NameConstance Mary Bradford [62, 107th edn of 2003, Lilford article, Vol II, p. 2333], [275, Collier GEDCOM], [90, Death Info: 20 Jan 1948 at Cato Road Nursing Home, Durban, Natal], [273, Death Notice: 20 Jan 1948 at Cato Rd Nursing Home, Durban, Natal, S Africa], [36]
Birthca Feb 1882, Wandsworth district, Middlesex
Death20 Jan 1948, Cato Rd Nursing Home, Durban, Natal, S Africa
Spouses
Marriage8 Jun 1905, St Boniface church, Genniston, Transvaal, S Africa [62, 107th edn of 2003, Lilford article, Vol II, p. 2333], [273, Marriage on 5 Jun 1905 in Germiston, Transvaal, S Africa]
Notes for Constance Mary Bradford
There are two births of Constance Bradford around 1883, one, who had Mary, in Wandsworth London and one, without Mary, in Wellington Shropshire. So I used the 1891 see if a father named Robert Michael was in the house. But none such found, so I cannot identify her birth in England (as stated at marriage in 1905).
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The GRO online index gives these Constances from 1880 to 1884:
Name: Mother's Maiden Surname:
BRADFORD, CONSTANCE TALBOT
GRO Reference: 1882 S Quarter in WELLINGTON SALOP UNION Volume 06A Page 759
BRADFORD, CONSTANCE ELSIE MICHAEL
GRO Reference: 1883 S Quarter in SWANSEA Volume 11A Page 707
BRADFORD, CONSTANCE EMMIE MOIST
GRO Reference: 1881 S Quarter in RUGBY Volume 06D Page 527
BRADFORD, CONSTANCE MARIE SWIFT
GRO Reference: 1883 D Quarter in TOXTETH PARK Volume 08B Page 249
BRADFORD, CONSTANCE MARY ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1882 M Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 602
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The upshot is that, apart from her declaration in the “Duplicate Original” marriage certificate, that she was born in England, we have no evidence of that birth.
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Censuses might have some value:
The 1901 census has a Constance M Bradford aged 19 working as a ‘Mothers Help - Comfortic’ and born in Balham, London. The family, of Taylors, were in Jettinhall, Staffords. Balham merely happens to be rather close to Wandsworth, see above.
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Marriages might have some value:
this marriage was found in a wild search:
Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Sep 1877 (>99%)
BRADFORD Robert Michael Stamford 7a 557
ROBERTS Charlotte Elizabeth Stamford 7a 557
So I looked in the 1881 census for them:
And there was this small family at Wandsworth:
First name(s) Last name Role Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Robert M Bradford Head M M 36 1845 Soap manufacturer Rutland
Charlotte E Bradford Wife M F 24 1857 - Stamford, Lincolnshire
Andrew R Bradford Son S M 2 1879 - Rutland
Hugh M Bradford Son S M 1 1880 - Rutland
Elizabeth Rignall Serv S F 20 1861 Domestic servant Alconbury, Huntingdonshire
And in 1891 there was: Northing of them at all. Might they have already gone to S. Africa?
But there were no Robert Bradford or their family on any boat to S Africa.
Bradford children born in England with a Roberts mother from 1877 were:
Name: Mother's Maiden Surname:
1. BRADFORD, ANDREW ROBERT ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1878 S Quarter in OAKHAM Volume 07A Page 324
2. BRADFORD, FREDERICK WILLIAM ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1879 M Quarter in ASHTON UNDER LYNE Volume 08D Page 548
3. BRADFORD, HUGH MICHAEL ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1879 D Quarter in OAKHAM Volume 07A Page 308
4. BRADFORD, GEORGE HERBERT ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1884 S Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 584
5. BRADFORD, HERBERT ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1883 S Quarter in CHORLTON Volume 08C Page 691
6. BRADFORD, THOMAS ROBERTS ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1886 M Quarter in LAMBETH Volume 01D Page 486
7. BRADFORD, CONSTANCE MARY ROBERTS
GRO Reference: 1882 M Quarter in WANDSWORTH Volume 01D Page 602
Of the above:
1 and 3 were born in Oakham, Rutland where their parents had been married
and were clearly in the 1881 census at Wandsworth in 1881.
2 was born the same year at 3 and in a different place so eliminated.
4 was born at Wandsworth in 1884 where the family had been lving at least since 1881
7 Was born in Wandsworth in 1882 so the family might have stayed there.
5 was born in Chorlton so not the Wandsworth family.
6 could well have been the same family after a short move from Wandsworth;
later he was proved to be a son by the data on his Death Notice
My conclusion is that, at last, I have located Constance Mary’s family and her birth in the first quarter of 1982.
It looks like they emigrated between 1886 and 1891; by 1891 they clearly were not in England.
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All the children of their parents were:
Sources of information
<—-—- UK ———-> SA
Birth Birth 1881 Death <—-—- Death Notices ———->
year Forenames Index census index Father’s Mother’s Theirs Marr
1878 Andrew Robert 1878 Y N N N -
1879 Hugh Michael 1879 Y 1917 NA NA -
1882 Constance Mary 1882 NA Y Y 1948
1884 George Herbert 1884 NA Y Y 1956
1886 Thomas Roberts 1886 NA NA NA 1909 (suicide)
1900 Philippa Gladys NA NA Y Y N 1927=L W Stephens
1894 Edwin Herbert NA NA NA Y Y 1966
Thomas Roberts’ Death Notice introduces a further sibling: Charles Frederick Bradford.
I cannot find a death record for Andrew Robert or Philippa Gladys.
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Her “Form of Information of a Death”:
1. Name: Constance Mary Powys
2. Maiden name: Bradford
3. Sex: Female
4. Age: 66
5. Race: European
6. Birth place: England
7. Condition: Widow
8. Occupation: Household duties
9. Pensioner: No
10. Death date: Twentieth of January 1948
11. Death place: Cato Road Nursing Home, Durban, Natal
12. Residence: 23 Crateford Court, Beres Road, Durban
13. Burial: Crematorium, Stellawood Cemetery, Durban
14. Cause of death: Carcinoma of rectum
15. Time of disease: 2 years
16. Doctor: Dr K. M. Hainman
. . . .
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A note on her year of birth. One or two urban myth reports have been made of her birth year and suggested it was in 1883 or 1884. The evidence we have is:
(a) At marriage in 1905 she said she was 23, giving a birth year of 1882.
(b) At death, above she was reported in 1948 to be 66 years old, giving
a birth year of 1882.
(c) After establishing her birth family, above, her birth index says she
was born in Q! of 1882.
So I have altered my record of her birth year to 1882.
And both at marriage and death she was said to have been born in England, so I have included just that. Now detailed down to Wandsworth, Middlesex.
Finally I think the evidence is clear about her membership of this family:
1. The Bradford family started in Rutland with the marriage of Charlotte and Robert.
2. Two sons were born in Rutland before 1880
3. They then moved to Wandsworth and were shown in the 1881 census.
4. Constance Mary was born in Wandswarth as were George Herbert and Thomas Roberts.
5. The family was next found in South Africa with Constance, George and Thomas
shown as children in the Death notices of both their parents.
6. Constance’s mother died at her hoe as it was recorded that Charlotte died
at the home of her husband W O [Wilfred owen] Powys.
6. Philippa and Edwin were born in South Africa and shown as children on the death
notices of their parents.
No more needs to be done: Constance was definitely a member of Charlotte and Robert Bradford’s family.
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Just found on the FamilySearch site a “Death Notice” for Constance Mary Sowys [ sic ]. I cannot really blame the transcribers for this as the ‘P’ is pretty like an ’S’ as well. But when put beside the Death Notice of 1944 for her husband it is obvious from the content of this one that it is hers. Details:
1. Name: Constance Mary Powys born Bradford
2. Birth place: England
3, Parents: Both deceased
4. Age: 65 years [ Ho Ho! see above]
5. Occupation: widow
6. Residence: 23 Crateford Court, Bere Road, Durban
7. Condition: Widow
Husband: Wilfred Owen Powys died about 1944 in Durban leaving all to his widow
Marr. Place: Transvaal, Germiston
8. Death date: 20th January 1948
9. Death place: Cato Road Nursing Home, Durban
10. Children: Horace Victor Powys
Marjory Gladys Collier wife of Cecil Collier
both adults
13. Effects Estimated to be above £300.
Dated at Durban on 28th day of January 1948
Signed by: H V Powys, son of deceased, sansbody(?) of deceased
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Notes for Wilfred Owen & Constance Mary (Family)
Their marriage at last found on FamilySearch, with image; transcript by me:
> St Boniface, Germiston, Transvaal > 1896-1918
“ Page 50
“MARRIAGES solemnized at St Bonifac Church, in the Parish of Germiston
“ in the Year 1905
“No:
“When Married:
“Bann/Licence: Banns
His Hers
=== ====
“Name: Wilfred Owen Powys Constance Mary Bradford
“Age: 34 23
“Birthplace: Natal England *
“Condition: Bachelor Spinster
“Contract With ante-nuptial With ante-nuptial contract *
“Profession: Stockeeper -
“Residence: Germiston Germiston
“Consent: Own Own
“Married in S. Boniface Church Germiston by me, E J Dyson, Rector
“This marriage was solemnized between us … W.O.Powys, C. M. Bradford
“ in the presence of: R.M. Bradford, C.J. Bradford
* The two lines only appear on the Marriage certificate labelled “Duplicate Original”
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