William Hart Browne

William Hart (Willie) BROWNE was born on 24 Apr 1867 Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope. He lived in 5 Bureau Lane, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa on 1 Sep 1922.

He married Jessie Menzies HALL on 4 May 1891 in Johannesburg according to an affidavit he signed in September 1946.

He lived in 88 Michael Brink Avenue, Gezina, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa in May 1935. In 1936 he was a Clerk in Census Office.

He signed a will on 2 Mar 1950. He died on 15 Mar 1950 Pretoria General Hospital, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa. He lived in 65 Vos Street, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa in Mar 1950.

The following information was acquired from the

National Archives, Pretoria by Tombi Peck on the 7th January, 2003.

William Hart 'Willie' Hart Browne acted as Executor for the Estates of Maria Susanna

Wilhelmina Browne (nee Hart), Arthur Hart Browne and Herbert Howard Browne (Jnr).

He changed his address fairly frequently during these times.

1. 5 Bureau Lane, Pretoria

2. 268 Celliers Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria

3. 88 Wonderboom Rd. Gezina, Pretoria - this appears to have been changed to 88

   Voortrekker Road, Gezina, Pretoria.

4. At the time of his death he was living at 65 Vos Street, Pretoria.

DEATH NOTICE.

Name of the Deceased: WILLIAM HART BROWNE

Birthplace and Nationality Cape Province, South Afica

Names and Addresses of Parents: Herbert Howard Browne (deceased)

Maria Susannah Wilhelmina Browne (born Hart) (deceased)

Age of the deceased 82 years eleven months

Occupation Retired

Married, unmarried, widower or widow Widower

Name of predeceased spouse: Jessie Menzies Browne (born Hall) Deceased 26

August 1946.

Place of marriage: Johannesburg

Usual place of residence: 65 Vos Street, Pretoria, Transvaal.

Date of decease: 15 March 1950

Where the person died: Pretoria Hospital, Pretoria, Transvaal,

Names of the children of the deceased:

1. Harold Richard William Browne

2. Herbert St. John Browne

3. Guy Chester Browne

4. Amy Howard Lovemore (born Browne) Married out of community of property

to Wallace Edward Lovemore

5. Muriel Ruth Lovemore (Spinster)

6. Norman Howard Browne

7. Herbert Howard Browne

8. Charles William Browne

9. Francis Arthur Browne (all being majors).

Signed by Guy Chester Browne in Pretoria on the 14th April, 1950. Son of the deceased

present at death.

His LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT which was signed in Pretoria on the 2nd March

1950 specifically ..."my second Son, Don, being unfortunately mentally.... I exclude him

altogether from my will"....

I, the undersigned, GUY CHESTER BROWNE herby make oath and say:

1. That I am a son of the late WILLIAM HART BROWNE, a widower, who died at

Pretoria on the 15th day of March 1950.

2. That my brother, HERBERT ST. JOHN BROWNE is the brother referred to in my late

father's will as 'Don'.

Signed C. Chester Browne.

Sworn to before me at Johannesburg on the 5th day of June, 1951, the Deponent having

acknowledged that he knows and understands the contents of the aforegoing Affidavit.

Commissioner for Oaths.

Information from Hylton Oliver:

His primary occupation was that of an Accountant, however, upon inheriting a portion of

the farm 'Havreklip' he farmed until about 1913 when he moved to Germiston.

As a highveld farm Havreklip in its original form was probably a very good farm but I

believe the subdivision of the original resulted in a number of semi-viable units given the

stock carrying capacities and crop potential of that area.

We think that William Hart Browne sold his portion of the farm to other family members

to pursue the more viable and definitely less risky profession of accountancy.

During Paul Kruger's Presidency William Hart worked as a Court Interpreter interpreting

Dutch into English.

(The War Time records as presented by

the Compensation Claim by Charles Lennox Stretch Browne, was the only brother we

know who appeared to have ridden with the Kruger Commando made up of his wife's

brothers and a brother-in-law. (Tombi Peck)

He was an avid writer to newspapers, supported the United party but disliked Jan Hofmeyr

(Jan Smuts' second-in-command) intensely and wrote numerous letters to the newspapers

expressing his opinions of Hofmeyr.