Frank Middleton BLUNDERFIELD was born around May 1860 in Raveningham, Norfolk and baptised at St Andrew's Church in Raveningham on the 8th of July 1860. He was the only son, out of three children born to Francis Blunderfield, a Farmer, and his wife Elizabeth (nee Varvel).

Perhaps a farming life wasn't for Frank because, on the 23rd of March 1882, a Mr F M Blunderfield left London aboard the steamship 'Orient' bound for Australia. He travelled with a degree of comfort, in a cabin, and was recorded as being single and aged 26 years. The 'Orient' was due to arrive in Sydney on the 5th of May but Frank left the ship in Melbourne on the 4th of May, which is interesting, because just a week later, on the 11th of May 1882, he boarded the steamship 'Leichhardt' in Sydney bound for Queensland. Perhaps he wanted to travel overland between Melbourne and Sydney but it must have been a rush even by todays travel standards. Stopping briefly in Newcastle and Maryborough, the 'Leichhardt' arrived in Rockhampton, Queensland on the 18th of May 1882.

However, he didn't stay long, he left Rockhampton on the 30th of May 1882 aboard the coastal steamer 'Egmont' which arrived in Sydney on the 2nd of June 1882 and just three days later, on the 5th of June 1882, Frank Blunderfield was aboard the steamship 'Lusitania' bound for London. The passenger list for the Lusitania, show that this time he was travelling in Third Class Steerage and also reveals a clue to the reason for his visit - he stated his occupation as 'a Miner'.

It was in 1882, that a gold mine was opened at Ironstone Mountain, just 24 miles from Rockhampton. It was later renamed Mount Morgan, after members of the original syndicate, and became one of the richest mines in the world.

We will probably never know the reason why Frank left so soon but it could have been that there were too many miners and too few jobs (the Lusitania's passenger list shows that 44 of the 105 returning steerage passengers were Miners).

As far as we know, Frank was the first of the Blunderfield's to visit Australia, his uncle Benjamin Charles Blunderfield didn't arrive there with his family until 1885.

During the voyage home the 'Lusitania' had to pass through the Suez Canal. Lloyd's list records her entering the canal, at Suez, on the 14th of July at 10am. This is quite surprising as Britain was in the process of suppressing a Nationalist Uprising in Egypt and the Royal Navy had just bombarded Alexandria in the days before. The canal itself must have been well guarded and the Lusitania arrived safely at Gravesend on the 31st of July.

On the 10th August 1882, perhaps inspired by the military action he saw at Alexandria, Frank Middleton Blunderfield enlisted as a Private in the Royal Horse Guards (The Blues), based at the Regents Park Barracks in London. However, life in the Army mustn't have suited him because, after only 9 months of service, he purchased a discharge (for £18) on the 30th Apr 1883.

Less than two weeks later, on the 9th of May 1883, a Mr. F.W. Blunderfield is listed on board the steamship 'Warwick Castle', this time bound for Cape Town, Algoa Bay, East London and Natal. He disembarked at East London. No details have been found about his time in South Africa but, a Mr Blunderfield¹ has been found sailing from East London aboard the 'Roslin Castle' bound for Plymouth on the 30th of April 1884.

No records have yet been found to reveal his whereabouts or occupation after he returned to England but he soon got 'itchy feet' again! A Mr Blunderfield appears on the passenger list of the steamship 'Adelaide' departing for Sydney from Glenelg (near Adelaide) on the  8th of August 1885. Confirmation that he was back in Australia appeared in the September 1886 edition of the New South Wales Police Gazette - he had become a Policeman² in Sydney!

He held this job for 15 months until he resigned on the 9th of December 1887 to return to England. Departing Sydney on the 20th of December 1887 aboard the steamship 'Garonne', he arrived at Tilbury Docks in London on the 6th of February 1888.

It may have been the reason for his return, or a whirlwind romance, but just 10 days after his arrival he got married! On the 16th of  February, Frank Middleton Blunderfield, aged 27, the son of Francis Blunderfield, married Mary Rebecca Homes, aged 32, at the Congregational Church in Watford. They married by licence (no time for banns). Frank gave his occupation as a Police Officer with New South Wales Police. Mary was the second of four daughters born to Frederick James Homes and his wife Annie (nee Mitchell). The girls were all born and baptised in St Petersburg,Russia, where Frederick had worked as an Engineer. Frederick died before 1881, as Annie is recorded in the census as a Widow and Annuitant, living with three of her daughters in Station Road, Beccles in Suffolk. Mary's whereabouts in 1881 are not yet known. Mary's mother Annie was born in Watford, which could explain why Mary married Frank Blunderfield there in February 1888.

Things now get very strange! Just two days after his marriage, Frank M Blunderfield is steaming out of Plymouth on board the steamship 'Cuzco' bound for Sydney. He is recorded as 'single', aged 27 and a Police Officer. He disembarked in Sydney on the 3rd of April 1888. On the 16th of March, Mrs M R Blunderfield, aged 38, without doubt Mary Rebecca setting out to join Frank, departed from London on board the 'Oroya', in a 2nd class cabin. She arrived in Sydney on the 30th of April but was Frank there to meet her? In Feb 1889, the General Post Office in Sydney published a list of Letters that had been returned from the suburban branches as unclaimed. One of these was for a F M BLUNDERFIELD in Darlinghurst (a suburb of Sydney).

Searching the records, Frank's name next appears in Cape Town, South Africa!!

Birth of Leonard Arthur Blunderfield on the 4th of August 1889 at 26 Roger Street in Cape Town.
Father: Frank Middleton Blunderfield (Ticket Collector) Mother: Hope Sophia Blunderfield

One of his later South African records states that Frank married Sophia Hope in London on the 24th of July 1888. However, the UK General Register Office Indexes do not record this marriage - could it have been in East London, in South Africa? Surely it would have been too great a risk to marry someone else in London, only 5 months after his first marriage there, particularly with such a uncommon name.

In 1890, Frank M Blunderfield was still working as a Ticket Collector in Cape Town and living at 26, Roger's Street³. By 1895, Frank had been promoted to a Ticket Inspector with the Tram Company and had moved to Durban⁴.

Frank Middleton Blunderfield died on the 23rd of July 1903 at his home in Davenport Road, Durban aged 43 years. In 1904, the Auditors Report for the Natal Treasury, references a grant of £134-15s-0d paid to Sophia Hope Blunderfield, the widow of the late F M Blunderfield of the Natal Government Railway.

Sophia died in Durban in 1929.

Notes

1. It is possible that this could be Benjamin Charles BLUNDERFIELD (B0520) who was living with his family in South Africa at that time but it's more probable that it is Frank Middleton BLUNDERFIELD returning to England.

2. Extracts from the New South Wales Police Gazette

8 Sep 1886 p273
Announces that Frank M Blunderfield was appointed as a Probationary Constable #5228 on the 24 August 1886.

10 Nov 1886 p345
Charles Swan, charged on warrant with unlawfully assaulting William Harris, has been arrested by Constable Blunderfield, Sydney Police.

24 Nov 1886 p358
Announces that Frank M Blunderfield was appointed as an Ordinary Constable #5228 on the 1 November 1886.

25 Jan 1888 p28
Announces that Ordinary Constable #5228 Frank M Blunderfield resigned on the 9 December 1887.

3. The Argus Annual and South African Directory 1890

4. The Weekly Journal 'South Africa' - 30 Mar 1895

Mr. Powys, who has for a long time past agitated for the construction of the Umbilo tram line, picked the first piece of ground the other day at Durban. There was a fairly large concourse of people interested, including the Borough Engineer (Mr. Fletcher), Mr. Harvey (of the Tram Company), Mr. Hadfield, Mr. Blunderfield (Inspector Tram Company), and Mr. Jameson (Borough Engineer’s office). Town Councillors were conspicuous by their absence. The ceremony was commenced without much formality. After divesting himself of coat and hat, Mr. Powys wielded the pick with vigour, and soon had a good piece of the road broken up. Subsequently, he addressed a few remarks to the assembled spectators, and sketched out the history of the movement in favour of the tram line. The coolie gang immediately afterwards took possession of the road, and, by noon, had a large portion of the track broken up. The Engineer expects to have the work finished in two or three months. The cost is estimated at £3000, and the distance is upwards of three quarters of a mile.