Martha (Hansen) White (1826 - 1902)

Born Jul 1826 in Oihi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Reed — married 15 Dec 1845 in Te Puna, Northland, New Zealand

Wife of Charles Carmon Wood — married 5 Feb 1854 in New Zealand

Wife of Jeremiah McGrath — married 19 Nov 1861 in St Patricks Cathedral, Auckland, New Zealand

Wife of William White — married 22 Apr 1868 in New Zealand

Descendants

Died 3 Jul 1902 at about age 76 in Jermyn St (Anzac Ave), Auckland, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dianna Taylor [send private message]

Biography

Click here for genealogy and biography [1] Four marriages - Robert Reed d:1852; Charles Garmon Wood (born USA); Jeremiah McGrath; William White

Baptised 2 Aug 1827 at Waimate North, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Given he nickname due to her shadowy past !

She had four spouses and 10 children....another version gives her only three husbands and six children???

The Hansens were all devout Anglicans and Martha's marriage to the Catholic mariner Robert Reed must have caused some controversy within their various households.

Modern-day genealogist Kath Hansen wonders if it may even have led to a rift. Kath, who is related to the family by marriage, has been documenting the Hansen history for years and was intrigued by the general lack of information passed down about Martha.

"She was very much a mystery woman," she says. "I knew she had married a Catholic and wondered if she had perhaps been ostracised as a result."

A private researcher hired to try and shed more light on Martha's life couldn't find evidence of a falling out. But she did come up with some previously unknown information – Martha was married four times.

Her first husband, Robert Reed, died in 1852 while his wife was pregnant with their third child. The second, American-born Charles Carmon Wood, died of pleurisy in 1861, after fathering four sons. Martha, who was then living in Ponsonby, exchanged marital vows with Jeremiah McGrath at St Patrick's Cathedral three months later. The pair had two children though only one survived infancy.

Jeremiah, who is thought to have been a soldier, was no longer on the scene when Martha marched down the aisle for her fourth l time in 1868. What happened to him is unclear.

But his replacement was a labourer named William White. Martha and her new beau had a son named David when she was 45.

She died of senile decay and heart failure at Jermyn St (now Anzac Ave) in Auckland on July 3, 1902, aged 77, and is buried at Waikumete Cemetery.

- Western Leader

Sources

• Source: S-2131303939 Repository: #R-2146636352 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Page: Ancestry Family Trees Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=7654337&pid=382
• Repository: R-2146636352 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~garter1/courtney.htm Note: