Joyce (Anstruther) Placzek (1901 - 1953)

Born 6 Jun 1901 in London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Anthony James Oliphant Maxtone Graham — married 4 Jul 1923 in All Hallows, London Wall, London, England

Wife of Adolf Kurt Placzek — married 1948 in New York, United States

Died 20 Jul 1953 at age 52 in New York City, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Judith Robinson [send private message]

Biography

Joyce Anstruther was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Joyce was born in London England. ^[1] Sibling: Douglas Anstruther.

Author of "Mrs Miniver" under the pseudonym Jan Struther. Also of numerous essays, articles, poems, light verse and hymns, incl "Lord of all Hopefulness.

She lived in England and in New York City. Her first husband was Tony Maxtone-Graham, with whom she had 3 children.

1. James Anstruther Maxtone Graham, 17th of Cultoquhey (10th May 1924 - 22nd November 2001). Married Diana Evelyn MacGregor daughter of Thomas Low MacGregor. They had 3 known children, Mary Alma Maxtone Graham 1953, Robert Oliphant Maxtone Graham 1955, Anthony James Maxtone Graham 1958.

2. Janet Mary Maxtone Graham (24th March 1928 - 18th December 1996). Married Major Patrick Lowry-Cole Howell Rance.

3. Robert Mungo Maxtone Graham (6th May 1931). Robert married Claudia Eva Elizabeth Tannert and they had 1 known child Ysenda Mary Maxtone Graham (1962) who married Michael James Smith and had three sons.

Joyce became Jan to her new friends once she moved to America during the second world war.

Jan married Dolf Placzek in New York. She died of a brain tumor.

For a full biography of Joyce's life see 'The Real Mrs Miniver' which was authored by her granddaughter, Ysenda.

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2FZN-R7D : 1 October 2014), Joyce Anstruther, 1901; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, St. George Hanover Square, London, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.

• Wikipedia:[1]
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87124330/joyce-placzek : accessed 04 July 2022), memorial page for Joyce Anstruther Placzek (6 Jun 1901–20 Jul 1953), Find a Grave Memorial ID 87124330, citing St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Whitchurch, Aylesbury Vale District, Buckinghamshire, England ; Maintained by Wertypop (contributor 46806984) .
• "United States, New York, Index to Passengers Arriving at New York City, compiled 1944-1948", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7689-TL2M : 22 October 2019), Joyce Maxtone Graham, 1946.
• "Vermont, St. Albans Canadian Border Crossings, 1895-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKN5-MTRS : 16 August 2019), Joyce Maxtone-Graham, 1924-1952; citing M1463, Soundex Index to Canadian Border Entries through the St. Albans, Vermont, District, 1895-1924, 57, NARA microfilm publications M1461, M1463, M1464, and M1465 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, publication year); FHL microfilm 1,570,770.
• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1Z-JTRN : 2 March 2021), Joyce Placzek, 1950; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• Encyclopedia[2]
• Robinson Family letters, diaries and pictures. (Joyce and Dolf were close friends of Canadians Bev and Marion Robinson and others of their circle in New York city. After she died, Joyce's 2nd husband Dolf married the Robinson's niece, Laura Beverley Kalitinsky.)
• Graham, Ysenda Maxtone 'The Real Mrs Miniver', 2001 John Murray Abermarle St, London.

Thanks to Sir William Arbuthnot for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Sir William and others.