More on the Muddock family

This family portrait was kindly sent by one of Muddock's closest living relatives, Beverley Rowe (www.bevrowe.info). The inscription on the reverse, in a handwriting Mr Rowe does not recognise, and clearly written after the First World War, says:

"James (Charles) Preston Muddock with his 4 sons, who were all killed in the 1914 war, & only daughter Ruth".

This poses a number of mysteries.

First, Muddock was not baptised or routinely known as "Charles".

Second, the numeral "4" has clearly been amended from either "3" or "5"

Third, there are five boys shown, but Muddock had three sons, plus one who died under a year old, as well as six daughters (five surviving) by Eleanor (and a daughter by Lucy Hann), not an "only daughter, Ruth".

And last, who is the other man?

Click the photo above for a larger image.

The youngest boy in the photograph looks at least five years old, which would date the photo at about 1893. Alternatively, it were taken about 1900 Muddock's sons would have been 13 and (the twins) 12, ages which three of the boys in the photo might well be.

And the girl? In 1900 Ruth was 19 and Dorothy 17.

Now compare the image of the man in the photograph with the one shown on the left.

This is Herbert ("Bert") Greenhough Smith (1855-1935), Editor of Strand from 1891 to 1930, who married Dorothy Vernon Muddock in 1900 although 26 years her senior. The resemblance to the bowler-hatted gentleman above is remarkable. Perhaps the photograph was taken during their courtship or just after their marriage.

The best information to date is that the man is indeed "Uncle Bert", the girl Dorothy and one of the boys Cyril, Bert's son by his deceased wife and adopted into the Muddock family until his premature death. (Information courtesy of Gai Eaton)

An early marriage

A census for 1861, taken in Manchester - when Muddock and his sisters would have been living there with their mother - has Muddock listed as 18 years old (which he wasn't, quite) with the occupation of "Ship's Steward", and "married". There is also a "daughter", also listed as "married" - one Emily Muddock, aged 17, occupation "Theatrical" and born in Philadelphia, USA. As Elizabeth Preston Muddock had no daughter Emily, we might assume an early marriage with J E P Muddock. There is a record of a marriage between a James Edward MADDOCK and Emily Jane Varley on 25 Feb 1861 at Manchester Cathedral, England, with the ages of both husband and wife given as 19. The signature makes it clear that this is "Muddock", not "Maddock". Certificate image courtesy Christopher Hunwick and Manchester Cathedral, from Manchester Cathedral Archives: MS 14/134. Click image to view.

Muddock's second marriage and first child

There is a record of a marriage between James Edward Muddock ("widower", suggesting Emily had died) and Lucy Mary Hann at St John The Evangelist, Lambeth, Surrey, England on 22 January 1872. Lucy Hann's father and siblings were well-known musicians and artists.
Lucy died on 28 June 1936 and is registered as the widow of "James Edward Muddock, Novelist". No divorce has yet been found.

Birth certificate of Evangeline Hope Muddock, 9 October 1872
Click for larger image

Certificate courtesy Shaun Muddock

A daughter, christened Evangeline Hope Muddock, was born on 9 October 1872 at Lucy's parents house in Brixton, where Muddock was also living, slightly less than nine months after the marriage. She was married to a Louis Muddock, styled a "Journalist", although this may be a pseudonym as no birth, marriage, death or census record of such a person has come to light. His name appears on her death certificate (where she is given as his widow) dated 25 Feb 1952.

Evangeline Muddock - reputedly dark-haired, beautiful and a child prodigy on the violin - became a celebrated singer and musician, touring Europe with her friend and pianist Bella Edward. There are hints of more than a platonic friendship and artistic partnership. Evangeline initially took the stage name Rose Lynton but was later billed as the more Italian-sounding Eva Mudocci. She was a friend and lover of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch and is probably the model for the violinist in Munch's lithograph The Violin Concert, 1903. His picture of her, The Brooch was famously copied by Andy Warhol. She also sat for Matisse, and wrote a war poem called Ballad of the Bayonets as 'Harry Brander'.

Bella Edwards herself had a relationship with Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.

Click on image for more pictures

Death certificate of Evangeline Hope Muddock, 25 Feb 1952
Click for larger image

Certificate courtesy Shaun Muddock

Muddock's third marriage and children

Muddock married Eleanor Rudd (christened on 15 August 1851 at Brough Under Stainmore, Westmorland, England, parents William and Anne Rudd)

They married in Paris on 5 June 1880, when Muddock was en route to Villefranche in the south of France Eleanor survived Muddock by six years, dying in Bedford in 1940 aged 89. All of her sons had died before her, and the only grandchild was Ruth's son, Charles Le Gai Eaton.

The Muddocks were absent from Britain at the 1881 census (they were in Geneva) but the 1891 census for Scotland shows his children as:

The children

Ruth Francis Muddock

Born 1881/1882 in France; died ? after 1940. She was the mistress of Francis Errington for over 25 years before marrying him, but took the name Eaton to disguise an illegitimate birth in 1921.

Dorothy Vernon Muddock

Born 27 September 1882 in Yarm-on-Tees, N. Yorkshire (registered at nearby Stokeley) both about 40 miles from Brough, where Eleanor was born . The 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses for Yarm have a Mary Rudd, born in Brough, so Eleanor may have had family living there. The Muddocks were actually living in Geneva at the time, so one both of them must have come back to Britain for the birth.

Dorothy was named for Dorothy Vernon, subject of his often-republished Sweet "Doll" of Haddon Hall.

In 1900, Dorothy married Herbert Greenhough Smith (1855-1935), Editor of Strand from 1891 to 1930, and fully 26 years her senior.
She seems to have thrived on it, as she won the Bronze Medal for Women's Individual Ice Skating at the 1908 Olympics in London. Her chum Madge Syers took the Gold. But Dorothy also won the British Championship in 1908 and again in 1911, and took the silver at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1912 at Davos.

Dorothy was a superb school skater and was the first lady in the world to manage the Axel Paulsen jump, which she could execute "with complete nonchalance complete with ankle length skirt, hat and very high skates indeed".

(Courtesy of Fred & Joan Dean; see http://www.iceskate-magazine.com/page40.html)

Dorothy was also a fine swimmer and tennis player, and competed at Wimbledon as late as 1914, aged 32. Altogether a remarkable gel.

The date of her death is as yet unknown.

Rose Victorine Muddock and Violet Preston Muddock were twins, born 15 August 1884 in Geneva.

Rose died in Hastings in 1979 aged 98, unmarried.

Violet is known to have accompanied her father on his last ever trip abroad, to Jamaica, landing at Kingston from the Port Antonio on Friday Jan 2 1903 She died in 1960 at Tonbridge aged 75, unmarried.

Harold Edgar Rudd Muddock and Edward Reginald Preston Muddock were also twins, born in Geneva 11 September 1886

Harold died on 6 August 1887 aged just under 11 months, soon after the Muddocks returned home from Swtizerland. His illness may have been the reason. His death was at 2 Adelaide Villas, Upper Deal Road, Deal, Kent but Muddock's address at the time was 4 Albion Terrace, Deal. (Death registered at Eastry in Kent.)

Edward died on 4 Sep 1916 at the Somme, and is buried at Courcelette cemetery, France. His nationality is given as Canadian and his rank Private in the 15th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment) Service No: 447283. He had moved to Canada under the auspices of the Salvation Army and ran a fruit farm.

Horace Lionel Preston Muddock and Jasper Milton Preston Muddock were the third pair of twins, born in Dundee on 25 May 1888

Horace died towards the end of 1914, after returning from the Front with appendicitis. His death registered at St Martins, London.

Jasper is listed in the official list of War Deaths as Muddock, Jasper W. (sic). He enlisted as a lieutenant in the Shropshire Yeomanry and 10th Bn Shropshire Light Infantry after returning from Burma, where he had been working. He died on 30 Nov 1917 and is buried at the Jerusalem War Cemetery.

A further girl was born when the Muddocks were living in Dundee, on 15th January 1890. By the 26th of January, she had died after two days with congestion of the lungs. She was called Martha, but JEP insisted she was buried under a different name, because he was "not going to waste a good name on a dead baby"

Eleanor Amy Muddock was born on 6 June 1892 at Shortlands, Kent She died, unmarried, in 1984 at 34 Chaucer Road, Bedford aged 95? (should be 91)

Ruth Francis Muddock	(10)		born in France
Dorothy Vernon Muddock	(8)		born in Yarm, N. Yorkshire
Rose Victorine Muddock	(6)		twins, born in Geneva
Violet Preston Muddock	(6)
Edward Reginald Preston Muddock	(4)		born in Geneva (This omits a dead twin, Harold)
Horace Lionel Preston Muddock	(3)		twins, born in Dundee
Jasper Milton Preston Muddock	(3)
A later child, Eleanor, was born in 1893 in Shortlands, Kent A further daughter, Martha, died in infancy ca. 1892.
1891 - Census Dundee, Scotland Click for larger image.

1888 - Births of his twin sons. Click for larger image.		1901 - Census Harrow, England Click for larger image.

This is a remarkable output on Mrs. Muddock’s part, including two sets of twins. Neither she nor her husband appear in the 1981 Scottish census, suggesting they were away visiting or having a well-earned rest at the then-new Black Boy Hotel, Long Row, Nottingham (now a Littlewoods store), where he termed himself "Litterateur" by occupation. The 1901 Census for England lists him as “Joyce E. Muddock” aged 57, born near Southampton, living at The Oaks, Headstone Drive, Wealdstone, Middlesex (then a hamlet, now 300 yards from Harrow and Wealdstone station) and his profession as “Literature And Journalism” (PRO Reference Schedule Number RG Number, Series Piece Folio Page RG13 1209 48 17 91). Only his wife (Eleanor) and three girls - Violet and Rose (then 15) and Eleanore (8) are listed in the 1901 census form along with Muddock. Ruth was visiting the family of Goodhart Godfrey in Horsham The three boys were away at Ashton Grammar School, Dunstable under the tutelage of the wonderfully named Lionel C R Thring. Dorothy was by then Mrs. Greenhough-Smith and living at Queen Anne Mansions, Westminster (London's first "skyscraper").

The Muddocks moved around somewhat after this. In 1929 they were south of the river, at 270 Trinity Road, Wandsworth Common, SW18; by the 28th of August 1930 they had moved north again to 25 Sunbury Avenue, Mill Hill, NW7; in October 1931 they were south once more, at Hawkhurst, 23 St Nicholas Road, Upper Tooting, SW17; finally, JEP Muddock came to rest in nearby Crockerton Road.

Anyone interested in Muddock family history and genealogy should consult Shaun Muddock's site http://www.muddock.com or Bev Rowe's site http://www.bevrowe.info/FH/FH_Muddock.htm