Thomas Charles VIZE married Laura Selina DAVIS Family Group Sheet

Thomas Charles VIZE was the son of Rev John Edward VIZE and Hannah Louisa ASHLEY (see separate Family Group Sheet), born in Dublin, Ireland in 1857. Thomas was baptised on 7 August 1857 at St Peters Anglican Church, Dublin. At the time his father was recorded as a Divinity Student at Trinity College Dublin, residing in Shankill. His birth was recorded as February 1857.

Thomas next appears in England at the time of the 1871 census, when he was a student at Chipping Camden Grammar School, Gloucestershire. His parents had by this time returned to England and his father was soon to take the post of Vicar at St Michael's Church in Forden, Wales.

In 1881 Thomas appears at the Cotteswold Middle Class School Circencester, Gloucestershire, working as a tutor.

Some time between the census of 1881 and early 1885, Thomas made his way to South Africa. No shipping record has yet been identified. He probably arrived at Cape Town as the majority of ships at this time docked there. He ended up in Kimberley in the Cape Colony where on 4 February 1885 he married Laure Selina DAVIS, spinster age 22 at St Cyprian's Anglican Church, Kimberley. Thomas' profession is listed as a law clerk.

Laura's origins are not known. Another Laura Selina DAVIS was baptised in Port Elizabeth in 1840; this may have been an aunt. It is therefore possible that Laura was born in the Colony. Laura's age also varies on the available records. Although her age is stated as 22 on the marriage record (born abt 1862), nearly 3 years later when she remarried she stated her age as 23 (born about 1863). On her burial record from 1921 it states she was 57 years old (born about 1864).

In 1886, Thomas and Laura's first and only child was born. Present at the baptism in Kimberley was Clara VIZE. It is assumed that this is Thomas' sister Clara who lived at the time with their parents in Forden, Wales. There are no records of Clara's travel to or from the Cape Colony.

Thomas died on 5 April 1887 and was buried the same day at the St Cyprian's Churchyard. The rapid burial may suggest some type of contagion.

Laura remarried the following year to Paul KESSLER on 24 January 1887 at St Cyprian's. Paul was a 26 year old bachelor working as a barman. Laura and Paul had five known children between 1890 and 1908. Paul is listed as a hotel keeper on all of these baptisms apart from the last where he is listed as a carpenter. Laura died on 2 November 1921 in Kimberley.

Children of Thomas Charles VIZE and Laura Selina DAVIS:

i Walter VIZE was born 25 March 1886 and baptised 2 May the same year at St Cyprian's. Walter’s surname was changed to KESSLER after his mother remarried but at age 21 he changed his name back to VIZE. He married sometime around 1910 to Ellen Louisa BOSSOM. At age 21 he participated in a walking race for the first time ever between Kimberley and Barkly West – a distance of 40 km and came first. His grandson Norman MARK is in possession of the cup he won. He was in the the siege of Kimberley during the Anglo-Boer war and his then wife to be   remembered living underground in De Beers Mine and being supplied with fruit and vegetables by Cecil John Rhodes. Walter is described as a motor mechanic/on active service in the church register 1911-1916 and as an overseer 1918-1921. The two year gap between 1916 and 1918 is also the gap between the births of   Ivy and Reginald and he was involved in WW1. He served in WW2, as a sergeant, possibly in the Home Guard. After WW2 soldiers were given either a cash grant or a land grant. He opted for the land grant – a plot near Ganspan (Jan Kemp dorp area) but after 2 unsuccessful years returned to Kimberley. Walter died 16 June 1956 in Kimberley and Ellen died 8 September 1965.


 * a Louisa Clara VIZE was born 27 September 1911 and baptised 29 October the same year at St Cyprian's. Louisa was known as Elsie from her initials "L C". Louisa married Cecil John PHEIFFER. They had three daughters. Louisa died 5 October 1964.


 * b  Ellen Ethel VIZE was born 19 July 1913 in Kimberley and died 17 May 1914. Her baptism record has not been found.
 * c Violet Nancy VIZE was born 10 January 1915 and baptised 7 February the same year at St Cyprian's. Violet married William Hicks MARK. They had two sons. Violet died 28 July 1992.


 * d Ivy Delville VIZE was born 22 July 1916 and baptised 27 August the same year at St Cyprian's. Ivy married Ronald CRUICKSHANK. Ivy and Ronald lived in Umtai, Rhodesia. They had a son and two daughters.


 * e Reginald VIZE was born 18 June 1918 and baptised 11 August the same year at St Cyprian's. Reginald married Maria Magdalena (possibly van NIEKERK, a well known family from Kimberley associated with the first diamond discoveries). Reginald is described as a soldier on his son's baptism entry but later seems to have been a businessman. After WWII Reginald opted for a cash grant and bought a farm at Blikfontein. He later sold this and bought another farm and general dealer store/post office in the same area. From there the family moved to Ghanzi in Botswana where he owned  a large cattle farm, hotel and garage. Maria, a trained nurse, worked as matron of the local hospital. Reginald and Maria had a daughter and two sons. Reginald died 15 October 1971.


 * f Ronald VIZE was born 17 April 1921 and baptised 30 May the same year at St Cyprian's. Ronald married Hazel TAYLOR. He worked for the railways and lived in Uitenhage. Ronald and Hazel had one son and one daughter. Ronald died on 25 June 1975.


 * g Walter Edward VIZE was born 10 January 1915 in Kimberley. Walter married Elizabeth Johanna van JAARSVELD, known as Johanna.  Johanna ws born on 2 August 1926 and died on 22 September 2001. Walter died in November 2011. They had no children. Walter worked for the railways.

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