Hi Rootschatters,
I'd appreciate a lookup at the NZ Archives - Christchurch. I'd like to know what they hold on a bankruptcy for Horace Delmaine. This is part of my ongoing search for a miscreant maternal g grandfather.
From a Christchurch archive index at the State Library of Victoria (Oz) I have:
Horace D'Elmaine was declared bankrupt in Christchurch on 3rd January 1880; the bankruptcy was never discharged.
Background: I believe that Horace D'Elmaine was an alias. I'm investigating the possibility that his real name was Frederic Walter Ruck, my g grandfather.
From NZ BMD I've found that
Horace Melville D'Elmaine married Charlotte Joanna Whiteford on 27 March 1880 in Christchurch (cert. 1699). Horace was a widower.
Their first child, Jack, was born 16 July 1880 in Christchurch. The birth certificate shows Horace was born Tulse Hill, Surrey in 1847 and his occupation was comedian.
Their second child, Mary, was born 14 June 1881 in Christchurch.
From his descendents I've found that Horace deserted his wife and two babies around end of 1881.
Now, there is no record of Horace's birth in the St Catherines (UK BMD) index. No record of his first marriage, his first wife's death, or his final demise in the UK, Australia or NZ.
Horace only appears to have existed in Christchurch from around 1879 to 1882 and is likely to be an alias.
Now to my ancestor: My g grandfather, Frederic Walter Ruck, deserted his wife and their four small children in Melbourne in mid 1876, and disappeared. I subsequently found that he lived in Wellington, NZ from late 1895 until his death in 1911.
Frederic Walter Ruck was born Tulse Hill, Surrey in 1847 (same year and place as Horace D'Elmaine).
Frederic's oldest son died in 1889. On the death certificate, Frederic Walter Ruck's occupation was comedian (same as Horace D'Elmaine).
Frederic Ruck had a younger brother, who died in Surrey in 1873. The brother was Horace Melville Ruck (same christian names as Horace Melville D'Elmaine).
Delmaine in the name of a lead character in one of the most popular comedy plays of the 1870's; it was performed extensively throughout Australia and NZ.
Horace could be Frederic. However, all this is circumstantial evidence.
The information I'm after is
1. The earliest reference to Horace Melville D'Elmaine in Christchurch.
2. Any document with his handwriting: Wellington Archives located a letter to city council, written by Frederic Walter Ruck in 1902 and the signature is a perfect match to that on my grandfather's birth certificate.
I am hoping that the bankruptcy proceedings may give relevant information. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Frank Leng
PS
Although I'm having difficulty tracking Frederic, family BMD's indicate that they had some information on him at the time. This information almost certainly came from another of Frederic's brothers, one Noel Edgar Ruck.
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