William Francis Roberts

[kwr]

He emigrated to South Africa in the late 1940s with his wife Alice. I think he lived in Cape Town for a while then moved to a place called Germiston. By trade he was an electrician. In the early Fifties his granddaughter, named Margaret, joined him. I'm not sure if she went under the name of Roberts or Cairns. She married an Afrikaaner (is that how it is spelt?)in the mid 1950s.

My grandfather stayed in S.Africa until I think 1961 and then returned to Bootle, Lancashire.

I have a number of pictures of him in the FWW but there is nothing to identify where. However it looks very hot! I am wondering if he served in S.Africa and that was why, once the SWW was over he emigrated. It might be that he was sent there for convalescence as there are two or three pictures of him with other patients - again somewhere hot  This is as much as I know of him between the early Thirties and 1961. I wonder if anyone can suggest where and what I should look for.

Ken

[EmPea]

Hi Ken

Perhaps if you post the pics of him in his uniform on this board or the Armed Forces board, someone may recognise the uniform.

Any ideas of Margaret's husband's name?

Moira

[jorose]

http://www.findmypast.com/passengerListPersonSearchStart.action has, going from Liverpool to Cape, South Africa, in 1947:

Alice Roberts, b. abt 1893
David, b. abt 1911
William, b. abt 1895

(not sure if they're all on the same ship, you'd have to pay to find out details).  You might be able to spot other entries that could be them - there are a number listed under first initials only. You might also be able to find Margaret if you know whenabouts she was born.

[brionne]

When did your William Francis Roberts die.
Was he retiring age when he went back out to SA in the late 1940s.

Found this,,,,,,,,
      W.F ROBERTS age 26 miner single, dept Southampton on the Braemar Castle,to Capetown.   
      28th January 1899.

[kwr]

First of all thank you for the replies. Second I have to apologise for not responding earlier - I have both computer and broadband problems which are still plaguing me so everything is erratic....

Moira - a good suggestion re. uniforms. But I'm not very good on photos. I have 7 of him on photobucket.com but am not sure quite how it is done. I did it once on another site but lost my instruction sheet...If anyone knows I'll happily try.
I am afraid I do not know Margaret's husband's name. It is somewhat frustrating that I have dozens of pictures of my grandfather in S. Africa from 1947 to 1961 but not a single word written on the backs of any of them. One is of Margaret's marriage so there is a face but no name!

Jorose - That was a brilliant piece of detection. It confirms what I knew vaguely. He was born in 1895, his wife Alice was born in 1893 and family story has it that they landed at the Cape. The David you found is nothing to do with him - the name never occurs in the family tree and I am very sure that I have all their children and relatives sorted out. I've never used Findmypast as my wife is a subscriber to Ancestry so I will have to explore that.

Margaret herself is a problem for me. I know her mother (also Alice) was married  to William Cairns but I don't seem able to find a Margaret Cairns born in the next five years. It may be that Alice had her illegitimately so Margaret could be called Roberts.

Brionne - thanks for the effort but as you can see above Jorose has it right! I think I could have been clearer in my original request for help. He actually returned to Bootle in 1961 because he was 65. He lived another 20 years, dying in 1981. I finally got his pictures and some documents a few years ago. But there is very little to go on re. his S. African past.

Sorry to have gone on, hope it's not too long a post.

Ken

A couple of years mentioned were of such that these persons may still  be living and have thus been removed to protect privacy.   Moderator.

[kwr]

Jorose,

A postscript to your finding. It is my grandfather. I've paid to look and he is listed as an electrician which he was. he was on board the Wairangi with his wife and sailed from Liverpool on May 23rd 1947.

Now I have to find out what he did there and where he lived......

Thanks again - much appreciated.

Ken

[kwr]

FWW photos as suggested by Moira. Hope this works...I've only put twi in because there are two places to put them.

Ken

[kwr]

New evidence or rather old new evidence has surfaced re. my grandfather. I have acquired an envelope (but not a letter) date stamped 28 March 1957. It was written and addressed by my mother to her mother-in-law, my paternal grandmother, Alice Roberts. My mother wrote beautifully - copperplate no less so the address is very clear:-

It was 25 Broadway Street, Viedelust Estate Belleville Cape Town South Africa

As I have mentioned before on this thread, I know nothing about what my grandfather and grandmother did in their time in South Africa (1947-61) and I wish to know more...

Are there ways in which I can find out more, now that I know at least one more thing about him? The numerous photographs I still have give no clue as to where or what he was doing...grrr.

Ken