Rita MacFarlane

[m23to53]

I am trying to trace this lady who was the author of a number of novels in the 1920s. All I know  about her is that she lived Maritzburg, Natal and apparently died in 1945. And that she may be the Mrs Rita MacFarlane, born c1892, on a 1924 passenger list to Cape Town,

After more digging I am wondering if her name was actually Marguerite and she was the Marguerite Lovell, possibly born c1892. the first wife of Brian Neil MacFarlane of Maritzburg, Natal - there is a post from 2006 which deals with the male members of this family with a brief mention of Marguerite as Brian's first wife.

But that is all I can find. Can anyone help me to positively identify Rita MacFarlane, to dot the i's and cross the t's? Or just to tell me that I am totally wrong in my guesses.

Many thanks
John

[TreeSpirit]

Marguerite Ysobel Maria Katherine MacFarlane  (born Lindley Lovel) is the name of Brian Neil MacFarleanes’wife.
She was 53Y (or 48Y) when she died on 25 Oct 1944 in Hogsback Hydro, District of  Victoria East.
Her Cape province death notice + probate: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C913-VW12?i=318&cc=2517051

[philipsearching]

Coincidentally, and probably unrelated to your Rita, I found a death notice for a lady who died in Michigan in 2012
http://www.mideathnotices.com/view-single.php?id=285971

This does not help your search, but it does provide evidence that Rita is a diminutive of Marguerite.

Philip

[m23to53]

And Margaret too, as well as variant spellings for Marguerite.

But things have now got a little more complicated than I expected.

Firstly, the FS link gave me Marguerite Ysabel Maria MacFarlane, nee Lindley-Lovel, c1892 - 25 October 1944, and the Margaret Lovel who married Ernest E Blofeld in 1912 in Dorking, and the Margaret M I Lovel/Margaret M I Blofeld who married Brian N MacFarlane in London in 1918. The Blofeld marriage ended in divorce - court cases held 1915, 1917 and 1918 ! - the latter with MacFarlane named as co-respondent.

But then FS also turned up a probate entry for Marguerite Ysabel Maria Katherine  (Lindley Lovel) MacFarlane, c1896 -27 October 1944! Incidentally this is the name for Marguerite given in the Ancestry tree for Ernest Eaton Blofeld, 1858-1943. I assume the same person, but curious to have two variant probate entries - though I suppose it does sometimes happen.

So far her birth is proving hard to track down. Not helped by the fact that the only Lindley-Lovel I have found so far was Eleanore/Eleanor M(argherita) M Lindley Lovel apparently born in France c1873, according to a tree, and married a Thomas Watson Permain in 1895 in London. Last sighting so far is the 1901 census where she is Eleanor L Lovel, widow, living London - interesting since Permain actually died in 1928!


So she was born in England in the period 1890-1896, parents Lindley-Lovel, Father's name Frederick, an army officer,  according to 1912 marriage record which also says she was born 1892. No Margaret/Marguerite etc Lovel born c1880-1906 in GRO births. And Margaret Isabel became Marguerite Ysabel. I believe she is the Mrs Marguerite M J? K MacFarlane coming to London from South Africa in 1924.

And that is as far as I am at the moment. Think I will have post this on the UK section to see if the Lindley Lovels can be found.

Regards
John

[m23to53]

Just found this in the "Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser" for 11 May 1912, so obviously known as Rita before her marriages though does not help to find her.


MARRIAGE. BLOFELD : LOVEL.—On April 30th, at the Parish Church, Westcott. Dorking, the Rev. F. Saismann. Ernest Blofeld, youngest son of the late James Blofeld. to Rita Lovel. only daughter of the late Fredk. Lovel

Regards
John

[TreeSpirit]

I’m not sure abt all the links you are referring to, but the link to the file I’d given previously gives the following:
Image #318 (and duplicate 319) is the Death Notice that declares that she is 53Y i.e. b abt 1890/1891. This notice was signed by her husband Brian on 12 Sep 1945
Image #320 is an extract of the Death Certificate and this declares that she is 48Y i.e. b abt 1895/1896 in Manchester. The informant had been her daughter (Elenore) Anne Wilson in Oct 1944.

Her 2 marriages:

Marriages Dec 1918   - St.Martin, London
Blofeld    Margaret M I  - Macfarlane
Lovel    Margaret M I  - Macfarlane
Macfarlane Brian N -  Blofeld
Macfarlane Brian N-  Level

Marriages Jun 1912 – Dorking, Surrey
Blofeld    Ernest E    - Lovel
Lovel    Margaret    - Blofeld   

[TreeSpirit]

In the national archives:
    

Divorce Court File: 800. Appellant: Ernest Eaton Blofeld. Respondent: Margaret Blofeld. Co-respondent: Brian Neil Macfarlane. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd].
(1918)

[TreeSpirit]

Margaret's son was a writer! Maybe it ran in the family ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Blofeld

[m23to53]

I do not know how or why but I have two print-outs of her probate record.

The first is for Marguerite Ysabel Maria MacFarlane who died 25 October 1944 born c1891 England

The second is for Marguerite Marie Ysobel Katherine Lindley-Lovel MacFarlane who died 27 October 1944. Born c1896 Manchester

Other details the same. But now I cannot find the second record again.
Also have the death notice signed by her husband, the details agreeing with the first probate record above,
Whatever happened, I have the information the link led me to and,  as I said, my search must come back to the UK.

One final question. Is there any chance of finding if there was an obituary/death notice in the press?

Many thanks
John