Death between 1860 and 1873 in Singapore.

Westerners were buried in the Fort Canning Cemetery before 1865 and after 1865 in the Bukit Timah Cemetery.

It is extremely likely that Caroline's grave has been exhumed and any remains cremated. Singapore's government has exhumed hundreds of thousands of graves in an effort to free up land for building infrastructure some have been made into memorial parks or green spaces, but no headstones exist. Finding records of Caroline's death and burial is proving to be very difficult. I am currently working with a Singapore Genealogy group.

𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗺 ~ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

Caroline appears in the 6 June 1841 census as a textile worker and 15 years of age, she is resident at a property on Romford Road, West Ham, and she is noted as a single woman, this could be a residence or she may have been working a shift. The following year 1842 she was living in the same house as Henry Burling and his wife Mary Worsley and William Hensman Saunders and Maria Worsley at 14 Turnpike Row. This is just prior to emigration to New Zealand. Her relation Mary Ann Worsley'McCarthy is living at 13 Turnpike Row with her new husband Joseph. The household is made up of other Mill workers, Gardners/Labourers, and children. Caroline travels as a single (14 years of age) woman on board the Ship London to New Zealand, leaving England on 2nd January 1842 and arriving in Port Nicholson in May of 1842, but she is part of a wider family group. On the ship London's passenger lists, she is noted as a Seamstress.

𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻

On arrival in Wellington, New Zealand it is not clear what occupation she takes up, but no doubt she is Sewing/Dressmaking or a General Domestic Servant. There are many advertisements in the Wellington Spectator and Gazette looking for staff and I am sure Caroline had no problem finding work. It is during her short stay in Port Nicholson that she meets 22-year-old Septimus Mansfield Puckridge a recently arrived young man who is setting himself up in business as a Watchmaker and Clock repairer. They were married by Bishop Selwyn at the first St Paul's Church of England on Museum Street towards the end of 1844 and just before they embarked for Singapore.

𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝘆𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀

As a married couple and Caroline pregnant, they board the 'Bee' on the 4th of January 1845, and on the way to Australia. The ship calls into New Plymouth and other ports. Arriving in Sydney on the 10th of January 1845 they are named in the papers as having arrived, they take rooms in town until they board the Ship Munford for Singapore on the 15th of February 1845.

𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲

On 11 AUG 1845, their first son Percival Mansfield Puckridge was born in Singapore, and their second son Alfred Harry Mansfield Puckridge 12 FEB 1857 a third son William Cloughton Puckridge in 1867 (caution required). Caroline's husband was a watch and Clockmaker/Repairer and they owned a bookshop. It was during this time that Caroline sent her Nephew William Joseph Saunders (my 2x great-grandfather) a book 'The Adventures of Barney Mahoney' which is juvenile fiction. It arrived in New Zealand in the New Year and was dated 25 December 1854. It states on the inside cover it is a gift from his Aunt Caroline Puckridge and sent from Singapore. This is the first of many books Caroline sends to her nephew from Singapore. In doing this act of kindness Caroline has solved many questions about her whereabouts, it has always been widely believed in our family she soon left the colony only having just arrived! After many years of research, and the books coming to light her story can be somewhat told. It is very possible that Caroline died in childbirth between 1867 and 1873. On her husband's return to Australia in 1874 he is noted as being widowed. The children would have been adults by now however there must have been other children but they are yet to be found and none accompanied Septimus back to Australia.

𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟭 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀

Name Caroline Burling

Age 15

Estimated Birth Year abt 1826

Gender Female

Where born Essex, England

Civil parish West Ham

Hundred Becontree

County/Island Essex

Country England

Registration district West Ham

Sub-registration district Stratford

Born in the parish Yes

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝟭𝟴𝟯𝟵-𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟯

Name Caroline Burling

Age 14

Departure Date 2 Jan 1842

Departure Place Gravesend

Birth Year (Estimated) 1828

Marital Status Single

Occupation Sempstress

Event Type Immigration

Event Date 1842

Event Place New Zealand, Canterbury, New Zealand

Event Place (Original) New Zealand, New Zealand

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹'𝘀

The first services held in Wellington were Presbyterian and it was not until 1844 that the first Anglican church was built.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹'𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗿𝗼𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹'𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵, 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟰, 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟯𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝘄𝘆𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝘄𝘆𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲; 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀… 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀: 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 '𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲' Heritage New Zealand

For more reading about Caroline and Septimus, there are two available books: 'Pursuit Through The Years Puckridge Family History by Mollie Puckridge. 'The Pursute Ended' Sequel to 'Pursuit Through The Years' By Mollie Puckridge

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