Hello -Iam related to Esther Rantzen and her equally celebrity colourful ancesters-Montague Leverson and Barney Barnato-much interesting chat on all 3. My family tree on my heritage is full of accurate but there are gaps for expansion and clarification. On Leverson there could be dutch sephardi origin to go with my northern ashkenazi roots. This will be sorted-have some clues from rootsweb chat people. My big problem is with Barnato-to whom and when was he officially married-some kimberley south africa references to a Fanny Bees or Petrus and a secret wedding-some references to another uk marriage to an Annie Butt-1892 at Strand london registry office-after a divorce possibly-woolf racing diver son born in 1895 7n a grand mayfair mansion. Any help please here. Anthony Scott-Norman from Hertfordshire UK
Hello Anthony,
Barney Barnato was married to Fanny Bees twice, once in Johannesburg, South Africa and again in London at the Chelsea Registry office on November 19th 1892. The date of the first marriage is not known, but I have narrowed it down to 1890 or 1891. I have a photograph of Barney and Fanny's wedding taken in Johannesburg by Davies Brothers photographers. This photograph has been handed down in my family from my grandfather. We are distantly related to Barney Barnato.
I am not sure how to insert this image here so you can view it on picasaweb:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104287332002049360568/BarneyBarnatoAndFannyBeesWeddingPhotograph?authkey=Gv1sRgCI2YlrSagaaUwQE#5933203957758417010Fanny was Barney's only wife. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation in various books and it has been quite difficult to sort out the fact from the fiction. I am currently writing a book about Barney Barnato and I have done considerable amount of research. I am also in contact with a few of the descendants of the Barnato and Harris families.
Regarding the Leverson family, there is a Monatague Richard Leverson and his son Louis Pianciani Leverson, whose daughter Kathryn Flora married into the Rantzen family on my family tree. We may be distantly related.
Regards from California,
Anthony Davis
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