Has anyone ever tried using employment records as a means of trying to locate someone.
Trying to find my partner's birth father.
All we have from adoption records is name and his age at my partner's birth as told by his Mother.
I know the name (not 100% that the spelling is correct), job title and year of employment.
Only know that it was one of Wellington's big department stores as he was a window display artist.

rotorbladz - 2019-07-17 12:01:00

Have you looked at e/rolls - from 1950s till now? I do think they'd prob be of more use to you. You would need to go to a large library to find the early records. Be open-minded about the spelling of all names AND the occupation too. He could be llisted simply as a shop assistant for example, rather than a window dresser. If he was 21 or over at the time of your partner's birth he should be on that year's roll. If not, search upwards, and follow through until present day or when you lose him, then go to phone books, social media etc etc. If you can find a way to contact me I can talk you thru it. OR... even better, have a look at NZ Super Sleuths on FB Good luck.

junie2 - 2019-07-17 14:42:00

junie2 wrote:

Have you looked at e/rolls - from 1950s till now? I do think they'd prob be of more use to you. You would need to go to a large library to find the early records. Be open-minded about the spelling of all names AND the occupation too. He could be llisted simply as a shop assistant for example, rather than a window dresser. If he was 21 or over at the time of your partner's birth he should be on that year's roll. If not, search upwards, and follow through until present day or when you lose him, then go to phone books, social media etc etc. If you can find a way to contact me I can talk you thru it. OR... even better, have a look at NZ Super Sleuths on FB Good luck.

I have been through all the electoral rolls for Wellington and surrounds for the whole decade with every variation of the last name.
I cannot find him AT ALL.
I have put in many, many hours of research. When all you have is a common first name and a last name that can be spelled four ways and no idea of his true age it's pretty tricky.
ETA but thank you for taking the time to answer my query.

Edited by rotorbladz at 3:11 pm, Wed 17 Jul

rotorbladz - 2019-07-17 15:11:00

junie2 have you been doing this a long long time.
Many years a go I asked on hear for help getting adoption information and someone on here told me who to contact, what sort of card I needed to ask for.
Your user name seems familiar.

rotorbladz - 2019-07-17 15:15:00

Yep, I think that was me RB. You're right re above; there are lots of possibilities, but unfortiunately working through them is the only way forward. I'm not saying this to daunt you, but I know people ( me incl - lol) who have taken years over this sort of inf, and got there in the end. It's a matter of working thru, just as the genies do , to confirm each step etc.

junie2 - 2019-07-17 15:38:00

Thanks. We could just out and out contact the living relative of the one we found who died a couple of years a go and the one living in Blenheim but think that's a bit harsh.

rotorbladz - 2019-07-17 15:42:00

Why do you think it is harsh? How else might it happen? You maybe just need a few guidleines to help you do it with maximum respect and minimum upset. It is possible, truly.

junie2 - 2019-07-17 15:59:00

Is there a facebook group for former employees of the company he worked for. If so there may even be an old photo from a xmas party etc .

l.e - 2019-07-17 17:52:00

Perhaps the Alexander Turnbull Library? If it was a big enough company, it may have deposited some of its records there. But it may only be quite high level stuff. But you won't know if you don't look!

rednicnz - 2019-07-17 18:06:00

Have you retried Birth, Deaths and Marriages for a revisd Birth Certificate.
We adopted a child in 1970 and were fed a lot of crap by the Child EWelfare Department in those days, but our son 20 years later was given a lot more information after a change of heart by succesive Government policy.

axelvonduisberg - 2019-07-17 18:16:00

which store in Wellington... DIC. Kirkcaldie & Stain or James Smith? all closed down now... DIC closed completely as is James Smith but Kirks became David Jones in Lambton Quay.. now one way to help, if the store did a history book, I know James Smith was doing one, but didn't get finished... I worked there from 1970 to 1972 then back again (went to UK for a few years ) 1976-1981. I do know off several display folk who were in James Smith for years, its in a booklet I was given a few weeks back from NZ Founders Society... see there are ways off finding out!!! James Smith bought me out from London to work for them! Try Archives in Wellington...

neich - 2019-07-18 12:34:00

neich wrote:

which store in Wellington... DIC. Kirkcaldie & Stain or James Smith? all closed down now... DIC closed completely as is James Smith but Kirks became David Jones in Lambton Quay.. now one way to help, if the store did a history book, I know James Smith was doing one, but didn't get finished... I worked there from 1970 to 1972 then back again (went to UK for a few years ) 1976-1981. I do know off several display folk who were in James Smith for years, its in a booklet I was given a few weeks back from NZ Founders Society... see there are ways off finding out!!! James Smith bought me out from London to work for them! Try Archives in Wellington...

We don't know which store. If you have the book, which I didn't know existed perhaps you wouldn't mind looking up a name for me or perhaps you may have even heard of the name. John Mathew or John Matthews.

rotorbladz - 2019-07-18 12:58:00

there are a few folk locally who either worked in the Department stores in Wellington so will ask them as well about the name.. to work with Display it was a specialist job.. one person I knew had worked in that department for years and years...I am up in Wairarapa… have you ever tried facebook with the name? What would be great if they had the website still going with school pupils and work places still going!

neich - 2019-07-18 20:47:00

This appears to be reactivatied, via the National Library.

https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/looking-for-old-friends

poce - 2019-07-19 07:20:00

*****UPDATE******
FIUND HIM!!!!!!!
A dear friend spent the day at Wellington library.
In electoral with correct birth year and in 1956 his job was display manager.

rotorbladz - 2019-07-20 21:34:00

Yaaaay! Just wondering how you got the correct birth year. Is this one, one of the two you already had in mind? Hope so.

junie2 - 2019-07-21 00:14:00

did it mention which Store out of interest?

neich - 2019-07-21 11:09:00

neich wrote:

did it mention which Store out of interest?

No you only put your occupation but we have subsequently found out it was Kirkcaldie & Stains.
There's a wealth of information of this shop at the National Archives so we MIGHT find some photos of his work.
Most importantly though we have found my partner's birth Father.

rotorbladz - 2019-07-22 14:22:00

rotorbladz wrote:

No you only put your occupation but we have subsequently found out it was Kirkcaldie & Stains.
There's a wealth of information of this shop at the National Archives so we MIGHT find some photos of his work.
Most importantly though we have found my partner's birth Father.

Fabulous news! Was he one of the two you had ID'd before? And have you made contact yet?

junie2 - 2019-07-22 16:15:00

junie2 wrote:

Fabulous news! Was he one of the two you had ID'd before? And have you made contact yet?

No June it wasn't!! The name is Matthews NOT Mathew. Partner has been in touch with a half 2nd cousin who was a match on DNA. She is the daughter of Cam's 1/2 Great Uncle. (THINK I've got that right?) Just ordering a death printout. Know this man's wife's name but not her contact info and know that there are two brothers and a sister.

Edited by rotorbladz at 4:20 pm, Mon 22 Jul

rotorbladz - 2019-07-22 16:19:00

Wow- you HAVE made good progress then. Keep us informed eh? Is BF still alive ?

junie2 - 2019-07-22 16:50:00

junie2 wrote:

Wow- you HAVE made good progress then. Keep us informed eh? Is BF still alive ?

No passed away 2015 :(

rotorbladz - 2019-07-22 18:05:00

The member deleted this message.

junie2 - 2019-07-22 19:06:00