My paternal grandmother - Gladys HARVEY

[samanthator]

Hallo - this is my first posting so apologies if I have done this wrongly or put it in the wrong category/box etc.

I have wanted to find out information about my paternal grandmother - Gladys Harvey.  She was born on 6 September 1893 in Florence Road, West Bromwich, England.  She married my grandfather - Frank Edward Pezzey at St Stephen's Church in South Lambeth.  However unfortunately he died in December 1926.

She remarried 'Captain' Walter Southwick on 4 August 1927 at Christ Church, New Malden, Surrey and on 26 August 1927 they left Southampton on board the Balmoral Castle and disembarking at Natal, South Africa.  Wally was born in January 1896 according to the records of their marriage.  He was born in Skipsea Yorkshire and he left in 1921 for South Africa. 

My father apparently met Wally in Durban in 1941 whilst over in Africa during WW2 and was informed that his mother died in a car accident in 1937 and that he had a half-brother * who was born in 1930 or 1931.

I know nothing more than the above unfortunately and would be extremely grateful for any help in trying to trace what happened to her and also Peter if at all possible - thanks very much

[Milliepede]

Have you any idea where Walter was born or how old he was when he married?

Yorkshire 1896 - I can see the marriage online - father John Southwick. 

Per census mother Anne E Southwick.  She was 38 in 1901 so I doubt she had another child in 1931 - or was the half sibling from his father?

John was 48 in 1901 so he too would have been quite old to have another child in 1931, not impossible though but if his wife didn't die till 1937 

[Milliepede]

Apologies I think I got the wrong end of the stick  it's Walter's wife not his mother who died but had a child * is that right?

[jorose]

I've removed the name of the son b. 1930/1 in case he is still living.  However, if he might have been born a little prior to that, see this link for a possible burial: http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=2827656

http://www.national.archives.gov.za/naairs_content.htm
Walter Southwick died in 1968.
at time of death spouse, Eliza Georgina Southwick (nee Woodhouse) born Natal who seems to have died shortly afterwards.
There also appears to be a 1933 court case ("illiquid case" - relates to divorce I think) for Walter and Gladys.
(easiest to just search on "Southwick").

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDZ9-XY9
 - this is Walter's marriage to Eliza, in 1942.  He is listed as divorcee (widower).  The marriage took place at St. James' church, Greytown.

http://www.eggsa.org/sales/eshop_e_dc_docs.htm
 - you can order copies of documents from the SA archives via eGGSA.

[samanthator]

Thank you so much for the links and information - I am so grateful for your help - and apologise for maybe giving the name of a living person - I will be more careful in the future.

[samanthator]

I wanted to say thanks again for receiving such quick and useful help.

However, I am still trying to trace what happened to Gladys after her divorce from Walter David Southwick.

Thanks to jorose I have found out about the deaths of Walter and his next wife - Eliza Georgina - but of course am more interested to satisfy my curiosity about Gladys and her son from her marriage to Walter - just in case he isn't the person referred to in jorose's link about burials.

Cheers and thanks for reading this post

[jorose]

I would suggest you contact eGGSA about possibly getting the divorce records - may well give you information on whether Gladys was still in the Greytown/Durban areas in 1933, details of the son (and other children?), perhaps pointers to some other name Gladys might have used.

My understanding is that civil records in general are extremely difficult to get hold of SA - the NAAIRS records are estate files, not death records as such.  There's also some Anglican parish records on familysearch but you'd need to figure out the parish, and not all are available (St James, where Walter remarried, doesn't seem to be listed).

http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/passenger-lists-leaving-uk-1890-1960
There is here, in 1935, a W. Southwick heading to Durban who I believe is Walter, apparently accompanied by a son, whose age would suggest the burial found earlier is correct.

http://www.eggsa.org/newspapers/index.php/the-sunday-tribune/499-the-sunday-tribune-2006-4-october-december
also an engagement notice in 2006 for what may be a grandson of Walter & Gladys (note his father is marked with a cross in this extract for "the late").

If you look at those names (the grandson and his fiancee under her now-married name) + "Durban" there's some profiles for them on linkedin and other websites - you might be able to get in touch.

[samanthator]

Wow - you are so amazing Jorose - thanks so much once more -

I am so glad that the leader of our U3A Family History Group recommended this site to us yesterday afternoon - and I have already let her know how much help I have received from members of RootsChat in order to encourage others to join

[samanthator]

Yet again I have to thank you jorose for even more information - and that has led me to the following

I also found Walter and his son on an Incoming Passenger List in 1934 so it certainly seems to tally as that would be the year after Walter's divorce from Gladys and confirms for me that his son was born when you said and not when my father told us - although looking at the Passenger List records, it is obvious that Walter's age varied by about 5 years so it could easily be that he didn't give my dad the correct date of his son's birth as he seemed not to know when he himself was born or what age he was!

I can see I will have to join Linkedin to find out more about potential living relatives as I am sure my brother would be very interested to know about them both as well

So many many thanks for helping me so much once more