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Annie Jane WHEATLEY (nee WYNNE) was a midwife, born in Wrexham in North Wales in April 1882.
She emigrated to South Africa around 1903, and married an Alfred Joseph WHEATLEY around, and had a son in 1907.
Mr. WHEATLEY fought in World War 1 in Africa and then in Europe, but when he returned to South Africa, he never rejoined his family.
Annie Jane was working in Bloemfontein, as “Matron of the Crèche”, but suffered a bout of enteric fever around 1926 and was never well enough to resume her midwifery duties. As a result, she and her son were dependent upon her portion of her husband's war pension.
Unfortunately, he had instructed the Government authorities to direct this to another woman, not his wife, with whom he subsequently had other children.
Annie Jane had extensive correspondence with the Government (which I have found via the NAAIRS database) seeking to get what was rightfully hers, and had to rely increasingly upon grants and charity from the Governor General's office and the British Empire Service League (BESL) to keep and educate her son.
You can see from the correspondence that she gets increasing concerned about what she feels is a male conspiracy against her, and she ended up homeless in Bloemfontein in 1928, in a distressed state, thinking she was being persecuted by the BESL and the authorities. She was admitted to the hospital on on 15th October 1928.
The last trace I can find of her is a letter she wrote in August 1929, to the Acting Secretary to the Governor General from her ward in the Mental Hospital in Bloemfontein.
In his 1935 will, Annie’s father left his property divided between six of his eight children. One daughter had died in 1895, aged only 18. Annie Jane wasn’t mentioned at all. She was either dead too by 1935, or was cut out of the will.
I would really like to find out what happened to this poor lady.
Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks.
Best wishes,
John Wynne
Cheshire, UK

Quote from: rutti tutti on Monday 05 March 12 05:15 GMT (UK)

Hi there John,
I  have split the topic to get a little more exposure. Please give us details of the lady and we can see what we can unearth.
Thanks
Ruth

Hi

Wonder if someone would be kind enough to look up in trade directories etc a James Luntley who describes himself on Census Returns 1861-1891 as a Portrait Painter. Lived in the  Beeston area of Nottingham.

Any information gratefully received.

Quiller