William Fitzhenry and Louisa Coward - New Zealand

Wendy Rutter sent me a gentle reminder that the William and Louisa that I had found populating New Zealand with Fitzhenrys in the New Zealand BMD site were in fact her great-grandparents.

They are featured as Family group 20 on the FitzhenryDNA site. Here is some information that Wendy sent me about William and Louisa. If you recognised any of these people and want some more information, send us an email and we'll pass it on to Wendy.

William FITZHENRY was born around 1839 in Oulartwick, Wexford Ireland to John FITZHENRY and Eliza ATKIN. Oulartwick is a few miles east of the town of Enniscorthy.
He arrived in Victoria Australia in Nov 1862 aboard the “Shalimar” and started working as a miner in the gold fields with his elder brother Hercules Atkin FITZHENRY who had emigrated to Australia a few years earlier.

After the death of Hercules, he married Louisa COWARD on 5 September 1865 in St. James' Church, LaTrobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, the daughter of Jonathon COWARD and Sarah COWLEY. Louisa was born around 1843 in Mere, Wiltshire, England.

A "W. FITZHENRY aged 26, single, born Ireland", left Melbourne on 13 Jun 1866 on the “South Australian" and went to the gold fields of Hokitika, on the West coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Was this our man?
Louisa joined William in New Zealand and they settled at 55 Gloucester Street, Linwood, Christchurch. They later lived at 54 Gloucester Street. Their children went to Christchurch East School on the corner of Barbados and Gloucester Streets, and were all christened as Protestants.

William and Louisa had 7 children:

Ernest Edward FITZHENRY (13 October 1867 - 30 January 1935) married Alice PHILLIPS in Dargaville, North Island, New Zealand in 1901. Alice died in 1957 in Dargaville.
They had 4 children

1. Norman Leonard 1909 – 6.2.1930 Picnic Island (accident)
2. Beryl 1915 – 1973 aged 58 Dargaville (never married)
3. Gordon Oriel 1906-1988 Whangara married Eileen May Nash (c1910 – 1990) in 1933
4. Kenneth Ernest 1912 married Linda Pearl McCrackenc 1912 – 1992

Fanny Maud FITZHENRY (18 February 1869 - 5 May 1948) married Frederick William BORRELL in 1901
They had 4 children:

1. Jack Fitzhenry married Merle Paynter
2. Dorothy Fitzhenry 1904 – 1986 married 1961 Jim Anderson
3. Frank Fitzhenry 1906 – 1970 Cook Islands
4. Kathleen Louise (known as Louise or LuLu) married 1929 David Blair

Frederick FITZHENRY (12 May 1871 - 8 April 1947, Christchurch) married Agnes HENDERSON (d. 23 May 1961, Christchurch) in 1908.
They had 4 children

1. Eileen May (born c1911) married 1936 to Vivian Whitta WILSON
2. Phyllis Clare c1912
3. Keith Oscar (1913 – 26 November 1969, Christchurch)
4. Runa Frances (born 1918 ) married 1940 to John Thornton BETHELL

Albert FITZHENRY born 11 February 1877 moved to Australia

Louisa FITZHENRY born 25 December 1878 moved to Australia

Ada FITZHENRY born 29 April 1880, never married, died 1965 age 84 Christchurch

Edgar FITZHENRY born 6.9.1883 moved to South America

Louisa died on 28 July 1906 at 54 Gloucester Street, Linwood, Christchurch, New Zealand and was buried on 3 Aug 1906 at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch.
William was a storeman from 1893 through to 1925 when he was listed as Retired Storeman. He died at his residence of 404 Gloucester Street, Christchurch on 2 October 1929 age 90. He was buried at Linwood Cemetery.


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