Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Julius Wronsky

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Descendants of Julius Wronsky

Generation No. 2

2. FRITZ² WRONSKY (JULIUS¹) was born in Berlin, Prussia.. He married MARIA PETRONELLA LIEBENBERG, daughter of WILLEM LIEBENBERG and ALETTA VAN HEERDEN. She was born 1864, and died 01 Jan 1904 in "Own house", Wolmaranstad..

Notes for FRITZ WRONSKY:
Fritz, also given address Klipfontein, district Wolmaranstad, was a merchant doing business with the British troops in the area at the time. An affidavit taken by JA Neser, Attorney in Klerksdorp, states that stock, merchandise and other assets were "purchased or requisitioned" by British Officers prior to 31st March 1901. Commissioner Huddelstons' name appears in the affidavit. A claim for compensation amounted to Ł292.12p. On the 14th February 1901, Lt. Colonel G. Wright Commanding officer 1st division "took" items including live stock to the value of Ł147.86p.

Now for the interesting discovery...also from the National Archives - various documents drawn up by J A Neser, Attorney, Klerksdorp - "Ex parte Application of Fritz Wronsky - Release of Bars of Gold." At the time of the application, Fritz was a "Refugee in Klerksdorp". It seems that Fritz was given 2 gold bars in April or May 1900 by the "Government of the late South African Republic" in payment for property commandeered from him. The weight of the two bars of raw gold was 570.22oz of the value of Ł2118.12.9. The British troops occupied Wolmaranstad in June 1900. The bars were taken from him by Ass. Comm. Huddleston. Fritz claimed the bars back. After very long and drawn out legal doings, the gold was returned to him. What he DID with it is another question and another quest...

Children of FRITZ WRONSKY and MARIA are:

ALICE ELIZEBETH³ WRONSKY¹, b. 16 Jan 1892.

Notes for ALICE ELIZEBETH WRONSKY:
In her mothers death notice, Alices' address is given as a convent in Wales, England. (Undecipherable.) She later came to SA to take care of her niece, Jean Llod-Wronsley, who was very ill. I think (not yet confirmed, that Alice joimed The Academy in Newcastle, South Africa, after little Jean died. I have a photo of "Sr. Alice Benjamin" with the Academy's name on the reverse.

ii.

JULIUS WRONSKY, b. 22 Jun 1889, "Makouwrskop", district Wolmaranstad.; d. 09 Apr 1917, Arras, France WW1.².

Notes for JULIUS WRONSKY:
Julius was a teacher before he enlisted.

He attended St. Andrwes collage in Grahamstown From 1903 to 1907.
The following information courteousy of Penny Tyson, Archivist at St. Andrews college in Grahamstown.

"The number 1892 is a unique number – each Old Andrean has his number. Julius was the son of F (who is not an OA because if he was his number would have been given); he left St Andrew’s in September 1907; he was born on 22/6/1889; he was in Espin House. He went from Form II – VI. He was Cadet Sergeant Major in the Cadet Corps. Played for the 2nd rugby team. Matriculated in 1908; involved in mining; was in the Great War, killed in action in German E Africa in 1917. (This is incorrect. He died and is buried in France.)
The St Andrew’s College Magazine September, 1907, has an entry under ‘OA News’ which says that J Wronsky entered the Normal College of the Transvaal at the beginning of this term. This is obviously where he wrote his Matric in 1908."

From Rory Reynolds - a collector of War Medals (who contacted me via Maureen Wronsky):
All SA troops who saw service in any of the theatres of the war - in Julius' case - the Western Front - received at least 2 medals. The British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.

The BWM was an automatic award you almost just had to report for duty for that one while the AVM was awarded only if you were in a theatre where fighting was taking place.

Julius would have been awarded the medals posthumously them going to his next of kin. I'll be able to tell you who that was after I've been to Pretoria in about 2 weeks time.

I sure would like to track them down - in the case of a KIA (Killed in action) there was also a round, bronze death plaque with his full names on it. It would have come with the medals.

iii.

WILLIAM HENRY WRONSLEY, b. 30 Sep 1890, Makouwskop, Western Transvaal, SA; d. 15 Aug 1946, Voortrekke hospital, Kroonstad. O.F.S..

3. ERIC² WRONSKY (JULIUS¹) was born 1877 in Berlin, Prussia., and died 20 Jun 1963 in Johannesberg, SA. He married (1) CHRISTINA MARIA NEL in Roodepoort, SA. She was born 1896, and died 15 Jun 1949 in Johannesberg, SA. He married (2) MAUDE GOSNEY in Lichtenberg, Transvaal., daughter of ALBERT GOSNEY and SARAH BALBOCK. She was born 1875 in Surrey, England., and died 12 Aug 1914 in Rietpan 346 (or 846), Bloemhof., Sweitzer Reineke..

Notes for ERIC WRONSKY:
According to copies of documents that I got from the National Archives in Pretoria, Eric lived on a farm called Klipfontein in the Wolmaranstad district. He was also a merchant doing business with the British troops in the area at at time, (June, 1900) including Asst. Commissioner Huddleston.

Ref. doc from Nation Archives : TAB Ref no 4949/63 (estate file) there is a letter stating that the farm "Drieziek 368 gedeelte 25 Reg. afdeling IQ" was "ontein" by the Government stating that the owner of the farm was Deceased.

I did some research at the deeds office with regards to the property and its expropriation.

The owner Mr. E Wronsky and then subsequently the executor Mr. Fine were notified of the expropriation by notice of expropriation Ex 108/ 1992.
The farm was expropriated for public purposes by the administrator of Transvaal in terms of Sec 2(1) and Sec 31(6) (a) of the expropriation act (Act 63 of 1975).
Sec 2(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act the Minister may subject to an obligation to pay compensation, expropriate any property for public purposes or take the right to use temporarily any property for public purposes.
Compensation for the abovementioned property was provided for in terms of Sec 12(1) (a) of
Act 63 of 1975. The compensation amounted to R1000-00. The property was approx. 9 hectares in size and is still on the map as "Drieziek" adjacent to the "Orange Farm" township on the West Rand.
Deed of Transfer T105283/1999 transferred ownership to the government.

In his Death Notice dated 1 July 1963, under name of deceased - "Eirc Wronsky (also known as Eric Wronsley)."
Erf 491, La Rochelle, JHB - 48 Pan road, La Rochelle, JHB - according to my search, this property is STILL registered in his name!!

More About CHRISTINA MARIA NEL:
Burial: West Park cemetery, Johannesberg.
Cause of Death: Bronchiopneumonia and myocarditis.

Children of ERIC WRONSKY and CHRISTINA NEL are:

	i.		PETER³ WRONSKY.
	ii.		MARVIN WRONSKY.

Children of ERIC WRONSKY and MAUDE GOSNEY are:

7.	iii.	VIVIENNE DIANNE³ WRONSKY.
	iv.	ALBERT JULIUS FORBES WRONSKY.
	v.	FLORENCE MAUDE WRONSKY, m. BERGH.

4. LUDWIG² WRONSKY (JULIUS¹) was born 1862 in Berlin, Prussia., and died 23 Sep 1923 in Cape Town, South Africa.³. He married HEDWIG NEUMANN 30 Mar 1890 in Cape Town, South Africa., daughter of JACOB NEUMANN and HELENA. She was born 1870 in Berlin, Germany., and died in Klerksdorp, Transvaal..

Notes for LUDWIG WRONSKY:
Lived with his wife and family in Cape Town, Kimberly and other places in the Cape Colony from 1881 to 1891. Schoongezight, district Shweizer Reineke from 1891 - 1893. Rhenosterput 1894 - 1901. Klerksdorp 1901 - ?. Ludwig, by his own admission in a letter to the authorities, was amiss in not registering as a foreign national with the government of the time. He travelled to Cape Town to purchase supplies for his shop but did not have the necessary permits resulting in his not being allowed to return to the Transvaal. He spent the last 20 years of his life in Cape Town while Hedwig remained on the farm and later living with her daughter Lily, in Klerksdorp. Hedwig is died there. Why they never re-united is a mystery.

Religion - Russian Jew.

Alternate address given on his Death Notice - Doornfontein 28, District Wlomaranstad.

The ante-nuptial contract was drawn up on 26th March 1890. It states that Ludwig was from Kimberly and Hedwig from Berlin.

He died at age 61 at Bree street hospital, Cape Town.

He was a "General Dealer".

More About LUDWIG WRONSKY:
Burial: Gate 8, cemet.3, Maitland, Cape Town. Jewish cem. 73353.
Medical Information: Judging from an old photograph, Ludwig lived the good life!
Naturalization: 1881, Berlin, Prussia.⁴

Notes for HEDWIG NEUMANN:
Last will and testament of Hedwig :

To Walter and Rudolph - equal share :
      Stands 454, 457 and 458, Klerksdorp. Deeds no. 8256/1926 and 6368/1927.
      The Strand, District Stellenbosch Lot no. 23 block L. 34 square roods 104       square feet. Deed no. 5711/1930.
To Ella :
      Stands 557 and 558, Klerksdorp. Deed no. 10652/1930.
To Lily :
      Stand 566, Klerksdorp. Deed no. 14530/1928.
To Julia :
      Stand 753, Klerksdorp. Deed no. 261/1931.

CODICIL:

"By virtue of the Reservatory clause containing in my last will and testament, dated 14th August 1931, I, Hedwig Wronsky (born Neumann) widow of the late Ludwig, do hereby declare that is my wish and desire :

i) that the doctor who attends me in my last illness shall as soon as possible after my demise, inject into my corpse a strong poison.

ii) that my body be cremated at JHB and my ashes interred there."


Children of LUDWIG WRONSKY and HEDWIG NEUMANN are:

MISS JULIA EDITH³ WRONSKY, d. Apr 1985; m. JAMES HENRY DAVIS (JIM).

Notes for MISS JULIA EDITH WRONSKY:
Julia and Jim Davies never had any children. Julia was a keen writer. She wrote many stories, sending them to publishing houses, periodicals and newspapers and even had a few published. I visited her occasionally at her house in Menlo Park, Pretoria. On the day before she passed away, I took my son Stephen, then only 2 years old for a visit. I found her in bed - clearly not well. I called her doctor, who said he would go around to see her later that day. I asked Julia whether she had had anything to eat. "No" she replied "but I would like some fish and chips from the cafe on the corner". I bought the food for her and took it to her. We had to go home for Stephens' nap. The next day Julia passed away. I dont know whether she ate the fish and chips.

ii.

MISS ELLA WRONSKY, b. 31 Jul 1891, Rhenosterput, District Lichtenburg, Transvaal, SA; d. 12 Oct 1975.

Notes for MISS ELLA WRONSKY:
Unfortunately, I never spoke to my Dad about Ella. The family never had very much contact with her because "she was such an unpleasant character". I do know, however, that she lived in an old block of flats in an old part of Johannesberg, possibly Hillbrow, in the early 1970's. The block was due to be demolished but Ella refused to move. According to newspaper articles (which i have yet to research) seen by my mother, the powers that were, dumped her furniture on the pavement outside the flats. Ella took a stand (or a seat rather!), sitting on her couch on the pavement until her brother, Rudolph came to fetch her and made accommodation arrangements for her. She was a teacher at a school in JHB but that also is yet to be confirmed.

iii.

MISS LILY WRONSKY, b. 1893.

Notes for MISS LILY WRONSKY:
Lily lived in Klerkdorp almost all her life. She taught at the local primary school for more than 50 years. The local newspaper wrote a special feature on her on the occasion of her 50 years as a teacher at the school. (Still to be researched.) She was engaged to a "Polish Count" who also was an accomplished violinist. Sadly, he died during the Great Influenza epidemic in 1919. Lily's mother, Hedwig, suffered a stroke and came to live with Lily until Hedwig passed away. Lily spent her last years in the Methodist Old Age Home in Klerkdorp. She was cremated and my father put a plaque for her at the Wall of Remembrance in Klerksdorp.

8.	iv.		WALTER WRONSKY, b. 29 Nov 1894, Rhenosterput, District Lichtenburg, Transvaal, RSA; d. 1952.
9.	v.		RUDOLF WRONSKY, b. 05 Jul 1897; d. 1988.

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