Caleb Anderson (1867 - 1917)

Born 1867 in Geraldine, Canterbury, New Zealand

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 19 Apr 1917 at about age 50 in Auckland, New Zealand

Biography

Caleb was born in 1867 ^[1] He was the son of Jane Metcalf and George Marland, who had 3 children together before George left for Australia. His mother married Thomas Anderson in 1872,and Caleb was known by his step-father's last name. He married Margaret McGuiness in 1887. The children of Caleb and Margaret were:

1. Stanley
2. Margaret Jane
3. Christina
4. Robert Arthur Harding (4 May 1901)^[2]

He was a seaman and drowned in Auckland Harbour in 1917.

Research Notes

The coroner's inquest suggests Caleb was born in Scotland. Is this the same man given he was supposedly 56?

Extract from FamilySearch: CALEB MARLAND - CALEB ANDERSON Birth Certificate of Caleb Marland states he was born on 6 September 1867, Hepworth, in the District of Geraldine, New Zealand. Father- George Marland, Mother- Jane Marland (formerly Metcalf). Geraldine is a small village 38 kms out of Timaru.

Jane Metcalf had 2 other children with George Marland, George b.1865 in Timaru , and William James b.1870 in Dunedin. There is no record of any marriage between George and Jane. George Marland (Caleb's father) had a brickmakers business in 1866 at Temuka, which is situated between Timaru and Geraldine.

On 11 May 1870 George Marland (Caleb's Father) leaves, Otago, New Zealand for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by himself, 10 days before his son William is born on May 21st 1870.

George Marland did not return to New Zealand and marries in Ballarat, Victoria on 11 April 1871 and starts a new family. Jane is left in Dunedin with George, Caleb and baby William.

On 21 June 1872 Jane Metcalf marries Thomas Anderson in Central Otago, she is 6 months pregnant with their first child, Isabella, who was born 16 September 1872, the informant on Isabella's birth record is mother, Jane Anderson (formerly Metcalf). George is now 7 and Caleb is 5. Baby William Marland has no further civil registration records in New Zealand.

In March 1873, 7 months after Jane marries, her eldest son George leaves New Zealand, by ship on board 'Allambra', aged 8 or 9, by himself and arrives 21 March 1873 in Melbourne, Victoria. He goes to live with his father. This leaves only Caleb Marland who takes on the name of Anderson in future records and assumed then to be a son of Jane's husband Thomas Anderson.

There is no New Zealand Civil Registration record of a Caleb Anderson being born in New Zealand with father Thomas. A school record in New Zealand lodged by Thomas Anderson states Caleb's birth date as July 1869. There is no birth record for this date. (Reg # 44; Admission 20 Mar 1884; Parent Thomas Anderson Address Luggate; Birthdate 21 July 1869)

Every child that was born to Thomas Anderson and Jane Metcalf had a civil registration, the only exception being Caleb. There is a record for Caleb Marland with mother Jane Metcalf in 1867.

Caleb marries 15 July 1887, aged 21 years, to Margaret McGuiness.

Caleb Anderson dies 10 April 1917 aged 50 . (Cemetery Record):- (ANDERSON CALEB Date of Death 10 Apr 1917 Age 50 Years; Cemetery Southern Cemetery Location Block 44R . Plot 2 Date of Burial 12 Apr 1917; Type Burial Notes Original reference:- S191704110 Per Dunedin CC Database ANDERSON Caleb; Year of Death 1916; Record Number 2/499; Record Type M/I Age N/R; LocationAndersons Bay; Source NZSG Dunedin Branch Per NZSG Burial Locator CD)

Caleb Anderson Inquest into his death states birth place as Timaru, New Zealand.

Whether Caleb knew of his biological father is unknown but his mother's husband, Thomas Anderson took on the roll of Caleb's father and was noted as such in all further civil records.

Sources

1. ↑ http://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
   • NZ Birth registration 1867/25270
2. ↑ New Zealand Govt - Births, Deaths & Marriages Online

   1887/12436 Anderson Stanley Parents: Margaret and Caleb

   1889/14647 Anderson Margaret Jane Margaret Caleb

   1891/301 Anderson Christina Margaret Caleb

   1984/88222 Anderson Robert Arthur Harding Margaret Caleb

• • Birth:1867/25270 Marland Caleb Jane George.
  • Marriage: 1887/788 Margaret McGuiness m. Caleb Anderson
  • Death: 1917/1823 Anderson Caleb 56Y
• "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
  New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16518, 20 April 1917, Page 6
  Ship's Greaser Drowned (accessed 8 February 2023)

• "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
  Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 100, 27 April 1917, Page 6
  Coroner's Inquest (accessed 8 February 2023)
• Tom Maginness