Scrooge's Sister Evelyn

[TheMidgetMoose]

I considered posting this topic on other threads involving family trees and McDuck relatives, but there are so many that I couldn't decide which one this topic was most relevant to. Instead, I made a thread specifically for it. The subject which I'd like to discuss and learn more about is Evelyn McDuck. The other day, I was perusing this, an article on Duck genealogy. Under the section titled "Uncles and cousins galore", a line, located near the end, says "Scrooge has two sisters: Donald’s mother, probably born around 1890-95, and Donald’s maternal aunt Evelyn, who left him a cat that Donald should look after for $ 1.000 a month (TL 934)."

This certain "maternal aunt Evelyn" intrigued me. The only sisters of Scrooge of which I was aware were Matilda and Hortense. Evelyn was new to me. Thanks to I.N.D.U.C.K.S., I was able to find the story in which she is apparently mentioned: Paperino e l'erede gatto, which was printed in English in under the name Feline Felony, apparently.

I have not read the story and know nothing of its contents, other than the fact that it supposedly mentions a "maternal aunt Evelyn." Has anyone here read it? If anyone has, is Evelyn explicitly said to be a maternal aunt, or could she theoretically be a paternal aunt?

Another big question I have, which anyone can give their opinion on regardless of whether they've read the story, is how they would fit Evelyn McDuck (assuming she really is supposed to be a McDuck) into the larger Duck universe. Should we just assume that Matilda = Evelyn, since Matilda is the only McDuck aunt of Donald's according to Don Rosa? Is Evelyn Matilda's middle name? Is there a third McDuck sister? I pondered about this and realized that, as far as I can tell, Scrooge could theoretically have an older sister who has moved out of the McDuck home by the time of The Last of the Clan McDuck and other Scrooge-childhood stories. After all, according to Rosa, Fergus was already either 37 or 32 by the time Scrooge was born, and Downy was either 37 or 27. If Evelyn was already 18 during The Last of the Clan McDuck, which takes place in 1877, then she would have been born when Fergus was either 29 or 24, and when Downy was either 29 or 19. That's entirely possible. What do you think?

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Now that's funny. I thought for a moment I knew who this was because there'd been a mix-up, for Sofie McDuck from this other story about inheriting a cat from an offscreen relative is accounted for on the French Wiki, and it turns out she's actually an aunt of Scrooge's. But… no. This is a different character altogether. Huh?! I guess the fact that it's Perego stopped too many people from paying attention to that story. 

I suppose Barks-Rosa purists may find it easier to assume she's Matilda, but the suggestion of an older sister is a fairer one, and what I'm gonna do on $MD until further notice. 

(Unfortunately, the story hasn't been published in French, so I'm of no help to you there. Rats.)

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Okay, so, I've tracked down the Portuguese version of the story published in O Pato Donald #2017 in the 1990's, where she is known as "Tia Patonsina". I can see no direct reference to Evelyn being a maternal aunt, but then, I'm brute-forcing my way through this with Google Translate. Perhaps the notion was erased in the Portuguese translation.

Perhaps it's the reverse and it was added in whichever version (German?) the DONALDIST article was based on. Though it makes little difference as far as I'm concerned: if the original version only mentioned her as an aunt and neither confirmed nor denied that she was a maternal aunt, the translation-added detail of her being a maternal aunt has no reason not to be canonical.

[TheMidgetMoose]

Feb 6, 2019 12:27:14 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Okay, so, I've tracked down the Portuguese version of the story published in O Pato Donald #2017 in the 1990's, where she is known as "Tia Patonsina". I can see no direct reference to Evelyn being a maternal aunt, but then, I'm brute-forcing my way through this with Google Translate. Perhaps the notion was erased in the Portuguese translation.

Perhaps it's the reverse and it was added in whichever version (German?) the DONALDIST article was based on. Though it makes little difference as far as I'm concerned: if the original version only mentioned her as an aunt and neither confirmed nor denied that she was a maternal aunt, the translation-added detail of her being a maternal aunt has no reason not to be canonical.

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the maternal bit was added in a translation, just as the German translation of Duckburg, U.S.A. apparently specifies Ludwig as Grandma's maternal cousin despite that not being in the original.

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Incidentally, I've created the Wiki page for Evelyn. 

[xanderares]

Feb 6, 2019 16:11:52 GMT TheMidgetMoose said:

Feb 6, 2019 12:27:14 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Okay, so, I've tracked down the Portuguese version of the story published in O Pato Donald #2017 in the 1990's, where she is known as "Tia Patonsina". I can see no direct reference to Evelyn being a maternal aunt, but then, I'm brute-forcing my way through this with Google Translate. Perhaps the notion was erased in the Portuguese translation.

Perhaps it's the reverse and it was added in whichever version (German?) the DONALDIST article was based on. Though it makes little difference as far as I'm concerned: if the original version only mentioned her as an aunt and neither confirmed nor denied that she was a maternal aunt, the translation-added detail of her being a maternal aunt has no reason not to be canonical.

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the maternal bit was added in a translation, just as the German translation of Duckburg, U.S.A. apparently specifies Ludwig as Grandma's maternal cousin despite that not being in the original.

I think you are right. In the translations often many details change, as the Sofie McDuck cited by Scrooge MacDuck for exemple, in the original language of the story she was not a McDuck, and Scrooge not only did not refer to her as aunt but did not know of its existence, implying that it was an aunt acquired.

[TheMidgetMoose]

Feb 6, 2019 18:02:55 GMT xanderares said:

Feb 6, 2019 16:11:52 GMT TheMidgetMoose said:

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the maternal bit was added in a translation, just as the German translation of Duckburg, U.S.A. apparently specifies Ludwig as Grandma's maternal cousin despite that not being in the original.

I think you are right. In the translations often many details change, as the Sofie McDuck cited by Scrooge MacDuck for exemple, in the original language of the story she was not a McDuck, and Scrooge not only did not refer to her as aunt but did not know of its existence, implying that it was an aunt acquired.

Quite interesting indeed. It seems that you are suggesting that Sofie is an aunt by marriage. Interesting. Of course, I've never read the Sofie McDuck story either, but the character interests me since she is a part of Duck genealogy. Since translations have her as a McDuck, maybe it would best be assumed that she was married to one of Fergus' brothers.

[TheMidgetMoose]

I've been thinking more about how Evelyn would fit into the general Duck canon if she is truly a McDuck, and I thought that it's theoretically possible that she was born after The New Laird of Castle McDuck. The only problem is that then we would have to explain where she is during The Billionaire of Dismal Downs. According to the wiki page, she was wealthy. Maybe she, in admiration of her older brother Scrooge, also left home at a somewhat early age to find her fortune. That said, I think it's more likely that she is an older sister, since her being born after The New Laird of Castle McDuck would probably put her being born in either 1885 or 1886, which would make Downy about 56 or about 46, an age at which I suppose it could be possible to give birth, but it is unlikely. Still, even though I highly doubt she's a significantly younger sister, I want to lay out all options on the table.

[xanderares]

Feb 6, 2019 18:10:02 GMT TheMidgetMoose said:

Quite interesting indeed. It seems that you are suggesting that Sofie is an aunt by marriage. Interesting. Of course, I've never read the Sofie McDuck story either, but the character interests me since she is a part of Duck genealogy. Since translations have her as a McDuck, maybe it would best be assumed that she was married to one of Fergus' brothers.

In fact it is highly possible and because she lived in New Zealand the most likely is Angus, because there aren't news that Jake has ever left Scotland.

[xanderares]

Feb 6, 2019 18:17:19 GMT TheMidgetMoose said:

I've been thinking more about how Evelyn would fit into the general Duck canon if she is truly a McDuck, and I thought that it's theoretically possible that she was born after The New Laird of Castle McDuck. The only problem is that then we would have to explain where she is during The Billionaire of Dismal Downs. According to the wiki page, she was wealthy. Maybe she, in admiration of her older brother Scrooge, also left home at a somewhat early age to find her fortune. That said, I think it's more likely that she is an older sister, since her being born after The New Laird of Castle McDuck would probably put her being born in either 1885 or 1886, which would make Downy about 56 or about 46, an age at which I suppose it could be possible to give birth, but it is unlikely. Still, even though I highly doubt she's a significantly younger sister, I want to lay out all options on the table.

I think it is difficult to give it a right place in the timeline, as it is an Italian story of the '70s, in those years the stories were nebulous about kinship, Scrooge in some stories seemed an only child in another had a brother and a sister, so they tend to be difficult to place correctly because you never know if they are siblings, half-brothers, foster brother or anything else (Italian authors are not new to characters who are milk brothers or blood brothers).

[xanderares]

Feb 6, 2019 12:27:14 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Okay, so, I've tracked down the Portuguese version of the story published in O Pato Donald #2017 in the 1990's, where she is known as "Tia Patonsina". I can see no direct reference to Evelyn being a maternal aunt, but then, I'm brute-forcing my way through this with Google Translate. Perhaps the notion was erased in the Portuguese translation.

Perhaps it's the reverse and it was added in whichever version (German?) the DONALDIST article was based on. Though it makes little difference as far as I'm concerned: if the original version only mentioned her as an aunt and neither confirmed nor denied that she was a maternal aunt, the translation-added detail of her being a maternal aunt has no reason not to be canonical.

I think I understood where the idea of my maternal aunt comes from. In the past I discarded Uncle Ernest from the fatherly side of Donald's family tree because in his will he said that he was his only nephew, but from that side he would always have Gladstone or Fethry as nephews.
Evelyn also calls Donald his only nephew as we read in the Portuguese translation here that only the maternal side remains.

[TheMidgetMoose]

Feb 6, 2019 19:09:30 GMT xanderares said:

Feb 6, 2019 12:27:14 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Okay, so, I've tracked down the Portuguese version of the story published in O Pato Donald #2017 in the 1990's, where she is known as "Tia Patonsina". I can see no direct reference to Evelyn being a maternal aunt, but then, I'm brute-forcing my way through this with Google Translate. Perhaps the notion was erased in the Portuguese translation.

Perhaps it's the reverse and it was added in whichever version (German?) the DONALDIST article was based on. Though it makes little difference as far as I'm concerned: if the original version only mentioned her as an aunt and neither confirmed nor denied that she was a maternal aunt, the translation-added detail of her being a maternal aunt has no reason not to be canonical.

I think I understood where the idea of my maternal aunt comes from. In the past I discarded Uncle Ernest from the fatherly side of Donald's family tree because in his will he said that he was his only nephew, but from that side he would always have Gladstone or Fethry as nephews.
Evelyn also calls Donald his only nephew as we read in the Portuguese translation here that only the maternal side remains.

Hmm... Quite interesting indeed. It seems that you have read the Portuguese translation as well, if I understand correctly. You're right. If Donald truly is her only nephew, then that would likely put her on the McDuck side since Gideon, Matilda, Hortense, and Scrooge's twin are not known to have any children that I know of.

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Well-spotted. This must be it.

Even though I really wonder if Chendi actually considered this implication at the time. For one thing, it did not become public knowledge until Don Rosa that Gladstone wasn't actually Scrooge's nephew per se.

For another, Donald, ecstatic at the prospect of becoming an independently wealthy man, immediately goes from receiving the letter about Evelyn's inheritance to going to the Money Bin to mock Scrooge and quit in style with a kick to the rear, unwittingly mirroring Scrooge and Donald's first meeting in Rosa's account. Only now does it strike me how fantastically insensitive that is of him if Evelyn is Scrooge's recently dead sister. 

[TheMidgetMoose]

Feb 6, 2019 19:40:21 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Well-spotted. This must be it.

Even though I really wonder if Chendi actually considered this implication at the time. For one thing, it did not become public knowledge until Don Rosa that Gladstone wasn't actually Scrooge's nephew per se.

For another, Donald, ecstatic at the prospect of becoming an independently wealthy man, immediately goes from receiving the letter about Evelyn's inheritance to going to the Money Bin to mock Scrooge and quit in style with a kick to the rear, unwittingly mirroring Scrooge and Donald's first meeting in Rosa's account. Only now does it strike me how fantastically insensitive that is of him if Evelyn is Scrooge's recently dead sister. 

This makes me think that she wasn't intended to be Scrooge's sister. Sure, it's logical that she is, but if Donald is really so insensitive about Evelyn's death to Scrooge, that really points towards Chendi did not intend Evelyn and Scrooge to be siblings. I wonder if there is any way to fit Evelyn on the tree that allows her to both not be Scrooge's sister and to only have Donald as a nephew. There's probably not, but I think it would be better overall if there was.

Edit: I suppose she could be a maternal aunt by marriage, though this would mean her husband, who would likely be either Gideon or Scrooge's twin, would likely be deceased by the time of her death, since she didn't leave her fortune with them.

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Feb 6, 2019 19:47:19 GMT TheMidgetMoose said:

though this would mean her husband, who would likely be either Gideon or Scrooge's twin, would likely be deceased by the time of her death, since she didn't leave her fortune with them.

Not necessarily — though for all we know Marley Cheeryble could be dead by 1973, since his only appearance was much earlier than that. The story mentions that there were fourteen other potential heirs the executors contacted before Donald, all of whom received only a miserable handout while learning that the fortune would go to the cat. With none of them wanting the fortune badly enough to put up with said cat as Donald attempts to get the $1000/month deal. One of those, for all we know, could be her husband. 

Anyway, I propose that Evelyn was in fact Scrooge's sister but Donald didn't know that at the time. The letter seems to mention "your aunt Evelyn" without a last name; if she's an older sibling who left the McDuck home pretty early on, it's plausible that Donald wouldn't really know of her existence. After all, Scrooge is hardly inclined to tell stories about his sisters, as we well know. And if she was even born by the time Evelyn left, Hortense wouldn't really have any memories of her. 

Considering how crazy his family tree is, it's not surprising at all that Donald would take news of having a rich, dead Aunt Evelyn in stride without worrying overmuch about the particulars. Compare (and I know some people want to decanonize Don Rosa's tree on this point, but compare) the fact that it took Donald making a conscious efforts to explore the distant reaches of his family tree for him to learn of his first cousin Whitewater's existence.