New Zealand "Non-historical" BDMs

**brentor boy** · 21-12-10, 00:06

Is there anyway around the restrictions on making publicly available details of "non-historical" BDMs?

William (Edward) Cowling married Jessie Irene Lyndon in 1921. In 1928 they are shown as living in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty. When William died in 1948 his obituary refers to two daughters Vxxxx and Vxxxx. Presumably they were born around 1921/9. I am keen to obtain more precise details, including their marriage (if any) as I would ideally like to trace them (or their descendants)

William and his wife, then shown as Irene Jessie, were living in Mount Maunganui in 1938 but in 1943 and 1946 William is living with his widowed mother. What happened to Irene Jessie?

I would be pleased to hear from anyone who able to suggest how I might overcome this obstacle. I fully appreciate the sensitivity regarding details of people possibly still alive.

**Mary from Italy** · 21-12-10, 02:05

William and Irene got divorced in 1940:

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi...liam+cowling--

**dicole** · 21-12-10, 04:54

I have found the old newspapers websites in both Australia and NZ, along with the cemetery indexes online (there are a lot now), are a good way of getting around the restrictions of the BDM indexes.

**brentor boy** · 21-12-10, 08:52

Thanks , Mary. That explains why there is no mention of Jessie Irene in William's obituary.

Diane, you can see that Mary has done the hard work for me. I was able to find out a lot about William,before his marriage, and his parents on Papers Past, but missed the reference to his divorce.

If anyone has information about his daughters they would like to share, they may contact me by Private Message.

**kylejustin** · 21-12-10, 11:46

i think you have to prove someone is dead before you can get certs not online already.

**margaretmarch** · 21-12-10, 11:56

Can you find a will at all as that might give grandchildren as well as the daughters.Margaret

**brentor boy** · 21-12-10, 14:55

I have searched N Z Archives for record of a will without success but have discovered his Great War record and his insolvency in 1931. Is there anywhere else I could look?

William died on 19 Sept 1948 and lies buried in Pykes Pa Cemetery, Tauranga