Bernard Mora (1836 - 1889)

Born 12 Nov 1836 in Mios, Gironde, France

Husband of Mary (Flynn) Mora — married 13 Oct 1870 in Catholic Church, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 28 Dec 1889 at age 53 in German Bay, Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand

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Biography

Bernard Mora was born on 12 Nov 1836 in Mios, Gironde, France. He was the son of Pierre Mora, a digger, and Marguerite Maleyran. ^[1]He lost his mother at age 6.

He embarked on the whaler ship Caulaincourt, which left le Havre in and sailed to the Pacific Ocean. He listed his named as "Benoit" in the ship manifest and made himself three years younger. On May 8th, 1859 he deserted the sip in Akaroa, New Zealand. Other members of the crew also deserted on that day.^[2]

In New Zealand, he used his birth name Bernard again, and eventually married Mary Flynn, from Ireland, with whom he had 9 children.^{[3] [4]}

Research Notes

The Bernard Mora who lived in Akaroa originated from Gironde in France according to his naturalization record in 1870.^[5]

That links him with the Benoit Mora who deserted the Caulaincourt ship in 1859. According to the ship manifest, he was born on 12 November 1839 in Pouillac, Gironde, and is the son of Pierre and Marguerite Mora.^[2] However, no birth certificate can be found in Pouillac at that date, and no Mora family can be found in the indexes.

A Bernard Mora can be found in the birth records of Mios, also in Gironde. He was born on 12 November 1836 and was the son of Pierre Mora and Marguerite Maleyran (who also went by the first name Jeanne). This Bernard Mora doesn't show up on other records in France as far as Filae, Geneanet and Ancestry indexation can find.

In addition to the first name, birthday, and first name of parents matching, we can note that similar family first names can be found : Mios's Bernard mother used the names Jeanne and Marguerite, while Akaroa's Bernard eldest daughter was named Jane Margaret, and Mios's Bernard brothers and half-brothers were named Ustache, Antoine and Jean, while Akaroa's Bernard youngest son was named John Antonie Eustache.

Those are the elements that makes me think The Bernard Mora who lived in German Bay, Akaroa, New Zealand, is the one born on 12 November 1836 in Mios, Gironde, France.

Sources

1. ↑ Acte de naissance de Bernard Mora : Acte #48, Naissances 1836 Mios, Archives départementales des la Gironde 4 E 9378/1 (vue 14/17). Consulté en ligne le 30 avril 2023.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Rôle d'équipage du Caulaincourt : Armement et désarmement des bâtiments (1859), Archives départementales de la Seine-Maritime 6 P 6_223 vues 419-439/621). Consulté en ligne le 30 avril 2023.
3. ↑ Marriage and death certificate
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #44022242
5. ↑ Bernard Mora in New Zealand, Naturalisations, 1843-1981 , Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Naturalisations, 1843-1981 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.