More about Aldbury and the Waikato War in New Zealand in 1873

A Battle in the Waikato War, 1873

Last month I pointed out that Things aren't always what the census appears to be telling you. Dale has now contacted me from New Zealand to say she was the descendant of Henry Price Meredith. The young Henry was living with Sir William Ball at a posh London address in the 1841 and 1851 censuses and became a surgeon, before emigrating to New Zealand. However New Zealand records make it quite clear that he was the son of Michael Meredith, who was a railway porter living in railway cottages at Tring Station Aldbury in 1841 and 1851.

Dale has provided some additional information about Michael Meredith at the start of the Waikato War, and while he may have been the first English civilian to die, the British Army had already taken the first steps towards trying to evict Maoris from land where Europeans wished to settle. [The British Empire was built on such "honourable" intentions]

For more information see MEREDITH, Tring Station, Aldbury, mid-19th century - In  addition to the above I have added dates for the Aldbury family from parish registers which have recently become available online.