Francis Helen Smith

1869 - 1944  (75 years)

• Name	Francis Helen Smith
  Born	18 Feb 1869	Ashby On Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England, UK
  Gender	Female
  Died	4 Jun 1944	Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand
  Ancestors
  Person ID	I5706	Clark
  Last Modified	7 Jan 2011

  
  

  Husband	James Henry McKeich,   b. 6 May 1876, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 27 Jul 1961, Levin, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand  (Age 85 years)
  Married	24 Sep 1916	Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
  	James lived with Francis Smith Hart after 5 Mar 1896. Albert Hart had left home, in Nhill, and moved to Broken Hill, New South Wales to seek work. Albert left Broken Hill after a friend wrote to him telling him that James was living with his wife. He arrived home to find Francis (Fanny) would soon give birth. This information came from the records of the divorce proceedings. Fanny moved out of the family home a week after Walter Royce was born. Walter Royce was the first of her children fathered by James. Fanny's five daughters to Albert all lived to have families and stayed with their father. James, Fanny and their children disappeared from the electoral roll after 1903. Albert divorced Fanny in 1897. There is no record of a marriage between James and Fanny in Victoria or New South Wales. The following children were born in Australia:- Walter Royce McKeich b. 5.2.1897, Nhill, Victoria Ernest Gordon McKeich b.22.9.1898. St Arnaud, Victoria May McKeich b. 17.1.1900, St Arnaud, Victoria The family moved to Lawrence, Central Otago. Albert McKeich and Robert Edward McKeich b. 20.7.03 died shortly after. James Henry McKeich b. 12.12.05, Dunedin. Robert McKeich b. 14 .5.08, St Albans, Christchurch Rona Elsie McKeich b. 6.9.12, Burwood, Christchurch James enlisted in the army to serve in WW1 on April 21 1916. He was posted to J Coy 17 Reinforcements on 31 May 1916. Promoted to L/Cpl 19 June 1916. Promoted to Corporal 27 Aug.1916. Promoted to Sergeant 18 Sept 1916. James and Francis were married in Wellington on 14 September 1916. James was living at the Trentham Army Camp and Francis was still living in Christchurch with the children. James was 40 and Francis 46. James described himself as a miner and Francis as a widow. I don't think that this was quite correct since she was divorced in 1897. Stated date of widowhood was 6 April 1896. Albert, Francis's first husband remarried in Melbourne on 2 Feb 1902 and had several children by his second wife, Hilda May Rowe. I suspect that the marriage took place so that Fanny could benefit from any pension should James be killed overseas.
  Children	+ 1. Walter Royce McKeich,   b. 5 Feb 1897, Nhill, Victoria, Australia ,   d. 3 Apr 1981, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 84 years) ▻ Lilian Jones + 2. Ernest Gordon McKeich,   b. 27 Sep 1898, St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia ,   d. 5 Jan 1978, Auckland, New Zealand  (Age 79 years) ▻ Winifred Gertrude Hollick  m. Aug 1917;   Gladys Helen McLaughlin  m. 8 Dec 1920 + 3. Mary McKeich,   b. 17 Jan 1900, St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia ,   d. 19 Jul 2001, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand  (Age 101 years) ▻ William Rowntree  m. 31 May 1919;   James Christopher Delich  m. 1924;   Joseph Noel Kitchen  m. 1961   4. Albert McKeich,   b. 20 Jul 1903,   d. Jul 1903   5. Robert Edward McKeich,   b. 20 Jul 1903,   d. 26 Feb 1904, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 0 years) + 6. James Henry McKeich,   b. 9 Dec 1905, New Zealand ,   d. Yes, date unknown ▻ Eva Ethel Hurst  m. Abt 1927   7. Robert McKeich,   b. 14 May 1908, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand ,   d. 1984, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia  (Age 75 years) ▻ Gladys King  m. 28 Jul 1934   8. Rona Elsie McKeich,   b. 6 Sep 1912,   d. 27 Sep 1985, Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand  (Age 73 years) ▻ Harold Maugham
  Last Modified	7 Jan 2011
  Family ID	F1561	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart