Arrow enquiry

From: Gaylene
To: Jan
Subject: Arrow family

Hello there,

I have been visiting your site which is excellent but I was not sure if the email I had sent actually went

Anyway- My paternal grandmother’s sister Clara Lorraine Gardner ( Waipawa) married Henry George Arrow. I am wondering if they were related

My great grandmother Jane Gardner had five daughters when she was left a widow in 1886.( Clara was the eldest daughter) Two years later she married Thomas George Smith and they had two boys. In 1893or5 he was found to have a wife in the South Island that he was still married to and on the count of bigamy was sent to Napier prison for two years doing hard labour.

What I would love to know is if they actually got back together again Seven children on your own would be so hard

I only found this out this morning and I am surprised that it has not been spoken about before this

Thank you for listening

Gaylene Bland
Whakatane


From: Jan
To: Gaylene
Subject: Arrow family

Hi Gaylene,

At a guess your Henry George Arrow was probably related to the Arrows that have been written about on the website. Waipawa is that big a place to have families with the same surname and not be – especially back then.

Having the same Christian name makes me wonder whether your Henry was perhaps a son of the original Henry – who was Kate & Lissie’s father, who you read about on the website. Perhaps he had a son called Henry too?

Its a bit like that in our family where the name Edward has been handed down generation after generation which can cause some confusion.

The best way of finding out is by directing you to someone who has the Arrow family tree and for them to sort it out for you. And since I have been contacted by 3 other Arrow descendants over the last year or so I’ll direct this email on and I am sure that one of them should be able to help you.

It does sound like your great grandmother, Jane had quite a time of it… being widowed and then married to a bigamist, and having 7 children! Poor woman. It would have made life very tricky. I wonder which wife took him back? I think that would be heartbreaking for both of them to discover that the man they married had been leading a double life.

Probably the scandal that surrounded this event was why you haven’t heard about it before – sometimes it is only after several generations have passed that these stories can become something that people can talk about. Its a bit like the convicts who were deported from England a hundred or more years ago – Now-a-days it is quite exciting to have some interesting story in your family’s past – but at the time it was probably devastating and certainly something families would try to keep quiet.

Anyway I would love to hear what you find out.
I hope Brian, Naomi or Brenda can help you.

🙂 Jan


From: Gaylene
To: Jan
Subject: Arrow family

Hi there Jan,

Thank you so much for your efforts about someone who you don’t even know let alone related to. Also I am amazed at your efficiency! That is the beauty of emails- you can send them off with the flick of the button.

I would love to come down to Waipawa sometime and go to the Museum again as it is a wonderful museum for sure.

A lady named Rosheen was there on our visit and was so helpful. Since then I have been side tracked and tracking down other family history stuff but on the other side of the family
Your art work is wonderful too. Thank you for sharing your talent on line to inspire others

Thank you again

Gaylene


From: Naomi
To: Gaylene
Subject: Arrow family

Hi Gaylene,
Brenda & I have been talking & she to will no doubt email you .
In the tree there is
George Henry ARROW ..born 1879 … married Clara Lorraine GARDNER in 1904 .
It may be worth your while to have a look at the New Zealand Birth Deaths & Marriages ….
which will give you information detailing the children of that married & much more
Happy Hunting
Regards
Naomi in OZ


From: Brian
To: Gaylene
Subject: Arrow family

Hello,

Jan Gosling has forwarded me a copy of your email to her regarding an enquiry about Henry George Arrow. I am pleased to reply as follows.

It is George Henry Arrow who married Clara Lorraine Gardner in 1904. We think George Henry (Born 1879/1880) is the son of Henry Thomas Arrow (b. 1849 d. 9/11/1932) who was the eldest child of Henry Arrow (b. London 1819 d. Waipawa 27/5/1902)

George Henry Arrow died in 1926 age 46 and Clara died in 1920 age 40. The online bdm historical records show they had a daughter, Mavis Eileen, in 1908. I have a birth cert. for another daughter, Reta De Nyst, born 21 March 1910. Should you have any info about Reta I would be pleased to receive same. The birth cert shows George’s occupation as carpenter.

Henry Arrow Snr’s youngest child is my grand-father. Henry & his wife had 12 living children, 4 males & 8 females.

I hope the above is some of the info you are looking for, and should you like to know more about Henry Arrow Snr and his family I am happy to provide some. Likewise, I would like to receive any info you have about any members of the Arrow family.

Brian Arrow