Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Hart

MARIA SUSANNA WILMINA BROWNE (NEE HART)

      Born at Glen Avon Farm,  Somerset East, Eastern Cape of Good Hope.

Married Herbert Howard BROWNE on the 10th February 1854 at Glen Avon farm owned by her grandfather, Robert HART,

     I went to the National Archives in Pretoria on the 5th January, 2004 and obtained the following information. As the documents were old it was not permitted that they be photocopied so I had to type the information directly into my laptop.

CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION:

Pretoria District

Name: Maria Susanna BROWNE

P.O. Box 2 Germiston

Amount Claimed: £2,305 0 0

Amount Assessed: £ 935 0 0

2/3 £620 4 November 1903 - 677

Damage to buildings £1,500 0 0 £ 800 0 0

Furniture looted - -

Trees Destroyed £ 780 0 0 £ 125 0 0

Stock Destroyed £ 25 0 0 £ 10 0 0

Total £2,305 0 0 £ 935 0 0

Allowed £930 Nine hundred and thirty pounds sterling.

Resident Magistrate

4th November 1903

Maria Susannah Wilhelmina BROWNE - sworn, states:

   "The farm Havreklip No 14. District Pretoria is my own property, having been left me by my husband Herbert Howard BROWNE who served former Colonial Governments in all the old wars and was appointed to assist on many commissions by Sir Bartle FRERE & others.

My son was in charge of this farm on the outbreak of war - All the buildings and trees planted, built and paid for by me have been completely destroyed by Boers or British or Both....I cannot say. I was in the Colony at the time and possess no proofs or commandering notes. I feel sure your Honourable Commission could obtain reliable testimony from neighbours & others as to the condition of my farm & buildings before the war & its present condition is I believe well known to you. I alone am the owner for life of this farm and all losses I have had suffered in connection therewith, have to be borne by myself alone. The whole of the work done on this farm was paid for by my late husband and myself and no one else had a share or interest in it. The destruction of this farm has deprived me of practically my only means of support and I am quite unable to repair the damage without compensation."
M.S. W. BROWNE

Before me Joseph MALCOLMSON

Assistgant Resident Magistrate, Germiston.

28.5. 1903

SOUTH AFRICAN DEATH NOTICE.

Name of Deceased: Maria S.W. BROWNE (born HART)

Birthplace: Somerset East, Cape Province, European

Names of Parents: James HART Deceased

                              Maria HART, Deceased

Age of the Deceased: 87 years and 5 months

Place of Residence: 286 Celliers Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria

Condition in Life: Housewife

Widow

Name and approximate date of death of spouse: Herbert Howard BROWNE 31st January 1898

Place of Marriage: Somerset East, Cape Province

Date of Death: 31 May 1922

Place of Death: General Hospital, Pretoria

Names of Children of Deceased:

Herbert Howard BROWNE Died 1902

Maria S.W. MULCAHY (born BROWNE) Died 1902

Charles Lennox S. BROWNE Died 1921

Surviving Children:

Arthur Hart BROWNE

William Hart BROWNE

Any moveable property? Yes

Any immovable property? Yes

Does estate exceed £300? Yes

Has the deceased left a Will? Don't know

Dated at Pretoria

June 21 1922 Signed: C. Neethling Sister in Charge of Ward and present at Death.

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF MRS. M.S.W. BROWNE OF BOKSBURG, S.A.R.

With the Standard bank of South Africa, Boksburg 16th May 1898

Filed on the 14th September 1922.

713a/22No. 49056

     This is the LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of me, MARIA SUSANNA WILHELMINA BROWNE (born HART) widow of the last HERBERT HOWARD BROWNE of Boksburg in the South African Republic, who, being in health of body, sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding and capable of doing any act that requires thought, judgment or reflection DECLARE my intention and appoint my children HERBERT HOWARD BROWNE, MARIA SUSANNA WILHELMINA MULCAHY, CHARLES LENNOX STRETCH BROWNE, ARTHUR HART BROWNE AND WILLIAM HART BROWNE to be the heirs of my estate, goods, effects, stock inheritances, chattels, credits and things whatsoever and wheresoever the same may be nothing excepted which shall be left at my death whether moveable or immovable and whether the same be in possession reversion remainder or expectancy.

I especially bequeath unto my daughter Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Mulcahy all my jewellery and clothes, she my daughter Maria Susannah Wilhelmina Mulcahy to share and share alike with my four sons namely Herbert Howard Browne, Charles Lennox Stretch Browne, Arthur Hart Browne and William Hart Browne all my plate, pictures and books.
I declare to nominate and appoint Herbert Howard Browne and William Hart Browne to be my executors and administrators jointly of my estate and effects hereby giving and granting unto them reciprocally all such powers as are required or allowed in law and especially those of assumption.
I further declare to reserve to myself from time to time and at all times to make all such alterations in or additions to this will as I shall think fit either by a separate act or at the fact hereof desiring that all such alterations or additions so made under my own signature shall be held as valid and effectual as if they had been inserted herein.
I declare that this contains my last will and testament desiring that it may have effect as such or as a codicil or otherwise in such manner as may be found to consist in law.
THUS DONE AND PASSED at Boksburg aforesaid on this the 16th day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety eight.
Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Browne.

As Witnesses

R.A. Brink

Percy Riner

49056 filed on the 16th June 1922713/22

     THIS IS A CODICIL dated the eighth day of June one thousand nine hundred and sixteen of me MARIA SUSANNA WILHELMINA BROWNE (born HART) of Boksburg in the Province of Transvaal, South Africa to the Last Will and Testament dated the 16th day of February one thousand eight hundred and ninety two of Herbert Howard Browne since deceased and me, the said Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Browne (born Hart) the surviving spouse which said Will was a mutual will executed by the said Herbert Howard Browne since deceased and myself the said Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Browne (born Hart) married in community of property WHEREAS by the said Last Will and Testament of the said Herbert Howard Browne deceased and myself which is filed with the Master of the Supreme Court of South Africa Transvaal Provincial Division we (inter alia) instituted and appointed the children begotten by us during our marriage to be the sole heirs of the whole of the estate, goods, effects, stock inheritances, chattels or things whatsoever and wheresoever the same may be which should be left at the death of the first deceased of us whether moveable or immovable and of what nature whatsoever and whether the same be in possession, reversion, remainder or expectancy nothing excepted it being, however, our express will and desire that the survivor of us should be authorised and allowed to keep the whole of our joint estate under his or her sole and entire direction and administration and to remain in full and undisturbed possession thereof and in the enjoyment of the usufruct or the rents and profits of our said joint estate for the term of his or her natural life without being obliged to give security for the same and the said last will went on to provide that the decease of the survivor of us then the said joint estate should be divided by the executors thereinafter named among our said children who should then be living and the lawful issue who may then be living of such of our said children as should happen to die during our life-time such issue to take nevertheless only the same share or proportion as his, her or their respective father or mother would have been entitled to if living and the said joint estate should thereupon be delivered and paid over to our said children and their lawful issue as aforesaid and subject to the payment of the just debts of the estate and the said last will declare to nominate and appoint the survivor of us then we did thereby nominate and appoint our son Herbert Howard Browne and our nephew Richard George Impey to be the executors of that our will and administrators of our estate and effects and WHEREAS the said Herbert Howard Browne and Richard George Impey the executors appointed in the said will are both deceased AND WHEREAS in order to avoid any question of doubt which may arise in reference to the property and assets of whatsoever nature and kind which I may die possessed of I desire that all such property and assets  belonging to me shall fall within the terms of the herinbefore in part recited will and be dealt with according to the terms thereof AND I appoint John Reynolds Hubbard, Public Accountant of Boksburg in the Province of Transvaal to be the sole executor and Trustee and Administrator of the said last will and testament of my late husband and myself and also executor and Trustee Administrator of all property and assets of which I may die possessed of AND hereby revoking any codicil heretofore made by me I declare this to the last Codicil to the hereinbefore part recited mutual will of my late husband and myself and I hereby confirm the said will as aforesaid.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Boksburg the aforesaid the day, month and year first before written in the presence of the subscribed witnesses.

    Signed by the said Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Browne (born Hart) as and for the last Codicil to the Mutual Will and Testament of Herbert Howard Browne and Maria Susannah Wilhelmina Browne (born Hart) in the presence of us both being present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our hands as witnesses.

Sydney J. Knight

Edgar H. Knight

    This is a Codicil to my hereinbefore written will or codicil thereto as above dated the 8th June 1916. Whereas in the above written codicil I have appointed John Reynolds Hubbard sole Executor of my will and trustee and administrator thereof, whereas I have now decided to revoke this appointment and to appoint John R. Hubbard Ltd. in place of the  said John Reynolds Hubbard. Now, therefore, I do hereby nominate and appoint John R. Hubbard Ltd. a company duly incorporated in the Transvaal to be the sole Executor and administrator of the last will and testament of my late husband and myself and also Executor, trustee and administrator of all property and assets of which I may die possessed of. In all other respects I confirm the above written codicil. The said John R. Hubbard Ltd. i is appointed by me in the place and stead of the said John Reynolds Hubbard.

Dated at Boksburg this 12 February 1917.

    Signed by the said Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Browne (born Hart) as and for a further codicil in the presence of us both being present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.

Maria Browne.

Sydney J. Knight, Amelia Bradbury Edna Whipp

ESTATE OF MARIA SUSANNA WILHELMINA BROWNE (NEE HART).

Comment:

    The documents at the Pretoria Archives are bound into books and it is not possible to photocopy the documents. I did not, when I visited the Pretoria Archives in January 2004, have a digital camera with which to photograph the pages relevant to the Estate of Maria Susanna Wilhelmina BROWNE (Nee HART) so I have transcribed what I could in the time I had.

It was interesting for me to find that Aunt Suzanne was right, there is a very strong Afrikaaner line within the family. All of the children of Charles Lennox Stretch Browne are Afrikaans speakers, probably because their mother was an Afrikaaner by birth.
One document in the file signed by Charles Lennox Stretch Browne is signed with an X assisted by his wife. This was not because he was illiterate, but because he had gone blind in his latter years. I wonder if he was diabetic as he was only 58 at the time of his death.
I have separated the actual documents by introducing a numbering system
The name of the farm shows a great number of spelling differences. In the will signed by both Herbert Howard Browne and Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Hart it is spelled 'HavreKlip'. I will keep to this spelling. Today (2006) the spelling of the farm's name has changed to 'HavreKlip'. This information was provided by Glynis Millett-Clay who has visited the farm on my behalf to try to find the graves of Herbert Howard Browne and Maria Susanna Wilhelmina Browne (nee Hart). She and her husband Charles have found the graves of Charles Lennox Stretch Browne and his wife on the farm, that of Arthur Hart Browne, and several other family members but to date the graves of the proginators of the family have not yet been found.
Members of the Browne family are still living on HavreKlip, but the farm has been divided into 5 separate farms, only one section of which is still in the hands of the family.
Tombi Peck April 2006.

ESTATE OF MARIA SUSANNA WILHELMINA BROWNE (NEE HART) DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNT. (Excerpts).

1. DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNT.

Amended first and final liquidation and distribution account in the Estate of the late Maria S.W. Browne (born Hart) a Widow of Pretoria No. 49056.

Assets:

Amount paid by H.C.F. BROWNE (Capital & interest) £ 790 00 00

Amount paid by Miss Hazel Howard BROWNE (Capital & interest)

Amount received from Messrs John R. HUBBARD Ltd as per their

Statement £ 229 4 08

                                                                    Total                   £1,048   3  11

Liabilities:

Preliminary Work £ 2 00 00

Stamp on Letters of Administration £ 5 00 00

Hospital Fees £ 3 15 00

Ambulance & Trams £ 15 00 00

Dr. Neizel £ 10 14 06

E.J. Grobbelaar £ 18 00 00

Taxi to 'HavreKlip' for burial £ 11 00 00

Surety Bond £ 4 00 00

Advertisements £ 2 14 00

Stamp on Surety Bond 8 00

R. MARAIS for fencing (Maria commissioned this before her death) £ 8 6 6

S.T. Prinsloo for upkeep of fences from April 1919 to April 1922

@ 30/- per annum

Executor's Commission on £1,048 3 11 £ 5 8 00

Estate Fee £ 215 00

Master's Taxing fee £ 2 13 00

Binding Fee £ 15 00 00

Postage, wires, phone, Bank Charges etc.

Estate Duty on deceased's share in Estate H.H. Browne

No 14043 (old) as assessed by Commissioner

for Inland Revenue £ 507 14 05

Balance for distribution £ 412 05 06

                                                                       £ 1,046 03 11     £ 1,048 00 00

BALANCE CARRIED FORWARD FOR DISTRIBUTION £412 5 5

To the children of the late Herbert Howard BROWNE Et. No. 821 £ 95 19 00

They having forgone £ 9 9 9 (their 1/4 share of the amount owing to the estate of Herbert Howard BROWNE (Bankrupt)

Herbert Charles Francis BROWNE £ 15 19 10

Amy Maysel BROWNE £ 15 19 10

Robert Hart BROWNE £ 15 19 10

Susanne Minnie STEPHEN (born BROWNE)

£ 15 19 10

married out of community of property to John STEPHEN

Jessie Beale KAYSER (born BROWNE) £ 15 19 10

married out of community of property to Frederick Kayser

Hazel Howard BROWNE £ 15 19 10

To the children of the Late Charles Lennox Stretch BROWNE

Est.46323 £105

Third Cousin once removed to President Paul Kruger.