Surname Matthews

[ShirleyX]

Can someone point me in the right direction as to where to conduct my research in South Africa

Edith Elizabeth Bell born 1866 Dunolly, Victoria Australia to James Bell and Elizabeth nee Riddell.
Edith married 1894 Dunolly, a person believed to be named St John Frederick Whitlock Matthews.

I have no other dates for this pair.

What I do know is that in October 1911 they were listed on Edith's mother's will as being as Care of St John Matthews, Mutual Buildings, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

I suspect either Edith or her husband were conducting business on behalf of James Bell and Company, Grain Merchants. This company started by Edith's father was regularly shipping grain to South Africa between 1881 and 1900 that I can substantiate. James Bell died in 1904 and his son George Turnbull Bell continued the business until at least 1939.

How and where can I find information about Edith and her husband and the James Bell Company in South Africa.

Thanks
Shirley

[..claire..]

Hi

Found this

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1318811

claire

[ShirleyX]

Wow. Thank you Claire.

Regards
Shirley

[Nookie]

Found the estate papers for Edith in the Cape Town Archives.  Unfortunately you would have to employ a researcher to obtain copies of these, or else put out a request for anyone going to the Archives to make a copy for you.

POT     KAB                                                                   
SOURCE    MOOC                                                                 
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
VOLUME_NO 6/9/5945                                                             
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 67534                                                                 
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          MATTHEWS, EDITH ELIZABETH. NEE BELL. ESTATE PAPERS.                   
STARTING  19400000                                                             
ENDING    19400000     

[ShirleyX]

Thank you.

Fortunately at the moment I don't need all details. I was just trying to find out where Edith was. I'm working on her father's brief biography for our local history society data base. So at least I can put the reference in in case anyone down the track wants to search Edith in particular.

Shirley

[ShirleyX]

Are there newspapers for Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from 1900 onwards. I'd like to find out if James Bell and Company are mentioned.

Thanks
Shirley

[sandyc2]

Port Elizabeth Directories:

1908 & 1909 - no James Bell & Co or Matthews, St John

1910 - Bell, Jas & Co (Australia), 51 The Arcade, Second Floor [in the Mutual Building]
1913 - Bell, J & Co, Mutual Blds, Main Street
           Matthews, St John, 7 Rink Street
(1914 - 1921 directories are missing)
1922 - Matthews, St John, 51 Mutual Blds, Main Street
                                        (res) 7 Rink Street
(1923 - 1927 directories are missing)
1928 & 1929: Matthews, St John, Agent, Mutual Buildings, 54 Main Street
(he is listed as a General Agent in the Professions & Trades section)
Residence 7 Rink Street
(1930 - 1945 directories are missing)
1946/7 - no entry

Hope this helps
Sandy

[ShirleyX]

Thank you so much Sandy.

At least I can judge how long the James Bell Company was in operation from these. It appears that the company made it through the first war but the intervening second war saw the last of the company. I can only find reference here in Australia to them up to 1939.

I'm like a dog with a bone. Whatever happened to the Matthews family. I know from previous posts here that Edith Elizabeth died in South Africa. What happended to her husband and two of the three children that I know of, James Whitlock b 1896 Fremantle, Western Australia, St John Bell b 1896 Fremantle, d in France 1915 , and Aileen Elizabeth b 1899 Fremantle.
Shirley

[sandyc2]

Eastern Province Herald, Tuesday, January 9, 1940:
Deaths
Matthews - Died at St Joseph's Hospital on the 8th January 1940, Edith Elizabeth, beloved wife of St John Matthews.
Funeral from St Mary's Church at 2 o'clock this Tuesday afternoon.

Port Elizabeth newspapers are not indexed so I am unable to search for anything without specific dates given - it just takes too long.

I see there is an Estate Notice on the NAAIRS site for Edith.   This may give you a married name for Aileen?   Unfortunately I do not have access to the Cape Town Archives.

Sandy