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About Rosa Isabella Bate
The ninth and youngest child of William and Rosa Wright, 1820s settlers. Married Frederic Calder Bate (born in Faversham, Kent, son of merchant John Bate, mayor of Faversham 1851-53) in 1856 in Grahamstown. They had five children. Her husband went into business with her sister Julia Greathead's husband James, Greathead & Bate, one of the most successful businesses in South Africa until 1870. In the depression of 1870, Greathead & Bate went bankrupt. The family lost everything, including their house "Mayfield," West Hill, Grahamstown. They moved to Queenstown where her husband became manager of the Oriental Bank Ltd. Rosa Bate's son George Frederic Bate writes in his diary, "The Oriental Bank had a double story house near the Market Square in Queenstown, the lower portion facing Cathcart Road, was the Bank & the back portion & the upper story became our new home."
Rosa must have had a resilient character. Here is a description of a trip from Grahamstown to Queenstown taken circa 1870, "On another occasion I was travelling with Mother & we got to the same River [the River at the bottom of the Koonap Heights]. The Bridge had been washed away & we had to cross the River, which was full, in a box slung on a wire and pulled backwards & with a rope attached to the Bed. When we were half way across the towing rope broke and we had to sit there for a considerable time. Eventually a man came hand over hand hanging on to the wire rope on which our box hung, with a new towing rope round his waist. And we were all pulled safely over the river."
From her son's descriptions of his upbringing, the family home appeared to be a casual, lively one: "when ... we went to live in Queenstown, Joseph Gadd & Aunt Emily [Rosa's sister, older by a year] were farming about 30 miles south of Queenstown. They had two lovely farms (Oxton Manor & Ox Kraal) near Whittlesea. And I and Harold & Montie Gadd spent most of our childhood together taking it in turns to live in Queenstown & on the farm. My Uncle & Aunt used to come in to Town about once a month & change us about."
Her third child Harry was hit on the back of the head with a catapult at school and when he came home he said he could not see out of one of his eyes (apparently the optic nerve must have been damaged). Rosa and her husband took him to England to see specialists, leaving the other children with family and friends in Grahamstown, The doctors could not help. The eye,which was blue, as were both, turned brown.in later years. In his transport ridings days, he caught a whiplash end in the same eye. He managed to reach an African family ,who treated him with great kindness and helped him on his way. The eye was then removed and Harry wore a glass eye.
According to her death notice, she died on October 31, 1897 at the age of 61 of hepatic cirrhosis after a three-month illness. She died at home, "Ebdrn" Street, Grahamstown, with her husband in attendance.
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http://www.albany1820.com/transcriptions/Data/Grahamstown/baptisms/...
Commemoration Methodist Parish Records Grahamstown Baptisms: 1825-1841 Microfilm #1560877 Item 9 Transcribed by: E l l e n S t a n t o n Reformatted by: M i k e W r i g h t
Entry #471 Child: Rosa Isabella WRIGHT Parents: William and Rosa Born: 6 Feb 1834 Baptised: 9 Mar 1834 Abode: Grahamstown Minister: Samuel YOUNG
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Rosa Isabella Bate's Timeline
| 1834 |
February 6, 1834
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Grahamstown, Western District, Cape Colony, South Africa
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March 9, 1834
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Grahamstown, Cape Colony, South Africa
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| 1858 |
October 27, 1858
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Faversham, Kent, England, United Kingdom
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| 1861 |
December 11, 1861
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Grahamstown, Western District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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| 1864 |
December 28, 1864
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Grahamstown, Albany, Cape, South Africa
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| 1866 |
August 6, 1866
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Grahamstown, Western District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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| 1868 |
March 21, 1868
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Grahamstown, Western District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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| 1897 |
October 31, 1897
Age 63
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Queenstown, Stormberg District, Cape Province, South Africa
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| ???? |
Main Cemetery, Queenstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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