Tetzlaff family

I had though that Dulcie Dorothy Tetzlaff married my great great grandmother, Janet Latto's nephew, Ronald Kennedy.    However, it now appears that this was incorrect, and that she in fact married a Ronald Kennedy who was born around 1904 to Mary Jane and James Kennedy.  Given that I had already accumulated the following information, although there may be no family relation, I've kept it here, as it may be of interest to their family.


Another unusual surname and little information online about this family made me look into them a little further.  The name seems to have originated in Germany, and presumably Dulcie's father and relatives came to NZ from Germany, although they may have come via Australia.  

Dulcie was the daughter of Gustav Otto Carl and Agnes Tetzlaff nee Hayter.  Agnes was born in 1881, so was only 16 years old when she married. Gustav was ten years older being born on 17 November 1871 and it seems there were some issues surrounding their union.  The following article appeared in 

At the Papakura Police Court on Tuesday, before Captain Jackson, S.M., and Messrs D. Crawford and D. McLennan, J.P.s, Joseph Tetzlaff was charged that he did on or about the 11th February, 1897. abduct one Agnes Hayter, a girl under the age of 14 years. Accused was committed to take his trial at the next Supreme Court at Auckland.

It is unclear what happened to Gustave/Joseph as a result of 'abducting' Agnes, but certainly they married in 1897 and their first child, Frederick Carl Tetzlaff  was born that same year.  Frederick sadly died on 12 October 1903 aged six years.

Gustave and Agnes also had Albertina Eliza Lillian Tetzlaff in 1898.  It is unclear whether or not she married and when she died.

Their third child was Balfour Herbert Tetzlaff.  He was born in 1900 and in 1925 he married Ivy May Johnson.  Balfour and Ivy had at least three children.  A son called Ronald (presumably named after Balfour's younger brother), born in 1929 and a stillborn baby in 1933.  They also had a son, Douglas, born in 1931, who died aged six years old, after falling off the wharf on the Waikato River opposite Mercer on 8 February 1937.  

Gustave and Agnes's fourth child was Cyril Wilfred Tetzlaff.  Cyril was born in 1902 but died aged four on 26 June 1906 at his parents' residence, Junction Road, Paeroa.

Their fifth child was the aforementioned Dulcie Dorothy Tetzlaff.  Born in 1904, Dulcie went on to marry Ronald Kennedy in 1924.

Gustave and Agnes's sixth child was another daughter - Muriel Macey Tetzlaff.  Born in 1907, Muriel was one of the lead characters in a news scandal in early 1926.  A further blog post about that can be found here. 

Seventh child Reginald Tetzlaff was born 14 April 1909 and died in 1976.

Agnes and Gustave's youngest child was Ronald Bertie Tetzlaff.  Ronald was born in 1910, and like many of his brothers was ill fated, dying on 17 May 1927 in Hamilton.  Apparently a falling piece of asbestos hit him in the head, he fell 25 feet and fractured his skull, dying a few hours later, without gaining consciousness (Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 114, 17 May 1927, Page 4).

Agnes Tetzlaff died on 1 January 1961 aged 80 years.  Gustav died on 23 June 1954 aged 82 years.  They are both buried at the Hamilton East Cemetery.

It seems likely that Gustave had a brother called Albert and while Gustave and family seem to have settled around the Waikato area, Albert and his family settled in the Wairarapa.  

Albert was born around 1857.  He married Selena Elizabeth "Elizabeth" Masters in 1890.  She was also born around 1857, and so married reasonably late.  They had eight children in relatively quick succession.  Whilst living in the Wairarapa before Albert's death, the children all attended the Weber State School:

1. Bertha Gladys Tetzlaff born 1891

2. Winifred Annie "Winnie" Tetzlaff born 1893

3. Clara Isabel Tetzlaff born 1894 married 1908 Ernest Buckland

4. Florence May "May" Tetzlaff born 1895 died 1955 m 1923 William George    Hawthorne (1880 - 1970)

5. Alice Elizabeth Tetzlaff born 1896 married 1920 Fredrick Percival Adam 

6. Jane Minnie "Mary" Tetzlaff born 1897 died 1971

7. Henry Gilbert "Gilbert" Tetzlaff born 1898 died 3 May 1973, Te Kuiti.  Last address 3 Tawa Street, Te Kuiti.  Buried in the Hamilton Park Cemetery.  Gilbert married Annie Lucy Scott on 10 January 1923.  Annie died on 11 May 1978 and is also buried at the Hamilton Park Cemetery.  Gilbert served in WWI.

8.  Albert Leopold Waldemar Tetzlaff - this could possibly be Albert Leopold Townsend, born around 1887 (possibly before his parents' marriage???) and died in 1960 (1960/28646).  This document would need to be obtained in order to attach any credence to this theory.  Albert Tetzlaff married Kate Elizabeth Nunn in 1915.  

Albert Tetzlaff Snr was apparently a heavy drinker.  An article in the Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12764, 27 March 1906, Page 5 records his death:

DANNEVIRKE, March 26. A man named Albert Tetzlaff, aged 49, a well-known contractor, died suddenly at Weber on Saturday.  At the inquest the jury returned a verdict that he died from drinking an overdose of laudanum whilst suffering from the effects of drink. A prohibition order was issued against the deceased on Saturday morning, and he then remarked that those concerned would be sorry for what they had done. He leaves a wife, who is an invalid, and eight children.

In June 1906, poor Elizabeth Tetzlaff sold their block of land at Weber to Mr Hales for 205 pounds.  

Elizabeth seems to have relocated to Wanganui (she seems to have been there according to records around the time of son Gilbert's service during WWI) and then to Wellington following her husband's death.  Things must have been difficult for the poor woman - she was reportedly an 'invalid' and had at least seven young children, all aged under 15.  She died on 11 December 1932 in Wellington.  She was cremated at the Karori crematorium.