Carl Friedrich Clur (1861-1913 ) and Louise Caroline Puchert (1865-1953)

Carl Friedrich Clur was born on the 1st August 1861 in Wiesbaden and died on the 17th December 1913 at the age of 52 years and 1 month. On his death notice Carl is registered as being a builder, having come north from Wiesbaden to build railway lines. He lived at 48 Cornelia Street, Troyeville in Johannesburg where he died, apparently from Malaria. His eldest son Carl Franz was present at his death. When he died eight of his children were still minors and his youngest child was 3 years old. He left a will and an estate worth more than 300 pounds, including fixed property, of which half was left to his wife and the rest was divided between his 11 children.

Louise Caroline Clur nee Puchert was born in 1865 and married Carl Friedrich Clur near King William’s Town. She died on the 1st July 1953 at the age of 88 years and 4 months at her residence 18 Schuller Street Forest Hill, Johannesburg. Her youngest daughter Martha Lindsay nee Clur was present at her death, and was the heir to her estate accrued after the death of Carl Friedrich, as per her will of 1934.

On their way north to Johannesburg from King William’s Town, Carl and Louise were attacked by some natives. Louise was struck by an ax on her arm. As a very old lady she is said to have repeatedly asked; “are the Blacks coming again?” My father, Dennis Clur would take her hand and tell his grandmother that everything was alright. One wonders if this anxiety was a manifestation of post traumatic stress related to their earlier axe assault, or from the years of stress living as a child on a frontier farm. When at Granddad Alwin and Granny Chrissie’s house she was known to repeatedly steal the silverware and cutlery, and hide it in her apron pocket. She spoke German. (anecdotes from family members).

Carl Friedrich Clur and Louise Caroline Puchert’s 12 children

• Carl Franz Clur (25th July 1886-25th June 1966), married Elizabeth Mary McKay, “Aunty Macky”, (-1958)
• Edward George Clur (1887 – 23rd May 1972, married Kathleen Mary Jenkins (7th August 1899 – 3rd July 1986), on the 6th June 1921 in Johannesburg.
• Hilda Louise Clur (23rd April 1892- August 1981), married Wilhelm Alfred Ziemann
• Pauline Maria Clur (2nd November 1893-), married Lionel Impey
• Miriam Louise Clur (11th August 1895 – 31st March 1986), married Walter Clifford Impey ( – 16th December 1960)
• Ernistine Wilhemline Clur, “Aunty Tinnie” (19th March 1897-), married John Robert Green on 16th January 1919 in Johannesburg.
• Martha Clur (7th January 1899-), married John Dickson Lindsay.
• Gerald Ludwig Clur (10th april 1900-), married Marjorie Pat Souter on the 11th August 1926 in Johannesburg.
• Richard Alwin Bernard Clur (1st October 1903- 18 February 1982), married Wilhelmina Catherina Rabe, (26th November 1906 – 31st July 1954).
• Alwin Bernard Clur (31st August 1907-14th November 1987), married Selina Pearson (15th May 1909 – 10th October 1933) and Chrissie Cockrell.
• Leonard Victor Clur (25th August 1910-), married Marie Beryl Vernon (1912) on 4th March 1933 in Springs.

There are two uncertainties in this list. I am looking for evidence of the existence of Baby George of 1896. The time between the births of Miriam Louise and Ernestine Wilhelmine is just enough to allow for another pregnancy assuming a gestation period of 9 months and immediate conception of the next child after the birth of the preceding one.

Many trees mention the birth year of Edward George as 1901. If this is correct then he would only have been 12 when his father died, yet he is listed as a “major” on his fathers death notice and mentioned as the second child. According to his memorial plaque he was 85 years old when he died in 1972 making his birth year 1887.