Looking for birth/death details for Vonduky in Constantinople c 1890-1925

[calmar]

Hello,

My great uncle William John Woodruff married a lady called Aspracia C Vonduky in Constantinople between 1915-1920. It is listed in the army records. But I am unable to find resources for details of her death in that  area (if any) before 1929 when he married again in Kent to an Annie Holness.  She doesn't seem to be listed in Death records for England.

I would also be interested in finding her birth details and her nationality.

Can anyone help me please?

Kind regards,
Calmar

[Fide et Fortitudine]

Hi Calmar,

I realise it's been a very long time since you posted your query, so you might have already found the answer yourself.  I found the marriage record for your great uncle and aunt, which you probably already have:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68FL-YM6K

I suspect that the lady's name was misspelled or phonetically spelled. ASPACIA (prounounced ASPASIA) VOUNDOUKI is more likely, both of which are Greek names.  Or ASPASIA VON DUKI, which suggests German and Greek heritage. 

There was an ancient Byzantine noble family, the House of Dukas, with a lineage going back to the 11th century, who might have had late 19th/early 20th century descendents in Constantinople.  Dukas would be the male form of the name in Greek, but a female might take Duki.  'Von' in German could also be a noble family, or it can simply mean 'from Dukis' i.e. daughter of Dukis.

There is a death record for one Aspacia Woodruff in London, aged 60, but she died in 1962.  After your great uncle remarried. 

"England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCJ-BKXK : 1 November 2021), Aspacia Woodruff, 1962.