Find Ancestors

The heading "Missing Lady in South africa"caught my attention, I have a story to tell, and will be grateful if there are any helpers out there. Following my father using The Colonial Office Lists 1940 - 1951 in Nyasaland. Sometime between 1940 - 1944 My Mother took me for a Holiday? either to The Cape or to Durban, where I was locked in a Hotel? guest house? I remember a bottle of stale milk and a vinyl tablecloth, Now the following I only surmise as It was never spoken about by stiff upper lipped family members I aparently scarpered out of a window, Now everything is blocked out;; I was told that I was found living with a native fisherman and his wife, time unknown to me, here in Canberra, Australia, I have scoured the "Cape Times"copies which are held at the National Library of Australia. to no avail for anything about a lost white boy from up-country, my only hope is the Durban papers 1940 -1944 which are not held here. I was in Nyasaland before the war's end, I was born in 1937 in New Zealand, my Parents? married in 1939, in Wellington N.Z. ; from the Wairarapa times Tuesday July 18, 1939;; Mr W.J. Gray Veterinary Surgeon formerly attached to the Agricultural department, with his wife and Family, will leave Wellington on Friday by the "Awatea"to sydney where they will Join the Liner "Ulysses"to take up an appointment in Tanganyika, east Africa;; I have not seen or heard of my Mother Mildred Earl-Stanwix-Gray, since the day she left me, and have not seen my father since 1947, he is deceased now. I believe he re-married 7 years after Mildred's disappearance. I left Africa in 1947 in Company of my Paternal Grandmother
any leads on what happened to Mildred would be gratefully received There is a name that has always been in the back of my mind, I have no idea why "Nikki" is the name

Doun

Hi Doun,

What year was Mildred born and do you know her fathers name? This may help with a search.

Dee

Found this, just for possible background info;

England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
about Mildred Earl Name: Mildred Earl
Spouse Surname: Stanwix
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1930
Registration district: Newcastle upon Tyne
Inferred County: Northumberland
Volume Number: 10b
Page Number: 255
Find Spouse: Edward G Stanwix


Deex

Uummm. looks like husbands death;

England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
about Edward Gordon Stanwix Name: Edward Gordon Stanwix
Birth Date: 9 Aug 1902
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1969
Age at Death: 66
Registration district: North East Cheshire
Inferred County: Cheshire
Volume: 10a
Page: 1025

Mildred???

1911 England Census
about Mildred Earl Name: Mildred Earl
Age in 1911: 3
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1908
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Sunderland, Durham, England
Civil parish: Westgate
County/Island: Northumberland
Country: England
Street Address: 154 Stanhope St Newcastle On Tyne
Marital Status: Single
Registration district: Newcastle upon Tyne
Registration District Number: 558
Sub-registration district: St Nicholas
ED, institution, or vessel: 02
Piece: 30617
Household Members: Name Age
Robert Gilbert Earl 30 >> Occupation; Gas Stove Fitter
Elizabeth Taylor Earl 29
William Christopher Earl 6
Thomas Henry Earl 4
Mildred Earl 3
Doris Earl 1
Hephizabah Gardner 17

Ok. found your tree on An*estry;

Your father coming into the UK;

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
about William J Gray Name: William J Gray
Birth Date: abt 1907
Age: 41
Port of Departure: Mombasa, Kenya
Arrival Date: 1 Nov 1948
Port of Arrival: London, England
Ports of Voyage: Mombasa
[Dar-es-Salaam]
[Beira]
[Durban]
[Port Elizabeth]
[Cape Town]
Ship Name: Llangibby Castle
Search Ship Database: View the 'Llangibby Castle' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Shipping Line: Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company Ltd
Official Number: 161329

Wow, that's some story and well done Dee for her 'finds'
Wish you very good luck, I'll try to see if I can find anything.

I'm going to send you a private message regarding some personnal info.

Dee

Did Edward G Stanwix marry 1937 to Henrietta J Thomson.

Henrietta J Stanwix 1910 died Stockport 1977.

Info onRootsweb from same poster in 2003.

Maryb

Have you ruled this death out?

England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
about Mildred Baker Name: Mildred Baker
Birth Date: 18 Sep 1907
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1975
Age at Death: 68
Registration district: Tonbridge
Inferred County: Kent
Volume: 16
Page: 2249


Just going on the DOB, there is a possibilty that Mildred returned to her home Country??

Given that Dee's researches show a North East origin, this 1911 Census could be for William J Gray ?



Name:

William J Gray

Age in 1911:

7

Estimated Birth Year:

abt 1904

Relation to Head:

Son

Gender:

Male
Birth Place:

Walker, Northumberland, England

civil parish:

Walker

County/Island:

Northumberland
Country:

England
Street Address:

165 Middle St Walker Newcastle
Registration district:

Tynemouth
Registration District Number:

559

Sub-registration district:

Longbenton
ED, institution, or vessel:

14
Piece:

30786



Household Members:

name

Age



Edwardf Gray

32



Ellen Gray

31



William J Gray

7



Ellen Gray

1

Sorry, I have to go to work now..... will try and pop back asap.

Dee

Doun, go to your top post and click onto EDIT, I would change the heading of your post and add NZ, Aus and S Africa help........ this will hopefully entice members who specialise in these areas???

Just before I go, I noticed you have Mildreds birth as 1904. this looks like a possible birth for the 1911 census Mildred;

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
--------------------------------
Births Dec 1907 (>99%)
-----------------------------------

EARL Mildred Sunderland 10a 619

I also see that you have the 18th Septemebr as her birthday, can you confirm where this date comes from please? having her exact DOB may really help.

Dee x

also on the same trip to uk and going to stay at the same address as William J Gray.!

5,Canterbury Road
Southsea Hants.

Catherine Ridley.

age 34,

Nursing Sister.

I thought she may have returned to NZ when she took off from Africa..

There is a Mildred Gray-Sullavan (could be spelling error) died 2008 NZ birth given as
6 April 1917

William James Gray born in Durban 1907 returned to Durban late 1939.

I also think this relates to same man,William James Gray attended Universty of Scotland and became a Vet and worked in NZ ,Tanganyika, and Nyarsaland before returning to England.
He died 1990.

William married Catherine Ridley and had 2 sons

All above off Google.


Maryb

Hi Doun


someone from off-site looked at this thread, and has found the following information. They asked me to post it for you.


This explains Stanwix and Earl having second spouses, and in case Malcolm doesn't have the details.


http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue
/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-3160929&j=1

Record Summary
Scope and content
Divorce Court File: 1691.
Appellant: Edward Gordon Stanwix.
Respondent: Mildred Stanwix.
Co-respondent: [...] Apsley.
Type: Husband's petition for divorce [HD].
Covering dates 1934


(I think that [....] must mean co-respondent's given names were not legible or some such.)

Just do a basic search at

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

for stanwix divorce -- unusual name, comes up immediately.


You need to get the Earl-Stanwix marriage certificate to get details of her age and father, if you don't have them. Then identify her with certainty in 1911 and get a birth certificate for exact date of birth, to try to match to a death w/o a surname (Baker posted there is one possible).




sylvia