Clara Johns 1887-1962

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Cilla remembers her with great affection.

1887. Clara Johns was born on 10/12/1887 to Thomas Johns & Eliza J Johns in Redruth . Cilla does not have this b.c.

1891C. Clara Johns, 4, was living South Turnpike Redruth .

Thomas	Johns	Head	Married	Male	38	1853	Tin Miner	Cornwall, England
Eliza J	Johns	Wife	Married	Female	41	1850	-	Cornwall, England
William T	Johns	Son	Single	Male	21	1870	Tin Miner	Cornwall, England
Eliza J	Johns	Daughter	-	Female	15	1876	Tailors Apprentice	Cornwall, England
Edith J	Johns	Daughter	-	Female	12	1879	-	Cornwall, England
Minnie	Johns	Daughter	-	Female	10	1881	Scholar	Cornwall, England
Alfred	Johns	Son	-	Male	8	1883	Scholar	Redruth, Cornwall, England
Charles	Johns	Son	-	Male	6	1885	Scholar	Cornwall, England
Clara	Johns	Daughter	-	Female	4	1887	-	Cornwall, England
Mary Ann	Johns	Mother In Law	Married	Female	75	1816	-	Cornwall, England

 

1901C. Clara Johns, 14, was living 76 Fore Street Redruth, her father the Inn Keeper, Clinton Hotel

Thomas	Johns	Head	Married	Male	47	1854	Inn Keeper (Clinton Hotel)	St Columb Cornwall, England
Eliza	Johns	Wife	Married	Female	50	1851	-	St Columb Cornwall, England
Eliza	Johns	Daughter	Single	Female	25	1876	-	Redruth, Cornwall, England
Edith	Johns	Daughter	Single	Female	22	1879	-	Redruth, Cornwall, England
Minnie	Johns	Daughter	Single	Female	20	1881	-	Redruth, Cornwall, England
Alfred	Johns	Son	Single	Male	18	1883	Grocers Shop Assistant	Redruth, Cornwall, England
Charley	Johns	Son	Single	Male	16	1885	-	Redruth, Cornwall, England
Clara	Johns	Daughter	Single	Female	14	1887	Dressmaker	Redruth, Cornwall, England
John	Roberts	Visitor	Married	Male	34	1867	Tin Miner	Redruth, Cornwall, England

1906 Clara Johns, 19, married Ernest G Rowe , 27, miner, in Redruth parish church on 8/8/1906 . His father James Rowe, hers Thomas Johns, both miners . His address St Day, hers Trefusis Road, Redruth . Witnesses: John Charkes Legg and Mary Ellen Legg- she was originally Mary E Rowe 1876 - Redruth Sep 1906 .

A Newspaper annoncement- FMP- gives him as of Crofthandy, she of Higher Trefusis

1906/early 1907. Ernest & Clara must have travelled out to the Transvaal, S.A, where Olive was born 7 months after the marriage

1907. Olive Rowe was born Randfontein, Transvaal on 28/3/1907. Her b.c. on her page

1908/1909 . Clara and Olive, and indeed Ernest, must have travelled back to Cornwall

No shipping records for Clara or Olive on FMP / Ancestry- records for South Africa poorly covered

"My mother says that Ernest returned to England from South Africa with Clara , Olive and Wilfred in 1909 ( NO, Wilfrid born in Jun qtr Redruth 1909) and Ernest worked at the South Crofty mine in Cornwall and they all lived at Raymond Rd " - doesnt quite fit with 1911 census unless Raymond Rd is in South Downs. Wilfred Rowe was born 27/3/1909 - Redruth Jun 1909, died 1976, became a Government Officer in Bulawayo, 2 daughters . Suspected Raymond Rd was where her mother, Eliza Johns, lived , but no she was in the Cot, Redruth in 1911C. Think Olive just confused when they actually lived in Raymond Road, seemingly 1913 or later

1911C . Clara Rowe, 23 , was living South Downs, Redruth . Married 5 years, 2 children, Olive 4 & Wilfred 2, both alive. Living in 4 rooms. South Downs a road 1-2 k S of Raymond Road

Ernest	Rowe	Head	-	Male	31	1880	Tin Miner	Gwenap Cornwall
Clara	Rowe	Wife	-	Female	23	1888	-	Redruth Cornwall
Olive	Rowe	Daughter	-	Female	4	1907	-	Transvaal S Africa
Wilfred	Rowe	Son	-	Male	2	1909	-	Redruth Cornwall

1912. Her husband, Ernest Rowe, died 28/12/1912- no FMP Newspaper entry

1913. Their 3rd child, Ernest Rowe, was born ~2 months after his father's death, on 16/2/1913 - Redruth Mar 1913

Children of Ernest & Clara

Maybe 1917, Clara with her 3 children

1914-1918. Clara worked from 1914- 1918 in munitions at Holmans, Camborne. Book available: Our Work During the Great War - 1914-1918:

1918. Clara Rowe married James Angrove (likely a BMD error) /Angove Penzance Sep 1918. He apparently died of flu, as James Angove, 38, Redruth Dec 1918

1919-1921. Not yet known whether Clara was in Redruth at all during this time. Cilla think she stayed in house in Raymond Rd, Redruth until 1921 No evidence for this . Clara's mother, Eliza Johns, looked after her 3 children at Raymond Road, Redruth during her absence. Had she met Jack Curtis in Cornwall, or had she known him when she was in Capetown around 1906??

1921. Mr J. Curtis, 42, mining, last permanent residence a British possession, intended future permanent residence S, Africa, left Southampton for Capetown on 3/4/1921 on the Saxon. ( And a J. Curtis, 34, explosives worker, had travelled from Capetown to England in 1913, S. Africa being his residence: so we think they might have met in Cornwall 1913-1921)

1921. Mrs C. Angove, 34, of Raymond Road, Redruth, Cornwall, travelled out to Capetown, leaving Southampton on 5/8/1921 on the Saxon. Country of last permanent residence --England. Country of Future Intended residence- S. Africa _ Ancestry

The SS Saxon, a Union-Castle ship, built 1900 in Harland & Wolff, used 1919-1930 on the South Africa route , finally scrapped 1935

1921. Clara Angove, 34, married John/Jack Curtis, 43, mining Engineer, on 6/9/1921 in Cape Town - both resident in S. Rhodesia _ Ancestry.. They appear to have met up in Cape Town to marry- suggesting they were acquainted prior to this.

It is thought Jack owned the Cornubia gold mine prior to the marriage .

The marriage certificate suggest that their address was already S. Rhodesia but Clara would not have had time to go from the ship to S. Rhodesis and back to Capetown for the wedding.

Almost 3 years later,

1924. C. Curtis, housewife, 36, returned, arriving London on the Goorkha on 6/6/1924 , the shipping manifest stating it arrived from Beira Mozambique( but also says Capetown, Beira, Durban in a different place) , intended address Redruth, Cornwall, - Ancestry- to collect her children- then ~ 17, 15 and 11, and she took them to S. Rhodesia: they lived at 'Cornubia' gold mine at Battlefields , owned by Jack Curtis. Battlefields ~170kW of Harare/Salisbury .

The SS Goorkha, a Union-Castle ship, built 1897 in Harland & Wolff, used 1919-1926 on the South Africa route

I cannot find Clara or the children going back out 1924-1926 on Ancestry - searched again 23/2/2020

On Clara's return to Redruth, she sold the house and took the children back to S. Rhodesia to the small goldmine  Cornubia at Battlefields - the nearest railway sation to the mine - 5 miles away. Nearest town was Gatooma 20 miles away. The homestead consisted of 6 african round thatched huts enclosed in a stockade. Neighbours 5 miles away in a similar homestead - possible names Kimber with 2 small children. Transport in an ox wagon, An old Ford car when going to Gatooma.

Jack Curtis-1921

?, Olive Bedford, ? Clara Curtis- maybe ~ 1936?

1937. Her daughter, Olive Rowe, married Francis Bedford on 2/1/1937 at Bulawayo Methodist Church

 

Wilfred, Olive, Clara & Ernest - 1937

Granny Curtis is Clara. In the front row: Clara, Lorraine, ?. Gwendoline. Ernest's wife Maud with son David on her lap - 28/4/1938

"Olive left for Capetown on the train from Mufulira, N. Rhodesia with Frances and me on Jan20th and didnt return until March 28th! Clara met the train in Bulawayo and went with them. I wonder if the whole thing was her idea as Olive had been ill with 'fever' for a while." - I am lost here!

1938 and later. She looked after the children, Lorraine,~1935, David ~ 1937, & Gwen ~1937, , of her son, Ernest 1913, as he had problems. Clara still living in Bulawayo

• 1938 Clara, Ernest and Maud, Loraine and David , Olive and Frank at Bulawayo Station as they travelled from Capetown to N. Rhodesia after being in England where Frances Mary was born ( photo being scanned)

• Clara visited the family in N. Rhodesia ( photos yet to surface) 1938 - 1946
• Clara would have met them again any time they passed through the station on the way south

1940. Clara spent a holiday with Olive and daughters,Frances & Priscilla, at Seapoint, Capetown: - photos on Olive's page

• 
• Clara with grandchildren, Lorraine & David Rowe, ~ 1949
  

• 1950 Photo of 3 generations: Clara, Olive and Margaret in garden in Nairobi Kenya

1954 . The Bedford family, going to England on leave on ship round the Cape, was met by Clara in Capetown - she brought a box of grapes to the ship.

1961. Clara, as an old and sick lady, flew from Rhodesia to London to live with Olive and family in Beckenham Kent but it didn't work out: Margaret Bedford was a rebellious teenager at the time and  was not very polite to her Granny. Clara flew back after a few months

 

"Granny Curtis Rowe".

1962. Clara Rowe, ~ 75, died in Bulawayo .

 

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