John Williams Furze

[tonymitch]

After a short time not contributing/pestering.....I have returned.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year

My problem is with John Williams Furze (b 1863 Sancreed d 1897 Modderfontain Boksburg S.A.) In 1894 he is "Investigated" for murder in Boksburg and there seems to be a fair bit of information about him and his link to this murder in the S.A. Archives. However, despite my best efforts I cannot access this info in any way, neither can I find any information re cause of death.
I have a copy of the official notification of death but not how he died.

Can anyone please help?

[Cornish Terrier]

Tony - I should think that you would need to contact NAAIRS to obtain copies of the documents you need. The following link should take you directly to the relevant page where you will find at least three references of possible interest.

www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300ds?20121227131406DC2AAA85

You should find instructions on ordering documents via the links at the bottom of that page.

CT

[tonymitch]

Thanks CT but....been there, done it and almost got the t-shirt. I have requested information both by e-mail, and by personal representation from someone in S.A back in 2009 but no results. The documents were/are not available yet they are listed on the NAAIRS site. I'll have another go but don't hold your breath!!!

[Deleted]

Tony, is this an inquiry on great uncle John? I contacted a John Furze about 4 years ago (in SA) He wasn't related that he could say, but gave me a name of another John Furze in Johannesburg, that letter came back to me. Didn't Elizabeth go to SA to settle his estate?

[tonymitch]

Correct....John Williams Furze son of Elizabeth was investigated for murder in 1894. Elizabeth goes to S.A. in 1904 for what reason I cannot say. John was married and had a son, so why mother Elizabeth goes all that way when he has a wife I haven't a clue. I would dearly love to find how he was involved in this murder and how he died. Was he found guilty and executed, was he bumped off by the murder victim's wife, did he die from an uncooked pasty or what? I've tried NAARS and some kind soul has actually been to look at the file but it wasn't/isn't available.

[zibetha]

Hi, Tony,

I would bet against the uncooked pasty scenario.

I'm sure you've looked into the records as much as possible-- I think something's missing. I see the May 25 1894 entry from a "Public Attorney" in the matter of John Furze followed 5 days later by a May 30, 1894 entry to the court "with attachments" and, lastly, 3 years later, the 1897 record listing Eliza Furze as "nagelate eggenote" = surviving spouse.

So what is missing besides the files? A trial? verdict? sentence? Did things just drag out while the case was "in the system?"

Perhaps there are no answers because the case was not resolved prior to John Williams' death.

Z

[tonymitch]

Thanks Zibetha.

I have just received (courtesy of Londoner) additional information regarding John's death which raises further interesting scenarios. I want to investigate this a wee bit further and consult with Cousin Jack (who really is my cousin) before I go 'public'. This will probably be in a few days time as at the moment I am busy diverting a spring which has just bubbled up in my back garden and is flooding neighbouring property.

And you are correct, it wasn't a pasty that killed John.....it was a falling rock.

[tonymitch]

OK, here is the latest.....Way back when I first joined the P.G. site I mentioned that my G-g-mother Elizabeth Furze had been a nurse in S.A. during the Boer War. I have two rings and was told that they were made from gold given to her by a mine manager for delivering his wife's baby after they had been placed down the mine for safety during a Boer raid. ;D What a delightful and romantic story BUT.....then I discovered that she had only gone to S.A. in 1903 after the war had finished.

So much for verbal family history. It just wasn't reinforced by hard undeniable facts.

Now, thanks to Londoner, it's back to the archives. Londoner has sent me a cutting from the Cornishman of 1897. It is an obituary on John Williams Furze stating that he died of injuries sustained in the mine and that HIS MOTHER WAS IN SOUTH AFRICA ALSO.

Now...Boer War was from 1880 to 1902 with a break in the middle. It was slap bang during this break that John died.

So far, I have been unable to attest to the veracity of Elizabeth nursing the wounded during the war, but she was certainly there around that time. I can find no reference to her (nor interestingly any of her children) during the 1891 census but she is in Cornwall for the 1881 and 1901 ones.

Now for some more digging and hoping that my delightful and romantic story is not just wishful thinking.

[sue]

Hi Tony

Sounds an excellent "gem" that newspaper obit.

You may have checked this out long time since, but if not....

I believe you could at least find out if the rings were likely made abroad rather than in the UK, as there is the matter of the hallmark; plus, I remember my cousin (knows about jewellery) looking at an older relative's piece of gold jewellery from 1890s inherited from her father, which was said to be from his gold mining activities abroad.

Cousin pronounced that the carat nos. inscribed were not carats - i.e. a level of purity - the UK used, so certainly the item was US/SA in origin.

Sue

[tonymitch]

Thanks Sue,

I'm accustomed to non UK hallmarks on gold etc. I was married in Germany and my wedding ring carries the number 585 which I'm told indicates it's approx 9 ct. The other rings are not UK hall marked either and I'm pretty certain that they are S.A. gold. One was melted down in the UK and made into a signet ring which I now wear and is stamped 18ct. I'll check on the other one later.....

Zibetha, I have copies of John's Death Notice from the S.A. Authorites and also info about Elizabeth (wife) claiming money for their son back in 1905. She had by that time remarried to Richard Leggo.

[zibetha]

Tony,

I salute your perseverance and am glad you are finding your answers.

I still hold to the idea that truth is stranger than fiction! Our hard-working family members did not have time or inspiration to dream this stuff up. I love it when the stories "pan out" even though some of the details morph a little as they are passed on.

Cheers,
Z

[Deleted]

And thanks to my cousin, another mystery is solved (well almost). Young John and Elizabeth (now Leggo) returned to Cornwall .... wonder what happened to him?