Nancy Ruth (Turrell) Haydn (1910 - abt. 1985)

Born 27 Feb 1910 in Bournebat (Bornova), Smyrna (Izmir), Turkey

Ancestors

Wife of Edmund William Alfred Haydn — married 1933 in İzmir, İzmir Province, Turkey

Descendants

Died about 1985 at about age 74 in Johannesburg, South Africa

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Whittall Family Project

Biography

Nancy was born in Bournebat (Bornova) Smyrna (Izmir), Turkey on 27th February, 1910. ^[1]She was the eldest of 3 daughters of Reginald Edmund Turrell and Jessie (Whittall).

Birth

Birth:

Date: 27 January, 1910

Place: Bournebat, Turkey

Nancy grew up in the school house established by her grandfather, near Izmir. She lived with her parents, younger siblings, grandmother, 2 aunts and the family servants.

When Turkish irregular soldiers rampaged through Smyrna in 1922 at the end of the 3 year Greco-Turkish war, Nancy's family fled to Mytilene on Lesvos, just before the sacking of Smyrna. They remained there for a year, and on their return to Smyrna found their house had been looted and 5 Greek servants had been murdered and their bodies thrown in the garden well. Nancy's father's car dealership had been burnt to the ground, along with all the cars.

The family attempted to resume their life in Izmir, and resurrected their business in the new Republic of Turkey, with credit extended by Chevrolet in the United States. However, Nancy's mother remained deeply affected by the events of 1922 - 1923 and died of a stroke 6 years later, at the age of 44, when Nancy was 18. Nancy's younger sisters were 17 and 15 at the time. Their father died of a stroke just 5 years later, at the age of 54. Her father died intestate and her brother in law Jack O'Carroll managed to wind up his estate.

Nancy married Edmund William Haydn, her fourth cousin and they had a son born in Izmir. She then emigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband and infant son in about 1935. Her younger sister Helen married a friend of Edmund's and emigrated around the same time, with her own young children.

A daughter and a second son were born to Nancy in Johannesburg. Nancy's sister Ray moved to England soon after her sisters left Turkey. Ray attended art school in London, and was married there. She had 2 sons.

Nancy passed away in Johannesburg around 1985. Her husband's death certificate in 1998, claims she died 'about 1988', ^[2]but he had moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town by 1985, and it seems almost certain that Nancy passed away before his move.

Sources

• Source: S-799024943 Repository: #R-1199855110 Title: Public Member Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006.Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members.Original data: Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. Note: Page: Ancestry Family Tree Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=56322831&pid=1236
• Repository: R-1199855110 Name: Ancestry.com
• Birth Certificate copy of 15th Dec 2010, held in family collection.
• The Genealogy of the Whittall Family of Turkey, Betty & Paul McKernan, 1996.
• First hand information from living relatives.

1. ↑ GRO Consular Births 1911-1915 Volume 13 Page 2341
2. ↑ South Africa, Estates Death Index, 1999-2014 View record NameEdmund WilliamDeath Datedd mm 1998High CourtHigh CourtHigh Court Provincial Divisioncity, The Western Cape, South AfricaEstate NumberEstate NumberWillWillCustomary LawCustomary LawSpouseHaydnPre-Deceased Spouse NameNancyHousehold members Close