Mackie connection with Michaelstone-y-Fedw, Cardiff , Carl Hess and Rudolph Hess

Copied from an article in the WESTERN MAIL & SOUTH WALES NEWS - dated Thursday June 26th 1941

NEW WELSH LINK WITH RUDOLPH HESS

Facts given me on Wednesday give further colour to the suggestion that Carl Hess, father of Rudolph Hess, Hitler's deputy, formerly lived in the vicinity of Cardiff and has a brother-in-law now living in retirement in a Cottage in Michaelstone-y-Fedw, Cardiff.

Carl Hess was highly educated, and a fluent master of several languages, and a man who spent much time travelling. In 1890 he met at Gloucester a Miss Elizabeth Mackie, born and bred in Michaelstone-y-Fedw, but of Scottish descent, and the couple were married at Bystock, Exmouth, Devon. Their happiness was short-lived, for in 12 months Mrs Hess died, and Carl Hess, foregoing any share in the few hundred pounds left by his wife, resigned his position and left for Germany.

The body of his wife was taken back to Michaelstone-y-Fedw and buried in the parish churchyard by the then Rector (the Rev. W. Jenkins) officiating. A tombstone (photographed here) was put up by Carl Hess, and reads "Erected by Carl Hess, of Schleswig, Germany, in memory of his wife, Elizabeth Mackie, who died at Exmouth, Devon, June 13th: 1891, aged 35. In life beloved, in death never forgotten".

BROTHER-IN-LAW'S STORY

The present Rector of the Parish, the Rev. D. Hopkin Evans, showed me the register of deaths, recording the burial of Mrs Hess, and then introduced me to Mr Edward Mackie, brother of Elizabeth. Mr Mackie is 77 and has a sister living with him, Miss Jane Mackie, who is aged 88. "If Elizabeth had lived she would have been 85" said Mr Mackie, "When she met Carl Hess she was in service in the household of the Bishop of Gloucester, and he was steward in the Bishop's palace, Hess could speak several languages and in summer did a lot of travelling abroad. He made no secret of the fact that he was German, and shortly after he met my sister, he took a position with a Mr Bryce, a rich American, and went with him to Exmouth. My sister followed later and they were married there. Twelve months later I had a letter from Hess saying that my sister had gone out boating, had caught a chill, and had since died of pneumonia."

Mr Mackie said Hess had always been determined to go into business on his own, and when his wife died he bought the Hotel Cecil in Hamburg, Germany, sometime later Hess wrote him saying he was to marry again and that he and his new wife intended to travel a lot.

GOING TO EGYPT

"I believe he mentioned something about going to Egypt in his letter" said Mr Mackie, who added that if Carl Hess were still alive he would be 90 years old. He never heard whether Hess had been a Schoolteacher in Cardiff or anywhere else. A brother of his, Mr Wilhelm Hess, a photographer, had been present at the funeral of Mrs Elizabeth Hess in Michaelstone-y-Fedw.

"Rudolph Hess who landed by parachute in Scotland is the son of Carl Hess by his second marriage" said Mr Mackie. "He is certainly a different sort of man from his father, Carl Hess and his brother Wilhelm, they were two of nature's gentlemen, refined, and well educated, and with gentle loving nature's".

(By A "Western Mail Reporter) CLICK HERE for copy of original paper

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