Talk:Mrs. Cameron Shute

Katherine Chesnaye
I think Katherine Chesnaye can be identified. From the New York Star, "Mrs. Chesnaye is a short story writer, the wife of a British officer, and a world-traveler who spent six years in central Africa". There was a 1903 marriage of Katharine "Woddill" (should though be Woodill) to Major Christian Purefoy Chesnaye CBE.(, on p.130). Chesnaye was with the British South Africa Company, then in British Central Africa, then in Tanganyika. Katharine was the daughter of Dr. A. "Woddill" of Los Angeles. From FamilySearch, Alfred Harley Woodill 1841–1888, we see the daughter Katherine Blanchard Woodill 1873-1943, Canadian background. Charles Matthews (talk) 08:21, 20 April 2024 (UTC)

Confirmation in the form of newspaper reports of a divorce case in November 1901. Catherine Blanchard Woodill, then a widow, married in 1890 in California Charles Edward Sismey, an Englishman. The divorce case was for adultery with C. P. Chesnaye of South Africa. Charles Matthews (talk) 08:31, 20 April 2024 (UTC)

Further confirmation in Canadian obituary from 1943: "B-t erine Blanchard Chesnaye, daughter of late Dr. Alfred Harley Woodill. Mrs. Chesnaye was born in Halifax, N.S., and moved to Victoria two and a half years ago from San Diego, Calif. She leaves her husband, Mai. Christian P. Chesnaye, C.B.E." Sorry about OCR. Charles Matthews (talk) 08:38, 20 April 2024 (UTC)

Captain Mallaby
It seems fairly clear that the pseudonymous "Captain Mallaby" running the Descanso mine was John Allen Tregelles, about whom a fair amount is known. From :


 * Capt. John Allen Tregelles .was born in 1875 in Tottenham, London and died on 14 Dec 1923 in San Diego, California, USA at age 48. The cause of his death was Injuries sustained in a motor accident. Noted events in his life were:


 * He was educated at Bootham School in 1891-1892 in York, Yorkshire.
 * He worked as an officer of the Army Service Corps.
 * He emigrated to California, USA.
 * He worked as a Founder of the Venezuelan Development Company in 1909.
 * He worked as an officer of the Royal Marines in 1916 in Gallipoli, Turkey.
 * He worked as a Mine superintendent. The Dr. McDougall Mine. In 1922 in Descanso, San Diego County, California, USA.

Charles Matthews (talk) 07:43, 21 April 2024 (UTC)

There is the 1926 reference (per the article) stating "I. A. Tregelles, Descanso, Supt. McDougall Gold Mine", after C. D. D. Shute as President. So I don't think there is much doubt that Tregelles is the man. He is mentioned in Zumaque I as John Alen Tregelles, and should be notable for his activities in Venezuela. Quaker background, father of the same name. He apparently died in 1923, in a road accident, consistent with what Nerina Shute writes, but the dates indicate the mining references contain old information. Charles Matthews (talk) 07:57, 21 April 2024 (UTC)

as a reference for Tregelles in Venezuela: his partner was Nathaniel Geach Burch, Venezuelan consul in London (died 1925), and the oil concession only lasted a couple of years.

Probably the gold mine had become impractical by 1924. Amy Shute's later life is perhaps not of the greatest interest. Charles Matthews (talk) 09:12, 21 April 2024 (UTC)

Marriages
Marriage in 1937 as Amy Sellers to Arthur W White:  Charles Matthews (talk) 07:48, 22 April 2024 (UTC)

The information online about the marriages can be unreliable. Before Cooper there was perhaps "Black Jack" Breene, Irish, since Nerina Shute says he and Amy were married (bigamously, though). Bevis Hillier is perhaps wrong in saying "Mallaby" and Amy were married.

So the sequence of husbands goes Brass, Shute, ???, Cooper, White, Sparrow. Charles Matthews (talk) 08:38, 22 April 2024 (UTC)