Herman George Tankersley Davies: Mary Moodie???

[handsri]

Dear all

I keep saying I have nearly finished up on the NZ part of my research into my "colourful" grandfather, Herman George Tankersley Davies - and then something else comes up... Is it always like this?

Positively the LAST thing I will ask, honest:

"George" was married to Bollettie Mary née Rasmussen in 1906, and in 1909 they had a son Walter Hansen. By 1911, George  not only had serious money troublse, he was getting bored with poor Bollettie, and basically ditched her and evaded his creditors by skipping off to Sydney with a woman called Mary Moody/Moodie. Bollettie finally divorced George (in absentia) in 1916 (her petition is reported verbatim in the NZ Truth of 21 May of that year - it would be quite hilarious if she hadn't been so badly treated) and subsequently remarried (twice, in fact), living to a ripe old age (d. 1968).

George does not appear to have exactly turned over a new leaf in Australia; in Jan. 1915 he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to two years' hard labour. I can find no record of his doing this "time", but he next shows up in 1917 in Melbourne (which would have been shortly after his release if he served the full sentence), when he basically cons the Nicholas brothers (inventors of Aspro) into taking them on as his marketing manager. With that, he at last found a legitimate niche for his "talents" (lying...), and over the following decades (until his death in 1954) made a great deal of money.

In 1919 he married my grandmother, Eileen Goldberg, and they moved with their rapidly growing family to England. My four small aunts were accompanied by a half-sister, Hermia (b. 1915) and a half-brother, Ellis (b. 1917), presumably from George's previous liaison with Mary Moodie/Moody (both had her surname as their second given names ).

But what about Mary? George and Eileen's Vic wedding certificate of 26 April 1919 indicates his status as "divorced (14-13-19)", but I can find no record of George and Mary having been married (can hardly see when they could have fit a wedding in, what with fleeing creditors and doing hard time...), and no sign of a divorce, either. I also wonder what became of Mary after George waltzed off into the sunset to become a millionaire...?

Of course this is an NZ thread, and I need to look further in Australia. But George clearly took up with Mary back in NZ, and I wondered if there might be some clues as to her origins and background?

Thanks as ever for your kindness

Richard

[Janette]

Hi Richard

Would the "divorced" refer to the 1916 divorce from Bollettie,

Cheers Janette

[Lucy2]

Mmm ...  finding your post a tad confusing.      

I remember working on threads for the DODD / DAVIES etc. family (and assisting Alison) ... but it's a good number of years ago.

*  Have you read through all the other information posted to the other threads regarding these families ?

I can recall mention of the child Ellis ... and maybe Mary MOODIE (MOODY)

*  Have you tried the "search" feature here at RootsChat ?     (On bar at top of this page).

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

I could find the "NZ Truth" article of May 1916 (probably needed to try harder  ) ... but the followig was published in the "Sun" (Canterbury) newspaper :

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SUNCH19160523.2.84

... her name here is given as Mary MOODY  ... and she apparently gave evidence at his trial in Australia ?

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

... when George DAVIES left for Sydney ... it is said that Mary MOODY followed a short while later.

[Lucy2]

Of course this is an NZ thread, and I need to look further in Australia. But George clearly took up with Mary back in NZ, and I wondered if there might be some clues as to her origins and background?

Hi ... we really don't have much to go on for Mary MOODY, do we ?   

* Was MOODY her maiden name or a married name ?

* Any idea of her approximate year of birth ?

Perhaps a search of our PapersPast website is a good start ?

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

*  Have you built up a "profile" of the "antics" of George DAVIES yet ?    *  Where and when does Mary MOODY first feature ?

[You've mentioned children named Hermia and Ellis ... (MOODY) ??  * What  became of them ? ]

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/

"The Advertiser" (Adelaide) - 27 November 1914 - page 8 -- Conspiracy Alleged

Maybe you've seen above article ??

Seems Mary MOODY had some interest in the businesses of George ?

...  says she had known DAVIES for three years ??

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

. Bollettie finally divorced George (in absentia) in 1916 (her petition is reported verbatim in the NZ Truth of 21 May of that year -
 

There's an article about above couple published "NZ Truth"  - 27 May 1916   ... was that the one you were referring to ?

[Lucy2]

.... "NZ Truth" _ 27 May 1916 ...


"It was explained that the MOODY woman would give Mrs DAVIES some spiritualistic advice concerning her health ... "

*  Did this Mary MOODY maybe work as a "spiritualist" or in some associated field ?

*  Is there anything in PapersPast which might link to her "being in business" of any sort ?

    ~ Lu