BELGIUM/ENGLAND family of NORA BRYANT and daughter EDNA ELIZABETH BRYANT

[Caramel Wafer]

Thank you Decota, very helpful.

[Rufino]

Hello,

I am searching about info of Edna Brayant and her parents.  Sorry for my English, I am from Belgium.  Edna's parents (Richard Bryant & Nora Quinn) lived next to my greatgrandfather in Messines, Belgium after WW1.  Edna became my grandmothers best friend for a long time here in Belgium. Edna returned to England and married Rufius Rangel, but they called him Rufino ( I am named after him!).  My grandparents and parents always kept in contact with this family. 

For the moment I am searching what the reason was why Richard and Nora came to Belgium?  Anyone knows if Richard was a soldier at Messines during WW1 or did he had family who was soldier there and died in the war.  All I know is that Richard worked for the CWGC at Messines for a while.  It would be great if I found more info about that!  Maybe someone can help me? I saw there is a soldier buried in Messines with the name Bryant, so he could be family of Richard.

Thanks...

[jorose]

Hi there,
https://archive.cwgc.org/ has records of the CWGC itself (seperate from the graves records)

Searching for just Bryant brings up a staff record for an R. Bryant.
https://archive.cwgc.org/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=CWGC%2f6%2f4%2f1%2f1%2f43&pos=2
He worked as a gardener. He was appointed in 1922 and first went to France. He left in 1933. It doesn't say where he worked during those years specifically, but Messines Ridge British Cemetery construction started in 1924, so perhaps he was involved in the landscaping or just came as a caretaker afterwards.

It also says that his service in the war was in the RMA (Royal Marine Artillery), which makes this his service record.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7759852

[Rufino]

Thank you for the information!!