Goodman, Beart and Company, Rissik Street, Johannesburg

[Geordie daughter]

Yes, there are a fair few and I've worked my way through all of them over the last month or so.  They were an absolute treasure trove and enabled me to fill in many of the gaps I had concerning the Bearts, though not quite all....

My biggest problem has been that most of the men had "itchy feet" and travelled all over the world, so in some instances the trail has gone cold because I can't access records in that particular country. Still, I can't complain, as in some cases I've had the most amazing success!

[shirl27]

Hi,

I had a look at the early directories for Johannesburg and found the following entries:
C H Beart (Curtis & Co.) is listed in the very first General Directory of Johannesburg in 1890 by Edwards,  and later in the 1893 Longland Directory. 

Both C H Beart (Curtis & Co.) and W H Beart (Payne Bros.) are listed in the 1894, 1897, 1898, Longland Johannesburg Directories, and were both clothing retailers and tailors.

The following info is listed in the 1903 Directory:

C H Beart (Curtis & Co.)
P.O. Box 96, Johannesburg
Residence: 70 Wolmarans Str. cnr Banket Str.

W H Beart (Payne Bros)
P.O. Box 1808, Johannesburg
64 Wolmarans Str.

George Beart
P.O. Box 2447, Johannesburg

Goodman, Beart & Co.(Specialists in high grade clothing) was situated in the  Livingstone Building in Rissik Str.

I have a few images of the different businesses (unfortunately not great quality)
and also of the Livingstone Building but they are too large to attach here. If you would like copies I can email them.

Shirley

[Geordie daughter]

Shirl, thank you so much for those directory entries! At last I have proof that William was in the clothing business, and the entry for George is a real bonus as it places him fairly and squarely in Johannesburg just after the Boer War. The last sighting I'd had of him was in Durban in the 1890s, when he was informant on a birth record for one of William's children, then all of a sudden he was in Canada. I knew that he had fought in the Boer War, courtesy of a couple of Canadian newspaper clippings, but had no other details of his time in South Africa. I've also just realised that the 1894 entry narrows down the time of William's arrival in Johannesburg, too.

If it's not too much trouble to email me the pics, that would be wonderful. I'll PM you with my email address shortly.

[Geordie daughter]

Hi Shirl27

Could I impose on you again and ask if any of your directories contain listings for "Charles Beart and Co.," or "The George Beart Company, Ltd.," after 1909? Charles Henry split with the Curtis brothers in this year after disagreements about how he managed the Jo'burg establishment, and the references to George's company came up on the NAAIRS website, in relation to an "ex parte" application dated 1908/9.

[shirl27]

Hi
I've emailed you with some further information as well as this entry from the 1914 Braby's Directory listing  Charles Beart & Co, gentlemen's outfitter, Rand Club Buildings, Cnr.Commissioner and Loveday Streets, Johannesburg.

Shirley
   

[MaxDS]

Hi Shirley, do your Johannesburg directories show residences, eg between 1900-1914? I'm particularly interested in the Gordon family (Frank was a store keeper/grocer, residing at 18 Central St.) and the Klatzky/Kliatchko family (Gutman was also a store keeper/grocer). Do you see any such entries?

Cheers, Max