Olive Rowe 1907- 1988
A few more details would be good
1907. Olive Rowe was born to Ernest Rowe, underground mine labourer, & Clara Johns in South Randfontein, Jo'burg on 28/3/1907 . Randfontein is a gold mining city in the West Rand, Gauteng, South Africa, 40 km (25 mi) west of Johannesburg. Ernest appeared to have been working at South Randfontein Mine , Krugersdorp.
The above copy of her S.A. b.c. was obtained in 1926 - likely needed for admission to a nurse training college
1911 photo of the mine where her father must have been working in 1907
1909. Her brother was born 27/3/1909 Redruth Jun 1909 . They must have returned from S.A. in early 1909, as Olive said she was 2 - cannot find the family on shipping records despite repeated searches
1911C . Ernest Roiwe, 31, tin miner, & Clara Rowe, 23 , were living South Downs, Redruth . Married 5 years, 2 children, Olive 4 & Wilfred 2, both alive. Living in 4 rooms
| 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 father, Ernest Rowe, died 28/12/1912, when Olive was 5. . Another brother, Ernest, born 16/2/1913 - Mar 1913
Olive attended Trewirgie Infants and Girls, Redruth & then she won a scholarship to Camborne County School for Girls in ~ 1918
1914-1918. Her mother, Clara Rowe, worked from 1914- 1918 in munitions at Holmans, Camborne, so she and her brothers would have been looked after during the daytime by their granny, Eliza Johns .
1918. Her mother, Clara, remarried James Angove in 1918 . He died of flu and
1921. she married again, 5/9/1921 in Capetown, to Jack Curtis the owner of Cornubia gold mine, Battlefields, S. Rhodesia. Clara had gone out to S. Africa in August 1921, leaving her 3 children behind with her mother, Eliza. .
She returned for them in June 1924- Ancestry shipping record- , going to live at the Cornubia Gold Mine. Olive was ~ 17 at this time. The 'Cornubia' gold mine was at Battlefields, & was owned by Jack Curtis. Battlefields ~170kW of Harare/Salisbury .
"There is a story from the voyage out from England to S. A. that I was told. A young man fancied Olive - he was a black sheep of a well do do family and he was being sent overseas to get rid of him. Anyway he gave Olive a diamond ring and I have it now".
Clara Rowe with her 3 children: Wilfred, Ernest & Olive ~1917
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. . Ernest, Olive & Wilfred ~ 1918 . .Ernest, Olive & Wilfred ~ 1919
1926 Olive started a 3 yr nursing course at the Memorial Hospital, Bulawayo. A hospital for both Africans and Europeans. The matron was Miss Daly
Olive writes' I was one of a batch of Six - very naive and unsophisticated as had led a sheltered life in Cornwall and on the mine. Home made white uniforms, white shoes and stockings. I had 2 advantages - my Methodism and my Cornish schooling. The methodist Church and the Manse were nearby'
1929 Gained her SRN - South African Medical Journal
She also qualified as a midwife. .
She likely obtained a copy of her b.c. in 1926 for entry to nurse training
Aged 22 years went as a Staff Nurse to Johannesburg General Hospital - largest hospital in Africa. At first in the male medical ward, then private wards and then the African Hospital
Did Midwifery training and Gained the SCM - South African Council
1931. She was at Addington Hospital, Durban, Natal at aged 24 in 1931.
1932 - To Capetown to the City Infectious Hospital where there were European, African, Malays and Coloured patients
Then to the Buxton Home to do Mothercraft Training - Truby King - New Zealand method. Gained a certificate. ( she remembers having to pay for this)
1933 Returned to her mother Clara in Bulawayo for a short while - both her brothers now married. Did a little private nursing for Doctors she knew and some midwifery,
October 1933 Went to Broken Hill European Mine and Government Hospital ,S. Rhodesia with the Colonial Service as a Nursing Sister She did general, Surgical and midwifery, ( Photo)
Olive, Broken Hill 1934
1934 June Methodist District Synod held in Broken Hill. Met missionary Rev Frank Bedford from Kafue having arrived in September 1933
1934 Rev William Harrison arrived from England to take over the local Methodist Church from Rev Ernest Stamp who left for furlough in England. Priscilla thinks they were an item for a short while but Will was engaged to a girl back home and remained faithful to her. However it needs mentioning as Will and Olive married years later
Will and Olive paddling in a river in aoput 1935 - think they were an item for a short while: Will and Olive married years later
Anyway Frank won the day ( he was also engaged to a girl back home but he broke the engagement ) and took Olive to see his simple home on the banks of the Kafue River.
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Olive & Frank by a car with Frank's dog Captain and the house
Frank had a cook called Thousand and another chap called Mangunga
December 1936 Left Broken Hill Hospital and there was a Kitchen Tea to bring wedding gifts - photo below
1937. Olive Rowe married Francis J Bedford, a missionary,on Jan 2nd 1937 at Main Street Methodist church in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. Short honeymoon at Victoria Falls Hotel
Miss Wreford, Frank, Olive and the Rev, G. Fish, best man
Olive with her mother, Clara, and brothers, Ernest & Wilfrid.
1937. Francis J Bedford, 27, minister, & Olive Bedford, 30, arrived in London on 5/7/1937 from Cape Town, South Africa on the City of Paris. . Proposed UK address 17 Buchanan Ave Bournemouth, last country of residence S. Rhodesia
Clara must have travelled to England too ( it would have been the first time since she left in 1924 ?). But seemingly not on the same ship- and cannot find her on Ancestry records . Did she go to be there when her daughter was going to have her baby. BUt she was in Cornwall and the baby was born in Bournemouth
I would have thought Clara went with Olive & Frank, and that they all went down to Cornwall for a while before the baby was born in Bournemouth in October
Anyway Frank and Olive went to Cornwall and met up with her. The photo above was on Perranporth beach. Clara on the left and Olive on the right. The other three were probably Johns relatives?
They had 3 children: Frances Mary Bedford born 6/10/1937 Bournemouth ; Priscilla Jane Bedford born 1939 in N. Rhodesia; Margaret Ruth Bedford born 1944 in N. Rhodesia
1938. F J Bedford, 28, priest, Mrs Bedford, 30, and F M Bedford 1, leave London on 2/4/1938 on the City of Paris, bound for Lorenzo Marques & Beira , their destination S. Rhodesia, last UK address 17 Buchanan Avenue, Bournemouth. Her mother, Clara Curtis, not on the same ship
1940. "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"
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Seapoint, Capetown Holiday 1940. Lhs: Clara and Frances with a bonnet on and priscilla to her left. The other lady is Mrs Johnson Fitch and the two Brown girls from Bulawayo. . . . . . . . . . . .Rhs: Olive , Clara and Priscilla
They settled at Mufulira - see Frank's page. She established clinics there and trained the first african midwives.
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Priscilla, Nanny, Frances & Olive . . . . . . . .. .. . Frank, Frances & Priscilla
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Olive, Frances, Frank & Priscilla . Frances & Priscilla early 1947 on trip back to England
.1952. When the Mau Mau Uprising( 1952-1960) broke out, Olive was put in charge of Red Cross Relief. On one occasion they took relief to the survivors of a village where 250 had been slaughtered the previous night.
1959. Francis John Bedford 11/11/1909, clergyman, Olive Bedford 28/3/1907 and Margaret Ruth Bedford 8/8/1944 leaves London for Mombasa on 31/12/1959. Last UK address was Wyenholme, Barton Lane, Barton, intended country of residence Kenya
1969.Her husband, Francis John Bedford, 60, died Bromley Dec 1969
She remarried
1984. Olive Bedford married William Harrison Torbay
Seemingly not a success?
1988. Olive Harrison, 81, Missionary Nurse, retired, born 28/3/1907, died 26/6/1988 at Rowcroft, Avenue Road, Torquay of a Multi focal Cerebral Infarcts Torbay Jun 1988. She was the wife of William Harrison, Methodist Minister, retired, of 65 Broadley Drive, Livermead, Torquay . No probate
Rowcroft - a Hospice since 1981