Author Topic: Rheine, Johann Dietrich + Ellen Owen Bonn Germany 1885  (Read 908 times)

Offline mona lisa

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Rheine, Johann Dietrich + Ellen Owen Bonn Germany 1885
« on: Tuesday 12 July 16 21:40 BST (UK) »
am interested in any /all info re: family of Johann Dietrich Rheine and Ellen Owen who married in Wales and went or had atleast 2 children in Bonn Germany.  Ellen Owen Rhein (e)  born 1886 Bonn Germany and Ernst Ludwig Rhein born 1888 Bonn Germany.  Thank you

Offline John Owen

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Re: Rheine, Johann Dietrich + Ellen Owen Bonn Germany 1885
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 16 January 18 12:29 GMT (UK) »
I have only just seen your post when doing a Google search for Johann Rhein. Ellen Owen was my great great aunt. Here are my notes on her:


Ellen Owen was baptized on 7 April 1856 at St Mary's Cardiff, the daughter of John Owen, ship broker, and Maria Lewis. She married Johann Dietrich Ernst Rhein by whom she had two children both born in Germany:

Ellen Owen Rhein 1885-1983 who married Charles Ambrose Devereux Harman

Ernst Ludwig Aubrey Rhein 1887-1937 who married Irene Florence Phillips and changed his name to Ryan

Ellen and Johann were married on 9 April 1884 by license at the Chapel of St Andrew's in the Parish of St John the Baptist, Cardiff by the Curate Rev. William L Arthur. Both gave their residence as 13 Park Place, Cardiff. He was 29 in 1884 so born 1854/5. His full name was Johann Dietrich Ernst Rhein and his father was Ernst Ludwig Rhein. Both were tutors and so my guess is that his father may well have been a musician as well.    There were 4 witnesses. Mary Hudson Owen nee Dalziel was Ellen's sister in law. She had married Ellen's youngest brother, the lawyer John Owen. William Gascoyne Dalziel was the brother of Mary and a mining engineer like his father Alexander who had just died in 1883 and had been the executor of the Will of John Owen, Ellen's father. The Dalziels came from Newcastle upon Tyne. Alexander's father William was an artist and the elder brother of the famous Dalziel brothers who migrated to London and made their fortune as engravers illustrating some of the classics of Victorian literature. A later generation of the London Dalziels published the first children's comics. Eliza Gottwaltz nee Lewis was Ellen's aunt, the sister of Ellen's mother Maria. Eliza had married Francis Gottwaltz, a wealthy Saddler's Ironmonger of Handsworth, Birmingham who had died in 1876 leaving about £1.6m at today's prices. Eliza was 61 in 1884. I know nothing about David Llewellyn Evans. I do not believe he was any relation of Ellen. Perhaps a friend and/or business partner of her late father? Her aunt Eliza Gottwaltz was there to represent her parents' generation but someone would have had to give the bride away and by convention sign the register; none of Ellen's brothers were there as witnesses so it would have had to be her in-law William Gascoyne Dalziel or this man. 

In 1911 she is living with her brother John Owen in Weston Super Mare.    It would appear she had to be naturalized after WW1 even though she was born British. See this record in the National Archives:    Nationality and Naturalisation: Rhein, Ellen, from Germany. Resident in Crouch End. Certificate 4,803 issued 16 October 1919.

Ellen Rhein of 61 Coleridge Road Crouch End Middlesex widow died 10 May 1924 at Ellisdene Ellis Road Clacton on Sea Essex. Probate London 6 August 1924 to Ellen Owen (wife of Charles Ambrose Devereux Harman). Effects £216. 7s 1d or about £36,000 at 2016 prices

I have no burial record
 
And my notes on her husband:

Professor Johann Dietrich Ernst Rhein: From a note by Jane Rabagliati (nee Harman) granddaughter of Ellen Owen Harman nee Rhein who was the daughter of Johann Rhein and Ellen Owen:"My grandmother Ellen was quite a fierce character. Her mother went to Germany to study the piano, and the story is that she took lodgings in the house with the family of the man she married. She always said that her father was a famous music professor, and the family rather scoffed at that. However my step-father (George Him) who had taken his Ph.D at Bonn University, confirmed that he was indeed an eminent Professor at the University. Ellen's mother divorced her husband and returned to England, living in Brighton. I think money was always tight for them, and Ellen used to say that her family was very wealthy but that her mother never came into her rightful inheritance, she said that the brothers took it. Well let's not have an argument at this stage!!!!!!! Maybe she was disinherited for marrying a foreigner! Apparently he was very good looking and charming."

I have more information on the family but not for a public forum. If you are interested perhaps you could email me privately. My address is johna.owen@ntlworld.com Could you please explain what your connection is with the family? I am in touch with my cousins on this side of the family who I am sure would be interested as indeed I am if you have information on the Rhein family, particularly what happened to Johann after he and Ellen split up. Sadly no photographs of Ellen, Johann or their children appear to have survived so this again would be a bonus if you know of any or of someone who might.

Looking forward to hearing from you

John Owen