SOUTH-AFRICA-EASTERN-CAPE-L Archives

Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA-EASTERN-CAPE > 2009-04 > 1238673482


From: "Chew G" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA-EC] WOLFF and some more
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 12:58:02 +0100
References: <1238636717.430243@rootsweb.com><23014C6CAD774AF7AE38C0BB52E161E7@T310><E5F8E4518B68AA439EE1BDFCF08ABE7101A1AE0A@EXCH-DB-02.cc.rhul.local><232736AD46DB43BF9BA20D0346475A52@T310>


Just to add, of course like many others he may have wanted to avoid a German sounding name around the time of the First World War. Another reason, too, for people to have thought he might be a spy. Even without airs and graces.

Geoff

Geoffrey Chew


________________________________

From: on behalf of Lynette Troughton
Subject: Re: [ZA-EC] WOLFF and some more



----- Hullo Geoff,
Thank you so very much for that information - I had no idea of his travels.
It is said that his address was always given as the Royal Colonial Club in
London but he would never give his actual home address. I do think he
pulled the wool over many a person's eyes. My Mother mentioned that it was
thought he could be a spy! Maybe this is because all the travelling he
did - His wife Adelaide BEST is on the Census of 1891 where it states she is
the wife of a Commericial Traveller. His son Bertim Mitford WOLFF died in
1914 and on his DN it gives Leo WOLFF's address as the Royal Colonial Club.
My maternal g/grandfather, George DAWS, used to meet him at the Club. Leo
WOLFF is my paternal great grandfather.
I found in the BMD register that one Leo MITFORD died in a hospital in
London in 1942. I think he was born in about 1860 or before.I have a letter
written in 1933 by Leo WOLFF to my aunt, his edest granddaughter. He gives
his address as the Royal Colonial Club apparently all airs and maybe graces
but no money!
Leo WOLFF's wife's mother was a MITFORD so he actually stole her name - once
again the 'airs' but no maney.
Thank you once again, I am absolutely delighted with the information.
Sincerely,
Lynette from OZ

> Hi Lynette
>
> You may know already that he arrived in London on the Inanda on 20 June
> 1912 from Cape Town via the east coast route (Delagoa Bay, Beira), under
> the name Leo Mitford Wolff, and again arrived in London on 5 June 1913 on
> the Namur from Japan via Hong Kong and Singapore, under the name Leo Wolff
> Mitford (all this on Ancestry, which has further entries for "Leo Wolff"
> arriving in England as well - 1869 from Durban and three 1878-90 from New
> York).
>
> A Leo Wolff is listed in London phone books (also on Ancestry) between
> 1939 and 1947, living at 38 Quadrant Close, London NW4 (phone HENdon
> 7062). (No Leo Mitfords in the London phone books.) But this might be the
> Leo Wolff who is listed in later passenger lists arriving at Southampton
> from New York in 1947 and 1950 with an age that puts his birthdate around
> 1888-90. Any connection?
>
> He appears not to be on the 1911 census for England and Wales, under
> either Wolff or Mitford, but the record above suggests he might have been
> anywhere in the world!




This thread: