Fred Dagg Discusses All Black Israel Dagg's Ancestry

John Clarke was always in touch with fellow satirists and was happy to rise to the challenge of a new gag. The following is an impromptu email exchange between Steve Whitehouse -- one time Wellington spoofster and stage contemporary of John in the late 1960s-- and John in 2010.

On 21/07/2010, at 4:01 AM, Stephen Whitehouse wrote:

Dear Mr Clarke,

I do hope you will accept a communication from a pensioner in the UK (or 'home' as we used to term it).

I was asked by two associates of yours -- Sir Michael Mitchell, the well known international statesman; and Mr Graeme Lay, the Bard of Davenport -- to do some research into the origins of the Dagg family. A brief summary is included below.

This matter arose (and it will the subject of a future programme in the "Who The Hell Do You Think You Are" series) because of the performance of one Israel Dagg in a recent game of Rugby Union in Wellington, the boutique capital of the South Pacific.

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Dagg family tree:

Further genealogical research has revealed that current All Black sensation Israel Dagg is indeed a distant cousin of humourist Fred. He is also a nephew of Watter Dagg, the legendary softball pitcher for the Hawkes Bay Hurlers in the 1950s. This may account for his athletic ability. They are all part of a large Scottish family, the Rattlyer Daggs who are well known in the Hamilton area. Patriarch of the clan was Heesa Wright Dagg who emigrated to Hawera from Inverness in 1871 on the Rachel Hunter. On the maternal side, Israel is descended from the Umagas of Rununga.

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Mr Clarke, I do hope that this initial investigation -- which involved detailed examination of immigration records and notes from mental asylums around "the Shaky Isles" -- will prove useful in any efforts you might make to research the origins of your family.

Yours in genealogy,
Stefano Casablanca

From: John Clarke
Sent: 21 July 2010 00:05:57
To: Stephen Whitehouse
Subject: Re: Family matters

Dear Stefano,

Thanks for your message. It is always good to hear from someone you last saw wandering around the stage of the Star Boating Club expressing existential confusion in the form 'Wuther, Wuther, Wuther, Wuther.'

Of your illustrious friends Mitchell of the Sea and Lay of the Land, I have only the fondest memories and I thank them for their good sense in this matter.

Your work is excellent and reeks of verisimilitude. It illuminates what those in the cinema racket refer to as the 'back story' of young Dagg, whose strength and alacrity were such a feature of proceedings at last Saturday's eisteddfod in the Wellington area.

The only addition I can provide emerges from a conversation I had recently with Owhata Dagg, a cousin of Israel's grandfather, Balfour Dagg. Owhata tells me that his sister Sheesa has the family album and has found the following in a class photo from the Bulls Primary School, 1957.

U R A Dagg, B A Dagg, U Dagg, A Dagg, Geez Yora Dagg, Christ Yora Dagg, Fuck Yora Dagg.

They have apparently been approached by a local genealogy TV show 'Who Do You Think You're Looking At?' I therefore expect more will emerge as young Israel powers on and people scramble to get aboard.

Blessings upon your archive and all best,

John

ENDS

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