Hi Leighton,
Your father is my 1st Cousin and your Grand Father Alvin Murray Gelling was the second son of Frank Murray Gelling third son of James Mansfield Gelling and his wife Mary Anne Gelling(nee Murray), I have a lot of information that I am compiling at the moment and you can help by getting your dad to give me the important dates for William. Tony, and the rest of your family as that will save me a lot of time, you can contact me on (64-9-424 8290, work (09)523 5172 mobile 64 25 423351 also my work e-mail is Peter.vk@nds.co.nz, please co-ordinate your requests for info with me so we don't double up, our ancestry goes back to the Isle of Man via James Gelling=Martha Robinson HM Customs and his father Wm Gelling=Elizabeth Mansfield HM Customs both Liverpool, England, I am now at the point with help from Eric Gelling in North America and Brian Lawson in IOM that we are validating wether Charles Gelling-Catherine Christian is our link.
I live not to far away in Arkles Bay on the Whangaparaoa Pennisula.
The next two phases that I will initiate this year are brothers of James went to North America and were ship builders, the other brothers went to South Africa(Bankers). and a son Robert came to new Zealand after the Second World War he apparently was married to a New zealand girl but had no children.
Grand Uncle William Mansfield Gelling married Sarah Catherine McCormick(Father Charles McCormick, mother Catherine nee Cassidy) in 30 June 1902 and they had four children Charles Mansfield Gelling, Kathleen Laurna Gelling=Neil Raymond O'Brien married St Michaels, Remuera 19 Oct 1940,Olga Sybil Gelling married Henry James Hill St Benedicts, Newton and Muriel Murray Gelling=Phillip George Martin St Benedicts, Newton 16 December 1925, this information arrived yesterday from the Auckland Catholic Diocesan Archives so this is completely validated information.
James Mansfield Gelling is buried in All Saints Anglican Cemetry, Howick Village with his second son Douglas Warner Gelling, James was Secretary of the Veterans Home in Howick in 1907 before his death a short time later.
Mary Anne his wife is buried in the Star of the Sea Catholic Cemetry also in Howick Village.
Geoffry Hamilton Gelling married Ethel Elizabeth Gavin daughter of John A Gavin and his wife Ettie M Gavin nee Taylor at St Josephs, Otahuhu 2 July 1907, it is believed that they had no children.