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Thanks Tonepad.
Jan

Hi again Heather,
With the house being built in 1911 that interests me, as Elsie wasn't born until 1914 and information I've got since your posting, says that the Grandmother built the home.   Maybe built by her Father William Arthur Rufey.    However, he is shown at two addresses "The Holt" as well as "Banksia".   Wondering if you have any knowledge of where The Holt was, maybe an Inn, or part of Banksia was an Inn.
This has been such an interesting story, just wondering about the whole situation.

Jan

I live a couple of miles from Hare Hatch so was interested to Google 'Banksia Hare Hatch ' and a listing on Rightmove for the house came up.

It was built in 1911 and unusually in the details of the property some notes have been made by the seller:
"Banksia is where we grew up and looking back we really appreciate what a privilege is has been for us to have been raised there.
The house has been in our family since it was built and was named Banksia by our own Grandmother.
Although it has always been at the heart of our family, the time has come for us to pass on the keys to a new family who can make their own amazing forever memories there.
With age our Dad was unable to do all the jobs like he used to so it will need some TLC to bring it back to full strength but there is huge potential to make Banksia bloom again.
We will miss Banksia immensely, the location is beautiful and we have been truly spoilt. Even now after all these years, friends & family always remember coming to the house and the fun times we shared there.
We hope that someone out there will cherish it as much as we do."
The house has been sold subject to contract so I thought it might be helpful to copy the quote above before it disappears from the internet.

Yes, but what a sad story though for poor Elsie Rufey and her two daughters.  She was only 42 years of age, her husband who it would appear must have deceived her considerably, one would imagine with his Alias name and these apparent military records.  He passed away when the children were only just prior to school age, and then after his death, she found happiness again when marrying Gordon McKinnon.

I think of her two daughters, who most likely returned to Hare Hatch in Berkshire to live with their grandfather William Arthur Rufey.   

Thank you all once again for your assistance.
Jan

Jool,
Thank you so much for this information, slowly we are getting closer and closer to this family, it's all so interesting, but still to find what happened to our Elsie Rufey.
It would seem that the family must have inherited the property at some time, I wasn't really sure if maybe it was a rented property, but definitely seems that it was owned by Elsie or her Father before she left for Canada.
Jan

That's very interesting, thank you for that little snippet of information.
Elsie Rufey was living there in 1939 and her Father was at The Holt in 1960 which I believe would have been the Hotel, not absolutely sure on that.
Jan