Frances Elizabeth Mary Durnford married Nicholas Macivor Charles Adolhus James John Rapp
Their stories also include his niece a Nursing Sister in WW1 and her brother died in WW1.
On 7th August 1883 at the age of 26 Frances married Nicholas Macivor Charles Adolhus James John Rapp, at St Stephens, East Twickenham.
The witnesses were Percy Page Henderson; Edward Durnford; Edith Hughes and L. Rapp.
At the time she had no profession listed, and was living at
7 The Baron's East Twickenham (St Margaret's). He was a merchant living at Richmond.
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| Atypical of the housing |
At the time of their marriage the following notice was placed in the Pall Mall Gazette.
Rapp - Durnford Pall Mall Gazette 13 August 1883
Rapp - Durnford - At St Stephen's Twickenham, Nicholas son of the Late Edward Rapp of Bonn to Frances daughter of Colonel A.W.Durnford R.E. of The Baron's East Twickenham on August 7
Frances was 26 and Nicholas was 30.
Who was Nicholas Rapp?
Nicholas was the son of Charles Edward Rapp and his wife Helen Lisette (maybe MacIvor going by Nicholas's names)
Nicholas Macivor Charles Adolhus James John Rapp was born in Dundee in Scotland on 10th September 1852. He was baptised on 27th October 1852.
His parents were Charles Edward Rapp and his wife Helen Lisette Unknown
(possibly has a relative Macivor).
Charles Edward Rapp was a merchant. The family lived and worked in Dundee in Scotland
Charles Edward Rapp was the son of Charles Adolophus Rapp and his wife (Henrietta?).
They had at least one other son, Eugene Gabriele Rapp born around 1825 in Russia.
Now the history of the Rapp Family and that of other merchants of the same ilk becomes quite interesting!
Charles Edward Rapp, known as Edward Rapp, was born in Courland, which is in Russia.
Helen Lisette was also born in Russia, of British parents.
They lived in the 1850's in Broughty Ferry in Dundee in the Cowgate area.
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Dundee was at the time was home to 19th century jute barons who had their factories in Dundee. At this time it was known as the 'richest square mile in Europe
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| Broughty Ferry Dundee |
The Maritime Quarter contained ropeworks, block makers, ship’s biscuit makers, ship’s barbers and ship’s surgeons.
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| Broughty Ferry |
The ancient route for Dundee’s cattle between the town’s grazings at Stobs Muir and the market place, the Cowgate became the home to the Baltic merchants, shipbrokers, insurers and shipowners who did business in the open by St Andrew’ Later when the political climate changed in Russia, the merchants then turned to Ireland for their source.
The Royal Exchange.
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| "Baltic Coffee Shop" Refurbished |
Square like Glasgow’s. The architect David Bryce modelled his design on Dutch cloth halls. But the ground was too waterlogged. The Exchange’s foundations kept on slipping, only stopping when Bryce’s crown steeple was removed. Round the side you can see that parts of the Exchange tilt at an angle as steep as Pisa
Records show that they lived at one time in Douglas Street.Cowgate.
Shipping records in the local papers indicate that Edward Rapp imported numerous quantities of hemp, linseed oil, and at one time pipe stays.
He traveled regularly between England and the Continent going to all different ports.
On 16th November 1853, he became a naturalised British citizen, indicating that both his parents were of European origin, and were living at Courland where he was born. Certificate number 1680
It appears that in the 17th century many Scots families lived in Russia, as Courland is known as Livonia, and was once a Prussian province. Some of those families had children who were in the Russian Army.
From 1845 to 1876, the Baltic governorates of Estonia, Livonia, and Courland—an area roughly corresponding to the historical medieval Livonia—were administratively subordinated to a common Governor-General. Amongst the holders of this post were Count Alexander Arkadyevich Suvorov and Count Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov.
The Anglican Church holds records from 1830 - 1939 of the Church of England in Latvia, on microfilm in the Guildhall Library, London.
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Helen and Edward Rapp had three children (found)
1. Matilda Lisette Caroline Rapp born in 1847 in Livonia in Russia
2. Nicholas Macivor Charles Adolphus James John Rapp born 1852 in Dundee.
3. Fanny Marij Ann Henrietta Usona Rapp born 1854 in Dundee
(By the Scottish custom of naming children, there are relatives of the Usona and MacIvor families, could be the surnames of the grandparent's mothers)
On a Rare Coin of Caracalla in a private Collection at Bonn. By 236 Edward Rapp, Esq.
He died in 1860 in Bonn. His wife and family may also have been in Europe as there are no census records until 1881, when Helen is living at 17 Guildford Terrace Dover in Kent. Helen died in 1887, and at the time was living at 3 Leybourne Terrace Dover.
Edward's brother Eugene Rapp was also involved in the family business, but based in London.
There are probably many of the other Rapp family in UK, whose beginnings are from this same lineage.
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After their marriage Frances and Nicholas Rapp lived in the Richmond area.
In 1888 Frances's mother died.
Mrs. Durnford. 1886. Widow of Col. A. W. Durnford, R.E., who was killed at Isandlwana
during the Zulu War.
In 1891 they moved to Bexhill and were living there in the 1901 census.
Their address in 1895 was "Standerton" Eversley Road.
Nicholas by now had become the owner and publisher of the Bexhill Courier, one of the oldest papers in the town.His office was directly opposite one of his customers who was a photographer. There were several photographers in the area, and all advertised in his paper.
Some old photographs of unnamed ladies are on the Bexhill Museum Records, with a good chance that one of them perhaps is Frances Rapp.
In 1896, he was before the Queen's Bench in relation to a case of libel in an action brought about by Mr Gerald Hamilton Butterfield, a clerk with the Admiralty who conducted the Anglo-Viennese Band, whose services were terminated by the Band Committee because he failed to perform his duties as he had agreed to for an 11 week period. Nicholas wrote an article about the matter, and published the letter from Butterfield. The case was awarded to Nicholas.
In 1911 they returned to live in 10 Upper Phillimore Place Kensington. His employment was Journalist and manager.
(Clark Durnford lived at 11 Upper Phillimore Place in 1853, currently a very expensive part of London)
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| The Band of 1st Cinque Ports |
By now it is the First World War.
Nicholas became a member of the 1st Cinque Ports Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers)
On 20th November 1919 Francis died. At the time they were living at 3 Leyburne Road Dover, she left her estate to her husband, and stated his employment as an assistant secretary.
At that time they were living in his mother's home at 3 Leyburne Road Dover.
Nicholas continued to live in Dover, and owned a motor vehicle.
In the Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald of 17 August 1929:
In 1929 he came to the attention of the police and was taken to the Court of Petty Sessions for failure to stop.
The report highlighted the dangers of the issuing of driver's licences and one Alderman reported that matters had to change in the interests of the safety of the public. The case involved an elderly man Nicholas McIvor Rapp who was fined 10/- and ordered to pay 35/- court costs and whose licence was revoked.
(So poor Nicholas may have changed the laws of Kent!)
P.C.Ginn stated that he had been on point-duty at Folkstone, when he directed two buses, then held his hand to stop traffic from going up Sandgate Road. The next thing, he said, was a motor-car driven by the defendant at 17 m.p.h. He shouted to him to stop, but the driver took no notice.
It was determined that Nicholas, who was deaf possibly did not hear the command. Throughout the hearing, his deafness caused the Clerk to shout in a loud voice and repeat most of the evidence to him.
On Sunday 29th January 1933 he died at his home at 3 Leyburne Road. "Captain Nicholas Rapp, late Cinque Ports, G.G.A (Volunteers) RIP from Dover Express
At the time of his death he was 80.
His nieces became the beneficiaries of his will, as Frances and he had no children.
Advertisements regarding Photographic Studios appeared in his paper.
Shortly after his marriage, Charles Ash Talbot established a photographic portrait studio in Station Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, opposite the offices of the Bexhill Chronicle newspaper. At this time there was only one other photographic studio in Bexhill-on-Sea - the studio of Arthur Bruges Plummer at 3 Devonshire Terrace, Bexhill. Calling his studio the Rembrandt House Studio, Charles Ash Talbot announced the opening of his photographic studio in Station Road in an advertisement in the Bexhill Chronicle on 21st April 1888.
Shortly after the birth of his second child, Percy Douglas Talbot, Charles Ash Talbot vacated the Rembrandt House Studio and moved to Twickenham with his family. The Bexhill Chronicle's Guide, Almanac and Directory to Bexhill-on-Sea published in 1892 records photographer Edgar Gael as the new proprietor of the Rembrandt House Studio in Station Road, Bexhill.
[ABOVE] An advertisement for Charles Ash Talbot's Rembrandt Studio in Station Road, Bexhill-on-Sea Marina, which appeared in the Bexhill Chronicle newspaper on 8th September 1888.
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Matilda Lisette Caroline Rapp his elder sister was born 24 March 1847 in Livonia in Russia.
She lived with her parents, and is recorded as living with her mother at 17 Guilford Terrace Dover in 1881.
She married 12th February 1890 Edward Hammerton. He was born about 1827 in Coventry.
He became a chemist and had stores in High Street Colchester. He firstly married Martha Neck.
He died in 1901 aged 74, and at the time they were still living in Matilda's home in Dover.
Matilda died March 1923. The beneficiaries of her will were her brother and her sister.
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Fanny Mary Ann Henrietta Usona Rapp the youngest sister was born in 1854 in Dundee.
She married Jan Hendrik Croockewit in Dover in January 1878.
He became known as John Henry Croockewit. He was born 7th November 1849 in the Netherlands.
They had 4 children and lived in Bedford Street Cuthbert, Bedfordshire. He was recorded in census of 1901 as living on his own means.
Helen Adrianne Croockewit was born 1879 she died 30th May 1966
Jan Hendrik Croockewit was born 1881 died 1975
Frances Alice Croockewit was born 1884 died 1957
Alexander Edward Croockewit was born 1885 died 1917
Dorothy Eleanor Croockewit was born 1889 died 1978
In 1911 census she was residing at 3 Nottingham Place, Marylebone, possibly the hospital
Helen Adrianne Croockewit was a nurse. She joined the Territorial Forces Nursing Unit in UK and left England, as a Nursing Sister, on 19th October 1915.
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| An unknown member of the Territorial Forces Nursing Unit. |
Trying to find information about Helen's WWI records in the Territorial Forces Nursing Unit has been most frustrating. By chance while researching their uniforms, this well done site was shown.
Sue Light http://www.fairestforce.co.uk/
The new Territorial matrons were to spend 7 days training in a military hospital every second year, but the nurses who joined the TFNS would get neither pay nor special training during peacetime in return for their commitment.
They were required to declare their intention to serve on January 1st of each year, while continuing to work in civilian hospitals and private homes, and it was felt that the high quality of their training, and their continued employment within the nursing profession would amply qualify them for military nursing without additional instruction.
They each received a silver service badge, the design based on the ‘double A’ cipher of Queen Alexandra, which was to be worn on the right side of their dress or apron during the normal course of their civilian duty, with the permission of their employer.
Other items of uniform which were not compulsory during peacetime were bought at their own expense, and worn at special functions when representing the Force. One of the most familiar of these was the small silver plated 'T' badge, worn diagonally at each corner of the shoulder cape, and which the Bart's nurses later joked were to indicate that they were 'Thoroughly Trained'!
One great advantage of these 'T's is that the uniform of the TFNS and the QAIMNS Reserve are very similar, and these ‘T’s have continued to be useful over the years to distinguish the two groups in black and white photographs.
The TFNS was originally formed to staff the territorial force hospitals at home, and the majority of its members spent their wartime service in the United Kingdom, not only in the 25 territorial hospitals[, but also in hundreds of auxiliary units throughout the British Isles.
Within a short time they were also employed in the eighteen territorial hospitals abroad, and alongside their QAIMNS colleagues in military hospitals and casualty clearing stations in France, Belgium, Malta, Salonica, Gibraltar, Egypt, Mesopotamia and East Africa.
The figures for the actual number of women who served as trained members of the Territorial Force Nursing Service during the Great War varies with different sources, but the figure given by Ian Hay [Sir John Hay Beith] is 7,117, of whom 2,280 served overseas,while Elizabeth Haldane gives a figure of 8,140 women who were part of the wartime TFNS, with the same number [2,280] serving abroad. Not all of these were serving at the same time, and in October 1918, shortly before the Armistice, there were 3,095 trained nurses of the service in military hospitals in the United Kingdom, with 1,964 in overseas stations.
The National Archives’ run of records for the service, held in WO399, is known to be incomplete, and contains 6,439 individual files of women who served in the TFNS between 1914 and 1922
But there is always an answer, there were 22,000 women who were in Nursing Units in World War I, of those 16000 have records at the National Archives. Within the Archive records were "blue sheets" which recorded the details of where the ladies were posted. Nurses at the time were apparently just considered part of the female work force. Thank goodness times have changed.
However around 1930 the files were "weeded" by clerical staff who removed a woman who may have married or had dependents, and the files destroyed. Obviously a very bad decision!
So bit by bit, from the war diaries, Helen disembarked 15th October, and landed with about 50 others in Boulogne. It is not know if she went to any other places at all, and at the end of the War she was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Helen returned to Dover and on 18th May 1919 she married Edmund John Warlow at St Andrew's Church Shepherdswall Kent.It was a Society wedding, the newspaper reported on "how pretty she looked", and how the Church, St Andrew's Shepherdswall was decorated.
It also included a list of their guests and wedding gifts, including those from Frances and Nicholas.
Edmund John Warlow was born 17 May 1863. His clerical posts include Vicar of Brampord Speke with Cowley Devon 1920 - 26; Chaplain St Georges Venice 1926 - 1935; Permanent to office, diocese of Chichester 1936 - 37.
He married on the 15 Jan 1889 Emily Rose Adam daughter of deputy surgeon General Hunter Adam Madras Army. They had three children, one dying in infancy in India. He died 17 June 1937 Bogor Regis, in Sussex.
The Ven Edmund John Warlow was Archdeacon of Lahore from 1912 to 1916.
He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and ordained Deacon in 1886 and Priest in 1887. He was Curate at Stratton St Margaret and then St Saviour, Paddington.
He went out to the North Western Frontier Province in 1889. He was at Dagshai, Ambala, Jullundur, Quetta, Murree, Umballa and Shimla before his time as Archdeacon; and at Brampford Speke and Venice afterwards.
Anglican Cathedral Church of the Resurrection, Lahore Built 1887- Late 19th or Early 20th Century
(Old Indian Photos)
Helen married Rev Waldegrade Mutrie Shepherd in 1944. His father was a Canon and he was a Chaplain in World War I. He died in 1947. He had also been married and had a family.
Edmund John Warlow's daughter
His daughter Mary married a very interesting person, surprises abound in almost every story!
Colonel Valentine Patrick Terrell Vivian CMG CBE (1886–1969) was the vice-chief of the SIS or MI6 and was the first head of its counter-espionage unit, Section V. It was Vivian, who while attempting to introduce new blood into the service, selected Kim Philby who was later to become notorious as "The Third Man" double agent and who defected to the Russians causing considerable harm to the system he had infiltratedIn 1911, Vivian married Mary Primrose Warlow daughter of the Venerable Edmund John Warlow, archdeacon of Lahore, India.
Vivian joined the Indian Police (Imperial Service) in December 1906 and was posted as assistant district superintendent of police for Punjab, reaching the rank of assistant superintendent in November 1907, and subsequently superintendent of police for Ambala, Ludhiana, Jhang, Hissar, Sialkot, and Lahore railway police. He was senior superintendent of police for the Delhi province and in October 1914 became an assistant director of central intelligence (Simla). He retired from the Indian Police in 1925.
In the mid-1920s, agency director Sir Hugh Sinclair, the second "C", wanted to absorb MI5, the UK's counter-intelligence agency, into the SIS; when his attempt was finally rejected, in 1925, he formed the CE section, later (1939) renamed "Section V".
Between 1925 and 1931, organisational rivalries proliferated among Vivian's CE section, the domestic intelligence agency, MI5, and Scotland Yard. A network of domestic agents known as the 'Casuals' had provided information to CE section. In 1930, after a series of meetings of the Special Services Committee, the Casuals were transferred to MI5, where they became "M Section"; many still provided the SIS with information.
Under Vivian, Section V focused on the activities of the Comintern, which Vivian initially "regarded ... as a criminal conspiracy rather than a clandestine political movement". Vivian was the author of the 1932 report (FO 1093/92) on the Hilaire Noulens case, though his authorship was only revealed in 1994.
During the First World War Vivian served in the Indian Army in Turkey and Palestine. At one point early in his career, he served in the Department of Criminal Intelligence (Simla) in India
He was award the following medals for his Service:
Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (1947)[1]
Legion of Merit (Officer) (USA) (1947) [2]
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1923) [3]
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1918)[4]
Other work Asst Superintendent of Police (Punjab) 1906
Superintendent of Police (Punjab) 1907
Asst Director Central Intelligence (India) 1914
John Henry Croockewit was born in 1881 in Amsterdam. He may not have been recorded as a British subject, even though his mother was British. He and traveled to America to live and work.
He became an accountant, living in Seattle and working for a timber company, He married in 1920. a lady born in Arkansas named Maisey. John traveled several times back to the UK, and lived in several different locations.
He was naturalised in November 1928 and died on 2nd January 1975 buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo County, California.
Maysie died on 28th November 1962 and is buried at the same place.
They did not appear to have children.
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Frances Alice Croockewit was born in 1884 in Holland and died 5th May 1957. As she was born in Amsterdam, she also was recorded as a Dutch citizen and was naturalised 25th March 1918 certificate number 3082. She was unmarried
Dorothy Eleanor Croockewit was born 6 September 1888 in Dover and died on 9th September 1978 . She also was unmarried.
Alexander Edward Croockewit was born 8th December 1885 in Dover Kent.
Alexander was educated at Bedford School and was trained in the 3rd Bedfordshire Regiment but attached to the 1st when he fell. ,
Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.
Attached 1st Battalion. Formerly Driver (T4/058235) Army Service Corps.
Died 26th October 1917 aged 31 years.
Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave reference XXII.H.2. 12km north-east of Ypres centre.
Alexander was educated at Bedford Grammar School. He went to Canada in 1905 to work on railway transportation, and remained there so engaged until returning to England in 1910.
In order to fulfill the required medical standards for army (Active Service) during the Great War, Alexander underwent a series of painful operations prior to enlisting in the Army Service Corps in February 1915.
From 3 August 1915 until January 1917, Alexander served in the Army Service Corps on the Western Front, as Driver, T4/058235, before being sent to Fleet, Hampshire, for officer training.On the completion of his training at Fleet, Alexander was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment on Tuesday 29 May 1917. In July 1917, Alexander returned to the Western Front, and was attached to the 1st Battalion,
Bedfordshire Regiment.
On Thursday 25 October 1917, the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was in a position named ‘Stirling Castle’ on the Ypres Salient which was heavily shelled at intervals throughout the day. The battalion was primarily engaged as carrying parties supplying the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, and also as carrying parties taking telephone cable to positions near ‘Fitzclarence Farm.’
During the arduous supply undertakings which were mainly carried out under enemy fire, Alexander was severely wounded and succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Following his demise, Alexander’s Commanding Officer wrote the following letter of condolence to his parents at Shepherdswell. “He was greatly liked by all his officers as well as N.C.O.’s and men.
We are all more than sad that we will never more see his cheery face again, and shall never be able to replace him. He died a soldiers death in a manner reflecting the highest credit both on himself and the regiment to which he had the honour to belong.
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| Stirling Castle with Sanctuary Wood in background |
“Menin,” the Croockewit residence at Dover, was so named by Alexander’s parents in rememberance of where their late son had fallen on Friday 26 October 1917.
He is also commemorated on the Dover, Kent, civic war memorial, and on the Holy Trinity Church Hall Memorial, Dover, Kent. 
He was awarded the 1914–15 Star campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in WorldWar I. The period allowed for eligibility was prior to the introduction of the Military Service Act 1916, which instituted conscription in Britain.
Some 2,366,000 were issued, including:
283,500 to the Royal Navy.
71,150 to Canadians
AS it is unknown where Helen worked in World War I, just in case she was on the Island of Lemos side by side with our Australian nurses, pictured here being piped along the beach in welcome.
That completes Frances Durnford's married life, and that of the various members
of her husband's family.
General Rapp
This distinguished man, whose statue recently erected at Colmar and the fete with which it is inaugurated are represented on the preceding pages, was born at Colmar in 1772. His skill and courage at the opening of the French revolutionary war attracted notice and he figured a aide-de-comp to General Deauix during his campaigns in Germany and Egypt. Having held the same post under Bonaparte, when the latter was First Consul, Rapp was in 1802 employed in the subjugation of the Swiss. At the battle of Austerlitz he defeated the Russion Imperial Guard, and took Prince Replim prisoner; and in 1807 he was nominated Governor of Danizie. After the retreat of the French army he defended that place with the highest ability and courage till compelled by famine to capitulate. Returning to France in 1814 he was received with distinction by Louis XVIIL; but he lost favour by joining Napoleon after his return from Elba. He however remained the Royal favour and died in 1821 Lieutenant General of cavalry. From the Illustrated Times 18 October 1856.
Another John Rapp was consul-general for Switzerland, and the Rapp's are to be found all around the world.
Dundee and the Flax industry
Dundee greatly expanded in size during the Industrial Revolution mainly because of the burgeoning British Empire trade, flax and then latterly the jute industry. By the end of the 19th century, a majority of the city's workers were employed in its many jute mills and in related industries. Dundee's location on a major estuary allowed for the easy importation of jute from the Indian subcontinent as well as whale oil—needed for the processing of the jute—from the city's large whaling industry. A substantial coastal marine trade also developed, with inshore shipping working between the city of Dundee and the port of London. The industry began to decline in the 20th century as it became cheaper to process the cloth on the Indian subcontinent.
Linen formed the basis for the growth of the textile industry in Dundee. During the 18th and 19th Centuries, flax was imported from the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea for the production of linen. The trade supported 36 spinning mills by 1835, but various conflicts, including the Crimean war put a stop to the trade. Textiles thus formed an important part of the economy long before the introduction of jute, but it was jute for rope-making and rough fabrics that helped put Dundee on the map of world trade.
The Dundee firm Baxter Brothers, which owned and operated the large Dens Works complex, was the world's largest linen manufacturer from around 1840 until 1890.
In 1878 a new railway bridge over the Tay was opened, connecting the rail network at Dundee to Fife and Edinburgh. Its completion was commemorated in verse by William McGonagall. About two years after completion, the bridge collapsed under the weight of a full train of passengers during a fierce storm. All on board the train were lost and some bodies were never recovered.
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| Bridge 1878 |
Dear Kris,
ReplyDeleteI recently visited Isandlwana and was intrigued by Durnford's story. I decided to learn more about him and thought that there must be some other records that could shed some light on him. I decided to start a trace on his daughter, Frances, whom I believe he would almost certainly have written letters to despite the separation from his wife. When France's died she left everything to Nicholas Rapp. When he died, everything was bequeathed to his nieces, who in turn died childless. So unfortunately my trail stops at some solicitors firm in Bognor Regis on the death of Dorothy. We will never know what Family heirlooms Frances might have kept and what of those if any were subsequently handed down. Much like the battle at Isandlwana, much is destined to remain untold...