Kate Bowe Married Ralph Noel Rankine 43 year age gap?

[Carol Exton]

Hi, The Bowe family originally came from Keswick. My distant cousin Kate Bowe b 1858 in South Africa d 1937 Victoria Australia, lived in England for some years. Then she move to Australia where she met and married Ralph Noel Rankine b 1903 d 1981. If this info is correct she was 43 years older than him. Can any one help me in verifying that the dates are correct? The age gap seems really odd. After Kate died Ralph went on to marry an Ethell Mary Mitchell I think in 1939. Bizarely there are three Ethell Mary Mitchells 1) b 1887 d 1957; 2) b1905; or 3) b 1914 d 2010. Various genealogy sites give the connection to the different Ethells. Could anyone help me sort out who is really who? regards Carol

[CaroleW]

When are they supposed to have married?

EDIT

A tree on Ancestry shows it as 1927 in Victoria.  Kate would have been 69 and Ralph 24

[Dundee]

Bizarely there are three Ethell Mary Mitchells 1) b 1887 d 1957; 2) b1905; or 3) b 1914 d 2010. Various genealogy sites give the connection to the different Ethells.

She is the 1914 birth.  The two daughters mentioned appear on electoral rolls living with with Ralph and Ethel.

https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/tributes/notice/death-notices/rankine-ethel-mary/3824639/

Debra 

[Dundee]

RANKINE - On the 26th February Kate, loved wife of R. N. Rankine 92 Elizabeth street, Malvern, and beloved aunt of Madge Bowe.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11045917


1554 / 1937

RANKINE, Kate
MALVERN NORTH, Australia
Mother: Margaret ALLEN
Father:  Henry BOWE
Born:  SPRINGBOKFONTEIN SOUTH AFRICA
aged  78

https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/-

Debra 

[Jamjar]

When are they supposed to have married?

EDIT

A tree on Ancestry shows it as 1927 in Victoria.  Kate would have been 69 and Ralph 24

Yes, that’s the one:

11911/1927 BOWE Kate, RANKINE Ralph Noel

Looks like she travelled with one Margaret Iris, who I assume to be the niece Madge Bowe:

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=12018533&S=9

Jamjar

[Malcolm33]

    This is getting really interesting.   One Ancestry Tree traces the Rankine line back to Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, but Andrew M Rankine was born 1819 at Rutherglen, Lanarkshire.  That is no great distance from Paisley where Richard Rankine Stewart was born in 1932.

     Dick Stewart was the first husband of my late wife Edith, and he died in 1984.

     If there is a connection it must go back a long time because Dick's grandfather was Richard Rankin Alexander born 1873 died 1907 in India.

      Anyway Ralph Noel Rankine was born in Australia in 1903 which confirms that there was a great age gap.

[Jamjar]

After Kate died Ralph went on to marry an Ethell Mary Mitchell I think in 1939

17189/1939 RANKINE, Ralph Noel, MITCHELL Ethel Mary

5096/1903 RANKINE Ralph Noel parents ABERCROMBIE Jessie Elizabeth and father RANKINE Creighton Wilson

3488/1898 RANKINE Creighton Wilson, ABERCROMBIE Jessie Elizabeth

21333/1956 RANKINE Creighton Wilson parents HAMILTON Elizabeth and RANKINE Andrew Mitchell, born BALLARAT, died CARISBROOK, aged 85

6900/1871 RANKIN Creighton Wilson parents HAMILTON Elizabeth and Andrew Mitchel

13161/1905 RANKINE Andrew Mitchell parents WILSON Violet and RANKINE Crighton, death Lillimow, aged 86

Jamjar