Totally Confused with the Rumsey family

[3sillydogs]

My grandmother

Evelyn  Rumsey born to James Arthur Rumsey and Cornelia Johanna on  14 Sep 1910 in Pretoria according to her father's Military Papers ( I have a copy) note in the papers says she's not yet baptised.

Anna Sophia Rumsey  born 14 Sept 1910 Baptised  28 Sept 1910 in  Pretoria. Parents James Arthur Rumsey and Cornelia Johanna .(I have a copy of the baptism cert)

I thought perhaps they were the same person but I now have death notices for :

Evelyn Mabel Born 4 Jan 1913 maiden name Rumsey and her spouse named correctly.
and
Anna Sophia   Born 14 Sept 1910 maiden name Rumsey with a spouse of her own.

I am now thinking these are two different people but as far as I knew my grandmother never had a sister. Is it as simple as they changed their minds for the baptism and had a second child 3 years later?   

I can find no trace of a death for James Arthur, he and Cornelia divorced and she remarried, I have death details for her. I can only find an Estate file for her second husband who predeceased her, would children not his be listed in it??

This family is giving me a headache

 

[Nookie]

I can see why you are so confused! 

What is the date on the Military Papers?  Could it just be a matter of James being very confused about the birth dates of his daughters?

[3sillydogs]

The date on his military papers gives a birth for Evelyn Rumsey as the 14 Sep 1910 noting not yet baptised

Baptism on Family Search gives Anna Sophia Rumsey birthdate as 14 Sep 1910

with the same birth date, just assumed they changed their minds by the time she was baptised.

It was the Death Notices that have put the cat among the pigeons..................

[Nookie]

Had a look at Anna's baptism and see that one of the witnesses comes from the AS Corp in Harrismith, so I would think that one is correct.  Cannot find a baptism for Evelyn though.  See that James remarried.  Wonder if the children would have been mentioned in Ann's estate?

DEPOT     NAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MSCE                                                                 
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
VOLUME_NO 00                                                                   
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 352/1948                                                             
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          RUMSEY, ANN. S/SP RUMSEY, JAMES ARTHUR.                               
STARTING  19480000                                                             
ENDING    19490000

[3sillydogs]

Yes I agree, that I why I thought they had just changed their mind about her names when they baptised her, not an uncommon occurence I am sure, then then I found a Death Notice for both of them..............

I have an extract from Anne's estate kindly sent to me by the PMB archives, there were no children to the marriage.

I have no trace of James after this date.  She died in Addington Hospital and according to her death notice was present when she died.

His ex-wife remarried and died in Newcastle - no children as far as I know.

It is beginning to look as if dear old grandma had a sister she never mentioned...... 

Evelyn is  my paternal grandparent, but anyone who would know anything has long since passed away........

[Nookie]

Wonder if they 'fell out' over something?  Mind you families can be funny about some things.  I have two siblings in my tree who were 'adopted' into different branches of the family after their parents died.  Nothing was ever said, and as there were no formal adoption's done, it took a lot of sleuthing to find them.

Did he remain in the force or take early retirement?  If so, could he have possibly received a pension?

[3sillydogs]

This family has it's share of secrets and that's what seems to be emerging now. I was quite happy to accept a name change until I found the Death Notices. 

This from James' Army papers. He was discharged shortly after Evelyn/Anna was born. Not sure if he received a pension but he is listed as a "car conductor" which I would assume he was working on either the trams or the trains.
This all came about after it emerged that a child was "adopoted" by Cornelia and her second husband but we think may have been born to Evelyn in around 1930

[Nookie]

I found references to a James Arthur Rumsey in England in 1915 - Macclesfield and 1918 - York R.

Both relate to the World War as far as I can tell.  Wonder if it is your guy, or another of the same name?

[3sillydogs]

That would possibly be  him, he was in the Yorkshire Regiment for his initial service and I think he went back there for WWI.  He was born in Macclesfield in 1883, so it would make sense to go back there.

On his Attestation Papers that I have his next of kin (parents) are given as living in Macclesfield, his brother is also listed as next of kin living in Macclesfield.