Author Topic: (COMPLETED )Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley  (Read 11837 times)

Offline sami

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,905
  • Grannie M
    • View Profile
(COMPLETED )Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley
« on: Monday 03 December 12 01:11 GMT (UK) »
I am trying to trace one line of my family that emigrated to South Africa in 1928. This is all I know about them:

Beatrice Mary Walker b. 1897, Tettenhall, Staffs., England;
married C.J. (Bill) Risley;
they had one daughter G. Mary Risley b. 1927;
they emigrated to Durban (Port Natal), South Africa 3/10/1928;
Beatrice corresponded with my mother a few times in the late 1930's from Durban.

Is it possible to find out more information about them?
England:  Archer, Bailey, Bates, Blower, Bosworth, Court, Hicklin, Orton, Palmer, Robbins, Sedgwick, Smith, Stevenson, Stone, Varnam, Wakelin, Walker
Canada:  Archer, Walker, Spencer, Shepherd
Australia:  Taplin
South Africa:  Risley

Offline 3sillydogs

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,831
  • Durban South Africa
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Risley emig. to Durban (Port Natal) 1928
« Reply #1 on: Monday 03 December 12 09:33 GMT (UK) »

Hi there,

Cyril Joseph Risley was born in Pietermaritzburg and died in 1957 he was survived by Beatrice Mary nee Walker.  The file is in the Pietermaritzburg Archives.  I have sent you a pm with the details
 :)



Paylet, Pallatt, Morris (Russia, UK) Burke, Hillery, Page, Rumsey, Stevens, Tyne/Thynne(UK)  Landman, van Rooyen, Tyne, Stevens, Rumsey, Visagie, Nell (South Africa)

Offline sami

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,905
  • Grannie M
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Risley emig. to Durban (Port Natal) 1928
« Reply #2 on: Monday 03 December 12 16:35 GMT (UK) »
Thank you very much for that information.

I have photos of Beatrice, Bill and their daughter Mary but really never knew anything about them. I always wondered why they left England - but of course it makes sense now that I know he was born there.

 :)
England:  Archer, Bailey, Bates, Blower, Bosworth, Court, Hicklin, Orton, Palmer, Robbins, Sedgwick, Smith, Stevenson, Stone, Varnam, Wakelin, Walker
Canada:  Archer, Walker, Spencer, Shepherd
Australia:  Taplin
South Africa:  Risley

Offline sami

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,905
  • Grannie M
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 03:55 GMT (UK) »
I've read over the letters Beatrice sent to my Mum - there were 3 - 1 each in 1936, 1937 and 1938. The handwriting was hard to decipher and the letters were long but they have clarified a few things.

Beatrice was in the WAAC and met Bill in France during WWI. She went to S. Africa around 1921 to marry him. She only went back to England when her baby (Mary) was born (1927/28). The passenger lists showing Beatrice and Mary leaving England for South Africa in 1928 were not emigration but simply Beatrice returning home with the baby.

I'm wondering what resources to search to find a record of their marriage?

Also, if Beatrice continued to live in SA after Bill's death where would I look for her death notice.

I would appreciate any advice and ideas everyone might have.





England:  Archer, Bailey, Bates, Blower, Bosworth, Court, Hicklin, Orton, Palmer, Robbins, Sedgwick, Smith, Stevenson, Stone, Varnam, Wakelin, Walker
Canada:  Archer, Walker, Spencer, Shepherd
Australia:  Taplin
South Africa:  Risley


Offline pampoen

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,306
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 06:43 GMT (UK) »
Seeing as the estate notice for Bill is shown but not hers it is possible she went back to the UK'

To look for marriages use this link https://www.familysearch.org/ scroll down and click on Africa and follow the prompts. Each image has to be viewed individually, plus the records are for Wesleyan etc. I would try the marriage records for Pietermaritzburg seeing as Bill was born there.

Good luck
Austin, Ayling, Alborough, Bescoby, Cheal, Groom,Rathbone,Tarboton,Lyell and Smith.

Offline sami

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,905
  • Grannie M
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 16:47 GMT (UK) »
OK - I'll give it a try.

I have wondered if she went back to England. Her letters certainly had a feeling of homesickness about them. There is a death registered in Richmond/Surrey, England in 1972 for a Beatrice Risley born in Dec. 1896. It seems promising.

Thanks for your help. I've never done any research for South Africa and find it complicated. It doesn't help that I don't know much about the geography  :)
England:  Archer, Bailey, Bates, Blower, Bosworth, Court, Hicklin, Orton, Palmer, Robbins, Sedgwick, Smith, Stevenson, Stone, Varnam, Wakelin, Walker
Canada:  Archer, Walker, Spencer, Shepherd
Australia:  Taplin
South Africa:  Risley

Offline sami

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,905
  • Grannie M
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 20:00 GMT (UK) »
Browsed through quite a few images starting with Pietermaritzburg and then moving on to Durban and eventually found Cyril Joseph Risley 26 and Beatrice Mary Walker 24, married Aug. 4, 1921 in the Church of St. Mary, Greyville, Durban.

Thanks again for the help getting started with this.  :)
England:  Archer, Bailey, Bates, Blower, Bosworth, Court, Hicklin, Orton, Palmer, Robbins, Sedgwick, Smith, Stevenson, Stone, Varnam, Wakelin, Walker
Canada:  Archer, Walker, Spencer, Shepherd
Australia:  Taplin
South Africa:  Risley

Offline pampoen

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,306
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 20:07 GMT (UK) »
No problem I did look last night but only searched Pietermaritzburg. I found some interesting stuff while browsing Google. If you type in the name Risley a story has been written about 2 brothers moving to South Africa in the middle to late 1880, wonder if these are related to Bill?
Austin, Ayling, Alborough, Bescoby, Cheal, Groom,Rathbone,Tarboton,Lyell and Smith.

Offline sami

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,905
  • Grannie M
    • View Profile
Re: Beatrice Mary Walker and Cyril Joseph (Bill) Risley
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 06 December 12 17:19 GMT (UK) »
I'd never thought about browsing Google for the Risley name. The whole link to the Risley Family was an interesting read. I'll add it here in case anyone else is interested:

 www.ocotilloroad.com/geneal/risley1.html

There was also a Cricket player - Arthur Risley (Arthur Jack Charles Risley) born 1893 in Pietermaritzberg. I wondered if he was a brother to Bill. One of the witnesses on Beatrice and Bill's marriage license was an A.J. Risley.

I probably won't go much farther with the Risley's unless I try to locate their daughter. I'm back to trying to find  out if Beatrice moved back to England after Bill's death.

England:  Archer, Bailey, Bates, Blower, Bosworth, Court, Hicklin, Orton, Palmer, Robbins, Sedgwick, Smith, Stevenson, Stone, Varnam, Wakelin, Walker
Canada:  Archer, Walker, Spencer, Shepherd
Australia:  Taplin
South Africa:  Risley