The mystery of the Affleck baronetcy

[Leigh Rayment]

The following is a draft of a note which I intend to add to my baronetage page under 'Affleck' [GB 1782], but I'm lacking, it seems, one vital piece of information which members of this group may be able to supply..........       The obituary of Sir Frederick Affleck, 8th baronet, which was published in 'The Times' on

27 July 1939, reads:-

'The death of Sir Frederick Affleck, eighth baronet, is announced by a Reuter message

from Brisbane. He was a fruit grower. Born on February 3, 1856, Frederick Danby James

Affleck was the eldest son of the late Rev. James Danby Affleck, third son of the fourth

baronet. He succeeded his cousin in 1919. In 1904 he married Lily, daughter of Alfred

Quarm Ross, and had two sons, the elder being Mr. Frederick James Siddartha Affleck, who

was born in 1905.' (my emphasis)

Frederick James Siddartha Affleck, born 29 March 1905, is also shown as the heir to the

baronetcy in the eighth baronet's entry in "Who's Was Who."

On the face of it, therefore, there would seem to be little doubt that Sir Frederick left male

heirs, apparently legitimate, who would normally be expected to inherit the baronetcy, but

the title, on the the death of the eighth baronet, appears to have disappeared. I can find

no trace of the baronetcy after 1939 - no entry ever appeared in "Who's Who" which

indicates that the title passed to the son, and Colin Parry's "Index of Baronetage Creations"

states that the title became extinct in 1939.

Given that the Affleck family lived in Queensland, I searched the Australian newspapers for

mention of Frederick James Siddartha Affleck, and found that he (and his younger brother)

were 'wrong 'uns.' Four articles referring to them were published in the Melbourne 'Argus'

between 1937 and 1939, as follows (all four articles refer to the events as having occurred

in Brisbane):-

25 November 1937 -

'After a brief retirement a jury to-day brought in a verdict of guilty on all charges of

conspiracy and blackmail against Dalham Robert Affleck, aged 31 years, labourer, Frederick

James Affleck, aged 32 years, labourer, and Ernest Barker, aged 39 years, grocer. They

were remanded until December 2 for sentence.

'The charges arose out of incidents in a flat at New Farm [a suburb of Brisbane], when John

Wilson, a young lad employed in a city store, was enticed to a flat and assaulted. While

unconscious he was photographed. Defendants then used the photographs in an endeavour

to extort money from Wilson.

'The Crown Prosecutor, addressing the jury, said that Wilson was in a serious condition in

hospital with a bullet wound in his chest. "If the boy should die defendants would be morally

guilty of murder," he said.

'His Honour, in remanding them for sentence, said he regarded the crime as extremely

serious. The maximum penalty was life imprisonment; although he did not intend to impose

that sentence.'

3 December 1937 -

'Dalham Roger Affleck, aged 31 years, labourer, and Frederick James Affleck, aged 30 years

[sic for 32], labourer, were each sentenced in the Criminal Court to-day to four years'

imprisonment, with hard labour on charges that they threatened to extort money from John

Frank Wilson by accusing him of gross indecency; that they demanded money with intent

to steal; threatened to use violence and use or publish, a photograph of an act of

indecency.

'Ernest Barker, aged 39 years, grocer, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard

labour on similar charges, sentence being suspended on his entering into a bond of £100 and

one surety of £100……..'

31 July 1939 -

'Sir Frederick James Siddartha Affleck, ninth baronet of Dalham Hall, succeeded to the title

while in Boggo road gaol, Brisbane. He and his brother, Dalham Robert Affleck, will spend

nearly three more years in gaol as the result of a sentence for robbery and blackmail

committed in Brisbane last year.

'His father, the eighth baronet, Sir Frederick Danby James Affleck, died in Brisbane last

week, and was buried in the Toowong Cemetery.

'In an interview in the gaol, the new baronet, who is aged 34 years, said he hoped to go

to England to take up the title when he was free. He also hopes to become an author.

'The late Sir Frederick Affleck had lived in Queensland since the [1880s], and was aged 83

years when he died. He had farms in the Wide Bay district. In 1903 he was the licensee

of the National Hotel, Brisbane. There is no estate accompanying the title.'

9 August 1939 -

'Sir Frederick James Siddartha Affleck, aged 34 years, ninth baronet of Dalham Hall, Suffolk,

England lost an appeal in the Criminal Appeal Court to-day against his conviction on

November 24, 1937 on a charge of having in company robber a youth of a letter and two

receipts. Affleck was sentenced to four years' imprisonment on this charge. He is also

serving sentences for conspiracy and blackmail. He recently succeeded to the title while

in gaol.'

After this last report, I can find nothing further of the ninth 'baronet.'

 

What have I missed here? Were the

two sons of the 8th baronet in fact

illegitimate? Unfortunately I have a

gap in my Burke's and Debrett's

around this period. Does any member

of the newgroup have access to either

publication in the early 1940s that

may explain what happened to this

baronetcy, which, from all appearances,

should have continued past 1939?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[www.maltagenealogy.com]

According to my 1931 Burkes Peerage, Sir Frederick., 8th Bt has two
sons by Lily Quarm Ross.
Heir is Frederick James Sidartha born 1905.
the younger is Dalham Robert born 1906.

>       one surety of £100....'

[www.maltagenealogy.com]

According to Wikipedia, Sir Frederick Danby James Affleck, 8th Baronet
(1856 – 1959) (extinct on his death) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affleck_Baronets

On Oct 25, 2:17 pm, "www.maltagenealogy.com" <tancarvil...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Leigh Rayment]

Exactly....if there were two heirs at the death of Sir Frederick, the 8th
baronet (who died in 1939, not 1959 as shown in Wikipedia) why did the
baronetcy become extinct?

[Turenne]

An interesting conundrum:

This piece from 'Sunshine and rainbows: the development of gay and
lesbian culture in Queensland' adds some flesh to 'The Times' obit.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J9C5St3pRRUC&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=affleck+9th+baronet&source=bl&ots=RTpKtRiZIy&sig=ucUNfkyY2dgzB-_vs4-qzYCMqes&hl=en&ei=2pjkSpyRN8Sr4Qa9q935AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=affleck%209th%20baronet&f=false

It states that both brothers 'disappeared from view' in 1941.

It is interesting that the 8th should have called his son 'Siddartha'
which I can only assume that it was a joke, the 8th Bt was a fruit
grower in Budderim, Queensland!

Richard Lichten

[Dan Willis]

It sounds to me like a case of mis-reporting in terms of the Baronetcy
being extinct in 1939.

From what little we know of the 9th Baronet, he was the sort that
would not want to draw attention to himself or his criminal past so he
very well may have simply "lived a quiet life" after leaving prison.
Who knows if he ever married and produced heirs or not.

[Turenne]

There is mention made here of Frederick in the National Archives:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=4417333&CATLN=6&accessmethod=5

RL

[Turenne]

A friend was kind enough to supply me with the following info:

Frederick James S. Affleck died in 1975 aged 70 and is buried in Mount
Gravatt Cemetery, Brisbane, Queensland. His father was buried at
Toowong in 1939, as was one "Lillian Affleck" in 1958 (aged 84) -
presumably Lady (Lily) nee Ross. There are other Afflecks buried at
Toowong who may be other children of the 8th baronet, and also a
Dorothy Georgina, died 1984 aged 73 and buried at Mt Gravatt, who may
therefore have been the 9th baronet's wife (or maybe not)...

RL

[Leigh Rayment]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my query - it is much appreciated.

Richard - thanks especially for the pointer to the book "Sunshine and
Rainbows." I will now contact the author, Clive Moore, via the Uni of
Queensland Press, seeking his permission to quote from his book.

It looks to me that the baronetcy survived until at least 1975, and if
the 9th baronet left any heirs, there is a strong probability that it is
still
extant - the current baronet, assuming there is one, may not even know
of his entitlement !

Leigh

----- Original Message -----
From: "Turenne" <rick.l...@virgin.net>
To: "Peerage News" <peerag...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 5:44 AM
Subject: Re: The mystery of the Affleck baronetcy

[www.maltagenealogy.com]

http://www.dalham.com/affleck_arms.htm
http://artlife.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_archive.html search (Avalon No
Lava)

[Paul Theroff]

Dalham Affleck Lawrence's last wife died only in 2016.

https://groups.google.com/g/peerage-news/c/jWUrQoVpdLI

[Paul Theroff]

Here is a genealogy of this interesting family:

 

Gilbert Affleck, of Dalham Hall (ca 1684-12 Nov 1764); m.3 Nov 1705 Anna Dolben, niece of Sir Gilbert Dolben, Bt.

1.John (13 Feb 1708-27 Mar 1709)

2.John, of Dalham Hall (12 Feb 1710-17 Feb 1776 [per Cokayne, Debrett’s 1835, and History of Parliament; Burke’s 1914 says he d.5 Mar 1774]); m.1736 Sarah Metcalfe (d.17 Feb 1776)

2.1.Sir Gilbert, of Dalham Hall, 2^nd Bt. [suc his uncle] (24 Dec 1740-17 Jul 1808); m.18 Jul 1796 Mrs Mary Vassall, née Clark (d.Feb 1835)

2.2.Rev. John (22 Jan 1743-1781)

2.3.William (19 Jan 1744-1792); m.Harriet Anne Crawley

3.Rev. Gilbert (15 Nov 1711-24 Apr 1763); m.1740 Elizabeth Clopton (d.1775)

3.1.Elizabeth, d.24 Aug 1773

3.2.Charlotte, d.7 Aug 1798; m.1787 Rev. Thomas Sheriffe

4.Charles (6 Dec 1712-10 Oct 1731)

5.Thomas (13 Apr 1715-25 Dec 1729)

6.Rev. James (18 Aug 1716-Nov 1784); m.1757 Mary Proctor (d.1772)

6.1.Sir James, of Dalham Hall, 3^rd Bt. (29 Apr 1759-10 Aug 1833)

6.2.Thomas (21 Aug 1762-1805)

6.3.Edmund (25 Jul 1763-1766)

6.4.Rev. Sir Robert, of Dalham Hall, 4^th Bt. (27 Jan 1763-7 May 1851); m.16 May 1800 Maria Impey (d.12 Mar 1825)

6.4.1.Sir Gilbert, 5^th Bt. (9 Jun 1804-18 Nov 1854); m.20 Dec 1834 Everina Frances Ellis (d.1 Apr 1865)

6.4.2.Sir Robert, 6^th Bt. (28 Jul 1805-9 Oct 1882); m.9 Apr 1850 Maria Emily (1826-9 Nov 1902); Burke’s 1914 calls her “eldest dau. of Edmund Burton, of Churchill, co Northampton”, while Lodge calls her “eldest dau. of Edward Singer Bristow”, and Cokayne calls her “1^st da. of Edmund Singer Burton, of Churchill”; a newspaper acct of her probate says she was dau of “E S Burton”

6.4.2.1.Sir Robert, 7^th Bt. (4 Mar 1852-4 Dec 1919); m.9 Mar 1886 Julia Georgiana Prince (25 Apr 1864-2 Jan 1944); he sold Dalham Hall to Cecil Rhodes in 1901

6.4.2.2.Edmund (30 Mar 1854-8 May 1875)

6.4.2.3.Gilbert (1855-Oct 1855)

6.4.2.4.John de Linden (18 Jul 1860-14 Sep 1917); m.1895 Blanche Euphemia Robson (d.17 Mar 1937)

6.4.2.5.Philip Burton (2 Jan 1862-    ); he was living when his mother died

6.4.2.6.Katharine Maria, d.26 Jan 1895; m.1^st 11 Jul 1878 Charles Wollaston (d.13 Jan 1882); m.2^nd 21 Mar 1891 Richard Frewen, of Innishannon (1852-17 Aug 1896), whose brother married Clara Jerome

6.4.2.7.Emily Philippa, d.young

6.4.2.8.Anna Maria

6.4.2.9.Frances Caroline (28 Nov 1857-3 Dec 1923)

6.4.2.10.Helen; m.1 May 1883 Rev. Henry Bruce Pugh

6.4.2.11.Mary Elizabeth Harriett; m.27 Apr 1893 John William Rudd, of Anerley Park

6.4.3.Edmund Danby (2 Dec 1808-2 Mar 1809)

6.4.4.Rev. James Danby (16 Feb 1810-27 Dec 1862); m.19 Apr 1853 Sophia Dyson

6.4.4.1.Sir Frederick Danby James, 8^th Bt. (3 Feb 1856-24 Jul 1939); m.1939 Mrs Elizabeth Annie “Lily” Green, née Ross (4 May 1874-9 Oct 1958); to Australia; he had two sons with Lily Ross, born well before marriage; he claimed to have m. her in 1904, and married her again in 1918, while she was still legally married to another; they finally married legally in 1939 shortly before he died; under Queensland law the sons were thereby legitimized, but English law did not recognize such children, so the title became extinct

6.4.4.1.1.Frederick James Siddartha (29 Mar 1905-6 Apr 1975)

6.4.4.1.2.Dalham Robert (3 May 1906-4 Mar 1975); used surname LAWRENCE; m.3 Jan 1928 (div 1936) Mary Reeding; m.2^nd 1942 Rita Sheppeard; m.3^rd ca 1953 Margaret Jenkins (9 Apr 1923-28 Oct 2016

6.4.4.1.3.Coral Pansy Gabrielle (18 Jan 1909-7 Jun 1914)

6.4.4.2.Arthur Edward Highlander (6 Aug 1857-    )

6.4.4.3.Adolphus Reginald (6 Jan 1862-28 Dec 1863)

6.4.4.4.Eleonora

6.4.4.5.Florence

6.4.5.Edmund (28 Apr 1812-4 Mar 1813)

6.4.6.John (28 Apr 1812-17 Mar 1869)

6.4.7.George Danby, 1879 DANBY, of Swinton Park (27 Jun 1818-18 Jul 1891)

6.4.8.Mary Philippa (20 Aug 1801-8 Apr 1887); m.7 Feb 1836 Rev. Thomas Francis Hall (d.22 Apr 1858)

6.4.9.Charlotte (27 Mar 1803-27 Nov 1880); m.23 Mar 1854 Ven. George Glover (d.4 May 1862)

6.4.10.Harriett Elizabeth (5 Apr 1807-1897); m.1^st 23 May 1829 John Thomas Bridges (d.10 May 1853); m.2^nd 31 Oct 1854 Rev. John Edward Nassau Molesworth (5 Apr 1790-21 Apr 1877); her dau Maria Elizabeth Bridges m. her stepson Sir Guilford Molesworth

6.4.11.Marian (30 Dec 1814-8 Dec 1893); m.10 Nov 1846 Rev. Samuel Charles (d.1890)

6.5.Charles (15 Jul 1768-d.an infant)

6.6.Edmund (21 Dec 1771-d. in West Indies 1795)

6.7.Mary (3 May 1758-1773)

6.8.Anne (3 Apr 1866-Aug 1832)

6.9.Philippa (30 Jun 1767-18 Jul 1851); m.10 Jul 1821 Sir Digby Mackworth, 3^rd Bt. (14 May 1766-2 May 1838)

7.Rev. William (30 Oct 1717-8 Sep 1806); m.Catherine Dalton

7.1.Gilbert, of Cavendish Hall, d.26 Apr 1831; m.1^st Mary Smith; m.2^nd Jane Smithies

7.1.1.[ex 1] Mary, d.1847; m.12 Sep 1811 Wilkinson Peacock (d.9 Nov 1868)

7.1.2.[ex 2] Gilbert, d.23 Aug 1882; m.29 Sep 1860 Charlotte Ann Elizabeth Langridge

7.1.3.[ex 2] Mary

7.1.4.[ex 2] Fanny (1 Jun 1815-3 Mar 1906); m.Alresford 23 Dec 1846 Hugo Frhr von Linden (15 Apr 1812-1895)

7.2.William, d.1794

7.3.Charlotte; m. Rev. Septimus Hodson

7.4.Frances, d.1799

7.5.Elizabeth; m. ___ Frhr Fyffe [Fyfie?]

8.Samuel (11 Aug 1721-d. in Bengal 25 Jan 1747)

9.Robert (26 Aug 1722-9 Mar 1735)

10.Sir Edmund, (19 Apr 1725-19 Nov 1788), cr Baronet 1762, with remainder, failing his own issue male, to that of his father; he m.1^st Mrs Esther Creffield, née Ruth (d.15 Dec 1787); m.2^nd 14 May 1788 Mrs Margaret Smithers, née Burgess

11.Philip (2 May 1726-22 Dec 1799)

12.Jermyn (26 Mar 1729-1743)

13.Anne (23 Jul 1706-1794)

14.Elizabeth (14 Jan 1714-    ); m.18 Mar 1737 Robert Cotton Trefusis, of Trefusis

15.Catherine (4 Feb 1718-May 1760); m.1733 William Metcalfe, of Fordham Abbey

16.Mary (18 Mar 1723-    ); m.William Danby, of Swinton Park (d.1784)

17.Louisa (27 Nov 1727-23 Aug 1737)

18.Charlotte (9 Apr 1737-12 Mar 1820); m.1^st John Scotchmer, of Troston Hall; m.2^nd 14 Oct 1789 Sir William Dolben, 3^rd Bt. (ca 1727-20 Mar 1814)

[nwkin...@gmail.com]

I have discussed this baronetcy at some length on my Landed Families page: https://landedfamilies.blogspot.com/2013/06/50-affleck-of-dalham-hall-baronets.html.

 

There is a file at The National Archives in London (ref. TS16/1) which shows that Frederick James Siddartha Affleck did claim the baronetcy in 1939. His claim was finally rejected in 1949 on the grounds of his illegitimacy.

F.J.S. Affleck was born on 29 March 1905 when his mother was still married to (but legally separated from) her first husband; his two younger brothers were also born under the same circumstances. In 1918, having seen press reports of the death (as she thought) of her first husband, she and Sir Frederick Danby James Affleck went through a form of marriage. In 1931 she met her first husband's sister by chance, who told her that although her first husband was then dead he had only died a few years before; the 1918 marriage was, therefore, bigamous in effect. On 21 June 1939 Sir F.D.J. Affeck and his wife were legally remarried, which under Queensland law at the time had the effect of legitimating her three children by Affleck. The claim to the baronetcy was made on the basis of this second marriage having legitimated the sons.

However, the lawyers to whom the matter was referred in England determined that under English law, despite the fact that Sir F.D.J. Affleck's children had been legitimated in Queensland where they were domiciled, and were recognised as legitimate in England as a result, this recognition stopped short of affecting their rights to succeed to property or titles of honour under English law. The claim thus failed, so there was no 9^th baronet.

 

Nick Kingsley

 

From: peerag...@googlegroups.com <peerag...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Paul Theroff
Sent: 21 May 2026 14:42
To: Peerage News <peerag...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: The mystery of the Affleck baronetcy

 

Dalham Affleck Lawrence's last wife died only in 2016.

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[Paul Theroff]

"Mrs Mary Vassall, née Clark (d.Feb 1835)"

By her first marriage she was mother of Elizabeth Vassall, wife of Sir Godfrey Webster, Bt., and then wife of Lord Holland, whereby she became the famed chatelaine of Holland House.

[Paul Theroff]

Thanks for the additional interesting details!