Flora Elizabeth Heatherton (Douglass) Wright (1924 - 2008)

Born 15 Dec 1924 in Grahamstown, Cape Province, South Africa

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 23 Mar 2008 at age 83 in Somerset West, Cape Province, South Africa

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Beverley Wright [send private message]

Biography

Betty (Douglass) Wright has English ancestors.

Flora Elizabeth "Betty" Heatherton Douglass, was born on December 15, 1924 ^[1] at Grahamstown Cape Province, South Africa to parents Charles Douglass and Dorothy Johnson ^[1]

Her paternal grandfather was the Hon. Arthur Douglass who emigrated to South Africa from England soon after his marriage to Martha Emily Perkins, 2nd daughter of Joseph Perkins of Laughton, on 21 August 1867 at Laughton, Leicestershire.

Arthur Douglass began ostrich farming in the Albany district of Grahamstown where he established the family home, Heatherton Towers, named after a family estate in England. At the general election in 1884 he represented Grahamstown as the Cape Assembly member. He was a moderate in politics; was associated with the Anti-Suspension party; and joined Sir Gordon Spriggs' Cabinet as Minister for Railways and Commissioner of Public Works. In the summer of 1902 he acted as Premier of the Cape Colony.

Betty's father, Charles Heatherton Douglass was the fifth of six sons and two daughters, born at Grahamstown's Albany district between 1868 and 1880. The boys were schooled at St Andrews College, Grahamstown. Charles was admitted as an attorney and notary in 1900 in Cape Town. After serving briefly with Gorring's Flying Column in the Anglo Boer War in 1901 he took up farming, residing at 'Ripplemead' in the Peddie district. At 36 he married Dorothy Johnson, aged 32, at Alice in the Victoria East district of Grahamstown in February 1914. They lived at the farm Ripplemead. Records show that in July 1920 Charles leased a property know as The Camp, Indiwe Settlement, district Wodehouse, near Grahamstown.

Charles and Dorothy had three daughters, Noreen May (b12 Dec 1914) Peggy Heatherton (b 30 June 1920 or 1915, record is unclear) and Flora Elizabeth Heatherton (b 15 Dec 1924). Charles, her father, died 29 March 1926 at Heatherton farm, Wodehouse. ^[1] Betty was 2 years old at the time.

The family - Betty, her mother and sisters Noreen and Peggy, moved to Graaff Reinett. The girls attended the Union School. Betty's beloved sister Peggy passed away from a sudden illness in 1928. She was 13 years old; Betty just 4. It is possible the family moved in with Dorothy's mother, Eliza Millicent Johnson at 40 Cradock Street, Graaff Reinett, which is today a national heritage site.

Eliza's will shows she left no moveable property so we assume she did not own the house. Eliza died on 26 Dec 1932. Betty was 8 years old. Her mother had to seek work in Johannesburg in order to support her two daughters. Betty, aged 9, and Noreen were sent to live with relatives - Betty was left in the care of friends in Cathcart; Noreen in Southern Rhodesia. They were reunited with their mother about a year later, in Johannesburg, where they lived at No 43, Protea Court, Wanderers Street, which overlooked the original Wanderers cricket grounds on the outskirts of the Johannesburg railway station. The girls were schooled at Parktown Girls High.

On 9 June 1945 she married Paul Steuart Arnett Wright.^[2] He was a medical student in Cape Town but stationed in Pretoria on active service at the time of the birth of their children Adrian (1947) and Beverley (1948). After the war the family moved to Rivonia on the outskirts of Johannesburg where Paul set up a practice as a general practitioner.

Betty passed away in 2008 at a retirement village in Somerset West, Cape Province.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Probate of father Charles Douglass: "South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court, 1834-1989"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 007725068; FHL microfilm: 001668028; Image number: 545
   FamilySearch Record: QLKL-3GN3
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C9BJ-V9WW
   
2. ↑ Marriage: "South Africa, Civil Marriage Records, 1840-1973"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 008161389_001_M96D-86H; Image number: 408
   FamilySearch Record: 6ZCM-XPF4
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CS27-X952-2
   

• Beverley Wright, daughter

• South Africa, Western Cape, Deceased Estate Files, 1951-1958", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:661R-5V3D : Wed Nov 01 04:34:29 UTC 2023), Entry for Flora Elizabeth Heatherton Wright and Dorothy Douglass, 23 Mar 2008.

See also

• FamilySearch Person: GCQ6-LKP