MacPhunn of Strachur.....the story so far!

My name is Ann Kennedy (nee McPhun)
Daughter of Ronald David William McPhun
Granddaughter of William Alexander McPhun
Great Granddaughter of David Alexander McPhun
& Great Great Granddaughter of William Henry McPhun
(our first McPhun to hit New Zealand shores in about 1862)

So as you can see I have a vested interest in all things McPhun!
or MacPhunn as one of our previous derivatives would have it. 

I have for many years been trying to track our William Henry McPhun's birth certificate, but to date to no avail.It's always a problem when dates vary from Marriage to death certificates.
However my Grandfather William always insisted we came from Strachur in Argyll, so I'm not going to dispute that but try to research back to that point.

The information collated to date can be seen in the book I have started to put together for my family. I went to Scotland in 2005 & spent time with a genealogist in Inverness as you will see and much of the information I have is from that point on.
So at this stage we have the beginning & all information from William Henry's arrival in New Zealand, but a very annoying gap in the middle, yet to be resolved.

12th March 2018, an update to my previous information. I have now found that our William Henry McPhun who came to New Zealand in 1863 was recorded on the 1861 English Census aged 42, widow,Gunner Royal Artillery. He since left the Army 7/3/1862. His Army records show he was a member of the Coast Brigade Royal Artillery, a Carpenter by trade, born in Dublin Ireland. He served 16 & a half years abroad 4.2 of them in Canada & 12.4 in Gibraltar( where he married his first wife-unidentified-who died before he went back to England & showed up on the 1861 Census). I am presuming at this stage William Henry's origins are still in Scotland, with his Father (possibly David McPhun) also being in the Army & stationed in Dublin. This would explain why William's sister Rose was married to Robert Grigg at the age of 18 in Dublin Ireland. Confirmation that this William in the Army is our William comes in the form of the Chelsea Pension records that show from the time he came to New Zealand he was being paid his pension in Wellington, New Zealand until his death. Still some investigations to follow up on parentage & the link to the McPhun brothers Donald,Robert Boak & William!!

I'd love to hear from anyone who can assist, please email me direct:
annkennedy@xtra.co.nz