Searching for parents of Christina Sarah (Chrissie) Tod - Wife of Albert Victor Baker (1888or9 - 1964)

Question

I'm hoping to find more information on my maternal grandmother.

My cousin has researched my maternal grandfather, but i can't find anything on my grandmother.

I don't know her birthday or the day she died. I do have her marriage date.

I would love to know more.

Answer 1

Hi Chris. I have added marriage and death references and a Find a Grave memorial to Albert's profile. When he married Christina, her surname was recorded as Haenel, so she may have been married before, but I have not found a corresponding marriage record in New Zealand.

Christina may have died in 1961. The following death record could pertain to her, with the order of the given names reversed. It might be worth purchasing a copy of the certificate.

<ref>New Zealand Te Tari Taiwhenua / Department of Internal Affairs [https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/ Births, Deaths and Marriages Online]. Death registration number: 1961/39741. Family name: Baker. Given names: Sarah Christina. Age at death: 74Y. [https://www.dia.govt.nz/Copyright CC BY 4.0]. Accessed 19 January 2023.</ref>

If we accept Sarah Christina instead of Christina Sarah, she may have been born in Daventry in Northamptonshire in 1887 (which matches an age of 74 in 1961):

<ref>[https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth] (accessed 19 January 2023), database entry for Tod, Sarah Christina (Mother's maiden surname: PHIPPS), GRO Reference: 1887 J Quarter in [https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/daventry.html Daventry] Volume 03B Page 107.</ref>

Comments

Christina had previously married Hans Allan L. Haenel in the London Central registration district in the January-March quarter of 1908.

<ref>FreeBMD marriage, March quarter 1908 [https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=SNyowG%2B5CRR3uqYdJXc4Rg&scan=1 SNyowG%2B5CRR3uqYdJXc4Rg]. Name: Christina Sarah Tod. District: London C.. Volume: 1c. Page: 27. Transcribed by: Wow, johnw. Accessed 19 January 2023.</ref>

<ref>FreeBMD marriage, March quarter 1908 [https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=9VM3TAMsEn%2BnHBGusTd6jg&scan=1 9VM3TAMsEn%2BnHBGusTd6jg]. Name: Hans Allan L. Haenel. District: London C.. Volume: 1c. Page: 27. Transcribed by: johnw, bt5737. Accessed 19 January 2023.</ref>

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Thankyou so much, that is brilliant!

My Gran had secretly married a German guy (Hans) in London just before WW1. The marriage was annulled and she was sent off to her Aunt in Waipawa (NZ.)

On the boat she met my grandfather and they later had EIGHT kids in NZ and England. The marriage broke down (war wounds and trauma from WW1) and Gran bought up the kids mostly alone in the middle of the depression.

Thank you so much for helping with this information!

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You're welcome, Chris! I'm glad those sources match with your previous knowledge. I tried to format them so they can be added directly to Christina's profile.

Answer 2

Hi

This is so  interesting. My Grandmother was Georgina Tod who was half sister of Christina Sarah Tod. Granny was William Montgomery Tod’s youngest child. Granny told me stories of two older half sisters who traveled over to NZ and both married people they met on the boat. I have been fascinated by New Zealand and the story ever since. What an amazing life, I would love to know more. When my Grandmother was a child William Montgomery Tod, her father was a church minister and they lived in Dorset. Before that he was a University Lecturer in Agriculture. 

William Montgomery Tod

Your great-grandfather

Nov 10 1864Dysart, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom

Apr 28 1946(at age 81)Wyke Regis, Dorset, England

 My name is Briony Williams (birth name Pavord) I am the oldest grandchild and my mother Janet Pavord was the oldest daughter of Georgina and George Wishart Hoare. We lived in Abergavenny Monmouthshire in South Wales GB.