christchurch archives lookup please

[frankl]

 
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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[telephonist]

Email: christchurch[at]archives.govt.nz

Please quote this information to request this record

title years
D'ELMAINE Mary - Christchurch - Spinster 1955 - 1955

agency series accession box / item record part alternative no.
CAHX  2989  CH171   CH 1311/1955   

DELMAINE
First name(s): CHARLOTTE
Date of death: Thursday, 1 September 1927
Cemetery:  Sydenham Cemetery
Date of burial: Friday, 2 September 1927
Block number:  25A
Plot number:  60
Age:  69 years
Address:  18 PERCY STREET
Occupation:  WIDOW
Place of birth:  ENGLAND
Years in New Zealand:  Unknown
Comments: 
website for this is http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries

These are the only mentions for the name you asked about that I can see, maybe someone else can help also.

[spades]

Gidday Frank, and welcome to the NZ Board.

What an interesting story, and my compliments on a fantastic piece of detective research.

I can only offer this;

1893 Electoral Roll (Women)
Name: DELMAINE Charlotte
Electoral Roll: City of Christchurch.
No. 3036
Residence: 37 Aldred Street
Occupation; Household Duties

Archives NZ search engine Pathway doesn't help, other than Telephonists reference for what I presume is the 1927 probate of Charlotte.

In case you don't have it, Archives NZ Christchurch office contact details are;

Christchurch Regional Office
90 Peterborough Street, Christchurch, New Zealand
PO Box 642, Christchurch, New Zealand
Phone: (64-3) 377 0760
Fax: (64-3) 365 2662
E-mail: christchurch[at]archives.govt.nz

Good hunting, riley

[lnr]

HI, in reply looking for.bankruptcy records. they can be found on microfieche as to year, when and where, but have no other records of the actuall bankrupt before 1884 so i was told from christchurch archives. lnr

[DelBoy]

HI there,

I thought it may be worth mentioning that I had a quick scan of the 1881 & 1893 Elec Roll also, and spotted, RUCK in both Christchurch and Wellington, even a Frederick Ruck...coincidental.... as I did manage to par up a likely marriage record in 1890 for this gent. Still I wonder if these families are somehow related ? some are buried at CHCH and are from ENG. Let me now if at any point you would like these records.


1881 NZ Elec Roll

Electorate   Christchurch North
Number   1725
Surname   D'ELMAINE
Given Names   Horace
Nature Of Qualification   Residential
Place Of Residence   Barbadoes Street
Occupation   Comedian
   
   
Cheers
Del

[DotBrennan]

In the interests of good housekeeping, I’ve moved this post to completed.

Assistance has been provided …….

[Fay DElmaine]

Hello Frank, I have just found your posting about Horace Melville D'Elmaine. Since my name is Fay D'Elmaine, I have been interested in finding my Great Grandfather's info. My Grandfather Jack, apparently his son, eloped to marry Florence Anderson, so no info was available.  Jack's daughter, Valerie, once told me that she had thought she heard her mother say to her, that Jack was the half brother of Berta Ruck. It was never followed up.  Roberta Ruck was a very popular novelist in her day, so her name was known to my Aunt Valerie.
Now, it looks as though what her mother had told her was true. How do we work out the rest of the puzzle?
I have also found refs to Horace in Western Aust. in 1880.
Fay

[montague]

I am not sure if you have all gone past this brick wall, but in my extended family tree I have Jack Delmaine (D'Elmaine) born Christchurch, marrying Florence Ethel Anderson in 1900 Glebe NSW.

When Jack dies in 1957 in Chatswood NSW -NSW BDM (18929/1957) shows his father as Montague.

One other interesting point is that Florence and Jack named one of their sons Kenneth Whiteford Delmaine (NSW BDM 5384/1908)

I am very distantly related through the Anderson side.

[Fay DElmaine]

Hello  Montague - thanks for the reply. I have no idea why my grandfather, Jack D'Elmaine would have listed his father as Montague. As you may have read in this chat, his father's name at the time of Jack's birth, was Horace Melville D'Elmaine, and he knew that.
Did you get the death certificate?
I did Know that my uncle, Kenneth's middle name was Whiteford, the maiden name of Horace's wife, Charlotte Joanna. My aunt Valerie had as hers, Audley.
I have never known any of my Anderson rellies, Except Florence's Sister, Louise who was my Godmother.
Do correspond, if you would like to either through Roots, or to ^(*)
There may be more questions that you may be able to help with, along the way of unravelling this mystery of ours.
Fay


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