Robert Samuel Curham was born in Kildare, Ireland in 1835 and later served an apprenticeship in the drapery trade in Dublin, Ireland. Robert left Ireland in 1863 at twenty years of age, arriving in New York City. There, almost immediately after his arrival, Robert voluntarily enlisted into the 13th New York Regiment Heavy Artillery Regiment, Company “B” on August 29, 1863, serving under General Ulysses S. Grant and was, according to family history, apparently wounded at some point. Robert Samuel Curham died at Port Chalmers, Dunedin, on Monday, July 9, 1906 at 63 years of age and was buried on July 12, 1906 in the Port Chalmers Cemetery; block LO, plot 104. Also buried in the same plot is William Willis who died at 74 years of age on October 14, 1906. It has been said by some researchers that Robert’s brother, who died in Wisconsin, was the veteran; which was impossible. Arthur James Coram (younger brother of Robert Samuel Curham) Would have been 4 years old at the date of enlistment of Robert; as Arthur James was born in 1857.

Hello Cmdr. Gray,

All I can think is "how interesting" regarding your email!!!. I was contacted by Terry Foenander regarding Robert Samuel Curham and shared some of my knowledge with him.

The story is so long. After researching for nearly 40 years, I am confident that Robert Samuel Curham who died in 1906 in New Zealand, served in the Civil War.

My great grandfather Arthur James Coram (younger brother of Robert Samuel Curham) did not serve in the Civil War based on information I have secured. That information, primary sources indicate among other things that Arthur James:

1.
Arthur James Coram (younger brother of Robert Samuel Curham) Would have been 4 years old at the date of enlistment of Robert as Arthur James was born in 1857, a date he used for some of his credentials. Arthur James age 18 is also located in the 1875 Brooklyn NY census and the 1880 US census with some of his family. In 1880 he is 23 years old. Robert and other brother Charles are not with the family in Brooklyn New York. According to a brief biography from Robert Samuel's daughter, her father served in the Civil War before serving in some revolution in Chile, then on to Australia where other sibling(s) resided.

2.
I made two trips to the National Archives in Washington DC and copied all the records of all CURHAMS serving in the Civil War. The entire file on Robert Curham includes an investigation by the US Federal Government which was triggered when the city where Rev Arthur James Coram was living in Wisconsin apparently changed postmasters and the mail from the US Civil War Pension to Robert Curham was returned undeliverable and caused some further questions. The Fed's sent an investigator to Wisconsin to interview the family, including Arthur. Although he does admit to using another name when applying for the Civil War Pension, he doesn't state that it was his brothers. When he applied for the Civil War pension, he used a false birth date. I have copies of that entire file. I have confirmed genealogy records on Rev. Arthur James Coram to multiple siblings who settled in Australia and New Zealand from letters, obituaries and 3 second cousins that live in those areas and share common ancestors, Robert Curham and his wife Mary Ann Darker, the parents of Robert Samuel and Arthur James.

The census record you have enclosed is the son of Robert Samuel Curham, also named Robert Samuel Curham. It is said by their family that he (son) jumped ship in the US. I do know he lived in New York for many years prior to his death.

I don't know what information would confirm that Robert Samuel Curham who died in 1906 is indeed the Civil War Veteran, and not his brother Rev. Arthur James Coram, my great grandfather. I do have a great deal of information and copies of primary source documents that would support the fact that Rev. Arthur James Coram could not have served in the Civil War.

As a closing, I searched for nearly 20 years for the death certificate on my great grandfather, Rev. Arthur James Coram, and finally thru process of elimination and relationships finally fund it, interestingly enough under the name Robert Curham when he died in 1930.

I would certainly like to have you share any information the Wisconsin Genealogical Society shared with you. I've not worked with them, but my files on great grandfather Rev. Arthur James Coram are huge, and they may have some new information!

Thank you and I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Diana Pfeiffer
Anchorage Alaska USA
dlpfeiffer@hotmail.com

CURHAM – Mar. 4, 2011
Dear Mr. Gray,

I am the great grand-daughter of the Civil War veteran and New Zealander, Robert Samuel Curham, about whom you have written a very thorough and fascinating history -- including much information formerly unknown by our family. Thank you very much for performing this valuable service and providing your research to the public for free on the internet. We greatly appreciate it.

I would like to point out one error however in the article on my ancestor. The last line reads, "Robert Samuel’s son Robert today lives in New Zealand." Robert Samuel's son, Robert Guyton Curham, was my maternal grandfather. He left New Zealand in 1903, spent several years at sea as a merchant marine, then finally emigrated to the United States in or about 1908, settling in the Philadelphia area, where he met & married my grandmother, Daisy 'Margaret' Moss, in 1912. Their second daughter, Barbara Cecile Curham, was my mother. She died January 19, 2011.

If the online article can be corrected to reflect this new information, we would be grateful. Thank you again.

Best wishes,

Robin S Gottlieb, MLS
robgott09@comcast.net

PENSION CARD INFOR:

Curham, Robert

Service: Co. B. 13 Regt. NYHA
Enlisted: july 16, 1863 Discharged: July 18, 1865
Appl. No. Law Cert. No.
1890 July 31 Invalid 884176 oj 608757
1920 Mar 7 Widow 1662688 5-1-20 a-6-21-30

J6 NY HA

Died: Feb. 20, 1930 Marshfield, Wisc.

[This was Arthur Curham who admitted he falsely used Robert’s name to draw a pension]