RUDIS 1871 Austrian subject’s birthplace in 1901 Census

[Yerburgh]

I am helping our ‘builder’ to trace his grandfather’s birthplace.
The birthplace of his grand-father, Joseph Dittrich.is given as Rűdis (Autrian subject) in the 1901 UK Census ( and as Rudis in 1910). Could the Census maker have put this name as short for Rűderdorf? Any suggestions most welcome. Peter.

[jorose]

It would be unusual I think to see a shortened place name, and if you have the same spelling on the 1901 and 1911 (or on some other document in 1910?), it suggests that the place was "Rudis" or something that sounded pretty close to that.

Do you know if Joseph ever became a British subject?

[Yerburgh]

RUDIS. Joseph Dittrich married an English girl in 1899 but the 1911 census he is still an Austrian subject, born in Rudis. I don't know what happened to him during World War I but he opened a hardware stores in Hastings in 1923. How could I find out if he became a naturalised UK citizen? Peter.

[jorose]

The National Archives catalogue shows a J. W. Dittrich b. 9.12.1874 who naturalised sometime in the 1940s, does that fit at all?

Considering that at this time "Austrian subject" would have meant someone from Austria-Hungary, you might have to consider places outside what is modern-day Austria.  "Rudice", possibly? (there's a place by this name in modern-day Czech Republic which would have have been part of Austria-Hungary at the time).

[Yerburgh]

RUDIS. Thank you for the helpful suggestion about Rudice being a possibility. I got a German friend to pronounce that place and it sounded like Roode' say. However, there was another Croatian village called Rdes. In 1870, it was 2 miles from Zagreb but is today inside that city. So I will follow up both places as possibilities.


 

[Yerburgh]

I thank you for the information about the 'naturalization' of a J.W. Dittrich born in 1874. He may well be the man I am seeking. Could you kindly advise me as to which part of the National Archives I would have to go to find out more. Thanks, Peter.

[jorose]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/
 - if you search here you will see the file. You would have to contact the National Archives to see about gaining access to it - or rather, the relatives probably should directly as it is currently closed and to get access you will need to make a FOI request (whether they can tell you if it refers to a Joseph I'm not sure but it's worth a go).

[Yerburgh]

Very many thanks for all your help. I will get 'my builder' (Bernard Dittrich) to make appication for information about J.W.Dittrich. He will be as amazed as I am to have found such generous help in such a short space of time! I will keep the thread going for two more days in case I get some more light on RUDIS. Adieu, Peter.

[Yerburgh]

The Naturalization document shows that J.W.Dittrich was born in Radis in Czechoslovakia in 1874. This place was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today Radis is probably Radice which is 30 miles south of Prague. Thanks for help on this topic. I will close this thread. Peter Yerburgh.