resources to assist me in my own research. Any list of this nature is always built upon as you locate more information from your researching sources. Thus when I saw the list that James had built upon I saw a number of areas that could be embellished and added onto. Just as I have included a number of areas from James's check list, you will inevitably do the same thing yourself. Hopefully you will take this list and add your own areas of research. Please share yours and build on these resources to assist all who are interested and working on their own family genealogy.

         Starting your research properly will remove a lot of headaches in your later work. I have found these resources extremely beneficial in my own work of documenting my relatives. Remember to keep in mind that; the more documentation you can locate and keep as credible references, the more valid your information becomes.

       Although many of the items below indicate United States resource areas; they can be adapted to any country that you are dealing with for a point of reference. The names of the sources may be different but the location is more than likely to be similar to the USA resource.

Rhonda Houston - MacLinks' Researcher

1.    A cooperative relative;
   
   
2.    High School records or yearbooks; student educational, personal profiles held, as well as school principal's secretary's awareness of who the principle individual in charge is of reunions and addresses of each graduate involved.
   
   
3.    Colleges, Universities and Military Academies; Alumni Office maintains historical alumni files containing year of graduation along with updated address, maiden name, employment information and subsequent education.
   
   
4.    College and University Libraries; published directories may be held for fraternities and sororities which include both geographical and alphabetical indexes of members, as well as old yearbooks, campus newspapers, alumni directories, and reunion booklets printed for class reunions.
   
   
5.    A marriage; a copy of original within a county clerk's office with pertinent information pertaining to both parties.
   
   
6.    A marriage; a dispensation is necessary for a Catholic to marry someone of another denomination which reveal a good deal of biographical information of both bride and groom and can be of value not only in its content, but in its many county coverage of a whole diocese and was the initial stopping-off place for many immigrants who later moved elsewhere.
   
   
7.    A marriage/baptism; a typical religious/church entry for which a certificate is given containing names and address of the institution at the time of publication, ethnic orientation and comprehensive dates for vital records.
   
   
8.    A copy of marriage from U.S. Department of Justice; a restatement of oath of allegiance to the U. S. when marrying a foreign-born citizen usually found at the National Archives - Great Lakes Region, Chicago
   
   
9.    A copy of a labor contract from 1865 and 1866; making a statement that a marriage occurred between an ex-slave and a former owner provides names that can lead to additional information.
   
   
10.    A copy from the ledger of the Freedmen's Bureau for a depositor; when an account was opened, information of marriage status when the account holder's name, age, birthplace, residence, names of family members and former owner appeared.
    
    
11.    A copy of local newspaper's social announcements; give attention to news of a personal nature, such as anniversaries, graduation, promotions, reunions, legal notices concerning probate proceedings, divorce cases, estate or tax sales, engagements and marriage licenses, last known whereabouts, intended destinations, local historical events.
    
    
12.    A divorce; target may have divorced more than one time and children from each wife may be named. Court records pertaining to any action might go into details concerning property, visitation and child support. Local newspapers within that time period may include divorce notices or detailed articles about the circumstances surrounding the divorce which are usually recorded in state legislation proceedings which are filled in the years following when a territory becoming a state. Early divorce records were referred as Colonial Office volumes since the colonies were required to submit copies of all laws passed to the British government for approval.
    
    
13.    A copy of petitions to change a name; court records give full names and addresses of all parties including minors, who are legally changing their surname. These petitions give former full names and place of residence of all involved.
    
    
14.    A copy of a foreign birth, marriage, and death; A U.S. Consulate record upon notification of the event is prepared by a Consular Report which is filed with the U.S. Department of State. Births and death occurring en route to a foreign destination which usually show the name, place of former residence in the United States, information about the estate of the deceased, date and place of death, and name and post of the reporting official.
    
    
15.    A copy of the most useful types of court records for family historians include adoption, bankruptcy, civil, claims, criminal, disposition, divorce, guardianship, land dispute, naturalization, orphan, and probate.
    
    
16.    A copy of probate proceedings; records are public of decedent's assets in absence of a will, provide insight to the financial state, lifestyle of the ancestor, names beneficiaries or surviving relatives often times having personality-revealing messages from the past. This is a wonderful place to see how many times someone was married!! Petitions for guardianship of minors and disabled persons go through probate courts. Connecticut State Library hold most of the state's probate estate papers from before 1850 and state census records, as well as being a master index of individual names compiled by the WPA from tombstones in more than 2,000 cemeteries in Connecticut.
    
    
17.    A copy of Original birth certificate, if obtainable; check city hall and health dept..
    
    
18.    The last known address, with "Address Correction Requested" written on the outside of the envelope; A street directory or index such as, "The Street Directory of the Principal Cities of the United States", which was originally published for the postmaster general at the turn of the century provides an alphabetical listing of streets, avenues, courts, places, lands, roads and wharves to which mail was delivered. City directories are usually held within archives and libraries with local collections in which most cities have published or unpublished guides to street names.
    
    
19.     A copy of targets death certificate. Identifying correct person (DOD) can be narrowed down using L.D.S., Soc., Sec. databases.
    
    
20.    Soldier's and Sailor's Homes, as in most every state, large amounts of various biographical information is kept in the form of ledger books provided with spaces to enter rank, company, regiment/vessel, nativity, age, date of death, cause of death, place of death, where buried, number of grave, etc. which have been indexed, microfilmed where state archives are prime places to look first.
    
    
21.    Necrologies are lists of recently deceased found in professional and religious directories, membership publications of organizations, alumnae directories, and yearbooks. Used as a search word, websites such as necrology indexes for Kansas Grand Army of the Republic, a necrology index to obituaries that appeared in a large city newspaper and a list from the Gaylord Music Library at Washington University reporting deaths from the music media.
    
    
22.    Search for death records for members of the target family. Obtaining the date of death of targets parent or other relative may lead to an obituary that may list siblings and/or children.
    
    
23.    A copy of mortuaries and funeral no longer in operation can be found in the custody of the town or county clerk, public library or historical society.

This list is not exhausted by any means. I will be adding more! --- Rhonda

**********************************

*** For translation of the above document to a language other than English refer to the translators found at the top of the FAQs Index Page and follow the directions given within each link.

********************************** Back to Rhonda's -->  Rhonda's FAQ Index:
Back to Rhonda's -->  Genealogy Microfiche Resources Index:
Back to Rhonda's -->  Information Resource Center:

**********************************

Topic: ~ Locating and interpreting Native American Land Grants/Patents information ~

Q. ---> ". . .an ancestor of mine married an Indian tribal medicine lady. The land records and the BLM {Bureau of Land Management} say they lived on sacred lands [in North California]. My questions are:

1. Is this land listed as pre-existing INDIAN LANDS, or would it be by deed ? Who makes the determination?
2. How is this type of land handed down to family?
3. Can it be sold off as the family line dies off/out?

PLease Note: There are two answers which have been printed as suggested responses in dealing withNative Lands. The first answer to the above was written by a gentleman and a fellow researcher from Houston Texas. He goes by the nickname of "Le Geefted One". The answer originates from a written response to a question posted on Rootsweb's GenNewbie Mailing list. Hopefully Le Geefted One's insight will be beneficial in assisting anyone researching their First Nations ancestors and Native American Land Records. The answer is being presented and reprinted with the authors' permission.

MacLizard - MacLinks' WebMaster

          A. ---> I've consulted two books that have specific portions about land records and could not find any reference to "sacred lands" in the chapters on land records or on Native American Land Records. --> "Le Geefted One"

---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** ----------

Next; to try and answer the question, we will look at how Indian land was patented . . .

FROM: "Land and Property Research In The United States" by E. Wade Hone, Ancestry, Inc., 1997; ISBN 0-916489-68-X; Chapter 13 - Native American Land Records, page 201 . . .

"ALLOTMENT had taken hold as a practice by the 1830s. It provided individual tracts of land for Native Americans being displaced because of land cessions to the United States. It was also theorized that allotments would help them integrate more quickly into the "civilized" culture of whites by having actual ownership and the ability to perform land transactions."

         This was how individual Indians acquired legal ownership of land - according to the United States Government - to begin with. Some terms you may encounter or be interested in were found on the General Land Office (GLO) glossary web page at . . .

• http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/help/glossary.asp

"INDIAN ALLOTMENT NUMBER: An allocation of a parcel of public lands or Indian Reservation lands given to an Indian for his individual use."

"TITLE TRANSFER AUTHORITY: Refers to the congressional act or treaty that supports the transfer of land from the United States government to private owners. An example of a title transfer authority would be May 20, 1862, Homestead Entry, 12 Stat 392. Knowing the laws that created the documents we seek are sometimes invaluable!"

Going back to Chapter 13 referenced above, it states on page 202 that . . .

"SURPLUS TRIBAL ALLOTMENTS usually existed after individual allotments had been made. These excess lands were often sold to non-Indian settlers or companies on behalf of the tribe. Monies collected were used for a variety of purposes, including the cost of administering allotments. Trust lands were not subject to preemption, nor could bounty-land warrants or scrip be used as payment."

         I initially thought that this might be where "sacred lands" fell under, but according to that last portion, it could not have come into the hands of your ancestor. Continuing. . .

in Chapter 13 on page 209, it states . . .

"RECORDS GENERATED BY THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS: The Bureau of Indian Affairs was established in 1842 as a branch of the War Department. In 1849, it was transferred, along with the Bureau of Land Management, to the Department of The Interior. It was officially known as the Office of Indian Affairs until 1947. Though it was established in 1824, it was not until 1846 that a subdivision specifically dedicated to land was created.

"Numerous collections generated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs address the issues of Native American land and property. Some merely comprise correspondence that confirms assignments and other miscellaneous issues..."

"...The land-related records produced by the Bureau of Indian Affairs are too numerous for a single chapter in any book. Other books being written by various authors will help reveal more about the multitude of records generated by the hundreds of Native American tribes that were within the bounds of the present-day United States."

{Note: The records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs are in Record Group 75 of The National Archives and Records Administration.}

Again, "Allotments" are discussed in these records . . .

"The most important and largest group of land records held by the Bureau of Indian Affairs is the allotments. They are the most numerous land records generated by the Native American population. Distribution of allotments officially ended in 1934 . . ."

"Records of Allotments include:

• Plots.
  
• Allotment Schedules.
  
• Tract Books."

         The discussion continues on with descriptions of each of those three record types - with some Plots showing " the allotee and immediate surrounding neighbors being of interest - and states the following for Allotment Schedules on page 211 . . .

"Allotment schedules record individual allotments to Native Americans. THEY ALSO RECORD Native American school lands, missions, CEMETERIES {<-- SACRED LANDS???}, and other miscellaneous land dealings. They usually include:

• Plots of the land being allotted.
  
• Affidavits of eligibility as a Native American that identify the tribe.
  
• Testimonies of claimant or witnesses.
  
• Name of allottee.
  
• Household status.
  
• Description of the land.
  
• Assignee of the allotment.
  
• Information on the twenty-five year moratorium and any releases from that moratorium."

"Eligibility as an allottee may have been derived from heirship status, in which case descendants from the original eligible claimant are listed."

         While not directly answering your question as to whether the sacred lands your ancestor(s) lived on were "pre-existing Indian lands," it is highly likely that you can find the answer by researching these allotment schedules for the area they lived.

         The schedules are of course available through the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., but you MIGHT also find that they have been microfilmed by LDS and therefore available for rental through your nearest FHC; I don't know if they've been filmed or not, I've never looked. Go to the LDS web site and search their library catalog by locality. Use "United States" as the place to search for. A caveat though . . . the microfilm holdings of the U.S. Government are by far the largest single collection of records LDS has with over 800 separate topics . . . searching for it on their web site may prove slow and cumbersome. You can do the same search much faster using the library catalog on CD at a FHC. Once you get the 800+ topics on your screen, browse until you find the Native American, Indian, or Bureau of Indian Affairs topics and search through those for any land allotment schedules.

         Now, the answer as to who made the determination of whether it was "pre-existing Indian land" or by deed is simple . . . the U.S. Government made the determination.

---------- ** ---------- ** ---------- ** ----------

Q. 2. How is this type of land handed down to family?

Q. 3. Can it be sold off as the family line dies off?

         One answer will work for both . . . again, I go back to Chapter 13 of "Land and Property Research" on page 211, "The Conclusion" . . .

"There are several sources to consider that are not mentioned here, such as tribal agency records. Once an allotment was assigned or patented, it was considered private property and was handled the same as any other individual land transaction. Research in the county deed books can follow the chain of title through time. These records do not usually indicate Native American involvement, though a few deeds have been known to state "of Indian blood," or words of similar terminology."

         At least this is easy to interpret - once the Indian land was patented, it was the same as any other land in the U.S., subject to being handed down, sold, mortgaged, or even subject to rights of dower I would imagine.

         Since your ancestor's land was in California, you might want to check out the California BLM and GLO website.

California General Land Office / Bureau of Land Management Land Patent Records website can be found at:

• http://www.ca.blm.gov/landpatents/

         The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), established by Congress in 1946, inherited the functions and records of the General Land Office. Information presented here was derived from BLM´s Status database, and is a record of patents (deeds) issued by the United States in the State of California between 1856 and 1991. Because these records have been edited from the original, they are not "Official Government Records." However, every effort has been made to ensure they accurately represent the original.

On-line Information

         Land patent information available from this site includes: Name of Patentee, Date, Location (Meridian, Township, Range, Section), Patent Certificate Number (or document identification number), Case File Number, and Case Type (authority). Further detail about Patent Certificate Number (document identification number) and Case File Numbers and transformation of the data is available.

Searching for People

         Every patentee in the State of California is listed in a name index. The name index lists NAME, COUNTY, SERIAL NUMBER.
         Start your search with the name index. Once you find the person and the patent you are looking for, copy the serial number. The best way to copy the serial number is by highlighting the number with your left mouse button, then on your browser select edit and copy.
         When searching for an Indian name the full and last name must be hyphenated, i.e. Running-Bull or NAH-KAH-WA-TAU.

Hope some of this mass of rhetoric helps!
Good luck and best regards,

Le Geefted One in Houston

---

---

---

The second response origianlly came from a Native American Mail List. The author's eMail address has been included as Wicomicowm@aol.com [mailto:Wicomicowm@aol.com]

Re: Native American Land Grants/Patents information

In a message dated 3/28/2001 9:37:31 PM Central Standard Time, rfhouston@mindspring.com writes:

Q. ---> If an ancestor of mine married an Indian tribal medicine lady. The land records and the BLM {Bureau of Land Management} say they lived on sacred lands [in North California]. My questions are: . . .

A. ---> I am not an expert in this area. You need to contact the legal services of a lawyer who specializes in Tribal Law. I will answer your questions to the best of my ability.

The definition of sacred does not mean tribal. Tribal lands refer to land owned and managed by an Indian Tribe or maintained by Natives from a tribe.

Sacred lands are lands considered holy to the tribe for tribal reasons usually for visions or spiritual medicine purposes other times because of burial grounds. The black hills are considered sacred to the Lakota.

Is this land listed as pre-existing INDIAN LANDS, or would it be by deed ?
Who makes the determination?

Tribal lands cannot be sold unless they are abandoned. Scared lands were sold constantly. No deeds. Tribes made the determination what was sacred to them.. the government never honored the Indian's religion as the thought of sacred land, was thought of as being foolish.

How is this type of land handed down to family?

If the family buys the land and owns it...no difference unless of course it is located on a designated Indian reservation or is part of a state park.

Can it be sold off as the family line dies off/out?

Yes

*** Although the original questions have been answered through references to both the literary and the living, as has been suggeted it would be wise to refer to the appropriate legal offices to validate the answers as has been submitted.

**********************************

*** For translation of the above document to a language other than English refer to the translators found at the top of the FAQs Index Page and follow the directions given within each link.

********************************** Back to Rhonda's -->  Rhonda's FAQ Index:
Back to Rhonda's -->  Genealogy Microfiche Resources Index:
Back to Rhonda's -->  Information Resource Center:
**********************************

On Site Search Engine Utilities

On Site Navigational Form to Your Page/Links of Interest

Would you like to add or become part of the our Genealogy Resource Group? Please feel free to contact Dave or Rhonda at;   dmac44@rogers.com.

Join The MacLinks' Resource Mailing List Your Connection to Research Resources Focusing on the Internet / Clan/Your Enter your name and email address: Name: Email:   Subscribe    Unsubscribe

Make Your Connections! Join Our Resource Forum! Please Sign Our Guest Book!

©1999 ~ 2008 - Clan MacLennan Worldwide - MacLinks Family Connection Genealogy Pages Clan MacLennan-Worldwide Home Page --> http://www.clanmaclennan-worldwide.com MacLink's Research Resource Index --> http://ca.geocities.com/maclizard@rogers.com/strt.mac.html Clan MacLennan-Worldwide Site Coordinator: Bruce McLennan (Australia) Research Resources Created & Maintained by: David MacLennan (Canada) Global Research Moderator: Rhonda Houston (USA) Civil War Moderators: Rebbeca Heinz & Desoto Joe (USA) Educational Resource Coordinator: Ginny (USA)

You are Clansman/Researcher # to visit our site.

MacLinks' Top 100 Sites By clicking on any of the buttons below you will be indicating a vote for this site. Your efforts will achieve three things: #1. navigate to a list of genealogy sites #2. bring this site to the attention of others #3. assist you in your research

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gen Canada

Top Gen. Sites

World Genealogy

Genealogy Search

Roots Scotland Genealogy Sites

Canadian Genealogy & History

Civil War Top 100 Sites Civil War Top 100 Sites!