Eliza BENNETT & Thomas Theophilus SELLER
 "In loving memory of My Dear Mother and Granny Eliza (Dolly) Armstrong Died 30th September 1923 Aged 58 Years Lovingly Erected by her Children and Grandchildren RIP" |
 "In Loving Memory Of Thomas Theophilus Seller, Born 6 April 1860, Passed on 6 August 1945. Erected by his son, William John Seller Durban, South Africa |
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This is the story of a girl from Queenstown, South Africa who met and 'eloped' (surmise, marriage record has not yet been located) with an already married man from Australia. Her name was Eliza BENNETT (approximately 17 at the time), daughter of an Irish military family who had settled in Queenstown; he was Thomas Theophilus SELLER (22 at the time), son of a relatively affluent Sydney family.
Growing up, I'd heard once or twice about our 'Irish Connection'. However I could never quite get much more from my Granny, Ethel Dorothy HERMANSON about it. At the time I'd assumed that this was she was such a staunch Protestant, and did not want to discuss a Catholic connection.
Researching the family tree, this interesting story first came up in 2008, an Australian SELLER connection told me about "bad uncle Tom" who deserted his Australian wife and family, came to South Africa ... and returned with a new bride and children. The 'new bride' was my great-great-Grandmother, Eliza, and "bad uncle Tom" my great-great-grandfather.
hThere is a brief mention of something related to this in Trove, appearing in the Vide Police Gazette, of 1879 on page 467 is the following: "Thomas Theophilus Seller, charged on warrant with wife
desertion, has been arrested by Constable Dean, Grafton Police. Remanded to Sydney. Bail allowed." (Wednesday 18 February 1880).
Also in Trove, appearing Evening News (Sydney) on 21 Feb 1880 is the following: "At the Newtown Police Ceurt. before Mr. C. Lester, Rosanna Seller v. Thos. Theophilus Seller, for wife desertion and maintenance, Mr. Gannon for complainant, Mr. Roberts for defence. By consent defendant was ordered to pay complainant 20s a week for 12 months with 5s 6d costs." This presumably refers to his actual desertion of his first wife, as it precedes the 'marriage' to Eliza by some 2 years.
Telling my Granny's youngest sister (Faith Ruby HERMANSON) about this story in about 2010, I began to get an inkling of what the other reasons for this reticence had been. Faith commented that she now understood why Ethel had always pursed her lips when talking about their grandparents.
This in itself was curious enough. However, countless more hours of research could simply not unearth information about the Irish connection, and this family. Finding out more had to wait until 2019, when I received a memoir of sorts from a first cousin once removed, written by Matilda May SELLER, the youngest daughter of this interesting couple. This provided the impetus and information to do more research. She wrote in glowing terms about her parents.
The text of her memories is transcribed below, errors of spelling and grammar left intact. Ssome items are hyperlinked where verified or updated information is available:
"Thomas Theophilus Seller came out to South Africa as a member of the Australian Expeditionary Force and landed at East London in 1879 to take part in the Native War of that period, he obtained his discharge from the A.E.F. at the termination of hostilities and worked at his trade as a joiner in Queenstown C.P. Evidence of his fine craftsmanship is still in existence in the foyer of the old [bottom line of scanned document cut off therefore illegible]…in Queenstown C.P. on 1st January 1882 and they immediately left for Australia.
Issue of Marriage
1. Alfred Born in Australia (Deceased shortly after birth) 1882
2. Ethel Maud Born in Australia 28th October 1883
3. William John Born in Australia 25th October 1886
4. A Son Born in Johannesburg (Deceased) 1893
5. A son Born in Johannesburg (Deceased) 1895
6. Matilda May Born in East London 22nd July 1897
7. Cecil John Rhodes Born in East London 26th May 1902
(Tragically kllled on 21-6-1921)
After the collapse of the Australian Banks (not Government controlled at that time) [Australian Banking Crisis of 1893] Mother, Ethel & Will returned to South Africa arriving in Queenstown on 1st December 1892. Father followed us early in 1893.
The Family soon after left for Johannesburg where we where resident in Fosburg at the time of the great Dynamite explosion in 1896 (when part of our house collapsed) [The 1896 Braamfontein Explosion].
Dad was a member of the Australian Brigade formed in Johannesburg to go to the relief of Sir Star Jamieson at the time of the ill fated Jamieson Raid in 1896/7 [Jameson Raid, 1895/1896]. He was also a member of the Trade Council Relief Committee to negotiate with President Kruger for the release of the Raiders & Sir Star Jamieson (a photograph of the committee taken on the stoep of President Krugers residence in Church Street Pretoria is still in the [bottom line of scanned document cut off therefore illegible]…arose after the Jamieson Raid, the Family moved down to East London and Dad joined up with the Kaffrarian Rifles [Kaffrarian Rifles] and saw much service in the Eastern Cape and was present at the Siege of Wepener [Siege of Wepener] in the Free State. After Wepener Dad joined Govinge's Flying Column [Gorringe's Flying Column] and saw much service in the Cape, Free State and Transvall until hostilities ceased in 1902.
The intervening years were spent in East London - Aliwal North and the Transvaal. On the outbreak of the First World War in September 1914, Dad was again in the Forces, he served throughout the German West Africa Campaign, after which he applied for further service overseas but on account of age could not enlist.
At this time his Mother in Australia [Susannah Elizabeth CRANE, b 1831, d 1919] was in her nineties and he was anxious to see her before it was too late. At the time I was in the army and my home was let for the duration of the War - Dad went over to Australia in January 1916 and found employment there, and spent the remaining 27 years of his life in the land of his birth. On 6th August 1943 he passed on and was buried in French's Forest Cemetery Grave No 49 [bottom line of scanned document cut off therefore illegible]…
Our Mother Elizabeth born Bennet at Queenstown C.P. on 8th October 1865 of Irish Stock - Parents came out to South Africa from Waterford Ireland [Jonathan BENNETT & Margaret RYAN] in the early 60's Father in the 85th Irish Rifles [at the time the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) (The King's Light Infantry) Regiment] - Mother a nurse attached to the same Regiment.
Our Mother was a very industrious and hard working Mother, and as one can see from the foregoing that the period she lived in was a most difficult one but throughout her life she possessed a very noble heart and was a wonderful Mother. Mother's life came to an untimely end through an accident to her foot - at the early age of 58 years on the 30th September 1923 [cause of death was diabetes, which supports the 'accident to her foot' comment].
Wee the three surviving children of the above, in our advancing years of life, have made us fully conscious of the Blessings and lessons in life we have gained from our Parents -
May their dear Souls rest in Peace
God Bless them."
This gave me the impetus and information I needed to find out about the elusive 'Irish Connection', and start digging into the lives of "bad uncle Tom", and "evil Eliza" (as she has been subsequently dubbed in our family correspondence).
Life in Australia
Shortly after their elopement, Eliza and Tom appear to have returned to Australia and lived there for some time; and it appears that Eliza was more than the match for Tom. On 18 September 1889 she, too, charged him with Desertion in the Redfern Police Court, appearing in Trove in The Australian Star (Sydney), NSW 1887-1909 is this: "Thomas Theophilus. – Thomas Theoplilus Seller (33), described as a carpenter, was charged with unlawfully deserting his wife, Eliza Seller. He denied desertion, but his Worship thought otherwise, and ordered him to pay 15s. a week towards her support."
There is not a lot more that I've been able to dig up about their time in Australia, although they had 3 children there according to family stories, one being my great-grandmother, Ethel Maud SELLER, apparently born in Australia on 28 October 1883. This birth is not something I have yet been able to verify.
Return to South Africa
At some point between 1886, when their son William John SELLER is recorded as having been born in New South Wales, Australia and 1893, they returned to South Africa.
Matilda May records that they moved around between the Eastern Cape and the Transvaal, and this is certainly borne out by the details found thus far. There is a record of the birth of Sydney Theophilus SELLER in the Transvaal in 1893, and his subsequent death in Fordsburg in 1895.
Percy Theophilus SELLER is recorded as being born in the Transvaal in 1895, and deceased in Fordsburg in 1897.
Thomas Theophilus SELLER
Her account of her father playing a part in playing any part in the negotiations for the release of the Jamieson Raiders is as yet unverified, but they were certainly living in the Transvaal at the time.
Matilda May SELLER herself was born in East London in 1897.
Some further checking into Matilda May's loving account, and he does indeed appear to have served in the 2 units she lists during the Anglo Boer War of 1899-1902. I have verified Thomas T's service in the Kaffrarian Rifles. He held the rank of 'private', and appears to have served from 1899-1900. He even appears on the 'provisional list of Wepener Recipients', so her recording of him participating in the Siege of Wepener appears to be correct.
He also served in Gorringe's Flying Column, where he appears as 'T. Sellar, Regimental Number 31953', rank of Sergeant, serving from 1900-1902.
After the Anglo-Boer War, they still seem to have been together, with their youngest child Cecil John Rhodes SELLER being born in East London in 1902.
Matilda May records him as being in South Africa at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and serving in the 'German West Africa Campaign'. This I have also not been able to verify.
After his return to Australia at some point between 1916 and 1919, he appears to have lived and worked around Australia. He was possibly in Three Springs, Carnamah, in 1917, working as a 'yardman'. Not much more inforamtion, certainly nothing as controversial as his earlier life appears until his death in 1943.
Eliza (Dolly) ARMSTRONG BENNETT BLEACH BURNS SELLER
What had happened to Eliza, and where she was buried, had remained quite a mystery to me until I eventually found a clue in the death notice of her youngest child Cecil John Rhodes SELLER at the Modderfontein Dynamite Factory on 1 June 1921. His next of kin are listed as Eliza ARMSTRONG, mother and A. W. ARMSTRONG, stepfather. This did not make sense, as I knew that Thomas had only died in 1943 in Australia.
However, working with what I had, from here I could work backwards, to try to find out what had happened to her between 1901, when Faith Ruby HERMANSON had told me about her running the boarding house where Walfrid Theodore HERMANSON had been staying when he met my great-grandmother, Ethel Maud SELLER; the birth of Cecil John Rhodes SELLER which was recorded in 1902 and 1921 she appeared on his death notice.
In 1902 she and Thomas were still together, they are listed as the witnesses to the baptism of Thomas Hermann HERMANSON in January 1902 in East London. So, how did she arrive in Modderfontein as a widow by 1921?
In Johannesburg on 4 July 1914, Eliza BLEACH BURNS (aka Eliza SELLER), married Alexander Williamson ARMSTRONG. She filed an affidavit stating that she was a widow ... at this point my first thought was ... what ???
The scan of the marriage certificate is available on FamilySearch, but the detail is also pasted below:
Based on the evidence of the death certificate of Cecil John Rhodes SELLER, I knew I had the right couple, but there was no mention of BENNETT or SELLER, although BLEACH was a familiar surname (her mother Margaret RYAN's first husband had been John BLEACH). But ... where did the BURNS come from?
This led to more digging, and the marriage of Eliza BENNETT (born BLEACH) to Robert John BURNS in Johannesburg on 15 April 1913 came to light. She stated that she was a widow at the time, and had filed an affidavit to this effect. He was considerably older than her, aged 63 to her 47.
The scan of this marriage certificate is also available on FamilySearch, but the details are pasted here:
Robert John BURNS died within the year, leaving her a widow. His death is registered on 20 April 1914.
Pure speculation on my part, based on not having found a record of any service for Thomas in World War 1 (yet) is that at some point she may have had enough of him, and sent him on his way. This is partially based on his seemingly continuous absences during and after the Anglo-Boer war and thereafter mentioned by Matilda May, so is definitely speculation on my part. In any event, we know he was back in Australia probably by 1916, and almost certainly by 1919.
Whether he'd had enough of her, or she of him, that is probably something we will never know.
Nevertheless 'evil Eliza' fascinates me. She led a life that took her from her home in Queenstown to Sydney, and back again to South Africa. She and 'bad Tom' seem to have been on the fringe of many events which shaped the history of South Africa around the turn of the century. They had 8 children together, only 4 of whom survived their first 3 years. Yet she still carried on, and seems to have carved a life for herself despite this,
Her death notice lists her as Dolly BENNETT ARMSTRONG, an extract is pasted below:
For me, as much as this page recognizes both of them, personally I feel that it is a salute to the history of a woman who I feel was for the most part deliberately forgotten by successive generations, and without whom many of her descendants would not be here to find her story.