RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => New Zealand => New Zealand Completed Requests => Topic started by: RCB on Sunday 24 June 18 19:50 BST (UK)
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This is one of those "Who were they?" dilemma's some of you may have experienced. It comes down to people I met in the early 1960's, who used to send cards and exchange letters with my mum, but I never bothered to make an effort to memorise names and details, so all I have is a message inside a booklet (Never Despair by Judith Ann Niblett) which showcases NZ and Aus artists work, sent to my mum as they knew she liked art.
So all I have is best wishes from Arthur and Helen for Christmas & New Year 1974-75, no surname but I assume it would be mine BEACH, or my grandmothers maiden name RUDGE? but I can't find an Arthur that fits the bill. When this couple visited in about 1960 I think Arthur had just retired, they had a big family because I saw a photo including children and grandchildren, great grandchildren maybe, and I'm sure there were more than 50.
If you're still with me, while here they stayed with my grandfathers brother Ernest Beach, he owned and ran The Kings Head pub in Berry Hill a few miles away in the Forest of Dean, and they made a point of coming to see my grandmother, my grandfather had died a few years before.
So what else do I know? Well Hawkes Bay was part of the NZ address and I remember Napier. My brother says Dunedin was mentioned and remembered talk about a family member being Post Master of Christchurch at some time, did they switch islands at some point?
That's all I have, age played a part in ending the contact but they must have been family, but I can't search without a name. i need somebody to say Yeah my grandparents went back to the UK in the early 60's Monmouth and Forest of Dean. Don't kill yourselves looking, I just wish I had more to offer. Cheers Fred in Monmouth.
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Hello,
A stab in the dark........looking at the NZ electoral roll indexes
Arthur Wilham T Rudge 1972 Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay
Helen Rudge 1972 Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay
Arthur William T Rudge 1978 Napier Hawke's Bay
Helen Rudge 1978 Napier Hawke's Bay
I'm sure someone else will find it
Deaths
1982/42931 Rudge Arthur William Thomas born 18 October 1896
1988/37771 Rudge Helen born 18 August 1901
Cheers Janette
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Arthur was cremated in Hastings
http://cemeterybase.hdc.govt.nz/Details.aspx?id=C12275
Cheers Janette
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Maybe his birth in UK
Births Dec 1896
Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page
Rudge Arthur William T Bridgend 11a 846
Marriage in NZ
1925/9150 Helen Horne to Arthur William Thomas Rudge
Cheers Janette
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It looks like they may have done a trip back to the old country when Arthur retired
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-X9R9-44L?i=8&cc=1609792
Name Arthur Rudge
Event Type Immigration
Event Date 1968
Event Place Auckland, New Zealand
Age 71
Occupation retired
Birth Year (Estimated) 1897
Ship Name Castel Felice
Departure Port Southampton
Arrival Port Auckland
Arrival Place Auckland
Cheers Janette
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FindMyPast has a WW1 attestation entry for Arthur William Thomas Rudge
British Royal Airforce
Born Neath in the parish of Pyle,Glamorganshire
Father Thomas Rudge
He gives an address in NZ of 108 E Queen St,Hastings,HB
Cheers Janette
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FindMyPast has a WW1 attestation entry for Arthur William Thomas Rudge
British Royal Airforce
Born Neath in the parish of Pyle,Glamorganshire
Father Thomas Rudge
He gives an address in NZ of 108 E Queen St,Hastings,HB
Arthur with parents his siblings George & Gladys born in Wyesham Momouthshire
Arthur T Rudge
Age: 4
Father: Thomas Rudge
Mother: Mary Rudge
Birth Place: Pyle, Bridgend, Wales
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Registration district: Gloucester
Sub-registration district: South Hamlet
Piece: 2430
Folio: 123
Page Number: 35
Thomas Rudge 24 wyesham railway passenger porter
Mary Rudge 25 pyle
Arthur T Rudge 4
George H Rudge 3
Glady M Rudge 2
Maybe his birth in UK
Births Dec 1896
Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page
Rudge Arthur William T Bridgend 11a 846
Marriage in NZ
1925/9150 Helen Horne to Arthur William Thomas Rudge
RUDGE, ARTHUR WILLIAM THOMAS mmn SANDERS
1896 D Quarter in BRIDGEND Volume 11A Page 846
Jun 1896
Griffiths Mary Jane Bridgend 11a 1123
Horsell Alfred Bridgend 11a 1123
Rudge Thomas Bridgend 11a 1123
Sanders Mary Ann Bridgend 11a 1123
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A search here on Rootschat brings up some RUDGE queries in Glamorganshire and Montgomeryshire.
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The same query here in 2009
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=376451.msg2497876#msg2497876
Cheers Janette
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I'm sure someone else will find it
Deaths
1988/37771 Rudge Helen born 18 August 1901
Cheers Janette
An online tree gives the death date as 2nd March, Kaitaia, Northland.
Cremated Whangarei.
http://www.wdc.govt.nz/SearchCentre/Pages/CemeteryCremationDetails.aspx?CMID=21750&CMType=Cremation
Cheers
KHP
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So what else do I know? Well Hawkes Bay was part of the NZ address and I remember Napier. My brother says Dunedin was mentioned and remembered talk about a family member being Post Master of Christchurch at some time, did they switch islands at some point?
Monmouth.
They moved quite a bit, in 1928 Arthur was a Telephone Linesman. They lived in Northland for about 10 years, Auckland for a little while, then Timaru in the South Island, then Wellington, I am guessing these moves could have been part of this job.
Cheers
KHP
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They moved quite a bit, in 1928 Arthur was a Telephone Linesman. They lived in Northland for about 10 years, Auckland for a little while, then Timaru in the South Island, then Wellington, I am guessing these moves could have been part of this job.
Cheers
KHP
The Northland connection might explain Helen dying in Kaitaia,she may have moved to be near family after Arthur died,
Cheers Janette
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I wondered the same Janette :D
Perhaps if Fred has a sub to Ancestry, perhaps he could contact the tree owner, and glean some information.
Cheers
KHP
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/STEP19250806.2.3?page=2&phrase=0&query=Arthur+William+Thomas+rudge+
1925. RUDGE Arthur W. T. v RUDGE. Maud. Petition for dissolution on grounds of alleged desertion
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There is a marriage for an Arthur William Thomas Rudge to Maud Harper on 5 February 1920 in Eynsham, Oxfordshire.
Cheers
KHP
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WOW to be honest I didn't expect all the replies, and yes I think I asked here a few years ago but couldn't remember to be sure. I'm probably not alone but my family tend to use other names, middle names, 95% of people call me Fred, my dad was Fred I'm Robert, my dad was known as Sam because he looked like his grandfather, it doesn't help. If I now add these details to the Ancestry "Rudge" line it should offer me the chance to connect with the family again. I think I followed a wrong Rudge line and lost track and didn't look for anyone emigrating, no hint came up suggesting that. This / these Rootschat groups are incredibly helpful, a friends mother had a family story of her grandmothers uncle Joe Foster being a gambler in the US who died in a gun fight, she wanted to know more. I asked the US group and they confirmed it all, San Antonio 1884. Cheers Fred
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So my grandmother was Arthur's aunt, and my father's older cousin. He married Maud Harper February 1920, Maud must have followed Arthur to NZ later as she is alone setting sail from Southampton 2 Dec 1920. I have no arrival date, or departure so far for Arthur.
I'm not sure who deserted who for the Taranaki divorce, but Maud returns to the UK, again no date, but in 1939 she is Maud Rudge (Divorced) a machinist (door linings) at a car factory in Whitney, Oxfordshire. She died in 1962 aged 67 and was buried at the church where she married Arthur Rudge. Sad that she never had a family.
cheers Fred
PS - Some hints to family trees are appearing now.
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I have no arrival date, or departure so far for Arthur.
cheers Fred
PS - Some hints to family trees are appearing now.
Hi Fred,
From the trees, and you have probably found out by now, but putting down for the others on this thread. Arthur left England on the 6 March 1920 sailing on the Orvieto.
Cheers
KHP
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Yes KHP but there's still a story there I like to know. The other thing that I listed was talk of a big family but there were none or possibly one child by his first wife and 4 by Helen, one died very young, so the photo I remember seeing with a crowded lawn must have been made up of Helen Horne's family who had been in NZ a few generations.
cheers again Fred
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Maud's name has been crossed out on a shipping list that left the UK on the 2nd Dec 1920 on the Ruahine.
Cheers Janette
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Hi Fred,
From the trees, and you have probably found out by now, but putting down for the others on this thread. Arthur left England on the 6 March 1920 sailing on the Orvieto.
Cheers
KHP
FindMyPast has an A W Rudge travelling to Sydney from London on the Orvieto his age is 22
Birth year 1898 and occupation is "DRESS FITTER" with his country of intended permanent place of residence as NZ,
Cheers Janette
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If Arthur left the UK on the 6th march 1920 it was only a month after he married Maud.
If her name was crossed out on the the ship that left the UK on the 2nd December the same year maybe she never came to NZ and it was her who was considered the deserter.
The divorce was the same year he married Helen Horne.
Cheers Janette
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An interesting birth ;D ;D
1922/28983 Horne Helen to Ada Frances and John Lewis
maybe when she thought of marriage it was discovered her birth had not been registered as the exact date works out to be 18/8/1901 when narrowed down on NZ BDM's
Cheers Janette
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Janette - yes, so far I've not found an arrival in NZ for Maud so did she back out? It's a big move even today, leaving behind family and friends. I had a friend who set off for Australia in about 1960, the £10 Poms. His mother had a nervous breakdown on the voyage and they were stranded in Aden until they returned home, she was a nice lady but I think that episode ruined the marriage, her health. To be honest I don't really know what happened but she disappeared, I never questioned her sons, my friends. Thank's for the help by the way. Fred