NZ Military Records - especially WW1, and Worgan (General)
by jhopkins 
, Friday, October 17, 2014, 23:32 (3684 days ago)
The NZ Government have placed online freely searchable military records of people serving in the NZ Military during WW1.
The beginning point for a search is http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/
Some of the records relate to people born in the Forest of Dean who migrated to NZ, or those of their children.
I recently saw a photo in a Greymouth newspaper of a group of soldiers, including one "Jack Worgan", who was probably a miner, considering his home town was Denniston, Westland. I cannot find a military file for Jack Worgan, but there is one for a John Richard Worgan who may be him (many men called John were referred to as "Jack"). Although his military file shows he was born in NZ in 1892, I cannot find a birth record for him here. However, if you have a John Richard Worgan in your family tree, you may find his NZ military file of interest. He served in WW1, and enlisted again in WW2 but was manpowered out of the Army by his employer, after he had started his service. He was awarded the MSM in WW1, as well as the usual service medals. Many NZ miners served in France building tunnels (e.g. at Arras).
There is a file for one Jesse Worgan, a dental surgeon, who served during WW1. He was the son of John Holder Worgan, who can be found here in FoD Parish Records. Jesse's military file records that he was born in the "Forrester Den, Gloucester", presumably written by someone with limited knowledge! In his file, there is reference to a brother and sister in NZ.
A simple search for the name "Worgan" on the Archway site revealed 52 records of various kinds - some are freely available and some have to be ordered. If you have relatives who came to live in NZ, you may find the above site both interesting and useful. Three of my uncles served in WW1 and I have been able to access their military records.
NZ Military Records - especially WW1, and Worgan
Hi
John Richard Worgan is my great uncle. Father is John Worgan mother is Ellen Coombes.
John Worgan married Mary Nash and came to NZ in 1879 with his four children Rhoda, Darious, Amy and Ruth but Mary died in 1881 and John remarried Ellen Coombes. John Richard (Jack) Worgan was born 22 April 1892 in Waimangaroa north of Westport NZ died 14 November 1971 in Westport.
Daisyjan
NZ Military Records - especially WW1, and Worgan
by jhopkins , Wednesday, November 09, 2016, 02:12 (2930 days ago) @ daisyjan
There are a couple of Worgans in my family:
First Worgan! My great grandfather was William Hopkins. His sister, Janetta Hopkins married John Worgan b: 1837, Brockweir, Glos. m: 20.01.1855 Lydney, Glos. On the shipping list below, he is listed as John Holder Worgan, but the second name doesn't show up in the Parish Records for birth on this site.
They emigrated to NZ on the MATOAKA 1092 ton vessel out of Bristol (2 Sep 1860) to Lyttelton (2 Dec 1860)
http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlists/matoaka.html
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzbound/matoaka.htm
The passenger list for this voyage includes:
HOPKINS William 25 Miner (my great grandfather)
HOPKINS Sarah Ann 23 (my great grandmother)
WORGAN John Holder 25 Shepherd
WORGAN Jenatta 32 (misspelling of Janetta – sister to William Hopkins)
WORGAN Mary Elizabeth 4
WORGAN Frances Emma 3
WORGAN Julia Jenatta 3mths (died on voyage)
Janetta died in Lyttelton 29 Nov 1863 (puerperal peritonitis) Note: age at death is given as 37 on the NZ Return of Deaths record, but it should be 36. Her age on voyage was 33, not 32).
I have no information on what happened to the Worgan children, who were orphaned with their father’s death in 1869. He is listed on NZ BDM records as John Holder Worgan.
Second Worgan! Sarah Hopkins b: 1810 Hewelsfield, Glos., was another sister to my great grandfather.(She was in attendance at her father's death in 1847 - Thomas Hopkins of Aylburton, my great great grandfather). Sarah married William Worgan b: 1804 Hewelsfield, Glos. m: 01.05.1830 Hewelsfield, Mon.
There were ten children born to my great great grandparents. Five emigrated to NZ and five stayed behind. All five came to Canterbury, and all except Janetta settled in or near Saltwater Creek, just north of the Ashley River, North Canterbury. Sarah was one of the children who stayed behind.
Are you from NZ? If so, do you know of a connection between "your" John Worgan and "our" John Worgan? Do you know anything about the fate of the two daughters of John Holder Worgan and Janetta Worgan nee Hopkins as described above?