Sydney Corlett

GEDCOM Note

Research Note: bt 14 Jun 1878 - Jul 1881 This is the time period in which William Corlett was sentenced to jail.Mary Ann would have been left to fend for herself and look after 4 very young children, the youngest John only just over a week old.We need to assume that William knowing he was going to go to jail had made arrangements with his friend and sometimes working partner Francis Parham to look after his family. Perhaps Mary Ann was taken in by Francis as his housekeeper, though eventually she may have assumed the role of his wife, as two children are born during this time period. Sidney around Sept/ Oct 1880 on whom we cannot locate a birth registration and little Henry who was born on the 1 Oct 1881 and died only 9 days later. It is from little Henry's birth and death registration that we know Mary Ann and Francis were the parents.At this time in history, there was no Social Security or any type of support income for wifes without a partner bringing in income, and they were left to fend for themselves and try as best to keep their families under shelter and feed.Once William was discharged from jail, and found his family again, they moved to the North Island to start afresh. Sidney was accepted by William as his child and brought up with the other children.Research Note: c Dec 1881 After William was released from jail in Lyttleton, it appears that he went to seek his fortune on the gold fields of the West coast.Then he and Mary have reunited.They have then moved to the North Island to start a new life.Sidney has always been known as a Corlett and part of William and Mary Ann's family, and a new child Eleanor was born in 1882.