TOPIC:

Just joined and looking for anything about my great uncle William Charles Bradley b.April 1871. Accordinbg to the old family Bible he was buried in East London in 1901 date of death 25th July.Didn't know what he was doing there- we weren't an army family, just civil servants and his entry for 1891 shows he worked for the Port Office - hence my reason to reply to you or anyone else who can add to his history. I managed to find the following death record which goes some way to confirming his death -
National Archives of South Africa (NASA)
Database:Cape Town Archives Repository
NAAIRS - Result
Document 1 of 1
DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 6/9/432 SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 2550 PART 1
DESCRIPTION BRADLEY, WILLIAM
C. DEATH NOTICE.
STARTING 19010000
ENDING 19010000
I can't trace a grave.
Thanks.
Linda

Linda,

I have moved your message here as I thought you would see a greater response if I de-coupled it from the POC post.

I have checked the casualty list for the Boer War and there is no one of that name listed as a casualty, not while serving in the military at least.

There is only one W C Bradley on the medal rolls but this man is not your great uncle.

Do you think he had any involvement during the Boer War?

Regards
David

Hi Linda,

Have you had a look at his actual Death Notice file in the Cape Town Archives? This will usually provide some information on the cause of death and next of kin; and may well reveal the existence other documents such as a will. If you can't go to the Cape Town Archives to view the file in person you could always hire a researcher to do it. If I recall the going rate for a researcher to do a summary of a death file at the CTA was around £5-£10.

Regards,

Mark

What a great pity this post wasn't put up a few days earlier. I was in the Cape Archives on Thursday last catching up on a bit of Cape Police work. I would have photographed the pages for you.

Next time perhaps

Adrian

Thank you everyone for your help.
I have only assumed that William joined up. What else would he have been doing in SA in 1901? I have assumed he was part of the Corp simply because of the 1891 census shows his living in London (UK) and employed by the Post Office - not necessarily a postman, maybe a telegraphist or engineer ( my own father was a morse operator in SA in the 20's.)
I found references on several sites which might apply:
'Bradley' (no initial) listed as killed 1901 but recorded as a 'civilian'
Bradley W 2nd Rifle Brigade (GRO deaths 1899-1901)
Bradley W wounded 18/2/00 Paardeberg SAFF.
Definitely like looking for aneedle in a haystack.
Linda