Alice Sedgwick Mankiewicz (wife of Sir Julius Wernher, 1st Bt) question

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Does any one know if she was related to the legendary Mankiewicz family of Hollywood?

I would imagine there might be a connection as it doesn't seem to be a common surname.

Thanks.

Brooke

[Jelena JS]

It's a common surname in Eastern Europe (Poland, Belarus, etc.)

[bx...@yahoo.com]

I'm still thinking there might be a possible connection.,

Herman Mankiewicz's middle name was Jacob, which was Alice's father's name.  It might be pure coincidence  of course, but  you never know.

Thanks.

Brooke

[G. Willis]

A biographical outline given for Alice Mankiewicz here: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gtpHAQAAIAAJ&q=Alice+Sedgwick+Mankiewicz&dq=Alice+Sedgwick+Mankiewicz&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8iZWAhafcAhXIyKQKHae6D1cQ6AEITDAH

states that her father (n.b.- Walford's gives his name as 'James', which is of course a common Anglicization of 'Jacob') was from Danzig (Gdansk) and her mother English ; Wikipedia cites the Encyclopaedia Britannica and a 1983 biography of Joseph in giving Herman and Joseph Mankiewicz as sons of Franz, of German Jewish background, from Berlin, who emigrated to the U.S. from Hamburg. This doesn't 100% rule out a link, I suppose.

This Geni site has a fairly detailed outline of Franz Mankiewicz's ancestry (although as always the reliability is uncertain): https://www.geni.com/people/Franz-Mankiewicz/6000000029153525001

Another possible avenue to look into might be Alice's brother, Franz James Mankiewicz, as mentioned here: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YHRnAAAAMAAJ&q=Alice+Sedgwick+Mankiewicz&dq=Alice+Sedgwick+Mankiewicz&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi64JmAhqfcAhXRGuwKHZ8VAQY4ChDoAQhIMAc

[bx...@yahoo.com]

G. Willis, thanks for your help.  

If anyone finds out anything more about Alice or the Mankiewicz family, please post here.

Thanks to all.

Brooke

On Monday, July 16, 2018 at 7:26:46 PM UTC-4, bx...@yahoo.com wrote:

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Alice had 2 brothers. George and Franz.

Two questions about George.  Was his middle name Augustus and did he die in 1909?

Thanks.

Brooke

On Monday, July 16, 2018 at 7:26:46 PM UTC-4, bx...@yahoo.com wrote:

[G. Willis]

Hello Brooke, the probate record corroborates what you posted, in that it states:

MANKIEWICZ George Augustus of 20 Park Street Grosvenor Square Middlesex and 62 New Broad Street London died 13 August 1909 at Coleshill House Coleshill Amersham Buckinghamshire Probate London 2 September to Franz James Mankiewicz gentleman Douglas Lintott Foxwell stock broker and Alfred Pearce-Jones solicitor. Effects £173171 6s. 5d.

A death notice stated George was 'well known and highly respected in the City'.

Additionally, the 1901 census has George Augustus b. London 1858 with wife Emily M. (I couldn't find a marriage record, nor locate George or his family in any earlier census records; did they ever use a variant of the name or another name entirely?), resident at Park Street. No children, but twelve servants, his occupation listed as 'stockbroker'. The London Gazette had an 1882 notice regarding the dissolution of the business partnership between George and his brother, operating as 'James Mankiewicz & Co.', merchants, at 6, Mincing Lane, London (EC3). It stated that George intended to continue in the business himself (perhaps as a sideline to his stockbroking activities?).

A book, 'Grand Dukes and Diamonds: the Wernhers of Luton Hoo', by Raleigh Trevelyan (1991) stated, re: Jacob (James) Mankiewicz, that he: 'had died in 1879, aged forty-nine; his background was obscure, but he originally came from Danzig, the son of Joel Mankiewicz, merchant.'

[G. Willis]

I'm not sure if you've already seen it, but if not, the Trevelyan book seems to be online here: http://www.porges.net/GrandDukesDiamonds/Chap6.html

The full passage from which I quoted:

Julius met his future wife very soon after his return to London. Her name was Alice Sedgwick Mankiewicz, known as Birdie. The introduction came through one of the great friends of his Frankfurt boyhood, Alex Marc, living now in England and married to Birdie's sister Daisy. The two young women were remarkably alike, though Birdie was prettier. Born in 1862, she was bright-eyed, fair-haired and small, barely reaching up to Julius's shoulder. Intelligent and musical - she had obtained a diploma in pianoforte from the Royal College of Music - she also spoke German, which helped to please Frau Wernher, who seemed doubtful at first about the liaison. Birdie's father, Jacob James Mankiewicz, had died in 1879, aged forty-nine; his background was obscure, but he originally came from Danzig, the son of Joel Mankiewicz, a merchant, and given the fact that he had a brother called Samuel (who changed his name to Danby), it seems probable that he was of Jewish origin. He had been a stock jobber with Messrs Ansell and Tallermann, who became leading dealers in shares at Kimberley. Evidently Mankiewicz had been reasonably well off, for he could afford to send his two sons, George and Franz, to school at Rugby. Mrs Mankiewicz had been born Ada Susan Pigott. Her family came from Colchester, and she had a brother who was a general. She and Birdie lived in part of a big mid-Victorian house in Bayswater, 15a Pembridge Square.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

G. Willis, thank you so much for this information.

Very much appreciated!

Brooke

On Monday, July 16, 2018 at 7:26:46 PM UTC-4, bx...@yahoo.com wrote: