My Great-Great-Grandfather Samuel Murray Carr was an American citizen from New London NH who arrived in New Zealand in 1867. He returned to the USA probably sometime in 1884 and died in Almeda, California in 1909.
During his time in New Zealand he was known as Henry Wade Kurtain and gave Kurtain identities also to his three children. The reasons for this change of name have been obscure until very recently and have often been the subject of speculation within our family.
Samuel Carr’s daughter Lizzie Florance Carr married my Great-Grandfather George Robertson Elder in 1877. She was known then as Edner Kurtain and she continued to use the name Edner even after the connection to her American family had been restored. She is known to have corresponded regularly with an American cousin Rosa Belle Carr after whom she named one of her own daughters.
The availability of digitised newspapers and official records online has opened up new sources of information on the background of Samuel Carr.
Carr\Kurtain in New Zealand
This is my summary of newspaper and official references to Henry Wade Kurtain (Samuel Murray Carr) during his time in New Zealand from 1867 to 1884.
Samuel Murray Carr aka Kurtain III
Timeline and Sources
A timeline summarising significant events in his life and a series of links to some of the newly-found resources are provided in the page Samuel Murray Carr for those who wish to know more.
