Name of “Louisa Scarth” from “McCaul Family Scotland” compiled in 1991 by Marcia Barbara (Barbara) McCaul, Canada (b. 1932, d. 2002). Barbara was the great-great grandaughter of Gilbert McCaul (b. 1765) and Janet McFarlan (b. 1770). Brian of nzolivers.com is the great-great-great grandson of Gilbert and Janet.

Year and place of birth from:
http://www.firstfourships.co.nz/pics/othrppl.php?table=others&id=56

In August 2023 the above URL was found redundant. Please now see:
https://firstfourships.nz

First name of “Susan”, date and place of death from:
https://www.geni.com/people/Susan-Cox/6000000039930114985

Name of street of wedding found in March 2022:
Name: Louisa Scarth
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 7 Apr 1850
Marriage Place: Saint Bride, Fleet St, London, England
Spouse: James George Cox
FHL Film Number: 380157, 380158, 380159, 380160, 380161, 380162, 380163, 380164

Entry in 1851 England Census found in March 2022 for the Parish of West Bromwich, the Ecclesiastical District of St James, Staffordshire, England:
James Cox, Head, age 27, Labourer. Born: Bristol
Louisa Cox, Wife, age 24. Born: Bristol
Joseph Hawkins Lodger, age 30, Chain Maker. Born: Bristol
William Lavender Lodger, age 52, Chain Maker. Born: Warwickshire
[NOTE: In August 2023, Brian of nzolivers determined the above Census was not of our James and Lousia because, the 1851 Census for England was taken on the night of 30 March 1851. James and Lousia Cox were already in New Zealand, having arrived on the “Randolph”, on 16th December 1850. And, their ages do not tally with dates we know].

Death notice found online in March 2022:
New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 9621, 4 June 1892 page 4
DEATHS AT FEATHERSTON. (by telegraph.—own correspondent.) Featherston, June 3. Mrs Cox, wife of Mr J. G, Cox, who has been in the Colony a number of years, died at her residence at Featherston early this morning, after a long and lingering illness. Mrs Matthews, another old identity, died yesterday. Both the deceased had arrived at an advanced age, and were well known and highly respected in this neighbourhood. The funerals take place on Sunday at the Featherston Cemetery.

Death notice found online in March 2022:
Evening Post, Volume XLIII, Issue 132, 6 June 1892 page 2.
Cox. — On 3rd June, at Featherston, after a long and painful illness, Louise, beloved wife of J. G. Cox ; aged 65 years

Result from death search on New Zealand BDM website in March 2022:
1892/2150. Cox, Louisa, died age 66Y
NOTE: Brian of nzolivers note that the first given name of “Susan” is not recorded above.

Full date of death of 3 June 1892 confirmed from further searching in March 2022 on BDM Search by incrementally changing the date range for the death.

Susan does not appear in any Electoral Rolls. This is because woman did not receive the vote in New Zealand until the 1893 Election. Unfortunately, Susan died a year before this, in 1892.

Passenger List found in August 2023 from:
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~nzbound/genealogy/fourships.htm#Randolph
Randolph, arrived 16th December 1850
Steerage Passengers
Cox, James George - Age 18. Occupation: storekeeper
Cox, Louisa - Age 24

Mention of baby born on board, last residence and occupation of James found in August 2023 from:
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~nzbound/genealogy/randolph.htm#Passengers
Date of birth: 1850, Sept 24
Name: Laura Mary Louisa
Parents: Jas' George & Louisa Cox
Later Residence: St Dunstan, Flat Street, London
Occupation: Grocer

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Louisa here is the x2 great-grandmother of Brian of nzolivers. Brian's DNA results show a 3% ethnicity for Wales (that can include Bristol) on his maternal side.
Now, Louisa was born in 1826 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England and borders Wales. Therefore, Brian concludes that his Welsh ancestry is in fact from Louisa.
In August 2023, Brian asked "ChatGPT" whether Bristol was part of England or Wales in 1826? The response is as follows:

"In 1826, both Bristol and Gloucestershire were part of England.
Bristol is a city located in the southwest of England, and it has historically been a significant port and trading centre. It was one of the most important cities in England during the medieval period and beyond".
"Gloucestershire is a county in the southwest of England, with Bristol situated near its southwestern border. The county is known for its beautiful countryside, including the Cotswolds, and its historic towns and cities".
"Wales, on the other hand, is a country to the west of England, sharing a border with Gloucestershire to the west and north. In 1536 and 1543, several acts of Parliament incorporated various parts of Wales into the legal system of England, effectively bringing Wales under English control. Therefore, by 1826, Bristol and Gloucestershire were firmly established as part of England, and Wales was a separate entity with its own distinct legal and administrative system".

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Silk Fabrics
These silk fabrics were originally brought from England to New Zealand by Louisa Cox (née Scarth). Louisa passed them down to her granddaughter, Enid McCaul, who was just 10 years old when Louisa died.

Around 1960, Enid gifted the silks to Margot Woods, the daughter of her neighbor in Levin, a town north of Wellington. Today, the fabrics are in the care of Margot’s daughter, Diane, who shared photos of them in an email dated August 1, 2023. You can view these photos on Louisa’s Media Page.

These fabrics were once used in the dresses of the Ladies-in-waiting to Queen Caroline, wife of King George IV.

Text, thought to have been written by Diane's mother Margot Woods, that accompanied the silk fabrics:
"Materials from the frocks of the Ladies-in-waiting to Queen Caroline, wife of George IV.
Came out to NZ 1850 - Brought by Enid's grandmother [Susan Louisa (Louisa) Cox nee Scarth]. Given to her to make a patchwork quilt".

In a follow-up email, Diane confirms who likely made the quilts, "The paper templates backing each piece of fabric look as if they are made of old-style paper. I think it's similar to the paper used for letters in the 19th Century. There's handwriting on one piece which uses sepia-coloured ink, which again is of that time I think. So that paper used for the templates is contemporary with when the patchwork was sewn, that would date it back to the [Enid] grandmother's [Louisa Scarth] time".

As a backgrounder, Queen Caroline was born in modern day Germany on the 17th of May 1768. Her father was the Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and her mother was Princess Augusta of Great Britain, sister to King George III. Caroline became engaged to her first cousin, the future King George IV, in 1794. They married on April 8, 1795, but separated shortly after the birth of their daughter, Princess Charlotte. Tragically, Princess Charlotte died during childbirth in November 1817, along with her stillborn son. King George IV’s coronation took place on the 19th of July 1821.

After George IV, the throne passed to his brother, William IV. Since William’s children died in infancy, the throne eventually passed to his younger brother’s daughter, Queen Victoria.

Brian’s Research on Caroline’s Ladies-in-Waiting:
Brian of nzolivers discovered that Queen Caroline’s ladies-in-waiting were Hester Lisle and Lady Anne Hamilton. Their roles included acting as companions and assisting Caroline with day-to-day activities. It’s possible that the silk patches in question may have come from one of these ladies.

- Hester Lisle (née Cholmondeley) was the daughter of George Cholmondeley, Viscount Malpas, and served as Caroline’s lady-in-waiting from 1794 to 1821.

- Lady Anne Hamilton, daughter of Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton, became Caroline’s lady-in-waiting in 1812 and stayed with her until Caroline’s death on the 7th August 1821.

Louisa Cox, (nee Scarth) was born five years later. Lady Hamilton died on the 10th of October 1846, when Louisa was 20 and still unmarried. Therefore, it’s possible that Louisa might have known the former lady-in-waiting.

In another email dated August 22, 2023, Diane shared a link to a Wikipedia article on Ladies of the Bedchamber, which lists some of Queen Caroline’s attendants:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_of_the_Bedchamber
1795–1796: Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey
1795–1821: Countess of Carnarvon
1795–1821: Marchioness Townshend
1795–1802: Countess Cholmondeley
1808–1817: Lady Charlotte Lindsay
1809–1821: Lady Charlotte Campbell
1809–1813 & 1820–1821: Lady Ann Hamilton
1820-1821: Lady Emma Caroline Wood

Diane adds, "so there would be a number of women that the dress fabrics could have come from. It would probably take someone knowledgeable about the royal court, and the textiles and fashions of the time to try to work out who might have worn them".

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