Claude Annesley
Claude Harod Annesley was born in 1883, and on his marriage certificate it mentions that he was born in China.
His parents Arthur and Ellen Annesley were listed as being both deceased.
He listed that he was born in Chao Ching Chekiang, China. The closest to that information is the town of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China. (Hangzhou is the capital of the province, we visited it in 2007)
(In the early days it was not uncommon for someone to prepare their own birth certificate. No record can be traced of Claude’s birth or any details of his parents. His name is spelt Annersley on his birth certificate.)
It is believed that his father was a member of the Diplomatic Corp, but there is no research to proove that.
He also states that he was born in China, in an area supposedly near Shanghai. All government records of Shanghai were destroyed in the many uprisings. His death certificate indicates he was born in India, and that his mother’s name was Mary Ann. However that information would have been given by the person arranging his cremation, as his second wife pre-deceased him.
However, the British Government still registered all overseas births in their registers.
To date no birth register can be located for Claude or his family.
Thank you for Birth certificate application CCUK 7837
British overseas birth indexes have been searched from 1881-1885 unfortunately with no results for CLAUDE HAROLD ANNESLEY
As we are unable to supply certificates if the birth was not registered at the time with the British Consulate we have retained our search fee of £10 and refunded the balance.
You may wish to contact the UK Foreign & Commonweath Office on (+44)0207 008 00186 or visit the following website to gain further information on how to obtain a certificate replacement:-
<http://ukinchina.fco.gov.uk/en>
Dear Kris,
Thank you for your email.
Some of the files were destroyed during the revolution period at that time, we are not able to find his record from a few discovered ones. Apologies for this, you might want to try to contact with General Registry Office in UK
website: www.gro.gov.uk/gro <http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro>
Regards,
Consular
-----Original Message-----
From: herronjk [mailto:herronjk@bigpond.net.au]
Sent: 04 November 2009 14:20
To: Consular Mail Beijing -UBS
Subject: Please reply
Our grandfather, Claude Harold Annesley son of Hon Arthur Annesley seemed to disappear into thin air in the 1930's and thorough a lot of searching, I have now found where he died.
I am chasing a birth certificate, which he maintained he was born in Chao Ching, Chekiang, North China
I make that out to be the Chekiang provence, and there is a town of similar name, but spelt differently just south of Hangzow.
He was born in 1883 and his mother was an Ellen Jennings, all that information is on his marriage certificate.
He may have been in the Boer War, but I cant find any records of that at all, as he maintained he caught malaria in South Africa.
We have been to China, (fantastic place) and are aware of the fact that records were destroyed, but I understood that all births to British citizens were recorded.
Unfortunately there is no record. The people suggested writing to you direct, in case you are able to assist.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Kris Herron
Queensland Australia
Claude Harod Annesley was born in 1883, and on his marriage certificate it mentions that he was born in China.
His parents Arthur and Ellen Annesley were listed as being both deceased.
He listed that he was born in Chao Ching Chekiang, China. The closest to that information is the town of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China. (Hangzhou is the capital of the province, we visited it in 2007)
(In the early days it was not uncommon for someone to prepare their own birth certificate. No record can be traced of Claude’s birth or any details of his parents. His name is spelt Annersley on his birth certificate.)
It is believed that his father was a member of the Diplomatic Corp, but there is no research to proove that.
He also states that he was born in China, in an area supposedly near Shanghai. All government records of Shanghai were destroyed in the many uprisings. His death certificate indicates he was born in India, and that his mother’s name was Mary Ann. However that information would have been given by the person arranging his cremation, as his second wife pre-deceased him.
However, the British Government still registered all overseas births in their registers.
To date no birth register can be located for Claude or his family.
Thank you for Birth certificate application CCUK 7837
British overseas birth indexes have been searched from 1881-1885 unfortunately with no results for CLAUDE HAROLD ANNESLEY
As we are unable to supply certificates if the birth was not registered at the time with the British Consulate we have retained our search fee of £10 and refunded the balance.
You may wish to contact the UK Foreign & Commonweath Office on (+44)0207 008 00186 or visit the following website to gain further information on how to obtain a certificate replacement:-
<http://ukinchina.fco.gov.uk/en>
Dear Kris,
Thank you for your email.
Some of the files were destroyed during the revolution period at that time, we are not able to find his record from a few discovered ones. Apologies for this, you might want to try to contact with General Registry Office in UK
website: www.gro.gov.uk/gro <http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro>
Regards,
Consular
-----Original Message-----
From: herronjk [mailto:herronjk@bigpond.net.au]
Sent: 04 November 2009 14:20
To: Consular Mail Beijing -UBS
Subject: Please reply
Our grandfather, Claude Harold Annesley son of Hon Arthur Annesley seemed to disappear into thin air in the 1930's and thorough a lot of searching, I have now found where he died.
I am chasing a birth certificate, which he maintained he was born in Chao Ching, Chekiang, North China
I make that out to be the Chekiang provence, and there is a town of similar name, but spelt differently just south of Hangzow.
He was born in 1883 and his mother was an Ellen Jennings, all that information is on his marriage certificate.
He may have been in the Boer War, but I cant find any records of that at all, as he maintained he caught malaria in South Africa.
We have been to China, (fantastic place) and are aware of the fact that records were destroyed, but I understood that all births to British citizens were recorded.
Unfortunately there is no record. The people suggested writing to you direct, in case you are able to assist.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Kris Herron
Queensland Australia
Claude came to Australia, and disembarked in Melbourne in July 1903 on the SS Oroya He worked in outback Queensland, met and married Katie.
World War One
War broke out, and Claude at an older age, joined the Army.
Claude then joined the A.I.F on 13th March 1916.
He enlisted in the 47th Battalion and all the information can be found on the National Archives Site, where his records are held, also records of any correspondence.
During the war he had many bouts of Malaria, and his records indicate that he told the doctors that he first contracted malaria in Africa in 1900. He was sent to England to medical centres to recover, and his notes indicate that he was good with the Lewis gun, and because he was suffering the malaria he would be a liability on active service on the front, however one doctor thought he was just putting it all on, and wanted to be sent home.
It would seem that he had fought in the South African War (Boer War) but records do not give first names of soldiers other than those of officers
At one time he was returned to France to Boeschere or maybe it is Boescherpe.
His health suffered in the bad weather in France.
He returned to Australia in 1918.
Claude and Katie selected a soldier settler's farm at Gunnewin between Roma and Injune.
The government gave soldier settlers 600 acres (roughly one square mile) and £600 to construct fences, dig a dam and build a hut.
Unfortunately, the soldier settler's farms were not very economical. It was generally believed that you needed about three square miles.
He had a friend Miss Evelyn Clarke of 57 Pitt Street Sydney who wrote to the Government, trying to locate him as her letters to him had gone unanswered. Her correspondence is in 1921
Also in 1921 there was a letter from Mr Arthur B Elwin, 2 Castle St Dover, who was a solicitor and he was chasing him.
His address at that time was Orallo via Roma this is about 47 klm north of Roma
Claude and Katie’s son Dalegleish was born on 18th July, 1921.
Around 1922, the Queensland Governement carried out some works on the Annesley bore, at Mt Hutton, which indicates that Claude may have still been living there into 1922.
Claude moved away and a couple of months later was employed as Station Manager of "Scarwater", a large cattle station near Charters Towers, which was owned by the R.S.L. (Claude was also a founding member of the R.S.L.)
Later Claude took his elder daughter Valerie to live with him at the Lighthouse at Bowen.
He left Valerie with friends who were drovers.
It is not known what age Valerie was at that stage, as she was sent to live with her Aunt Eileen in Brisbane when she was in school.
(Letters from Valerie to her mother confirm this)
Later, Claude apparently moved to New Zealand .
Dale’s brother Jim advised that he visited Roma in 1948 only staying overnight.
Claude lived in Waitoa, 38 klms from Hamilton, in the New Zealand North Island. He died in 1961, and his will was read in the Hamilton High Court.
His Death Certificate gives his occupation as a Retired Herd Tester. The area has large cheese factories, so he possibly worked withing the dairy industry. His address is given as 4A Rawa Street, Waitoa.
(can not locate that street in NZ maps)
He remarried in 1946 to Aileen Dorothy Hitchcock (formerly Waters).
Aileen died in 1958, aged 63 years.
Details on the death certificate indicate his mother as Mary Amy Jennings, and that he was born in India.
World War One
War broke out, and Claude at an older age, joined the Army.
Claude then joined the A.I.F on 13th March 1916.
He enlisted in the 47th Battalion and all the information can be found on the National Archives Site, where his records are held, also records of any correspondence.
During the war he had many bouts of Malaria, and his records indicate that he told the doctors that he first contracted malaria in Africa in 1900. He was sent to England to medical centres to recover, and his notes indicate that he was good with the Lewis gun, and because he was suffering the malaria he would be a liability on active service on the front, however one doctor thought he was just putting it all on, and wanted to be sent home.
It would seem that he had fought in the South African War (Boer War) but records do not give first names of soldiers other than those of officers
At one time he was returned to France to Boeschere or maybe it is Boescherpe.
His health suffered in the bad weather in France.
He returned to Australia in 1918.
Claude and Katie selected a soldier settler's farm at Gunnewin between Roma and Injune.
The government gave soldier settlers 600 acres (roughly one square mile) and £600 to construct fences, dig a dam and build a hut.
Unfortunately, the soldier settler's farms were not very economical. It was generally believed that you needed about three square miles.
He had a friend Miss Evelyn Clarke of 57 Pitt Street Sydney who wrote to the Government, trying to locate him as her letters to him had gone unanswered. Her correspondence is in 1921
Also in 1921 there was a letter from Mr Arthur B Elwin, 2 Castle St Dover, who was a solicitor and he was chasing him.
His address at that time was Orallo via Roma this is about 47 klm north of Roma
Claude and Katie’s son Dalegleish was born on 18th July, 1921.
Around 1922, the Queensland Governement carried out some works on the Annesley bore, at Mt Hutton, which indicates that Claude may have still been living there into 1922.
Claude moved away and a couple of months later was employed as Station Manager of "Scarwater", a large cattle station near Charters Towers, which was owned by the R.S.L. (Claude was also a founding member of the R.S.L.)
Later Claude took his elder daughter Valerie to live with him at the Lighthouse at Bowen.
He left Valerie with friends who were drovers.
It is not known what age Valerie was at that stage, as she was sent to live with her Aunt Eileen in Brisbane when she was in school.
(Letters from Valerie to her mother confirm this)
Later, Claude apparently moved to New Zealand .
Dale’s brother Jim advised that he visited Roma in 1948 only staying overnight.
Claude lived in Waitoa, 38 klms from Hamilton, in the New Zealand North Island. He died in 1961, and his will was read in the Hamilton High Court.
His Death Certificate gives his occupation as a Retired Herd Tester. The area has large cheese factories, so he possibly worked withing the dairy industry. His address is given as 4A Rawa Street, Waitoa.
(can not locate that street in NZ maps)
He remarried in 1946 to Aileen Dorothy Hitchcock (formerly Waters).
Aileen died in 1958, aged 63 years.
Details on the death certificate indicate his mother as Mary Amy Jennings, and that he was born in India.
Through extensive research and help from several New Zealand firms, we have been been able to obtain a copy of the will of Claude, and included in the documents from the New Zealand Archives, are several letters from Claude to his solicitors, and several court documents submitted by the solicitors in regard to locating the original will. The court concluded that Claude’s instructions as follows were legal, and then issued probate of the Will. At his time of death Claude was living in a room and being cared for by Mrs Scandlyn. The whole of his estate amounted to less than 900 pounds.
Letters from Claude Annesley to his solicitors. These letters were written after the death of his wife Aileen.
c/- G Scandlyn
4 Arawa Street
Waitoa
To Mr NTW Inder
Inder and Lynch
Papakura
Dear Mr Inder thank you for attending to the social security matter and the bank - I now have a local account at NSW Mooresville which I had not had time to arrange at that time.
I wish you to make the enclosed memoranda into an??Eligible will for me - I can sign it and get it witnessed here and will return it to your keeping - Mrs Scantly has full instructions what to do in case of my death - she will notify you and post a letter I will leave addressed to you.
I have given this matter much thought and have decided that my late wife’s other relations are beyond danger of pority and are all so long that the ??? would have to be gone through again. (Very hard to discipher)
So I have decided to divide it between the two families who looked after me after my wife’s death when I felt very much alone and miserable - Betty Scandlyn, who was my assistannt for years when I was working, has made me promise to stay with them till the end, and I believe she is better than a daughter to me and I am a very lucky old man.
As you will see I have asked you to be my sole executor - I do hope you will accept the responsibility
Can a husband and wife together witness a will? We have a nice pair of neighbours I could go to.
The only suggestion I have for you is not to sell more of my small investments than you have to.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Claude H Annesley.
Memoranda for my will
1. Body to be cremated even if a journey to Australia is necessary
2. All personal property and furniture in my room in the house of Mr and Mrs George Scandlyn at my death to go to Betty Kathleen Scandlyn (nee Hyde) wife of George Scandlyn of Waitoa
3. 500 pounds of Auckland Drainage Board debentures to Viola Clare Gallagher (nee Waters) wife of Frederick John Gallagher 9 Jutlared Rd Mawerewa
4. 20 Bank of New South Wales Shares to Betty Kathleen Scandlyn
5. 50 pounds each to Fred J Gallagher; George Scandlyn; William Hammond Hynes (Betty’s brother) and Jessie Hyde widow (Betty’s mother)
6. 25 pounds to Ann McDonnell widow and Vivian Lancaster (called Tass) same address in thanks for their kindness for me when living with them
7. The remainder of my estate to be equally divided between Viola Clare Gallagher and Betty Kathleen Scnadlyn
8. I appoint Mr NTW Inder solicitor of the firm of Inder Lynch Broadway Papakura to be my sole executor and direct that he shall have 50 pounds out of my estate in addition to such fees as he is entitled to
If any of above pre-decease me the bequest returns to residuary estate.
Signed Claude H Annesley
It seems that Viola Gallagher was his wife’s sister as they had the same name Waters
Letters from Claude Annesley to his solicitors. These letters were written after the death of his wife Aileen.
c/- G Scandlyn
4 Arawa Street
Waitoa
To Mr NTW Inder
Inder and Lynch
Papakura
Dear Mr Inder thank you for attending to the social security matter and the bank - I now have a local account at NSW Mooresville which I had not had time to arrange at that time.
I wish you to make the enclosed memoranda into an??Eligible will for me - I can sign it and get it witnessed here and will return it to your keeping - Mrs Scantly has full instructions what to do in case of my death - she will notify you and post a letter I will leave addressed to you.
I have given this matter much thought and have decided that my late wife’s other relations are beyond danger of pority and are all so long that the ??? would have to be gone through again. (Very hard to discipher)
So I have decided to divide it between the two families who looked after me after my wife’s death when I felt very much alone and miserable - Betty Scandlyn, who was my assistannt for years when I was working, has made me promise to stay with them till the end, and I believe she is better than a daughter to me and I am a very lucky old man.
As you will see I have asked you to be my sole executor - I do hope you will accept the responsibility
Can a husband and wife together witness a will? We have a nice pair of neighbours I could go to.
The only suggestion I have for you is not to sell more of my small investments than you have to.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Claude H Annesley.
Memoranda for my will
1. Body to be cremated even if a journey to Australia is necessary
2. All personal property and furniture in my room in the house of Mr and Mrs George Scandlyn at my death to go to Betty Kathleen Scandlyn (nee Hyde) wife of George Scandlyn of Waitoa
3. 500 pounds of Auckland Drainage Board debentures to Viola Clare Gallagher (nee Waters) wife of Frederick John Gallagher 9 Jutlared Rd Mawerewa
4. 20 Bank of New South Wales Shares to Betty Kathleen Scandlyn
5. 50 pounds each to Fred J Gallagher; George Scandlyn; William Hammond Hynes (Betty’s brother) and Jessie Hyde widow (Betty’s mother)
6. 25 pounds to Ann McDonnell widow and Vivian Lancaster (called Tass) same address in thanks for their kindness for me when living with them
7. The remainder of my estate to be equally divided between Viola Clare Gallagher and Betty Kathleen Scnadlyn
8. I appoint Mr NTW Inder solicitor of the firm of Inder Lynch Broadway Papakura to be my sole executor and direct that he shall have 50 pounds out of my estate in addition to such fees as he is entitled to
If any of above pre-decease me the bequest returns to residuary estate.
Signed Claude H Annesley
It seems that Viola Gallagher was his wife’s sister as they had the same name Waters
DETAILS OF A CREMATION IN Purewa Cemetery, Auckland.
Deceased: Last Address: Gender: Date of Cremation: Ashes: Funeral Director:
Register Entry No.:ANNESLEY, Claude Harold 4a Rawa Street, Waitoa Male 20/04/1961 Thursday Returned
Sibuns Funeral Advisors 582 Remuera Road Remuera AUCKLAND Telephone: 520-3119 3965
Hello Kris
further to previous emails - ashes of the late Claude Harold Annesley were scattered in the Purewa Crematorium gardens in 1968.
In these circumstances there won't be a grave / plaque.
We trust this is the information you require.
Kind regards
Joan Baggott
Deceased: Last Address: Gender: Date of Cremation: Ashes: Funeral Director:
Register Entry No.:ANNESLEY, Claude Harold 4a Rawa Street, Waitoa Male 20/04/1961 Thursday Returned
Sibuns Funeral Advisors 582 Remuera Road Remuera AUCKLAND Telephone: 520-3119 3965
Hello Kris
further to previous emails - ashes of the late Claude Harold Annesley were scattered in the Purewa Crematorium gardens in 1968.
In these circumstances there won't be a grave / plaque.
We trust this is the information you require.
Kind regards
Joan Baggott
A grandfather lost to his grandchildren!
