War is tragic and the First World War was especially so, but it had an interesting outcome in connecting New Zealanders of Scottish descent with their ancestral homeland. A new article on this website links to a researcher’s blog post on this topic, and uses one example of this ‘roots tourism’ that was generated by WW1. […]
War and the Scottish ancestral homeland Read More »
Our list of published family stories of New Zealand Mathesons has grown to six, with the addition of a new book about one person’s First World War service. ‘Answering the call: Colin Matheson in the First World War’ tells the story of the father of Doug Matheson, who was trained to fight and sent to the Western
New publication tells the story of a Matheson from New Zealand Read More »
Clan member Zelda Matheson has been providing more material about Mathesons and Mathiesons from New Zealand who served in the First World War. On the ‘additional information’ page I’ve added death notices for brothers James Weir Matheson and Thomas Alexander Matheson, who died in Belgium (not France, as their death notices said) just two months apart
Updates to First World War pages Read More »
There’s been a lot of response to the two articles on this website about Mathesons who served overseas and in New Zealand during the First World War. People have written in with further information about some of these men, and sent photographs. I’ve managed to track down contemporary photos of many of those listed, and have
Great response about Mathesons who served in the First World War Read More »
In the lead-up to Anzac Day I have updated the article on New Zealand Mathesons who served overseas during the First World War. In an earlier post on this website I reported that one of the ‘Berry Boys’ — unidentified soldiers in photographs found in a former studio in Wellington — was James Alexander Matheson, who
An Anzac Day story Read More »
In my summer holiday travels I’ve found another Matheson place name; or perhaps two or three. Matheson’s Bay at Leigh, north of Auckland, is pretty well known. But just a few kilometres to the north-east, on Cape Rodney, I came across Matheson Bush Road. It turns out this is name after the bush reserve Matheson’s
Another Matheson place name Read More »
The centenary of the First World War is under way, and the prime ministers of New Zealand and Australia have this week been in Albany, Western Australia, marking 100 years since the first time troops of our two countries joined together to go to war. Of the 8,500 men who sailed away in that first convoy
Mathesons in the First World War Read More »
Joining the Clan Matheson Society gives you access to help with researching your own family history. Margaret Faed does this work as a volunteer for the society in New Zealand, and tells how she got the family history ‘bug’: “How did I get started? My mother-in-law was born Alice Matheson in Whorouly, in Australia. The family
Family history help for Clan Matheson Society members Read More »
Back in October we profiled Te Papa’s quest to identify First World War soldiers pictured in photographs discovered in Wellington. One of the subjects was named Matheson. A curator at the museum, Michael Fitzgerald, has now solved the puzzle. You can read the answer here.
The excellent museum at Waipu is collecting information about descendants of the Scottish settlers in the area who fought in the First World War. So far they have more than 600 names, which is pretty amazing given the original migration comprised about 900 men, women and children. Check out their list to look for your relatives,
Waipu descendants in the First World War Read More »
