Our Family History
Family: James Henry McKeich / Francis Helen Smith (F1561)
m. 24 Sep 1916-
Husband | Male
James Henry McKeich
Born 6 May 1876 Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand 
Died 27 Jul 1961 Levin, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand Buried Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand Married 24 Sep 1916 Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand Father Robert McKeich | F1560 Group Sheet Mother Emily Harriet Bicknell | F1560 Group Sheet
Wife | Female
Francis Helen Smith
Born 18 Feb 1869 Ashby On Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England, UK Died 4 Jun 1944 Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand Buried Father Mother
Child 1 | Male
+ Walter Royce McKeich
Born 5 Feb 1897 Nhill, Victoria, Australia Died 3 Apr 1981 Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand Buried Spouse Lilian Jones | F1562 Married
Child 2 | Male
+ Ernest Gordon McKeich
Born 27 Sep 1898 St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia Died 5 Jan 1978 Auckland, New Zealand Buried Spouse Winifred Gertrude Hollick | F1576 Married Aug 1917 England, UK Spouse Gladys Helen McLaughlin | F1586 Married 8 Dec 1920 Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Child 3 | Female
+ Mary McKeich
Born 17 Jan 1900 St Arnaud, Victoria, Australia Died 19 Jul 2001 New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand Buried New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand Spouse William Rowntree | F1579 Married 31 May 1919 Spouse James Christopher Delich | F1581 Married 1924 New Zealand Spouse Joseph Noel Kitchen | F1585 Married 1961 New Zealand
Child 5 | Male
Robert Edward McKeich
Born 20 Jul 1903 Died 26 Feb 1904 Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand Buried
Child 6 | Male
+ James Henry McKeich
Born 9 Dec 1905 New Zealand Died Yes, date unknown Buried Spouse Eva Ethel Hurst | F1591 Married Abt 1927
Child 7 | Male
Robert McKeich
Born 14 May 1908 Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Died 1984 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Buried Spouse Gladys King | F1593 Married 28 Jul 1934
Child 8 | Female
Rona Elsie McKeich
Born 6 Sep 1912 Died 27 Sep 1985 Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand Buried Spouse Harold Maugham | F1594 Married
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Notes Married:
- 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.
- 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.