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From: "Sue Rowe" <>
Subject: [AFR-CONGO] EARLY 1900S lily weston
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 17:38:50 +0930

Hello

My English grandmother (now deceased) ran away to the Belgian Congo from England, probably 1910 -1915. She would have been 15 - 20 yrs old.

She went with a much older man - name unknown - who was apparently involved in a rubber plantation. (The family story says he was a Manager or Owner, but this is not known.)

After a few years the man died, and grandmother attempted to return to England. However it was now wartime, (so after 1914) and the ship she boarded was fired upon. I believe that although the ship was badly damaged most aboard escaped safely. I believe the ship was close to land.

It is thought that grandmother was then interned in Portugal until the war was over.

I have no further information. I once saw a newspaper cutting showing a photo of the ship on fire, but don't know the ship's name or any dates. (I personally think it possible that the fire was simply an accident. I cannot recall what the newspaper article said. It was an English newspaper.)

Grandmother never talked about her time in the Congo except to insist that she was the only - or the first - 'white woman' to live wherever it was that she lived.

If anyone can inspire me as to how to research further, please help. I would like to verify the story.

Grandmother's name was Lily or Lilian Mabel WESTON. (Unfortunately I don't know the man's surname, which she probably used instead of her own.)

Can anyone help?

Sue Rowe - Darwin, Australia

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• [AFR-CONGO] EARLY 1900S lily weston by "Sue Rowe" <>