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Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: queencorgi1 on Tuesday 24 June 25 08:00 BST (UK)
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I'd really appreciate some help with this man! Lewis Alford was a schoolmaster's son from Devon and in 1851 he was a draper's assistant in Romsey, Hampshire. However, he evidently went out to South Africa and made a lot of money as a 'merchant', returning to England by 1867 where he made two 'good' marriages. Both his sons were army officers, which shows that Lewis could afford to pay the heavy costs involved. He appears to have been able to live off what he'd gained in South Africa, dying in 1900 and leaving an estate valued at £79,816 (something over £8 million in current values).
However, I haven't found anything about Lewis in South Africa, nor do I know what sort of goods a Capetown merchant might have been dealing in which would prove so profitable. Any thoughts anyone?
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Are you familiar with NASA?
http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dr?20250624093010AF65A200
Spotted a Lewis Alford under "RSA - All Archives .....". Click on RSA and pop "Alford" in 1st field and "Lewis" in 2nd - hit "Search". Should tell you "12 documents found"
Click on "Saved Queries".
Click on "(alford)AND(lewis)"
These records contain very little, if any real detail. They are an index to documents held which can be requested from NASA.
Note - the site is not "secure".
FamilySearch might be worth checking also.
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The name of the gentleman that got married identical to a name recorded on the NASA site.
Home News for India, China and the Colonies, 18 Nov 1865
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Contributors to the "Alexandra Orphanage for Infants (Hornsey Rise)" - wonder if Louis Alford is Lewis given the name of the gentleman listed before him? Or coincidence?
Christian World, 11 Feb 1870
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Yep - check out Louis Alford at NASA "RSA - All Archives ..."
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Did he marry Florence Ila Stamford?
There's a Lewis Alford, Merchant and Florence Ila Alford baptising a daughter at The Cape 22 Feb 1876.
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He appears to have been a partner (with Peter Turner Wills) in the firm of Alford and Wills, of Capetown and London.
1867 directory: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Cape_Town_Directory_for/r8oNAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22alford+and+wills%22+capetown&pg=RA1-PR71&printsec=frontcover
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That's them - Wills was born Musbury, Devon and on the '71 census is described as a "Cape Merchant". On 5 August '73 he and Marianne are baptising a child at the Cape. The eldest child was baptised about 1869 at the Cape.
Added - the baptismal record '73 has occpn. "Merchant" - no hint as to what type.
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One of the entries under NASA (if I recall correctly) had a three way partnership at one point.
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https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACGHSCRpSearle/1865/14.pdf
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I think NASA has an "Alford, Wills and Abbott" - dated after Lewis' death. Spotted this Co., albeit Willis not Wills -
https://www.artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes.php?bldgid=15255
Doesn't add to knowledge of type of commerce but there's an address.
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Thanks to everyone for your activity! Now I know he had a partner. Interesting that partner married sister of (one of) Alford's wives. I have the details of his wives and offspring already ... just wish I knew how he (and presumably partner) made so much money ...
Particular thanks for the link to the archives! No, I didn't know about this -- South Africa hasn't really come up for me before.
What was the boom industry in Capetown in the mid-century? Diamonds? Gold? I feel it must be something where a man could make a huge fortune really quickly?
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Looking at cargo manifests in the Cape and Natal News, Alford and Wills imported a lot of haberdashery, apparel, cottons, millinery, also occasionally some books and hardware. So it looks like a drapery business with a few side lines.
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Thank you so much Shaun but seems remarkable that they made so much money doing that. Might they have been exporting other goods of some kind in the other direction?
Also, fits in of course with him originally having been a draper's assistant!
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Did he marry Florence Ila? Did he marry money? Did he leave HIS money or HIS WIVES' money. He returned to this country at some point but if he married Florence Ila he was back in SA in 1875. The business did not end with his return in '67.
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Hi there, yes, he did marry Florence (who subsequently sued for judicial separation on grounds of cruelty, unsuccessfully). Florence's father was Lt Col Henry Stamford of the Bombay Horse Artillery. His previous wife Fanny Boom was described in the marriage announcement as daughter of Richard Boon of Chidham, Sussex, and niece of Alexander Scrutton, of Blackheath Park (location not stated). Mentioning these gentlemen suggests that they were well-to-do.
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Thanks for confirming marriage - May 1873.
Unable to find Lewis and Fanny on the '71 Census. Son Frederick L Alford, age 2 with grandparents and described as "son of a Cape merchant". Does this indicate he was back in SA?
Lewis is on the '81 Census with dau. Alice, born SA 1875. Cannot find him on the '91 Census. Florence Ila is with her mother on the '91 Census at Paddington.
Have you found Lewis '71 and '91. I am thinking he did not return permanently in '67 and spent some time in SA after this. It might help explain the dates of partnerships on NASA, which extend beyond 1867, unless he didn't play an active role?
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Fanny died in 1868, aged 24. I agree, Lewis Alford is not in the 1871 census and I think he probably did go back to South Africa. He is in the 1891 census, living at his final address of 2 Westbourne Terrace with his sons Henry and Charles. I note that Florence is using her maiden name!
Peter Turner Wills was also born in Devon, like Lewis, so I think that's their original connection. His father was a farmer. Like Lewis, Peter was a draper's assistant (1851 census)! I wonder if they worked in the same shop. He was in Dorchester in 1851. 1861 he was calling himself a 'Cape Merchant' and lodging quite modestly in Deptford but 10 years later he is living in Blackheath, having married Marianne Boon, Fanny's sister. The 1860s seem to be the decade where Alford and Wills made their money!
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Also, note that at his death Peter Turner Wills is MAJOR Wills, former commander of the Cape Cavalry!
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http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol021jj.html
According to this entertaining website, the South African volunteer units of the 1860s were a lot more about fashion, entertainment and swaggering about than anything else ...
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Thanks for the 1891 Census.