Family of Pierce Fleming of Waterford

Pierce Fleming

I am looking for the family of Pierce (Peter) Fleming who came to New Zealand about 1873. This date is according to the information he gave us on his wedding certificate. The wedding was in Greytown New Zealand in 1876. He said that he was from Waterford and gave his age at “about 30,” on the church certificate. On a Government document which he completed at the time he gave his age as 36. We do not know on what ship he came to New Zealand or if he came straight here. He married Mary Jane Foster from Kerry who gave her age as 20. At the time of the wedding he was working as a farm Labourer on a big property in the Wairarapa and Mary Jane was a serving maid. They had 8 children 2 girls and 6 boys. I am descended from the oldest child called Ann. Pierce died in 1898 and is buried in Karori Cemetery Wellington. The grave is unmarked and unpaid for which is a disgrace. I will do something about this at some stage.

I paid the Waterford Heritage Services to help me find the Fleming family and they gave me two families that might be Pierce’s: James Fleming married to Mary Ann White 15th 1833 ST Mary’s Dungarvan. They had Mary Baptised 1834, James Baptised 1839, Peter (Pierce) Baptised 1842,Brigid Baptised 1844, Ellen Baptised 1847. All these children Baptised in Dungarvan.

The other marriage was between Patrick Fleming and Margaret Joy the children were :Catherine Baptised 1843, Peter, Baptised 1845. The marriage and the Baptisms were all in Carrickbeg.

I would like to find his family as a tribute to the contribution he made towards the development of this country. Life here turned out to be almost as difficult for him as the hard times he experienced back in Ireland.