Hi Adri,
The George Alexander you are looking for is my 3rd great grandfather (via my Mom). Wonderful to have found you - just the other day I was looking at the Engels section of the family tree and wondering where all Louisa's children ended up. Interesting that her mom's name was Eliza - this might explain why Brietta Carolina named one of her daughters the same name. Not much is known about G.A.R before he came to the Cape and of his work in India - there actually seems to be a deliberate attempt to obsure his parentage. Records and letters show that he was merchant in Madras, India from 1791, of the firm Hope, Griffiths & Co, left India in 1804 for England and came to the Cape in 1806. At around he same time his brother John is first mentioned in correspondence as having left the firm of Davis & Card, of 14, Devonshire Street London.
In 1820 GAR2, the eldest so of GAR1, was sent to England for his education. Letters we have in our possession, suggest that he tried to call on his uncle John but was rebuffed by him. (This despite fact that Uncle John seemed to be receiving a considerable monthly allowance from his brother - as testified to in GAR1's will) It transpired then, that a Ms. Green came to the Cape in 1836 and questioned Louis George (GAR1's youngest son - then only a child) about his grandfather and took copies or originals of baptismal and other certificates they had and returned to England. Ms Green also writes to Griffith's of 'Hope, Griffith's & Co.', Bangalore, India asking him to persuade GAR2 to write to his uncle John. GAR2 does write, but recieves no reply.
There seems to have been an unbridgeable estrangement between the GAR1 and his brother John. GAR1's children knew of and accepted the existence of John. It was firmly believed that John was a bachelor so that some bequests, at least under his will would have benefited his brother GAR1's children. Only in 1835-6 was it found after enquiries were made that John Reynolds had two illegitimate children - a son and a daughter living in London - and that the daughter was then married. (One wonders, if they could trace the marriage of the daughter why they didn't pursue this further and inquire about the parentage of thier uncle GAR1, or if they did, and withheld the information)
This brother, John Reynolds was for many years, prior and up to about 1836, carrying on business as an Ironmaster and Banker at Wellington and. Coalbrookdale in Shropshire under the firm of Reynolds Charlton (?) & Co. In the year 1836 such Banking business in which he was interested to the amount of about £80,000 was merged in the Shropshire Banking Company of which Philip Charlton was one of the original Directors, the Head Office being established at Shiffnal with branches at Wellington and Coalbrookdale all in the country of Shropshire.Then, in 1842 Powys writes to GAR2 on behalf of his uncle John, instructing him to come to Wales as his uncle is ailing. (He does this, but leaves no mention of it in his diary - commenting instead on the 'hospitality' of the governor of St. Helena) John is alleged to have died at Clifton in Notts, sometime between 1845 and 1855. John Reynolds was a large shareholder and, the belief is that, by his dying intestate his shares remained uncalled for and moneys to credit were misappropriated. He had besides a very large estate and was reputed very wealthy.
We hear no more on the matter, and as a result don't know if Ms Green or any of the the solicitors (a Mr Wyllie in particular seems anxious to squash the matter) involved ended up with the money. We do know, through correspondence of GAR4 (son of Louis George) at the Cape with GAR3 in India, that neither branch of the family ended up with it. So too, are we left with questions about the parentage of GAR1 -whether he was perhaps an illegitimate, or if the parents were of questionable origin themselves. So while the evidence suggests that our G.A.R is linked to the Ironmaster Reynolds of Shropshire only John can be found on any associated family trees. At the moment I am busy with scanning in all the correspondence between the Cape and India and archiving it in digital format. Along with pictures, invitations and info I have been able to gather there is enough to write a book. I have also recently (not even a month ago) approched some of G.A.R's 3rd and 2nd great grand sons go in for Y-DNA testing, so we may yet be able to trace the parents of G.A.R 1 after all. Will keep you posted. Kind Regards from me, your 4th cousin 3 times removed.
Dominic
